Wine

[NDIrish]

I like wine...in fact, I think it may border on love.

I limit myself to one bottle of wine per week.

I'm planning to stop at the wine store on the way home tonight and get a Chardonnay as well as a nice Cabernet. Any suggestions?

Also, I'm incredibly irritated that State law doesn't allow me to have wine delivered via mail. I'd be all over those "wine of the month" clubs.

 

[Angelus00]

I suppose suggestions would depend on the state you reside in. I just completed a tour/day at Firelands winery in Ohio and HIGHLY recommend their wines. They bottle for out-of-state consumers under the "Mon Ami" label and have some very nice wines. For today I am leaning toward a sweeter wine and would recommend their Riesling, although their Chardonnay is very good, too. I currently have their Niagra wine, which is definitely on the sweet side and their Gewertzatrainer which is drier than the Niagra but still on the sweet side of the line. Firelands is currently experimenting with an "ice" wine that is DEFINITELY a desert wine but is very good. So, there you have MY 2 cents worth.

 

[NDIrish]

I suppose suggestions would depend on the state you reside in. I just completed a tour/day at Firelands winery in Ohio and HIGHLY recommend their wines. They bottle for out-of-state consumers under the "Mon Ami" label and have some very nice wines. For today I am leaning toward a sweeter wine and would recommend their Riesling, although their Chardonnay is very good, too. I currently have their Niagra wine, which is definitely on the sweet side and their Gewertzatrainer which is drier than the Niagra but still on the sweet side of the line. Firelands is currently experimenting with an "ice" wine that is DEFINITELY a desert wine but is very good. So, there you have MY 2 cents worth.

I just checked out their website...very interesting pirce about the process of their wines!

I'm in Tennessee, and can't get any wine's shipped to me.

 

[MikeK]

I like wine too, anything dry and red. I'm looking forward to reading the responses. I've always wanted to attend a wine tasting or visit a vineyard, but I've always been afraid that if I learned to appreciate the subtleties of good wine, I would learn to hate the one-step-above-box-wines that I enjoy now. I'm already a beer snob, that's bad enough.

 

[NDIrish]

I like wine too, anything dry and red. I'm looking forward to reading the responses. I've always wanted to attend a wine tasting or visit a vineyard, but I've always been afraid that if I learned to appreciate the subtleties of good wine, I would learn to hate the one-step-above-box-wines that I enjoy now. I'm already a beer snob, that's bad enough.

Ahhhhh...nothing like a good Arbor Mist!

 

[PassthePeace1]

I just checked out their website...very interesting pirce about the process of their wines!

I'm in Tennessee, and can't get any wine's shipped to me.

Do you live close to a state border that does, allow shipping of wine? Get a PO Box

 

[LostFound1986]

You can't beat French wines in my experience, heavenly!

 

[NDIrish]

You can't beat French wines in my experience, heavenly!

Any suggestions on specific wines?

 

[RobNJ]

I never met an Aussie Shiraz, that I didn't like. Also a fan of Merlot, Pinoit Noir, and any mix of the above.

White wine.... maybe a Gewurtztramminer

 

[geocajun]

I like wine...in fact, I think it may border on love.

I limit myself to one bottle of wine per week.

I'm planning to stop at the wine store on the way home tonight and get a Chardonnay as well as a nice Cabernet. Any suggestions?

Also, I'm incredibly irritated that State law doesn't allow me to have wine delivered via mail. I'd be all over those "wine of the month" clubs.

My suggestion is put down the cabernet. Tannins are bad for you (kill your taste buds), and they taste like wood. Drink a nice Shiraz or Merlot instead

 

[NDIrish]

My suggestion is put down the cabernet. Tannins are bad for you (kill your taste buds), and they taste like wood. Drink a nice Shiraz or Merlot instead

I do like Merlot, but really prefer the Cab.

That being said, what the heck is a Tannin?

I suppose if my taste buds are going to go, what better way?!?!

 

[LostFound1986]

Second the recommendation of Merlot. I would love to suggest one, NDirish, as soon as I remember how to spell it! lol!

 

[NDIrish]

From Wikipedia:

Tannins (mainly condensed tannins) are also found in wine, particularly red wine. Tannins in wine can come from many sources and the tactile properties differ depending on the source. Tannins in grape skins and seeds (the latter being especially harsh) tend to be more noticeable in red wines, which are fermented while in contact with the skins and seeds. Tannins extracted from grapes are condensed tannins, which are polymers of procyanidin monomers. Hydrolysable tannins are extracted from the oak wood the wine is aged in. Hydrolysable tannins are more easily oxidised than condensed tannins.

Modern winemakers take great care to minimize undesirable tannins from seeds by crushing grapes gently to extract their juice. Pressing the grapes results in press wine which is more tannic and might be kept separately. Wines can also take on tannins if matured in oak or wood casks with a high tannin content. Tannins play an important role in preventing oxidation in aging wine and appear to polymerize and make up a major portion of the sediment in wine.

Recently, a study in wine production and consumption has shown that tannins in the form of procyanidins, have a beneficial effect on vascular health. The study showed that tannins suppressed production of the peptide responsible for hardening arteries. To support their findings, the study also points out that wines from the regions of southwest France and Sardinia are particularly rich in procyanidins, and that these regions also produce populations with longer life spans.[4]

 

[PassthePeace1]

I do like Merlot, but really prefer the Cab.

That being said, what the heck is a Tannin?

I suppose if my taste buds are going to go, what better way?!?!

