# wine



## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

any wine experts/fans here?

I just started getting into wine, I'm not into the snob appeal I just want to learn about it


a really really good wine we had with xmas dinner was this cranberry wine from Stoney Ridge wineries.....it wasn't that sweet desert stuff either, it tasted more bitter but it went amazing with TURKEY!!! I'll buy a case of this stuff I think


I usually stick with Jackson Triggs, it's Niagara wine, inexpensive & good

two of the best wines I've had this year are:

a Hillebrand Estates Showcase 2002 cabernet for about $30

and for kicks I tried a bottle of 2005 Chateau Montelena cabernet ( Napa valley ) that was great too, but it was $20 more than the stuff I normally buy ( $50 at the LCBO )


on the plane they had this cheesy but fun wine movie called "bottleshocked" about the famous blind taste test in Paris 1976, this is when the California wines first came into worldwide recognition because 2 Cali wines beat out all the French wines at the test. it was shot around Chateau Montelena, in California


I'm gonna rent it with the GF next week.....with some wine to suit


link


http://www.calwineries.com/learn/his...ind-taste-test


this is the California winning red:

http://www.cask23.com/1976tasting.htm


this is the California winning white:

http://www.montelena.com/our_winery/paris.html



anyone else have any good wine advice etc?


cheers


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

Yes, I like wines and enjoy many BC VQA.

If you like whites, try Wild Goose Vineyards Pinot Gris or Arrowleaf Bacchus.

If you want a drinkable white on a budget, Sawmill Creek chardonnay (not VQA) is many times not too bad, but their consistency is horrible. It's an adventure from one lot to the next.

The least expensive I have come across is Okanagan Vineyards chardonnay. A VQA white that's as fruity as a Pinot Blanc.

My favorite sparkling white is an Italian called Asti (white top. There are two and the green top is horrible).

For a great red, Calona Artist Series Pinor Noir. Initially released at $20/bottle can now fetch a good $150 at auction. The good news is a lot of independent "beer and swill" stores that haven't a clue what end of the screw goes into the cork and you can sometimes snag a whole case for under $50 

Other VQA red gems (discontinued, but sometimes obtainable as above) are "49 North" and Copper Moon merlot.

Lovely zinfindels are Okanagan vineyards (another discontinued, though was one of the first zin's to be VQA registered!!!!!) and California's Turning Leaf (fields ploughed under for more profitable crops).

Alas, some of my favorites are being discontinued in favour of pickle juice, because it sells better (I guess to the ever increasing skid-row population on Bay Street?  )

Cheers!


** edit **

Speaking of Jackson Triggs, what the heck happened to them? Last good year was 2004 for them. Went into the toilet after that.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

ha, thx for the info & tips!!

I'll def check some of those out


I had a bottle of Asti sparkling last night, it was italian...Martini brand....is this the same as your fave? really good stuff!! a bit sweet for my tastes but I think all champagne is sweet, no?


2005 was a great year for grapes, I heard...in Napa anyway


ps what is pickle juice?

cheers


sdsre


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I had a nice red the other day - Kittling Ridge VQA Cabernet 2006. IT was smooth, an easy drinker.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I can't recommend any wines so I'll recommend a film about wines instead. Check out John Cleese's Wine for the Confused.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

kat_ said:


> I can't recommend any wines so I'll recommend a film about wines instead. Check out John Cleese's Wine for the Confused.


Or Sideways


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

While I prefer a German Reisling type wine I have become quite fond of a local honey producers Mead which has won a few awards . Their products can be ordered on line BTW .

