Wine

Thanks for clarifying, Doug. I was aiming for the folks here who are referring to "red wine" in general.

I had one from Pauillac in honor of Tony Parker just the other night, and I may do that very thing again tonight.

To be called a "cabernet sauvignon," what % of grapes have to be cabernet? Is it a simple majority, or is it 100%? Seems like it might even vary from country to country... I really have no idea.
 
I remember several years ago I taught Brazilian jujitsu to this guy that was a sommelier. It was just for fun so I would have a sparring partner, no money involved but as thanks he gave me some bottles out of his private collection telling me it would be the best red wine I would ever taste. It was a 1968 (or maybe 69) Barolo.

Everyone else that tasted that wine ranted and raved how fantastic it was, the best they'd ever had. I thought it tasted okay, but a little like red wine that had been left out overnight would taste with a pinch of topsoil between your cheek and gum.
 
IF you are drinking a lot of Chard, you might look at some Savigion Blanc, Ferrari Carano makes a nice one. Pairs better a LOT of the time with food than the Chards. Took me aobut 8 years to figure that out.

I used to buy a ton of wine, now I buy a fair amount but not case after case. COSTCO is where i buy most of my vino, they are the nation's largest wine retailer and their pricing is very competitive.

1st- if you are gonna drink Red say away from Merlot, instead look at Pinot's, Zins and Cabs. ALSO remember that a wine tastes completely different the moment it is opened, and not nearly as good as it will once it breaths a little. open the wine you are going to drink with a meal at least 10 minutes before you plan to drink it. It is the oxygen combining witht he wine that gives it it's flavor.

It takes a while to really enjoy "big reds." You need to have them with some strong flavored food to get what they are all about. They will taste like crap when first oepned as they really need to breathe to get their flavor potential. Try some with some strong cheese like Gorganzola or Stilton, and you will begin to understand pairings. Mainly because this is the extreme of the range. A white Zin (or blush) woudl taste like crap with a strong cheese for instance.

Also one of the most common errors is pairing a oaky Chardonay with Salmon, a good pinot Noir will be much better. the oak and the salmon almost always taste funky. Here is a good "rule of themb" link. The Link

If you are just starting out here are a couple of vitner's that have solid offerings. I also like some of the Australian varietals namely shiraz. here a couple starters. I like a LOT of the "old vine" Zin's for example.
Ravenswood Zin and Shiraz
Seghesio Zin
Ridge is a great vinyard but a bit pricier

I was buying my Dad some pricey scotch yesterday and looking through some of the higher end wines I had bought and drank over the years. It's awesome when you buy something for $30 or $30 hold it a couple years and see it for $130 at the liquor store, or better yet $200+ on a restaurant's wine list.

In the end it's what you like. But rarely does anyone start off liking a "big red" like the Barolo Ajax was talking about. I might also suggest a place like "Wine Styles" in NW Austin. they have a great concept for those just getting started where they have the wines grouped by flavor and they have tastings I think every evening. So you don't have to buy a lot to try a lot.

Wine with food is one of the greatest things!
 
Maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen any recommendations to YChang of Beaujolais Nouveau. If you want a red wine absent tannins, this is what you drink. But you have to wait until November to buy it; that's when it is released and it isn't meant to age (precisely because of the lack of tannins), so don't buy last year's.
 
Has anyone ever had Chateau d'Yquem? I've always wanted to try it but it's a little out of my price range.
 
i had the best chardonnay i have ever had last weekend at the franciscan winery in napa

cuvee sauvage

cuvee-sauvage.jpg


it tasted almost like a red wine, much more complex and "big" than any other chardonnay i have ever had. i recommend.
 
Tannins are probably the number one reason most people have trouble learning to enjoy red wine. Tannins are what gives you the sense of your mouth puckering when you drink a red wine. One (impractical and expensive) way around that is to drink high-quality correctly aged red wines. If you've only had young tannic wines it will be a revelation--but it won't help you learn to enjoy red wine in general. So under the assumpion that tannins are an issue for you, I'll pass along some tips that worked well for helping my wife learn to enjoy red wine.
Start with Beaujolais (regular Beaujolais, not necessarily the Nouveau you can only drink for a few weeks of the year). Look for high-quality value-priced Beaujolais-Villages from either of the two leading bottlers, Louis Jadot or Georges Duboeuf. Serve it partially chilled...not as chilled as a white wine, but below normal "cellar temperature" you would want for most red wines. If you stick with Beaujolais-Villages for awhile, you can try gradually moving the serving temperature up some.

After the Beaujolais-Villages you could try a light to medium varietal that is low in tannin, such as a Merlot, a Shiraz-Cab blend, or a light (red) Zinfandel. Again start by chilling the wine more than normal for a red wine, then try gradually increasing the serving temperature.

I would not recommend experimenting with Pinot Noir at this point. It is such a temperamental varietal that there are far more bad ones than good ones on the market, and even among the good ones you may have to taste many to find one you really like.

What specifically to buy? I avoid almost all domestic Merlots, but Ch. Ste. Michelle worked well for my wife's red wine training. A straight Shiraz (Syrah in CA) is probably too dense, so don't substitute that for a light Shiraz-Cab blend from Oz. Most red Zinfandels will also be too dense; the only good light one I know of at the moment is the 2004 Cheyanna (skip the 2003).

A next step might be a Bordeaux or Bordeaux-style wine (usually called Meritage in the US). That step is a long way away, though. When you get there, it will require a lot more specific information.

As stated above, don't bother buying expensive wines when starting out.

HTH
 
ajax, we happened to have a d'Yquem (1997) one evening and a Rieussec (1979) the next during our vacation a few weeks ago.

They were similar in style but the d'Yquem was far superior. I imagine the advanced maturity of the Rieussec helped to level the quality a bit between the two.

What I recall of significance was the bouquet of the d'Yquem, at once sugary, floral and fruity. A beautiful nose. The texture was silky, sweet at the start but excellent balance of acidity. Heavenly!

The Rieussec displayed these qualities, but to a lesser degree. It had a rounder, more syrupy mouthfeel and was a slightly darker shade of gold. I can only guess that the difference would be more pronounced had we sampled the same vintage of each.

EDIT: Missed huge's post about the Franciscan Cuvee Sauvage. This is a BIG white. I don't love buttery, oaky chardonnays as much as I used to but if that's your thing, this one is superb. Definitely let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes to let the flavors unfold fully.
 
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