Tannins are astringent phenolic compounds found in the seeds and skin of wine.....that mellow with age, so if the wine is too young...pucker up..lol...plus it doesnt complement a certain meal very well.

Tannins are also a good thing, because of the antioxidants they contain...

Do you usually have wine with your meals...or do you drink it by it's self? Both play a factor in trying to decide which wine to buy.

 

[Rebekka]

YAY, a wine thread!

I love wine. Wine tasting is one of my hobbies.

Tannins are not bad for you! They are said to be healthy - but I don't drink wine for health reasons, just for taste, and it is true that young cabernet sauvignons can be too tannic. (Steak makes too tannic wines milder, so if you like steak, drink a cabernet with it!) But tannins are necessary for aging (of wine, but actually also of people ) - wines with too little tannins do not age well (which is why white wines in general don't age as well as reds - exceptions are some sweet wines like sauternes and riesling - whites have less tannins than reds). Tannins become smoother with age. Tannins are something that is in grape seeds and skins.

I can't advise on American wine because I don't often drink it - it's hard to get here, and only Californian wine is sold here, not from elsewhere in the US. Canadian is impossible to get here (shame - I'd love to taste their icewines!).

I really can't advise on French wines too, because I don't know your taste, experience and budget. And I have no idea what the prices are of French wines in the US. But I drink a lot of French wines (I'm not an alcoholic by the way ), and if you like cabernet sauvignons you will like wines from the Bordeaux region - they are usually a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and maybe a fourth one but if so it escapes me right now. Expensive wines are from the smaller Appellations, like Pauillac, St. Estèphe, St. Julien, St. Emilion (merlot), Margaux, Pomerol (merlot), but cheaper wines are to be found there too: Entre-deux-mers, Bordeaux, Médoc, etc.

I also like Australian shiraz, and South African pinotage. Carmenère from Chili can be good.

I like white wines from the Alsace in France: pinot blanc, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, riesling. I like Austrian rieslings too. I haven't had many German rieslings yet - usually they are lower in alcohol (8-9% instead of, say, 12-14%). I like the Austrian Grüner Veltliner too, and sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, and torrontés from Argentina.

We need a wine cellar.

I've always wanted to attend a wine tasting or visit a vineyard, but I've always been afraid that if I learned to appreciate the subtleties of good wine, I would learn to hate the one-step-above-box-wines that I enjoy now. I'm already a beer snob, that's bad enough.

Would it be too much off-topic to discuss beer snobbery here? Should we start a separate beer thread? I love belgian and certain german and dutch beers.

 

[NDIrish]

Do you usually have wine with your meals...or do you drink it by it's self? Both play a factor in trying to decide which wine to buy.

Both actually. The bottle is usually opened when dinner is cooking, and finished when dinner is ending.

 

[geocajun]

I do like Merlot, but really prefer the Cab.

That being said, what the heck is a Tannin?

I suppose if my taste buds are going to go, what better way?!?!

Tannins are the things that make cabernet taste like you look an oak tree. It's the dry stuff that destroys the taste of the wine.

 

[NDIrish]

YAY, a wine thread!

I love wine. Wine tasting is one of my hobbies.

Tannins are not bad for you! They are said to be healthy - but I don't drink wine for health reasons, just for taste, and it is true that young cabernet sauvignons can be too tannic. (Steak makes too tannic wines milder, so if you like steak, drink a cabernet with it!) But tannins are necessary for aging (of wine, but actually also of people ) - wines with too little tannins do not age well (which is why white wines in general don't age as well as reds - exceptions are some sweet wines like sauternes and riesling - whites have less tannins than reds). Tannins become smoother with age. Tannins are something that is in grape seeds and skins.

I can't advise on American wine because I don't often drink it - it's hard to get here, and only Californian wine is sold here, not from elsewhere in the US. Canadian is impossible to get here (shame - I'd love to taste their icewines!).

I really can't advise on French wines too, because I don't know your taste, experience and budget. And I have no idea what the prices are of French wines in the US. But I drink a lot of French wines (I'm not an alcoholic by the way ), and if you like cabernet sauvignons you will like wines from the Bordeaux region - they are usually a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and maybe a fourth one but if so it escapes me right now. Expensive wines are from the smaller Appellations, like Pauillac, St. Estèphe, St. Julien, St. Emilion (merlot), Margaux, Pomerol (merlot), but cheaper wines are to be found there too: Entre-deux-mers, Bordeaux, Médoc, etc.

I also like Australian shiraz, and South African pinotage. Carmenère from Chili can be good.

I like white wines from the Alsace in France: pinot blanc, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, riesling. I like Austrian rieslings too. I haven't had many German rieslings yet - usually they are lower in alcohol (8-9% instead of, say, 12-14%). I like the Austrian Grüner Veltliner too, and sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, and torrontés from Argentina.

We need a wine cellar.


Would it be too much off-topic to discuss beer snobbery here? Should we start a separate beer thread? I love belgian and certain german and dutch beers.

WHOA! Some great info!!!!

 

[LostFound1986]

Haha! Like it NDirish! Sorta a before, during and after kind of set up!!!

 

[PassthePeace1]

I like the Australian shiraz, as well....didn't really care for the last brand I bought though...hmm...trying to remember the name....I shop more by label identification...mostly because I can't pronounce or spell most of them...especially the European ones...

I'll go look in my old bottle stash...and see if I save one...might save you some money..lol


Edit...Penmara...didn't care for that winery, but you might like it