Hi, winos! It’s time for another edition of Whose Wine Is It, Anyway? Let’s see if I can get this thread under way without screwing it up like I did last week’s thread.
At-Bat Sommelier:Aceospades is up according to the list, but Ace hasn’t posted to the Board in a couple of months.
On-Deck Sommelier:Swallowed My Cellphone will be taking over in the event our nominated sommelier cannot fulfill his duties.
I propose that we give Ace a few days just to see if he wanders back. If not, it’s The Cellphone Swallower’s moment in the sun.
All welcome blah blah; last week’s thread blah blah.
Dang, and here I never got around to buying the Week 16 wine. I may have to try two at once. I’ll make it to the wine shop this weekend of the selection isn’t available closer.
Hey, you can still post to Week 16! People often go back a couple of picks. While I assume the mods would prefer us not to revive, say, Week 5 (zombie thread), we don’t try to close down discussion in the last week’s thread just becuase the new one is up. We don’t even have a sommelier for this one yet.
i just got your email. thanks for choosing me this week. give me a day (or two at the most) to see if i have anything good. i’m more of a red guy then a white, but my wife really likes champagne.
just a quick teaser to keep you wineos drolling; i work as a bartender at the Hotel Dupont. About once a week we have a highroller come in who only drinks Dom Perignon Rose (at $675 a bottle, did I say that this guy owns Winner Autogroup dealership. Rich guy). Well, as it happens every once in a while, he got a bad bottle. So I bring him a new bottle right away and the second one is fine. But to show that it’s really bad he was gracious enough to allow me to taste both the bad and the good. He was right; the bad one was defiantly off. Not vinegar off, and the cork wasn’t bad (from what I could tell) but it was not up to snuff of the second bottle. Now I’m not a champagne drinker, but this stuff was GREAT. Full of bubbles, light on the tongue. A touch of sweetness that somehow blended well with the overall dryness of the wine. I just wish I was able to get a full glass to really get a taste of it. Unfortunately this guy never leaves any left in the bottle (he usually kills two a visit). Oh well.
I’ll see if I can find something within everyone’s price range for my wine selection. I’ll be right back.
Well, as it turns out my sister had a bbq last night and asked me to handle the desert. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite wines, Port. My wine for this week is a Grahams Six Grapes Reserve.
I picked this wine up at my favorite wine store, Franks wine and spirits. A little pricier then your normal reds, the 6 grapes set me back 22 dollars. But then again your normal glass will only be about 3 ounces instead of the normal 5 ounces. So price per glass, its a pretty good deal.
Now normally I’m a tawny man, but I knew my sister liked sweet. The 6 grapes is a medium to dark red having not spent the time in a cask like a tawny. It being a reserve means that its selected from the better grapes and is considered superior to normal ruby’s. The 6 grapes has a pleasant sweet taste that doesn’t overwhelm the pallet. It doesn’t really stick around either. I get the impression of a very young wine that although obviously came from fine grapes, lacks the character that I enjoy in other, older ports. Still, it held up well with the chocolate covered strawberries that we had. Ports being one of the only wines that can be pairs well with chocolate IMHO.
I hope that I picked a good wine this week. Let me know what you all think.
I’ll admit to having not dwelled in the port section before, so this will be a new experience. I did a couple of quick review searches and while chocolate was the predominate pairing recommendation, a found some recommending pairing it with cheeses as well.
From what I’ve read, this doesn’t sound like a selection where you finish the bottle in one setting. How long will it keep after opened and, once open, how should it be stored?
Looks like Spec’s does carry it here in Houston, even in a half bottle size.
why, oh why, oh why is that the day after I visit Total Wine and Spirits I read the SDMB Wine club thread to find out what the wine for the week is. I must be an idiot.
OK, I was actually at Total Wine on Saturday and Ace hadn’t made his pick yet so I guess this time I’m two days early.
We love port! Usually tawny port as you mentioned. I hope I can find this one. I can’t wait to try it.
Yes, I should have mentioned that the BevMo price was for the 750ml bottle, and port is often sold in 375ml bottles. If this is a good port, that’s a very good price.
A search of the NH liquor commission inventory* shows this as available for $20, so it should be fairly easy to track down.
This is an interesting pick, and I look forward to trying this. As little as I know about most wine, I know far less about port. I only tend to have it around the holidays with my in-laws. I may stick with the split (if I can find it) until I find out whether I develop a taste for it. Hey, any excuse to eat chocolate, right?
I’ve checked out their website, and this links to brief descriptions between the various ports they sell. And while we wait for the reviews to roll in, any other links that might provide an education on port would be most welcome.
*I usually look here first when looking for a new wine. The prices aren’t always that much better across the state border, but this is a good resource for what may be available in this area and for how much. And through their wine closeout specials this spring, I picked up some Penfold’s St Henri at half price.
Thank you, interesting reading. Actually, I may not worry about getting a full bottle now. The first link seemed to imply that the reds are fairly stable after opening. So, no need to worry if it takes a while to drink, and fresh pear season is coming up soon…
I meant to mention earlier - good luck with the viticulture studies!
Hey, thanks! The classes are super fun and interesting.
Yummm, pear cider. While my husband and I were out and about in Calistoga yesterday, I couldn’t resist trying a glass of Lady of the Lake Sparkling Pear Wine. It was incredible and very interesting. Nothing like pear cider (my favorite being Ace’s Perry since it’s local, and Babycham since it’s the ‘happiest drink in the world!’
No, this was a surprise. The aroma led you to believe it would be much sweeter than it was, but it was quite dry. Very fruity, but not sweet, with just the right amount of sparkle and an almost buttery finish. If you can find it, I highly recommend it.
I am a port virgin no longer. Lovely experience that I’m still savoring, without having the urge for a cigarette
Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve - Dark, Rich & Lovely
Paired with a square of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight - Heaven
The port kept making me think of Black Raspberry Liqueur. So much so that I eventually poured a Chambord to compare. Not the same, but oh so close.
