JCC Vino Appreciation and Recommendation Thread

Over the years, my tastes have gone from beers to wines. I still enjoy certain lagers and ales, but my wife and I have definitely become wine enthusiasts. I thought perhaps those of us who share in this interest could recommend specific varietals for specific occasions and discuss various vintages of both reds and whites (despite the title).

It was a gradual process of convincing my wife to leave behind her Pinot Grigios and Moscatos (a growing segment in the US, btw) to join me on the red bandwagon. Now she absolutely prefers her reds to whites and has undeniably exemplified the stereotype of white wines being "starter" wines.

Nowadays, we prefer to wind down after work with a couple glasses of a nice red blend (the latest of which being Once Upon a Vine's The Big Bad Red Blend)



My wife enjoyed it, while I found it simply acceptable. It was fairly mild and light, which can be considered good in that it's an approachable red, but I would have preferred a little more body.


My favorite bottle in the past week is definitely the 2011 Frog's Leap Zinfandel (Napa Valley)

Reminiscent of a nice Chianti and very rich in flavor and spice. It was the most expensive bottle of the past week, but well worth it. We actually enjoyed a couple glasses over a lovely steak dinner as well (she had a dry aged filet, so the fat content obviously wouldn't have warranted the tannin strength of a Cabernet, though my aged Ribeye could've easily benefited from either choice).

To change things up a bit, we also recently enjoyed a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay (Napa again)


This was actually the first white either of us have had in a while (minus various tastings occasions). I was never too big on Chardonnay (it was always more acidic to my palette than truly pleasurable) but this was actually not bad--I know, wine aficionados would gasp at me describing this particular Chardonnay as "not bad." But it was nice enough to my red-biased palette.

On the (much) cheaper end of the spectrum, I used to enjoy the Portillo Malbec (Argentina)

Argentina is well-known for producing great Malbecs and this particular one was my first Malbec love. A very approachable and smooth red that made for easy drinking when hanging out with friends and watching TV or even with a simple homemade dinner.

Unfortunately, as my interest in Malbec grew, my love for Portillo did not. I came upon some much better Malbecs and actually found one that I enjoyed more that actually cost just about the same as Portillo (which really isn't expensive at all as far as wines are concerned)


This particular (and very affordable) Malbec was actually recommended to me by a complete stranger who also happened to be a wine enthusiast. At first sip I wasn't entirely convinced that it was superior to my dear Portillo...but I've since retracted that stance. Alamos makes a delicious Malbec with much richer flavors and a lovely smooth mouth-feel.

Over the years, as our interest in wine continued to expand, we also came upon this lovely and convenient decanter

The wine industry is full of little gimmicks and gadgets that claim to enhance the wine experience, but in the case of the il Decantino decanter, it's actually true. I got this for my wife for Christmas years ago and every glass of red since then has been poured through this wonderful device. You simply plug this decanter into the bottle top (after uncorking of course), tilt, and then pour into the glass. The wine immediately undergoes a rapid decanting process in the decanter's ball, opening all the flavors for your eager palette.

We've hosted blind tastings with un-decanted and then decanted wine, and all our guests have concurred that this decanter does magic (though, of course, nothing beats a traditional decanter--but this is absolutely wonderful if you don't want to wait several minutes to half an hour to enjoy a glass).

We've also done the sometimes unthinkable and used it on a nice bottle of white, to great success.


For my wife's birthday this year, I got her something to complement the decanting process--an aerator.


I came upon the Vinturi wine aerator at a tasting and was (like everyone else) immediately captivated by the sound it made when wine was poured through it. You could hear the air being forced into every ounce, pushing the wine open. We again hosted a tasting, with somewhat mixed results.

The Vinturi indeed opens up the wine and the very first bottle we treated with this process benefited greatly. I believe it was some red blend or another. Regardless, immediately the aerated glass radiated a flowery, inviting aroma that the non-aerated glass couldn't match. The taste was noticeably different, with the aerated glass exposing more precise flavors and featuring a lighter, very approachable wine.

So where's the problem? Well, unlike with the il Decantino decanter, not all reds benefit from this rapid-action aerating. I've found that if you're not careful and not knowledgeable of the bottle you're about to drink, the Vinturi aerator can actually strip it of its intended flavor profile and leave you with a glass of thin wine with much stronger notes of alcohol than you'd want.

Through careful use of the device, I've gleaned a simple conclusion: good on expensive wines, not so good on cheap wines. I imagine this has something (rather, everything) to do with those higher end wines usually being more complex and heftier in body. Opening such wines unveils flavors and that would otherwise go hidden if consumed before they've breathed enough.

Cheaper wines, conversely, typically don't have much to hide. They usually aren't given much effort and attention by the winemakers and don't boast the robust flavors of their more expensive counterparts. Therefore, the Vinturi Aerator basically shreds away what little substance they have and leaves you with a watery glass of sour alcohol. Fortunately, the il Decantino does not harm cheaper wines like this, but rather helps elevate them to such levels as to convince the consumer that he/she's drinking something more expensive.


