[iop890]

Not much of a wine/beer guy, but I picked this up today in addition to my 'Taste of Trump' pack.

Rate my taste, RVF wine experts.

[redbeard]

@iop890 how was it?

I could see myself picking up a few bottles of Trump bubbly for November's celebrations.

http://trumpwinery.orderport.net/wines/Sparkling

[Tengen]

@iop890, looks like a nice Northern Rhone Syrah, though I can't see a vintage year on the label. Hope you enjoyed it with a nice steak!

As for Trump Bubbly, don't be put off trying inexpensive domestic wines. When I was working at a wine company our best-selling wine was our own-label sparkling that we sourced from producer with whom we had good relations, so no need to pop open an expensive vintage champagne to celebrate if you can't afford it.

Maybe someone over there can let us know if there's any printed info on the bottle about dosage, disgorgement and other wine-geek terminology?

[iop890]

@redbeard, haven't gotten the Trump stuff in yet, and yeah I'm definitely saving the bubbly for election night. The bottle in the picture was pretty good, meaty and peppery, almost like bacon.

@tengen, it's "Cave de Tain 2013 Noble Rives", I was looking for something meaty/savory and everything from Cote-Rotie was absurdly expensive so I gave this one a try. Not bad for ~$15.

[godfather dust]

Is wine an acquired taste? Me and the crew are a bunch of degenerates so my usual drink ranges from decent hard liquor to IPAS to Sam Adams all the way down to ghetto malt liquor. When I'm at the bar I order double shots of vodka or whiskey (usually absolut or jack daniels) on ice and don't find it unpleasant. The only alcohol that is disgusting to me is wine and tequila and some malt liquor brands (steel reserve is awful.)

I go to dinner parties with classier folks here and there and would like to enjoy the wine served a little more. I usually take a sip and immediately eat something to kill the taste. (I like champagne however.)

The wine drinkers here, did you like wine the first time you drank it or is it something you get into with regular tasting? I drink it like once or twice a month.

[TooFineAPoint]

The healthier I ate, and the better the cooking, the more I enjoyed wine.

Now I am obsessed with it.

The concept of terroir can really annoy some people who think it is too pretentious, but there are not many things that celebrate the beauty and zest of life as much as eating food freshly picked from the same land that grow the herbs you cook them in and whose dirt houses the vines of the wine you drink alongside it.

If you chew gum, or eat or drink any sweet, or any junk food in general that day, it will ruin the taste of most wines for your palette. Likewise if you just ate something that pairs poorly with the wine you are trying (something super spicy with an elegant Italian or French wine, for instance).

To answer your question, I liked wine the first time I tasted it, but that was because I was given basically sugared grape juice (cheap wine). When I tried to expand my horizons, I found that the occasional expensive glass was not worth it because it was either much too subtle or I didn't have the right food for it.

[Tail Gunner]

(01-05-2018 04:34 AM)godfather dust Wrote:  

The wine drinkers here, did you like wine the first time you drank it or is it something you get into with regular tasting? I drink it like once or twice a month.

There is such a wide variety of wine that you really should go to some wine tastings to determine what you like. Once you find a variety that you like (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay), then try specific brands until you narrow your tastes. I loathe dry white wines and champagnes. I prefer reds and sweeter white wines, such as Muscats, Rieslings, and Gewurztraminers. But I pretty much abandoned most wines when I discovered ports.

[Tengen]

(01-05-2018 04:34 AM)godfather dust Wrote:  

Is wine an acquired taste? Me and the crew are a bunch of degenerates so my usual drink ranges from decent hard liquor to IPAS to Sam Adams all the way down to ghetto malt liquor. When I'm at the bar I order double shots of vodka or whiskey (usually absolut or jack daniels) on ice and don't find it unpleasant. The only alcohol that is disgusting to me is wine and tequila and some malt liquor brands (steel reserve is awful.)

I go to dinner parties with classier folks here and there and would like to enjoy the wine served a little more. I usually take a sip and immediately eat something to kill the taste. (I like champagne however.)

The wine drinkers here, did you like wine the first time you drank it or is it something you get into with regular tasting? I drink it like once or twice a month.

If you're just getting started I usually recommend going for fruit-driven, full-bodied red wines - these are usually easier for your palate to "get" rather than shelling out for something old, French and expensive from the get-go.

Some things that might be easy to find on the US market:
Argentina Malbec
Australian Shiraz
Napa/Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Washington State Merlot
Spanish Tempranillo

Price-wise, go into a wine shop with $20-30 and you can get some serious value for money. This is different from a restaurant, which may tack on a markup of 300-400% (they have to pay the rent and waiters somehow, and not enough people will pay $100 for a burger).

