If You Are Going To Hit the Bottle

[MylesBAstor]

Do it in style. Wines to check out.

[JCOConnell]

I don't drink anymore but there's a lot of good wine listed for only 20 bucks a bottle. What a deal.

[mep]

My great Uncle Conway used to say that he felt sorry for people that didn't drink because when they woke up in the morning, that was the best they were going to feel all day. My Uncle Conway was a wise man who owned his own very successful business until he retired. He sold his business to a corporation which agreed to an upfront buyout with a certain amount of residuals. My Uncle Conway had to come out of retirement and take the business over until he could pay himself what was promised in the original deal. He did just that and then retired again happily in Florida until his death in his early 90s. I miss my uncle.

[mkuller]

Wine Enthusiast is ok but I prefer Wine Spectator's ratings. WE seem inflated about 2-3 points in comparison.

I started a wine tasting group about 7 years ago (since many of our wives were in book clubs) and we still get together once a month and blind taste a different wine. We focus on California wines since Napa is an hour away and they are so accessible. Zinfandels are my favorite. For December we have a XMas party with our wives and do a chardonnay tasting. Here are the results of our November tasting:

...our wine tasting group of six tasted 6 pinot noirs, 5 from the Russian River or Sonoma County.

I had just returned from 8 days in New Zealand and had done some wine tasting there. The most popular wine there is sauvignon blanc and the most popular red is pinot noir.

But the wines are a little different than what we find here. Most of their pinot noirs tend to be more minerally and a little higher acid than the fruit forward California or Oregon pinots which means they tend to go better with food. The pinots from the Marlborough region tend to be lighter and from Otago have a little more body.

I tasted over 20 pinots while I was there and picked out my favorite to bring home for the tasting.

Here are the results with the lower points being the more popular wine (ranked with 1 point for the one you like best and 6 points for the one you like least).

In past tastings there have been ties where two wines got the same number of points but this time the top 3 wines had the same score and the bottom 3 the same score - meaning everyone liked different ones but in two separate groups.

6. 2015 Tuli - $15 - 25pts - no firsts, 3 lasts - this is a new wine from one of the people involved in Meoimi. It tasted different than the others but was fruity and velvety.

5. 2014 Olema - $15 - 25pts - no firsts, 2 lasts.

4. 2014 Papatiero Perry Peters $58 - 25 pts - no firsts, one last.

3. 2014 River Road - $16 - 17pts - 1 first.

2. 2014 River Road Stephanie's Vinyard - $23 - 17pts - 2 first, two 5ths (my first place).

1. 2015 Maude Otago New Zealand - $42 - 17pts - 2 firsts, one 5th (not available here and hard to find in NZ).

If you're looking for a nice pinot noir, I would suggest the River Road Stephanie. This is available at a new chain here called Total Wine which has great prices.

[1morerecord2clean]

Luv that 7Deadly!!!!!!!!!

[mkuller]

See my post below.

[mkuller]

See my post below.

[BadBob]

I agree on the post above, the WE points tend to be a little inflated vs. WS. Still, the lists are nice if some of the names are familiar. I liked the additional list of cellar selections...

There is a big wine tasting charity event held here in Portland each fall to provide resources for the migrants who come to work the fields. There is a day of tastings, and also a big gala. This year we did the tastings with ~50 wineries producing Oregon Pinot. While pinot is not my favorite wine (I prefer Bordeaux blends and cabs) the Willamette Valley here in Oregon produces some world class pinot. Of the wines I tasted this year at the event, the Ayoub 2014 Estate Pinot (Dundee Hills) was my favorite and WE shows it 56 on their top 100 wines for cellaring. Suggested price is $60/bottle, but can be found for less though it is small production so not easily found and not too deep of discount. (Now when I find a Pinot I like, it is usually a little more full bodied. Many Pinot fans may find it too rich. Miles tasted a nice Hawks View Pinot I'd sent him, I think the Ayoub would be in that vein.)

There were several other Oregon Pinots on the cellaring list, including familiar names like Stoller, Elizabeth Chambers, and Ponzi.

Just last Thursday afternoon the team completed the racking in my cellar. As I filled the cellar I noticed I've been collecting some pretty nice wines, many of which were on the "cellaring" list, including the Quilceda Creek, Figgins, Woodward Canyon Old Vines, and Mark Ryan. If you are a fan of cabernet and Bordeaux style blends, and you haven't explored the great wine coming from Washington state, you are missing out! I'm a member of a "Rare Washington Wine" club so I regularly get shipments of some of these difficult to find low production wines. The Quilceda Creek cab, for example, has had more 100pt scores than any other Washington wine, and while dear it is an exceptional, world class wine.