Info here... http://www.munrohoney.com/products.aspx?cid=Mead


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

great, thx guys!!

have heard of sideways & it's maligning of merlot....


will prolly rent that one too

I actually don't like white wine at all, just red


:rockon2:


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## Gene Machine (Sep 22, 2007)

*aussie*

just aboot any Australian shiraz is decent. Yellow Tail, Little Penguin, Lindemans, they are all less than $15 a bottle. MacWilliams is a little more, and very nice. There are a few more expensive ones on the shelf, but honestly i never needed to go past any on this list. SOLID wines, every time.

lots of Ontario VQA stuff is nice too. if your in toronto, plan a trip to niagra, Pelee island or Prince Edward County (picton, south of belleville). lots of great local vinyards.

cheers.

g.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Gene Machine said:


> just aboot any Australian shiraz is decent.


According to Python-


> A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.
> 
> Black Stump Bordeaux is rightly praised as a peppermint flavoured Burgundy, whilst a good Sydney Syrup can rank with any of the world's best sugary wines.
> 
> ...


I'm not much of a wine drinker, but overall I prefer a very dry white wine. Sorry, no brand suggestions though.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

LMAO fun thread this!

I don't drink, but I do on occasion cook with wines (and by on occasion, its been nearly 2 years since I did). From experience I can say, if you do a red wine stew or jugged dish use cheep wine. So in: soak a rabbit or chicken or veal and some thin sliced onions and thin sliced garlic in red wine overnight in the fridge, then pull out the meat, pat it dry and brown in a skillet, strain the red wine into a pot, put the browned rabbit in the wine, and simmer till tender. Thicken with blood. Serve with browned button mushrooms and little onions on a good egg noodle . Jugging is thickening with the blood. You would use 1 litre or so of 'house' wine of any of your fav sellers. Sould be around 7 dollars worth of wine. The trick is in the finish, use a good full bodied red, sherry, port your call just in the last moments of cooking before serving (actually, sherry and port are both damaged if cooked longer than about 10 mins. You can poach pears nice in sherry, but they can get really sweet, but then you would serve them with creme fresh or sour cream mmmm). Anyways, just an oz or two is needed. Adds in a good flavour signature to the dish without costing you an arm and spleen.

For white or butter sauces, the thing to pay attention to more is the word "oaked". The un-oaked (made in stainless steel and bottled never been in a barrel) wine makes a far better base in hollandase or white wine sauces.

As to drinking the stuff. No advice there. Un-denatured, the only way I ever drank it was with my fist clasped around the top, down in a swallow and usually the complaint "whaaa sthhatsa all all..." followed by the next bottle I could find... :/ I could not even tell you if it was red or white, I never spent the time to look and see.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

bolero said:


> I had a bottle of Asti sparkling last night, it was italian...Martini brand....is this the same as your fave? really good stuff!! a bit sweet for my tastes but I think all champagne is sweet, no?


Probably the one then. Great stuff for $17/bottle :smile:

It's a sweetness level #4 on the official scale and a #7 by my taste buds.

It may be sweet, but it pwnz the $125 mini-bottle of Dom I splurged on one New Year. The French can keep it!




bolero said:


> 2005 was a great year for grapes, I heard...in Napa anyway


It was good for Caleefornee, you bet! But a little cold adn wet for the Okanagan area of BC where most of our best grapes are from.




bolero said:


> ps what is pickle juice?


Wine that should be used in the car radiator and not ingested. Often found as "bag in a box".

Cheers!


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

Probably the best way to learn about wine is to start with a wine appreciation course. It can teach you about different wines, qualities to look for, how to judge a wine, etc. Local boards of education and community colleges most likely will offer such a course as an evening course - the cost of the course is tax deductable.
If you really enjoy it you will also be introduced to different wine and food appreciation clubs in your area and if you want to learn a lot then a somellier course would fit the bill.
This is not meant to diss anyone's taste in wines, just to expand your exposure to different varieties from all over the world.

Brian


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

I've been buying and collecting wine since the mid eighties - when the great 1982 Bordeaux were being released. We just cracked a 1988 Chateau Mouton Rothschild on my 50th birthday last month. 