Finally, just enjoy it. Don't feel you "need" to enjoy wine because other people tell you to - applies to other things in life as well.

[Tengen]

(01-05-2018 04:56 AM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  

The healthier I ate, and the better the cooking, the more I enjoyed wine.

Now I am obsessed with it.

The concept of terroir can really annoy some people who think it is too pretentious, but there are not many things that celebrate the beauty and zest of life as much as eating food freshly picked from the same land that grow the herbs you cook them in and whose dirt houses the vines of the wine you drink alongside it.

When you get totally obsessed like me you start to hallucinate that you can taste where a wine comes from:

The snow-capped Andes as you sip an Argentinian Malbec.

The steep shale slopes of the Mosel shining through a glass of German Riesling.

The fog-covered valley that birthed Napa Cabernet.

The sun-scorched land of Barossa Shiraz.

It's made me want to travel much, much more, just to see these places.

Also:

Quote:

If you chew gum, or eat or drink any sweet, or any junk food in general that day, it will ruin the taste of most wines for your palette.

Please Read.

[PapayaTapper]

(01-05-2018 04:50 PM)Tengen Wrote:  

(01-05-2018 04:56 AM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  

The healthier I ate, and the better the cooking, the more I enjoyed wine.

Now I am obsessed with it.

The concept of terroir can really annoy some people who think it is too pretentious, but there are not many things that celebrate the beauty and zest of life as much as eating food freshly picked from the same land that grow the herbs you cook them in and whose dirt houses the vines of the wine you drink alongside it.

When you get totally obsessed like me you start to hallucinate that you can taste where a wine comes from:

The snow-capped Andes as you sip an Argentinian Malbec.

The steep shale slopes of the Mosel shining through a glass of German Riesling.

The fog-covered valley that birthed Napa Cabernet.

The sun-scorched land of Barossa Shiraz.

It's made me want to travel much, much more, just to see these places.

Also:

Quote:

If you chew gum, or eat or drink any sweet, or any junk food in general that day, it will ruin the taste of most wines for your palette.

Please Read.

Wine tourism is definitely on my "to do" radar now. Visiting the source of the wines you like definitely can enhance the experience

[Rocha]

Not bad, from Lisbon region Arinto vineyards. Cheap as fuck too, 3.5€. After I drink all of this I am ready for some slut hunting ! )))


   

[bootyhuntah]

If nobody knows about the Vivino app yet, well you're welcome. I've turned into a wine snob the last couple years using that thing. Sort by 4.0 and above - haven't been disappointed yet. Two good ones I found on there lately are:

Hess Allomi 2013 Cabernet

Justin Cabernet 2015 (Paso Robles)

Two solid players right there. As far my palate and wallet is concerned, top tier wine can be had around the $15-25 mark.

Another cool thing about vivino is you can buy online and have it shipped. Got a bunch of wine at $15 flat rate shipping. Not bad if you buy in bulk...

[TooFineAPoint]

(01-05-2018 04:50 PM)Tengen Wrote:  

(01-05-2018 04:56 AM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:  

If you chew gum, or eat or drink any sweet, or any junk food in general that day, it will ruin the taste of most wines for your palette.

Please Read.

You got me; my bad.



Edit: as to Vivino, I don't trust it. Too many morons dragging down good wine and inflating the ratings of mediocre wine.

Wine tourism is best, but otherwise find a trustworthy shop and put yourself in the hands of one of the workers. Yes, you will be disappointed with a few bottles, it's all part of the journey.

[bootyhuntah]

I'm not sure I can trust someone's opinion on wine if they can't spell palate correctly.

[Remington]

(01-05-2018 08:10 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  

If nobody knows about the Vivino app yet, well you're welcome. I've turned into a wine snob the last couple years using that thing. Sort by 4.0 and above - haven't been disappointed yet. Two good ones I found on there lately are:

Hess Allomi 2013 Cabernet

Justin Cabernet 2015 (Paso Robles)

Two solid players right there. As far my palate and wallet is concerned, top tier wine can be had around the $15-25 mark.

Another cool thing about vivino is you can buy online and have it shipped. Got a bunch of wine at $15 flat rate shipping. Not bad if you buy in bulk...

Is the app free? My phone wanted to access my purchasing account which hasn't been requested in the past.

