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PCF Wine appreciation thread. (3 Viewers)
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1A25R
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humm..
Not exactly, some wines had a particular character, which means that they will go better with some food than another.
Wine does not makes "food better", is the other way around.
Some food will kill the taste of some wines.
As per example you'll never go with white wine if you eat game. You will not eat a wild board if the wine is not a full bodied and length wine, otherwise the taste of the meat is too strong and will cover the wine... which means that there are wines more subtitle with light body that are perfect to be enjoyed by itself.
For that reason you have come classics combos (examples without sauces) like
Fish / Pinot Gris, Sauvignon or Muscat
Chicken/ Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or rosé
Foie gras/ sauternes
Red met / Cabernet-Sauvignon, Merlot, or Malbec
Note; wine is like art, there are many and different forms.
I have no problems to enjoy a Malbec by itself. But if you want to try wines without food you'll have
Reds: Bourgogne wines like Pinot noir ou Gamay
Rosés: (especially on hot weather) Rosé de Provence or Oeil de Perdrix
Whites (plenty of choices) most common; Pinot Gris, Chardonnay
Like chips.. Get samples !
MOAR wine!!!
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Steak is good. Steak with wine is better.
Pasta is good. Pasta with wine is better.
Wine makes food better (most of the time).
Nobody here disagrees that some wine/food pairings work better than others, and some won't work at all, but there is a wine for nearly every food. Some food can overpower a wine. Some wine can overpower a food.
Now perhaps you work the other way, and pair your food to your wine. My refrigerator holds a limited supply of expirable food. I buy it, then I need to eat it... soon. Wine howerer, I stockpile. Usually for weeks, sometimes for months, rarely for years. Once I know what I'm having for dinner (and who is eating that dinner) I can check out my wine supply and select the best wine for the job.
So in my case I have the food, and the wine makes it better.
Indeed some wines can be too aggressive to be drunk "stand-alone" but most still could.
When it comes to combining with food, I have recently realized that the world is unfortunately discovering that, when it comes to fish and seafood, there is no rival for the Assyrtiko variety from the volcanic soil of Santorini. Its price has more than doubled and is still going up, which makes it less and less affordable to the poor natives
https://www.greeceandgrapes.com/en/...syrtiko/sort=p.product_id/order=DESC/limit=28
Shooting myself in the foot likewise, I 'll have to advertise an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from the ancient vinyard of Nemea; ideal for spiced meat or hot-sauce pasta
https://www.greeceandgrapes.com/en/red-wine-cava-papaioannou-organic-vineyards-papaioannou
I guess many a Frenchman, if blindfolded, would tell you that this is no ordinary Cabernet.
When it comes to combining with food, I have recently realized that the world is unfortunately discovering that, when it comes to fish and seafood, there is no rival for the Assyrtiko variety from the volcanic soil of Santorini. Its price has more than doubled and is still going up, which makes it less and less affordable to the poor natives
https://www.greeceandgrapes.com/en/...syrtiko/sort=p.product_id/order=DESC/limit=28
Shooting myself in the foot likewise, I 'll have to advertise an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from the ancient vinyard of Nemea; ideal for spiced meat or hot-sauce pasta
https://www.greeceandgrapes.com/en/red-wine-cava-papaioannou-organic-vineyards-papaioannou
I guess many a Frenchman, if blindfolded, would tell you that this is no ordinary Cabernet.
Hmmm -- retailing at $3000 per bottle minimum, being rated at 95-100 points, with huge aging potential. Maybe drink one at ten years, and make your decisions from there?
For me, it would be kind of depressing owning a wine that will not reach its peak in your lifetime!
Like this one that we had recently? Very good, but for shellfish, IMO not up there with a more assertive Sancerre, Albarino, or NZ sauvignon blanc.
Incidentally, we had a bottle of Gruner Veltliner from NZ last night. and were impressed. There are a couple coming from the Pacific Northwest now as well, so it looks like Austria will be getting some competition in the US market.
This one, although you can find even better labels.
Hmmm -- retailing at $3000 per bottle minimum, being rated at 95-100 points, with huge aging potential. Maybe drink one at ten years, and make your decisions from there?
For me, it would be kind of depressing owning a wine that will not reach its peak in your lifetime!
I was lucky enough to have an allocation "en primeur" for much less than that. They will probably end up in the cellar of someone else in the future, and the money will come back to the community
1A25R
Flush
Nope, I think that we are saying the same but you reached a different conclusion.
