NFT: What is your favorite kind of Wine?

Whites I prefer a light crisp wine. Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc generally. A nice Verdicchio when I can find one.

I wouldn't venture to try. There are so many great wines that are so very different from each other. A riesling from the Finger Lakes can be perfect when you're in the mood for it, as can a pinot noir from France, or Oregon, or a chianti Classico from Italy. And sauvignon blancs from both Chile and New Zealand can be good regular white wines. All good with me.

Except white zinfandel!

I’m partial to Malbec but most cabs do the trick. I don’t really like merlot anymore. I can do whites too but prefer red.

I prefer reds with dinner but I've not ever turned down a glass. Usually 10/bottle and over up until ~15 is where we shop.

An overall favorite we always have is 7 Deadly Zins - Michael David has some great wines in general but that is what I'd consider our house red to be.

Rioja, montepulciano, malbec, pinot - really I'll drink anything.

In comment 14845269 aimrocky said:

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And my favorite Cab is Freemark Abbey. It used to run about $40 a bottle but it’s gone up in the past year or two. I’m part of their wine club along with Il Brigante, Red blend also from Napa. Freemark also makes a fantastic Merlot. My go to table wines are Villa Antinori and J. Lohr Cab. Both run about $15-$17 a bottle. Lately I’ve been a bit down on wine, though. Been more into scotch/whiskey and bourbons. I’ve been drinking Balvenie Doublewood and Bulleit.

ah alas -- I still have a bunch of Balvenie in my larder which I used to ove -- I wish I could drink it - but not allowed. Sounds like a lot of similar tastes my friend

Prefer Malbec or Pinot Noir generally

In comment 14845268 adamg said:

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A good earthy Cali Cab is my second. Brunello is probably third. If you're looking for good cheap Italian, go for Rosso de Montalcino (note that this is NOT Montepulciano). It's the same grape as Brunello, just a smaller percentage. It's probably around 15-20 a bottle. Rather than the 40-150 the Brunello can go for. Port is always good. I prefer ruby to tawny. If you like Port, you might like Eiswein (ice wine) for a white version of fortified wine. IMHO the standard dry Italian white is Santa Margherita pinot grigio. I prefer chardonnay though.

I do like St Emilion -- a lot -- it's become very pricey although I just bought a case of it I got a good deal on -- definitely give me earthy : )

In comment 14845277 XBRONX said:

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or a box?

... and don't diss the screw-off cap. Many good wines -- maybe not great but good -- use them in place of corks now, and I'm all for it.

that is beer

Super Tuscans. I like Riojas, Merlots and Cab/Merlot blends; Alan Corvinas.

I like crisp whites, less fruity than Sauvignons.

In comment 14845269 aimrocky said:

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And my favorite Cab is Freemark Abbey. It used to run about $40 a bottle but it’s gone up in the past year or two. I’m part of their wine club along with Il Brigante, Red blend also from Napa. Freemark also makes a fantastic Merlot. My go to table wines are Villa Antinori and J. Lohr Cab. Both run about $15-$17 a bottle. Lately I’ve been a bit down on wine, though. Been more into scotch/whiskey and bourbons. I’ve been drinking Balvenie Doublewood and Bulleit.

J Lohr is made in Paso Robles.

If you really want an excellent California Wine - Try Tablas Creek - they are out of Paso as well.

Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastle and the Haas Family, venture.

Top California wine I have had. (and I have had thousands - in the wine business). * I have never worked with it.

Nebbiolo for red, always solid and often specatular.

White burgundy for white.

A few others that I love are cote de Rhone and priorat.

In comment 14845313 armstead98 said:

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Nebbiolo for red, always solid and often specatular. White burgundy for white. A few others that I love are cote de Rhone and priorat.

White Burgundy is something I also like as far as whites go.

Goes down easy, there are plenty cheaper options to choose from, and you can even buy them by the case :)

Particularly from Santa Barbara County, Carneros, and Sonoma Coast.