[Veloce]

(01-05-2018 05:53 PM)PapayaTapper Wrote:  

Wine tourism is definitely on my "to do" radar now. Visiting the source of the wines you like definitely can enhance the experience

100%

In any of my trips I always try to do a booze excursion. If you really want to get to the soul and guts of a country, go to a lesser known wine region. For instance Napa and Sonoma are great and all, but I'll take Santa Ynez any day. In Spain I visited some top shelf wineries in Priorat. In Italy I spent a couple weeks smack dab between Alba and Asti. Gonna spend a couple days doing sake brewery tours in Nagano in Feb. Sake is such a poorly represented beverage in the U.S. unless you're an aficionado and know what to get..it's one of the cleanest and most delicious drinks I know of but unfortunately 99% stuff available at your corner sushi bar is absolute crap that will give you a pounding headache.

One of the things you quickly realize in any wine producing region is how much good, cheap stuff is available locally that does not get exported. There's this notion in the U.S. that wine is an expensive hobby (and it can be) but in wine drinking cultures there's always a 'vin de table', 'vino di tavola',etc, basically table wine, something that's $5-10 per bottle and is totally delicious and has great local character. Many of these do not get exported, and the ones that do are often not very good.

One thing I would recommend to fledgling wine drinkers is finding the right wine store. Wine is represented in portfolios, the way a management company represents actors. There are big, commercial, mainstream portfolios that carry wines geared for noobs and real housewives, 300 labels of pinot grigio and rose and all that shit. Nothing wrong with that necessarily (a bottle of chilled Bandol at a summer barbecue is tits), but wine can be so much more. On the other end of the spectrum you've got hipster wine portfolios carrying orange wine, highly oxidative weird funky shit like frappato and nerello mascalese and other nerdy shit. And portfolios with everything in between, some specializing in California, some Spain, some Italy, some German, etc.

A good wine store works with several vendors and portfolios to bring you the best of the best. Seek the recommendation in your area from a reputable wine snob about where to buy wine. In LA there are some fantastic options (Wallys, K&L, Lou's), in Vegas not so much. Do your research and once you've found a good wine store, you can bet that most wines on their shelves will be very good. There are wine stores out there that don't carry a single bad bottle, and there are wine stores that carry ONLY bad bottles (or what I would consider bad) For a frame of reference, IMO the selection at Trader Joes is shitty. On top of it, the staff at a good wine store will help you narrow down what your preferences are. Some people might try a German Riesling once and decide they hate it, without knowing there are hundreds of Rieslings in many different styles and sugar content. Some people might think they hate red wine and then try something lesser known like a Zweigelt or Blaufrankisch and love it.

[Belgrano]

(01-06-2018 04:03 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

One of the things you quickly realize in any wine producing region is how much good, cheap stuff is available locally that does not get exported. There's this notion in the U.S. that wine is an expensive hobby (and it can be) but in wine drinking cultures there's always a 'vin de table', 'vino di tavola',etc, basically table wine, something that's $5-10 per bottle and is totally delicious and has great local character. Many of these do not get exported, and the ones that do are often not very good.

Can confirm.
It's not a big deal at all, we drink that stuff like other people drink water. You get the wine from friends/friends of friends/relatives who produce it, or buy it straight from the many wineries in the region. Foreign wine is actually considered to be quite a snobbish and pretentious thing to drink and not that popular. The common attitude is: Our wine is best wine, so why would you need anything else? There is some truth to that, since the local wine is indeed of high quality and affordable on top of that. It's also just a part of the local culture, history and lifestyle, so there's a healthy dose of patriotism involved, and you will have a hard time trying to sell people a "Château de Something French" based on that alone.

Imports are still nice though, but mainly for the novelty and variety. Compared to the local wine, in many cases the value for money is just not that good, so it is more of a niche product.

[Tail Gunner]

(01-06-2018 04:36 PM)Belgrano Wrote:  

(01-06-2018 04:03 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

One of the things you quickly realize in any wine producing region is how much good, cheap stuff is available locally that does not get exported. There's this notion in the U.S. that wine is an expensive hobby (and it can be) but in wine drinking cultures there's always a 'vin de table', 'vino di tavola',etc, basically table wine, something that's $5-10 per bottle and is totally delicious and has great local character. Many of these do not get exported, and the ones that do are often not very good.