Anyway, what thoughts have you all to share? Do you prefer whites or reds? Rosé? Do you decant or aerate, or just drink from the bottle like a barbarian?

 

jp-30, anakinfansince1983

 

There is no other wine like it in the world.

 

Pinot Grigio? Get out of here!

This is my current favorite:



Gran Ducay 8.0.1. Cabernet Sauvignot, Merlot and Syrah. French oak. Cherry red with violet undertones. And one of the reasons I really miss Spain.

 

Hello, friends.

 

I do not consider myself a fan of Roses (can't get that damn accent), but I recently tried the Miraval Rose by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (from Southern France)

It's a nice wine as far as roses ago. Not too sweet and actually fairly refreshing. I did find it to be somewhat dry, which some people might like but I couldn't quite make up my mind whether I did or not.

I believe the proper serving temperature for most reds is slightly cool as well (despite popular belief). I myself prefer my reds at room temperature, but that may be because it's what I've gotten used to.

As far as Pinots--don't care for Pinot Grigio but I do love me a good Pinot Noir. Pinot Noirs pair well with almost any dish, and it being summer, you can bet I'm well-stocked on this wine to pair with my grilled meats. The earthy notes found in essentially every Pinot Noir makes this wine a wonderful companion to practically any food prepared on the grill.

Oregon makes some great Pinot Noirs that, from what I understand, are comparable to the authentic French Pinot Noirs.


The Pinot Noir produced by King Estate in Oregon is particularly good. If you enjoy Pinot Grigio, you may also find their Pinot Gris quite pleasurable.


I came upon some some Californian Pinot Noirs that I just had to investigate:

The Belle Glos vineyards in Sonoma County (California) produce three very different yet equally reputable Pinot Noirs: Clark & Telephone, Las Alturas, and Dairyman (listed from smoothest to spiciest).

The Clark & Telephone is somewhat difficult to find, at least in my experience. I found it through online retailers, but it often costs almost $10 more than its Belle Glos siblings (which are already about $42 a bottle, depending on the retailer, I suppose). These bottles are dipped in wax, so opening them can make for a fun(/agonizing) time.

Recently, Belle Glos added little wax tabs to the bottle top, so you can (if you're lucky) peel a ring around the top of the bottle and then use your wine key's knife to cut away at the cap. If you're strong enough, you could just jam the wine key's worm directly through the wax and into the cork.

Anyway, after you (finally) get these open, you won't be disappointed. Californian Pinot Noirs are known/notorious for being fruitier than their Oregon counterparts, but Belle Glos brings a tasty level of spice to the Dairyman variety. Very earthy and not as sweet as you'd expect of a Cali Pinot. The Las Alturas was a bit more satisfying, however. It tasted almost like a more refined Dairyman, with the earth and spice more in balance and accompanied by a much smoother mouth-feel.

I was not so fortunate as to get my hands on a reasonably-priced Clark & Telephone bottle, but I've heard that this is the most delicious of the trio. Definitely worth a look into if you love Pinot Noir. The $42 price tag per bottle isn't so bad a deal, in my opinion. These Pinots are complex and you can immediately tell that the winemaker put some love into them.

 

Jaypes, what's your opinion on the wines made by Henscke of South Australia? I was given a 2009 Hill of Grace recently, a gorgeous shiraz in my view but I'm not an expert.

 

Sometimes my wife and I dabble into the lesser known grape varietals, as well. A few weeks ago we tried a Greek wine that she'd been itching to get her hands on:

The Boutari Kretikos. It's a smooth, easy-drinking wine. Benefits from the il Decantino decanter, but not so much from the Vinturi Aerator, as it really doesn't have much body to unwrap. I believe it promises some spicy notes, but I couldn't identify much spice even after decanting. It's not an expensive wine (about $10), but I'd rather spend my $10 on the Alamos Malbec--at least I'd be enjoying an inexpensive wine with flavor.

I'd like to also try a Garnacha/Grenache, as far as uncommon wines ago.

I happen to also enjoy a good Italian vino, though I'm more familiar with Chianti wines than anything else from Italy. And while I find a good Chianti pleasurable, sometimes I don't care much for having to get through the heavy body to enjoy those wonderful spices...which is where a good Zinfandel can actually step in. Delicious spice and a smoother body. At least, imo.

EDIT:

As far as wine preservation, how long do you intend on keeping these uncorked bottles? Some reds can just be kept chilled in the refrigerator for several days (thereby slowing the rate at which exposed oxygen opens the wine). In my house, if a bottle gets uncorked, it's usually not going to last the night. But in the rare event that the night ends and the wine doesn't, we simply stopper the bottle and replace it on the wine rack until tomorrow.