In comment 14845303 GiantsUA said:

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In comment 14845269 aimrocky said: Quote: And my favorite Cab is Freemark Abbey. It used to run about $40 a bottle but it’s gone up in the past year or two. I’m part of their wine club along with Il Brigante, Red blend also from Napa. Freemark also makes a fantastic Merlot. My go to table wines are Villa Antinori and J. Lohr Cab. Both run about $15-$17 a bottle. Lately I’ve been a bit down on wine, though. Been more into scotch/whiskey and bourbons. I’ve been drinking Balvenie Doublewood and Bulleit. J Lohr is made in Paso Robles. If you really want an excellent California Wine - Try Tablas Creek - they are out of Paso as well. Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastle and the Haas Family, venture. Top California wine I have had. (and I have had thousands - in the wine business). * I have never worked with it.

Thanks for the recommendations. If I can find them locally I’ll check them out.

my go-to. Stags Leap, Sterling, Silver Oak and Shafer to name a few vineyards. Pinot is second on the list. Stemmler vineyards always delivers. For Italian it's Brunello di Montalcino and a variety of Sangiovese from Montepulciano. We lived in Italy for a number of years and I enjoyed a wonderful Neopolitan red called Lacryma Christi. Vineyard sits on the foothills of Mount Vesuvius.

Whites: NZ sav blanc, German Reisling, Bordeaux sav

Reds: South African anything, Cali cabs, Mendoza/Argentina malbec

The reds that suit my tastes best are older wines that retain their structure, soften their tannins and develop secondary and tertiary aromatics. Based on what I accumulate, these seem to be my preferences: bordeaux (10+ years and my preference seems to run to Pessac Leognan and Pauillac), love me a nice barolo, CdPs are grand too, and I do like a good burgundy - especially Vosne-Romanee but alas I am a mere mortal and they are way way out of my range.

As an equal-opportunity lush, I really enjoy whites too with Alsatian rieslings and riesling vineyard blends being at the apex - if I want a more fruity version, I move over to the german riesling, I am partial to the Mosel. A good white burg is always a treat but they are getting out of range too.

1. hermitage
2. Cote rotie/ st joseph
3. Ribera del duero
3. Southern cote de Rhône
4. Pinot noir from Russian River

I prefer the California blends of Alesmith and Sierra Nevada. Few other local ones when they pop up are always good to sample.

deciding between Strawberry Hill and Snow Creek Berry.

In comment 14845420 OlyWABigBlue said:

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The reds that suit my tastes best are older wines that retain their structure, soften their tannins and develop secondary and tertiary aromatics. Based on what I accumulate, these seem to be my preferences: bordeaux (10+ years and my preference seems to run to Pessac Leognan and Pauillac), love me a nice barolo, CdPs are grand too, and I do like a good burgundy - especially Vosne-Romanee but alas I am a mere mortal and they are way way out of my range. As an equal-opportunity lush, I really enjoy whites too with Alsatian rieslings and riesling vineyard blends being at the apex - if I want a more fruity version, I move over to the german riesling, I am partial to the Mosel. A good white burg is always a treat but they are getting out of range too.

Paulliacs are good -- but mostly pretty expensive - every once in a while I get a good deal on them

in fact there's something I recently found that was extraordinary -- it's called Cremant -- very fine bubbled mousse-like methode champagne from france -- really delightful stuff. The first one I had was Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Reserve. Outstanding!

if you like cremant wines, and cremant basically means "methode champenois" or the way champagne is made in terms of a secondary fermentation in bottle to produce the bubble. Only those wines grown in Champagne (the region) can be called that by law.

I am very fond of Cremant D'Alsace which is typically a mix of grapes but usually dominated by auxerrois and pinot blanc. The are a bit crisper and more herbal than chardonnay/pinot based cremants. I also a really like a chenin blanc based cremant de Loire, which is one of the best wines to go with shellfish and cheese in my opinion (but you know what they say about opinions....). Drink well.

In comment 14845467 OlyWABigBlue said:

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if you like cremant wines, and cremant basically means "methode champenois" or the way champagne is made in terms of a secondary fermentation in bottle to produce the bubble. Only those wines grown in Champagne (the region) can be called that by law. I am very fond of Cremant D'Alsace which is typically a mix of grapes but usually dominated by auxerrois and pinot blanc. The are a bit crisper and more herbal than chardonnay/pinot based cremants. I also a really like a chenin blanc based cremant de Loire, which is one of the best wines to go with shellfish and cheese in my opinion (but you know what they say about opinions....). Drink well.