I still have bottles of several vintages of Mouton from 1970 to 2005, a few other great Bordeaux like Ch. Margaux, Ch. Latour and Ch. Palmer, but won't be buying many more as they simply won't be ready to drink in my lifetime and are getting too expensive now. Good Burgundy has always been too expensive but I have had some on rare occasions, back in the good old days when you could pick up a bottle of Le Roy for under $150.

I drink American and Australian wines almost exclusively now. Very decent wines for $10-20 per bottle. Canadian wines are finally coming along but the good ones are far too expensive when compared to US or Aussie wines.

I did buy a case of some nice Chardonnay at Mission Hill winery in BC last year, but I think it was about $30 per bottle.

-Pete

PS.. to the OP, Ch. Montelena is one of my fave California Cabernets. You've got good taste.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

We have been makling our own the past five years. We buy a different grape variety and press them ourselves. It's been getting better and better. We've done Cabernet, Merlot, the last run was Shiraz. The Shiraz has been the best one yet,(it's a learning process after all) but we still have some Merlot that needs bottling and is now 2 years old. it's alot of work, but is very rewarding to have something that's really nice on the pallet that you made yourself.

Other that that I like Australian, Chilean and some Californian wines. I'm not a wine snob, but the Canadian wines just do not do it for me. Also I don't like to spend more than $15 unless we're having a special dinner that requires some nice wine. Pairing wines with food is alot of fun.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

My good buddy Richard Best is both a musician (many years touring as drumemr behind some of the best country acts in southwestern Ontario) *and* a wine-writer/oenophile. You can find his nifty Oakville-based website and newsletters here: http://www.frugal-wine.com/

...and his books:
http://www.lulu.com/content/1709266
http://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Oenophiles-Lexicon-Tasting-Terms/dp/0968504655

Is he right? I don't know. I don't particularly like the taste of alcohol in any form. But my experience is that he has good judgment in most areas, so I expect him to have good judgment in wine.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I have been enjoying wine since 1970, when I went to England to study. The family I lived with for two years introduced me to French wines (mainly Burgundies) and I learned a lot about wine at that time. Now, I can't afford to drink the wines I enjoyed on a regular basis at the time (Fleurie, Beaune and Nuits St. Georges <sp?> were some of my favourites). 

I have maintained my interest in wines and have recently attended two tastings offered at the LCBO in Guelph (Italian wines and Argentinian Malbecs). 

A phrase that I learned early and believe 100% is: 
_"A good wine is one that you like"_ 
(i.e., it doesn't have to expensive to be good). Others might disagree.

There is a wine that is flying off the shelves at the LCBO after it received great reviews from a wine critic. It is called "Fuzion" (blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon..IIRC) and is about $7.50, or so, a bottle. I tried it..quite nice, especially given the price.

Cheers

Dave


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

greco said:


> ...is about $7.50, or so, a bottle. I tried it..quite nice, especially given the price.


Indeed!

Good wines need not be expensive and expensive wines aren't always good.

Cheers!


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

Is "Old Sailer " wine still available ? That was one for a cheap drunk back some years ago :smile:

I rarely go in a LCBO anymore .


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I prefer the wines of the Bordeaux region, and dry red wines in particular.

I toured Bordeaux and the chateaux of Baron Phillippe de Rosthchild about six or seven years ago.

Lots of amazing wines by smaller vintners. 


I also like really good champagne. I'll be enjoying a nice Moet and Chandon tomorrow evening.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Milkman said:


> I'll be enjoying a nice Moet and Chandon tomorrow evening.


Now I'm doing "Killer Queen" in my head.


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

I would like to buy a nice bottle of wine for my wife and I to sip as we ring in the New Year at home.

We ordinarily have a $10 bottle of Zinfandel. Let's say my budget for this bottle is $20!

Any suggestions?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

rhh7 said:


> Any suggestions?


2 suggestions:

1) Go and pick out the wine together 
2) Buy some nice French bread (or whatever you prefer) and some cheese(s) to have with the wine.