Yes, if the cork/stopper isn't properly fitted into the bottle, the flavor of the wine can slightly differ between Day 1 and Day 2, but that problem hasn't occurred to often to me. In some cases, the wine was actually tastier on Day 2 than it was on Day 1.

 

Garnacha is pretty fantastic. I've never found it uncommon as it's the local variety. I'm almost sick of it.

My wife siha is a big fan of Pinot Noir.

 

I'm no sommelier (though I do read about wine almost obsessively ), but I don't believe that a single week in the refrigerator will invite too much harm. I'd imagine the biggest challenge there would be properly restoring the wine to a desirable temperature for drinking. But if a bottle typically lasts you for over a week, you're kinda screwed

Btw, what specific wines are you preserving for so long?

 

I've been buying the sulfite free wines. But I'm pretty sure it's a scam. I want to make my own wildcrafted wine, but everytime I read about it I get intimidated.

 

It's not. My father builds those devices responsible for sulfite free wine for a living. It really works.

 

helioterrawines.com

Made by my friend Anne here in Portland, who I knew back in high school in Wisconsin.

Very proud of her.

 

Never tried anything from that winery, unfortunately. I had a long period of not liking Aussie Shiraz (but Syrah is gorgeous), however I realise it's the cheaper end, slightly sweet stuff I'd mostly been exposed too. The big, "proper" ones are a thing of beauty, I will admit. I worked with the (now) winemaker for Mt Langhi Ghiran back in the day when I was a cellarhand at Geyser Peak in Northern California, and all their Shiraz' I've tried have been lovely. My wife had a work trip to Barossa last year, and brought back some absolutely lovey ones too. But I guess that doesn't really help with your Henscke query. So bite me.

Edit: I had some good winery stories in my PEOPLE interview, but they've been excised from the opening post.

 

Do you still work in the industry?

 

Have either of you ever heard of The Long Flat Winery? Back in my Manhattan days, my favorite wine and liquor store recommended their Shiraz to me as a good, affordable redwine, and I really enjoyed it (for whatever that's worth). It disappeared from the market quite suddenly, I heard from an Australian acquaintance years later that they were bought by a bigger winery who ruined their wines.

 

I'm mostly a pinot noir person now, but my backups are red blends. I have tried a couple different types of the Once Upon a Vine, they were good for the price. Apothic Red is probably my biggest fallback, cheap and always tastes good. Although lately I would recommend this one:




Also maybe it's because I've been in college for too many years, but I don't understand the thing of wine not lasting overnight if it's been uncorked? Sure it doesn't taste the same, but it's not rancid with flies. It just tastes veryyyy slightly cheaper/bitter to me. O well. Thank god for humble upbringings.

 

I'm buying that one just for the bottle. I'll pour the contents down my gullet first.

 

Oxidization continues overnight, thereby continuously "opening" the wine. For cheaper wines, this can be disastrous (as previously mentioned, cheaper wines typically don't benefit from an abundance of oxidization, as they're meant to be consumed immediately). Very high end wines also can be ruined by improper preservation of an uncorked bottle, but your middle tier wines won't suffer too much overnight (unless you don't replace the cork/use a stopper). The bitterness you're tasting (can also be an unwelcome sour profile) is due to unwanted oxidization (letting the wine breathe more than it should have).

You can possibly counter this unsavory result by decanting the wine before you consume it again, seeing as how one of the benefits of decanting a wine is that it smooths it out.

I've had wines go sour after being uncorked for little over a day, though, and decanting did nothing to help counter the result of my wife forgetting to recork the bottle

 

A week or so ago, I finally got my hands on this:

Inniskillin Vidal ice wine from Canada (Niagara area/Ontario).

I actually enjoyed three ice wines that day, but this was by far my favorite. Expensive (sold by the half-bottle for about $60 from retailers--close to $100 per half-bottle/$20-30 per glass by fine restaurants), but incredibly delicious. It's a dessert wine and makes you take note of that with every sip, as it fills your palette with a rich honey flavor that leaves a lovely sweetness lingering in your mouth. Just fantastic.

The second ice wine of that day was my wife's favorite:

Neige Apple Ice Wine (Quebec). I didn't care too much for this one, but my wife absolutely loved how closely the flavors resembled a good apple cider. This one is cheaper than the Inniskillin (about $35 for the half-bottle from retailers).


Meeker Fro-zin Zinfandel ice wine (Mendocino County, Northern California)

This still is the only American ice wine I've tried, and since I had it on the same day as Canada's Inniskillin Vidal and Neige's Apple ice wines, it was unfortunately overshadowed. It was definitely the mildest of those three in regards to flavor profile. The half-bottle retails for about $25-30 but the most remarkable thing about this particular ice wine, imo, was its creative name and catchy label. I honestly can't remember too much about it other than it paled in comparison to its Canadian rivals. I'll probably have to give it another try on a day when it's the only ice wine I'm drinking.