I put it in another way.
In a restaurant you choose your meal first then the wine.
Eventually 2, one to match the entry and another to match your meal. (eventually a 3rd for the dessert like a sparkling wine)
Is not to make your food better (otherwise change restaurant) is to not kill the flavors of the wine with the flavors of the food.
If you go for a tandoori or a real curry, don't bother to find a wine that can hold the spicy food a beer will be just fine (or eventually a Riesling )
In short, when you say "food is almost always better with wine " I'll say yes IF you choose the right wine, but you cannot made a pizza taste better because you had a Barolo but the Barolo will still taste good, even if you had a pizza. (and I mean a real and tasty pizza, not pizza-hut )
My refrigerator also holds a limited supply of expirable food, but here I may have a more easy access to a large choice of wine on the same supermarket, and the wine is always by the exit, after the shelf of food. So I can pick and choose wine accordingly to what I had choose to eat.
Chippy McChiperson
Straight Flush
I'm a wine novice I suppose, but I found I really like the Menage a Trois California Red. It's not too dry or too sweet, goes well with everything, and is relatively inexpensive. Cue @WedgeRock and the out-of-contect thread...
WedgeRock
Royal Flush
Not necessarily! If there's something unusual on a wine list, we'll definitely tailor our meal to the wine.
Especially when we go to Bern's restaurant in Tampa, with over
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Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
Tagging this post so I can find it the next time I'm in Tampa (Suicide Queen Melee 2021?)Not necessarily! If there's something unusual on a wine list, we'll definitely tailor our meal to the wine.
Especially when we go to Bern's restaurant in Tampa, with over 500,000 bottles to choose from, some with prices that haven't been updated in 40 years.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
I think we agree, and there is just a language barrier that we stumbled over.
In this case, Better = preferable to not
Also in this case, Better <> Pizza 'A' has an improved flavor over Pizza 'B' because it was served with wine.
...although, I make my pizza sauce reduced with red wine, so in the case of pizza, it is does have an improved flavor because of the wine.
A few friends came over for dinner, so I cracked a few bottles:
(L-R: 2015, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2010, 2009, 1998)
My proudest moment came when I was able to extract the (original) cork from the Lafite in one piece! Thank you, Ah-So!
And that price was 18 years ago... Winner for the evening was the Barolo.
(Bigger image at dropbox)
(L-R: 2015, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2010, 2009, 1998)
My proudest moment came when I was able to extract the (original) cork from the Lafite in one piece! Thank you, Ah-So!
And that price was 18 years ago...
Winner for the evening was the Barolo.(Bigger image at dropbox)
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Ah So - simple, effective and what I use for old corks.. guessing the taste wasn't worth the time in the cellar?A few friends came over for dinner, so I cracked a few:
View attachment 362515
(L-R: 2015, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2010, 2009, 1998)
My proudest moment came when I was able to extract the (original) cork from the Lafite in one piece! Thank you, Ah-So!
And that price was 18 years ago...
(Bigger image at dropbox)
how was the Cahors?
Mongoose
Full House
A few?!!!
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
The Malbec from Cahors was the one that really caught my eye too...
Well, we drink more Cahors, than any other wine, actually. And it did get a boost by being served in the Cahors glasses we brought home from France earlier this year, which our guests had never seen. It was the usual big, earthy red that we love.
The Paraiso is outstanding, and quite big for a pinot. We had a bottle last week, so we knew what to expect. It was probably my favorite wine of the night.
Not much to say about the Barolo -- big and jammy, the favorite of three of the five of us. A 2010, possibly at its peak right now.
The d'Arenberg, otoh, was a little past its prime. Nice, but suffered a bit in this company.
The Anos was the most polarizing wine. 50-50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah from vines 70-100 years old, it had a unique flavor profile that I really like, but one of us was particularly put off by it, and one was on the fence.
The Carruades de Lafite was more austere than the younger, more fruity varietals, but very well received overall. Not tired at all. I might have opened it a bit too early, about three hours -- one hour probably would have found it a bit fresher and bigger.
The Neprica was new to us at a tasting earlier this week. It's a Puglia blend of Negroamaro, Primitivo, and and Cab (Ne-Pri-Ca), 40-30-30%. Big fruit, a good all-around food wine, and cheap -- $9.99 at Total Wine. Our friends had never tasted it before, and it was well received.