In Ontario, many of our liquor stores (Liqour Control Board of Ontario stores) have "Vintages" sections that feature wines that are bought in limited quantities from all around the world. Many of the wines are expensive, but some are available for $20.00 and slightly less. Do you have anything similar in Alberta? 

Hope you find something you both like....ENJOY !!

Dave


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

rhh7 said:


> I would like to buy a nice bottle of wine for my wife and I to sip as we ring in the New Year at home.
> 
> We ordinarily have a $10 bottle of Zinfandel. Let's say my budget for this bottle is $20!
> 
> Any suggestions?


Wolf Blass Yellow Label cabernet sauvignon (Australia) is a very decent red wine for under $20 and available everywhere. That stuff called "HOUSE WINE" you see all over Calgary isn't bad either, despite the cheesey marketing/labelling. Good zinfandels are not available for under $20 IMHO, but there are some pretty good ones in the $30-50 range.

My number one tip in Calgary: buy your wine at Superstore. Not the best selection in the world (Willow Park on the other hand is amazing), but it's easily 20% cheaper than anywhere else, and still lots of good wine to choose from.

-Pete


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

rhh7 said:


> I would like to buy a nice bottle of wine for my wife and I to sip as we ring in the New Year at home.
> 
> We ordinarily have a $10 bottle of Zinfandel. Let's say my budget for this bottle is $20!
> 
> Any suggestions?


For less than $20 (maybe around $17) I would recomend

Mouton Cadet by Baron Phillippe de Rothschild.

It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Very nice dry red wine with a lovely aftertaste.

I don't think you have to spend a fortune to get a decent wine, but I do think you'll have more consistantly good results if you stick primarily to French and Italian wines.

Australian wines can be really good, but they seem to be hit and miss even with wines from one vintner.

Canadian and Californian wines are more consistant, but don't come close to a good French wine IMO.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

nitehawk55 said:


> Is "Old Sailer " wine still available ? That was one for a cheap drunk back some years ago :smile:
> 
> I rarely go in a LCBO anymore .


A dollar five and come alive!!!!!


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

Well, after a long chat with the manager at Co-op Liquor Store,
I selected a bottle of Red Rooster 2006 Gewurztraminer!

It was $19.24...will let you know tomorrow how it was.

Happy New Year to all!!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Sneaky said:


> I've been buying and collecting wine since the mid eighties - when the great 1982 Bordeaux were being released. We just cracked a 1988 Chateau Mouton Rothschild on my 50th birthday last month.
> 
> I still have bottles of several vintages of Mouton from 1970 to 2005, a few other great Bordeaux like Ch. Margaux, Ch. Latour and Ch. Palmer.....


kksjur VERY IMPRESSIVE kksjur

Any chance of a pic of your wine cellar?

cheers

Dave


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

greco said:


> kksjur VERY IMPRESSIVE kksjur
> 
> Any chance of a pic of your wine cellar?
> 
> ...


It's not much to look at... a few wooden Bordeaux cases covered by a blanket under the stairs in the basement. I really should have it properly cellared but so far I haven't had any problems. As long as it is cool and dark it should be OK.

Pete


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

rhh7 said:


> I selected a bottle of Red Rooster 2006 Gewurztraminer!


Oooooh, I had some of the 2003 while visiting their winery. IMO, one of their finer products :smile:

Cheers!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Pete....Thanks for the response.

If you haven't had any problems so far, why bother.

I wasn't "assuming" that you had a cellar.....just hoping. They (cellars) make for such great topics of discussion and admiration among wine enthusiasts.

Do you have a metal detector at the front door....to screen for strangers bringing in corkscrews? Same system at the back door also? Basement door?......Just curious....

Cheers

Dave


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

I have been making my own red and white wine for a couple years..I dont drink wine, but wanted to try making some.
It costs 1.00 a bottle.I get the wine kits at costco.

Rick


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