Can confirm.
It's not a big deal at all, we drink that stuff like other people drink water. You get the wine from friends/friends of friends/relatives who produce it, or buy it straight from the many wineries in the region. Foreign wine is actually considered to be quite a snobbish and pretentious thing to drink and not that popular. The common attitude is: Our wine is best wine, so why would you need anything else? There is some truth to that, since the local wine is indeed of high quality and affordable on top of that. It's also just a part of the local culture, history and lifestyle, so there's a healthy dose of patriotism involved, and you will have a hard time trying to sell people a Château de Something French based on that alone.

Imports are still nice though, but mainly for the novelty and variety. Compared to the local wine, in many cases the value for money is not that good, so it is more of a niche product.

And yet there are worldwide wine competitions to prove which wines are the best. There is a great movie titled "Bottle Shock," based on the true story of how the fledgling California wine industry shocked the wine world by beating their French counterparts in a blind head-to-head competition -- in an era (1976) when everyone universally considered French wine the best and the Californians were considered hick provincial newcomers to the wine market. I knew nothing about this historical feat by the California wine industry until I watched the movie. In 2006, thirty years after the first competition, Steven Spurrier hosted another contest, this time with full confidence that French wine would win. California won again. Also notable as one of Chris Pine's earliest movies.

[Tengen]

(01-06-2018 04:03 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

Wine is represented in portfolios, the way a management company represents actors.

Damn good analogy. I'm gonna steal it.

That is one of the things that shocked me when I first started studying the business of wines and spirits, how completely these big companies dominate the market.

You think you're being discerning when you choose Veuve over Krug, or Hennessy instead of Ardbeg. Surprise, bitches, they're all owned by the same company, LVMH.

Of course if someone hands me a glass of Krug, I'm not going to be rude

I was doing a job search and it seemed Moet Hennessy was looking for a National Champagne Ambassador. Maybe someday...

[Tail Gunner]

(01-06-2018 04:03 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

Wine is represented in portfolios, the way a management company represents actors.

Speaking of portfolios, you can now add whiskey to your own portfolio. The founders of BullionVault created a company named Whiskey Invest Direct, which allows you to directly invest in whiskey while it ages.

https://www.whiskyinvestdirect.com/


While I have not invested, I told an associate about this company when it first opened -- and he did. This past June, I asked him about it. He checked his account and informed me that his investment was up almost exactly 10% in a fifteen month period. This is in sync with the 7% annual returns claimed by the company in its first year -- and the 7.9% historical return cited on its web site.

http://e.bullionvault.com/interface/exte...2966453319

[bootyhuntah]

(01-06-2018 09:36 AM)Remington Wrote:  

(01-05-2018 08:10 PM)bootyhuntah Wrote:  

If nobody knows about the Vivino app yet, well you're welcome. I've turned into a wine snob the last couple years using that thing. Sort by 4.0 and above - haven't been disappointed yet. Two good ones I found on there lately are:

Hess Allomi 2013 Cabernet

Justin Cabernet 2015 (Paso Robles)

Two solid players right there. As far my palate and wallet is concerned, top tier wine can be had around the $15-25 mark.

Another cool thing about vivino is you can buy online and have it shipped. Got a bunch of wine at $15 flat rate shipping. Not bad if you buy in bulk...

Is the app free? My phone wanted to access my purchasing account which hasn't been requested in the past.

Yup

[Conquerer7]

My grandfather is a big red wine connoisseur and has numerous bottles worth thousands of pounds each. I was never able to get a taste for it. I have always enjoyed white wine but knew that a glass of red wine a couple of nights a week can be good for your health. On my regular trips to Spain I have came to enjoy Tinto de Verano (Red Wine of Summer) that is pretty much half red wine and half lemonade/fanta. When home I have started to make Tinto de Verano but with less lemonade (sugar-free) and more red wine every time and can gradually feel that I am enjoying the taste of red wine.

I am keeping my taste for white wine and hopefully be able to drink red wine with no mix soon while enjoying a Tinto de Verano occasionally.

[iop890]

Been delving more into wine lately as I've pretty much learned all there is to learn about Scotch and Rum, and gotten a solid foundation into most other spirits.

Dry, mineral Alsatian Reislings are my favorites right now. Olivier Humbrecht's Rangens are killer.

Also like a good Château-Chalon or bone dry Manzanilla.

All of those remind me of the best old single malts in certain ways.

[iop890]

Opened a fantastic bottle of vin jaune(Château-Chalon) on Sunday. Really underrated stuff.

[iop890]

We just opened Olivier Humbrecht's 2015 Rangen de Thann Riesling over here at iop towers, and it's fucking good. Smells like wet pebbles and tastes like drinking crushed rocks. Bone dry too(indice 1) as God intended.

Could have waited another decade though.