Oly, according to my supplier Cremant's are not typically shipped to the US -- especially the good ones. I am not generally a big Loire fan -- I have to find out where the Cremant I had came from. I had to sweat to track down a few cases of it after I tried it. At around $20 a bottle they are an outstanding value. I would put this stuff up against any champagne I've ever had.

If I was not skiing...my friends and I were taking road trips up and down the CA coast wine tasting...

For years we all drank wine...I stopped drinking wine around 2002...But for some reason the wines from the Paso Robles area of Central Calif have always stood out for me.

A year or so ago...I jumped back into the wine world. I have found the Paso Robles wines are still wonderful.

I love a huge Cab...and Paso has them...

That region has all the climates for most grapes...super hot inland for in your face Cabs...

Great on a hot day...eating a sandwich on your porch wine...

Hogue Late Harvest Riesling 2017

Tastes the best slightly colder than room temp...Its a fun everyday wine...

Fun and refreshing...worth 10 bucks

for example:

Last Saturday was warm, I grilled porterhouse steaks, we had Cabernet (Joel Gott 815. one of my favorites and incredibly reasonable at $16.99)

Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis.

In comment 14845585 Victor in CT said:

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for example: Last Saturday was warm, I grilled porterhouse steaks, we had Cabernet (Joel Gott 815. one of my favorites and incredibly reasonable at $16.99) Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis.

Victor,

If you head to Napa and you are a Joel Gott fan, check out - Gott's roadside in St. Helena.

https://www.gotts.com/

It was called Taylor's Refresher at one point. Great Vanilla Milk shakes as well as burgers, fries, Ahi Tuna Burgers.

Not sure if it is still opened but Yaou Ming's Winery tasting/retail room was next door.

In comment 14845623 GiantsUA said:

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In comment 14845585 Victor in CT said: Quote: for example: Last Saturday was warm, I grilled porterhouse steaks, we had Cabernet (Joel Gott 815. one of my favorites and incredibly reasonable at $16.99) Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis. Victor, If you head to Napa and you are a Joel Gott fan, check out - Gott's roadside in St. Helena. https://www.gotts.com/ It was called Taylor's Refresher at one point. Great Vanilla Milk shakes as well as burgers, fries, Ahi Tuna Burgers. Not sure if it is still opened but Yaou Ming's Winery tasting/retail room was next door.

Thanks GUA. My best friend used to be in the wine biz and went there in the early 2000s, said the same thing about Gotts/Taylor Refresher

In comment 14845585 Victor in CT said:

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for example: Last Saturday was warm, I grilled porterhouse steaks, we had Cabernet (Joel Gott 815. one of my favorites and incredibly reasonable at $16.99) Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis.

I'm coming right over Victor

of a German wine type, like the sweeter wines.
A nice bottle of Auslesa or Spatlese.

Thanks for the reminder on Taylors Refresher. Sitting on the hood of your car on a sunny day with the seared Ahi burger and a split of Montelena chard - one of those moments that sticks with you in a good way.

In comment 14845194 robbieballs2003 said:

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.

I think youre being too close-minded. I have some nice selections in the cellar that will be delicious when the time is right. Picked up a 2011 Reese Asleep at the Wheel awhile back. Also have a delightful Gettleman is an Old Fool. Although its more recent (2019) it will age well.

In comment 14845704 gidiefor said:

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In comment 14845585 Victor in CT said: Quote: for example: Last Saturday was warm, I grilled porterhouse steaks, we had Cabernet (Joel Gott 815. one of my favorites and incredibly reasonable at $16.99) Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis. I'm coming right over Victor

maybe a massive no game tailgate/grill & chill when this all blows over??

Believe me gidie, the company would be welcome. Listening to the missus is getting stale LOL.

I've been in the business since attending UC Davis's Masters Program starting in 1989, and it's been my second career, following a brief but rather spectacular one as a chef.

Since I make wine, in Israel, and before that in the US, I have become a proponent of "loving the one you're with" as Crosby Stills and Nash sang.

I have quite the collection now, long neglected, and am slowly working through those wines, mostly Cali Cabs and blends, but also my brother's more eclectic collection from around the world.

Buying newly minted items, I am quite fond of the "New Zealand style" of racy Sauvignon Blanc. Dry, crisp, tropical, citrusy, floral and grassy is how I prefer my SBs, and I've mastered making them that way to boot. I like when SB smells markedly like Guava, green bell peppers, and citrus trees in bloom.