Five people, seven bottles (there was a little bit of the Anos left over.) And not much Calvados drunk afterward. I was just as happy to be at home and not have to drive afterward, but I did have to wash a hell of a lot of wine glasses this morning...
It was the usual big, earthy red that we love.The Paraiso is outstanding, and quite big for a pinot. We had a bottle last week, so we knew what to expect. It was probably my favorite wine of the night.
Not much to say about the Barolo -- big and jammy, the favorite of three of the five of us. A 2010, possibly at its peak right now.
The d'Arenberg, otoh, was a little past its prime. Nice, but suffered a bit in this company.
The Anos was the most polarizing wine. 50-50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah from vines 70-100 years old, it had a unique flavor profile that I really like, but one of us was particularly put off by it, and one was on the fence.
The Carruades de Lafite was more austere than the younger, more fruity varietals, but very well received overall. Not tired at all. I might have opened it a bit too early, about three hours -- one hour probably would have found it a bit fresher and bigger.
The Neprica was new to us at a tasting earlier this week. It's a Puglia blend of Negroamaro, Primitivo, and and Cab (Ne-Pri-Ca), 40-30-30%. Big fruit, a good all-around food wine, and cheap -- $9.99 at Total Wine. Our friends had never tasted it before, and it was well received.
Five people, seven bottles (there was a little bit of the Anos left over.) And not much Calvados drunk afterward. I was just as happy to be at home and not have to drive afterward, but I did have to wash a hell of a lot of wine glasses this morning...
Lil Tuna
4 of a Kind
Awesome review @pltrgyst, thanks much for the insight on these. I will have the picture you posted handy on my next visit to Total.Well, we drink more Cahors, than any other wine, actually. And it did get a boost by being served in the Cahors glasses we brought home from France earlier this year, which our guests had never seen.
The Paraiso is outstanding, and quite big for a pinot. We had a bottle last week, so we knew what to expect. It was probably my favorite wine of the night.
Not much to say about the Barolo -- big and jammy, the favorite of three of the five of us. A 2010, possibly at its peak right now.
The d'Arenberg, otoh, was a little past its prime. Nice, but suffered a bit in this company.
The Anos was the most polarizing wine. 50-50 blend of Monastrell and Syrah from vines 70-100 years old, it had a unique flavor profile that I really like, but one of us was particularly put off by it, and one was on the fence.
The Carruades de Lafite was more austere than the younger, more fruity varietals, but very well received overall. Not tired at all. I might have opened it a bit too early, about three hours -- one hour probably would have found it a bit fresher and bigger.
The Neprica was new to us at a tasting earlier this week. It's a Puglia blend of Negroamaro, Primitivo, and and Cab (Ne-Pri-Ca), 40-30-30%. Big fruit, a good all-around food wine, and cheap -- $9.99 at Total Wine. Our friends had never tasted it before, and it was well received.
Five people, seven bottles (there was a little bit of the Anos left over.) And not much Calvados drunk afterward. I was just as happy to be at home and not have to drive afterward, but I did have to wash a hell of a lot of wine glasses this morning...
What would you say is your favorite Cabernet, Shiraz or Zinfandel in the $20-$30 range?
Looking to broaden my wine selections a bit and always appreciate a good recommendation.
Thanks.
Thanks, Tuna.
I'm not mainstream in my preferences, I'm afraid. We don't drink Cab Sauvignon (or American chardonnay) unless we're forced to at gunpoint. Frank (@ovo) can surely give you some good pointers.
As far as Shiraz, in that price range we like The Boxer from Molly Dooker in Australia, and of course the pure Syrahs from the northern Rhone. It's worth trying both styles to see which you prefer. And if you're into experimentation, Hardy (AUS) makes a deep red sparking Shiraz that will knock your socks off with a rack of lamb or a lamb shank!
For zins, we favor anything from either Turley or Ridge. The Turley Juvenile and Ridge Three Valleys are in that price range, with other bottlings in the $30-35 range.
Have fun exploring!
I haven't had time to buy lately , but Beringer Knights Valley Cab is always delicious Like Larry, I like to look to Australia for some inexpensive shiraz styles. Zins are my favorite, but I can't think of any right now
Anyone that does like Cabernet... have you had this? If so, worth the price point?
Good price for that bottle - have had some good vinatges of Caymus before - would probably buy something else at this price point though.
Lil Tuna
4 of a Kind
OIh, no! That Geyserville is just a baby! 
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