The racking is complete now save for a little baseboard trim. All redwood heartwood racking, unstained (so off-gasses don't mess with the corks and labels.) You can see the channel on the floor for the floor-ceiling glass that will close the cellar.

[BadBob]

Wine Enthusiast #1 for 2016. (It is a 2005) I took a risk and bought 6 based on reviews and no experience with Spanish wine. We opened one New Years eve. 94, 95, 96 pts depending on reviewer—absolutely stunning @ $40. Be sure to put at least a couple in your cellar!!! I ordered 6 more it is that good.

[Alrainbow]

How about one for wiskies ??

[MylesBAstor]

You are welcome to start one!

[Kingrex]

I use to be a whiskey guy, then I went to Cabo fishing for tuna and was introduced to Don Julio 1942 Tequila. I'm pretty exclusively a Tequila drinker now. Its medicinal.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I like my red wine full-bodied and cheap. Hungarian fits that bill!

[Beaur]

Sorry Johnny but the fruit is too low hanging!!

Same for women??

[Johnny Vinyl]

I was being a bit sarcastic re the wine. I'm not a big imbiber of the grape juice, but appreciate a nice Chianti or a Pinot Noir. Most wines I buy are under $20 and that's fine for me.

As for women...divorce has told me that women are never cheap.

[1morerecord2clean]

Before I married I liked my women like that too. 😎

[Per Sundell]

Tonights goodness!

[1morerecord2clean]

Hmm. Looks good. Bring on the salami antipasto, pasta, and zabigloni for dessert.

[Per Sundell]

Managed with just salami, mozzarella and tomatoes. You dont need pasta!

[Stringreen]

My favorite for dinner is Maeomi Pinot Noir.......I get it at Costco for about 15.00. I told the restaurant/wine bar near here about it.....they are now selling it by the glass for 20.00 a glass.

[Per Sundell]

Thats a bit of a markup.

[JCOConnell]

Gee, I wonder what they ask for a whole bottle?

[mkuller]

Usually bars and restaurants charge per glass what they pay for the bottle. If it lists for $20 like Meoimi, then they buy it at wholesale for $10 and charge that per glass. Doubling that is a huge markup.

[mkuller]

• My favorite wine is zinfandel and they vary year to year but under $20 is a challenge because at that price they are usually one note (fruit) without the depth and the layers of complexity I like.
  • Easier to find - Seghesios, Dry Creek Heritage, Rosenblums, Dasche, Green and Red, 2015 Ridge Lytton Springs (great for around $30)
    
    Usually better but more expensive (around $35 to $45) - 2015 Brown Estate, 2015 Bedrock Heritage or Old Vines, Turleys (Juvenile is amazing for the money @$22 if you can find it), Carlisles, Rafanelli, Gamba, Mauritson, Hartford and Limerick Lane.
    
    
    Here's our group's cheap zin tasting from last March:
    
    ...6 of us blind tasted 6 zins under $20. The one you like best is rated 1pt and the one you like least is 6pts - low pts wins.
    
    6. Rosenblum Vintner's Cuvee XXXVIII $8 - 26pts - 3 lasts
    
    5. 2014 Peachy Canyon Westside Paso Robles $17 - 25pts - 1 first, 1 last
    
    3/4. 2013 Pech Merte Dry Creek $15 - 21pts - 1 first, 1 last
    
    3/4. 2014 Klinkerbrick Old Vines Lodi $15 -21pts - 1 first
    
    2. 2014 Bogle Old Vines $12 - 17pts - 2 firsts, 1 last
    
    1. 2014 Four Vines Old Vines Lodi $16 - 16pts - 1 first
    
    All of the wines were pretty decent - none were great or really bad - which is why the scores were close and all but one got a first place. Although I rated the Rosenblum last, it would be a decent wine for everyday drinking, as would any of the others

[Letsmakeadeal]

My favorite Malbec

[MylesBAstor]

[mkuller]

My favorite under $20 bottle of wine is Quivera Zinfandel from Costco.

[Alrainbow]

My great Uncle Conway used to say that he felt sorry for people that didn't drink because when they woke up in the morning, that was the best they were going to feel all day. My Uncle Conway was a wise man who owned his own very successful business until he retired. He sold his business to a corporation which agreed to an upfront buyout with a certain amount of residuals. My Uncle Conway had to come out of retirement and take the business over until he could pay himself what was promised in the original deal. He did just that and then retired again happily in Florida until his death in his early 90s. I miss my uncle.

I heard that story somewhere else too
selling a business on that basis is a tough propersition
some like me retire and let someone use the lisc in the business not one person I know it worked out.