What that really means, to me, is Sauv Blanc that emphasizes the grape's native character over suggestions of oak. Another way of putting that is I favor the ABC crowd of wines - anything but chardonnays that have been over oaked...

For reds I'll go anywhere that my food choice for the evening leads me as well.

I'm picky, but not picky at the same time if that makes sense.

I don't like a large sense of Brettanomyces is the wine I drink, so that eliminates many European reds.

So I can't say Bordeaux (meaning like many, really Haut Medoc, because Bordeaux is a large place full of mediocre swill, or just plain unripe uninteresting wine)
because it depends on the producer and vintage. And the price point baseline knocks a lot of stuff out for me that I used to drink - like Cos D'Estournel.

When I buy a current wine to drink I don't want to pay more than about $25. I want to taste RIPE Fruit, capitalized not because I want or like "fruit bombs" but because to me that's simply the first crucial step in (making) any good - it's got to capture the thing it's made from.

But I also like the spicy smells of good quality toasted oak wood, so as long as that's not over the top and also well suited to the grape variety, I want to feel judiciously used oak components in my reds.

Whites like Sauv Blanc, Reisling, Pinot Gris, Gewurtz and the like aren't often flattered by oak ageing.

I could go on but for now I think that's more than enough.

Oh one more thing. At my age (60s) and level of experience (professional) I have arrived at the point where interesting is typically preferred over GREAT.

I guess at some point one has tasted enough "GREAT" wine and something interesting tickles my fancy more than another bottle of $100 Napa Cab Sauv loaded with oak.

But to you guys opening those decade old Shafer's (in Bergen County) I'm willing to come over and share a glass and an opinion!

I always enjoy reading your posts Blue Lou
My favorite grape is usually Cab Franc
Saw a bottle from you at a local Bklyn Shop
But alas @ 25 ish kind of our of my 15/20 sweet spot
Southern Rhone used to be ,but these horrendous tariffs are killing me.
Like Astor,Chambers St and Flatiron in the City
Any other Selections in the City you prefer
There open thank goodness Tia

In comment 14845799 Victor in CT said:

Quote:

Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis. I'm coming right over Victor maybe a massive no game tailgate/grill & chill when this all blows over?? Believe me gidie, the company would be welcome. Listening to the missus is getting stale LOL.

My wife says she wants to come too -- she and your wife can entertain each other and you and I can eat, drink and talk foosball

In comment 14845941 TGATE GRLMST said:

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I always enjoy reading your posts Blue Lou My favorite grape is usually Cab Franc Saw a bottle from you at a local Bklyn Shop But alas @ 25 ish kind of our of my 15/20 sweet spot Southern Rhone used to be ,but these horrendous tariffs are killing me. Like Astor,Chambers St and Flatiron in the City Any other Selections in the City you prefer There open thank goodness Tia

If you ever shop at Top's Superstore in Brooklyn - Jeff the owner/manager is a big fan of my wine and sells it at a good price. If you're willing to buy a case (6 bottles in our nice lay down cartons) I think Jeff runs it a pretty close to the $25 per bottle PP.

I don't mean to brag, but allow me to share a little story. About a month ago I poured my wines and others I make at a moze-Shabbat tasting event at the Ahavath Torah congregation in Englewood NJ. (Oddly enough it's the synagogue I was Bar mitzvah in, 50 plus years ago.)

It's a much, much bigger facility now, and comprises more than one Shul. Towards the latter half of the event, the Rabbi from the Sephardic shul makes his way over to me, thanks me profusely for coming to the event and for making wine, and raves to me how it is in the quality category of wines that cost double it's MSRP of $27-30...

Not the first time I've received that compliment and stories regarding that... After the compliments the Rabbi very politely asked me if he could ask something that might be a secret I don't want to share... I said go ahead I can always dodge the question after it's asked.

He asked me how do I do it? How do a make a $30 bottle that tastes like other producers' $60 bottle...

Well I was very flattered that he wanted details, but also not anxious to share those exact details. So I told him I was sorry to avoid answering, but that it was a trade secret and if I told him I'd then have to kill him.

Didn't want that on my resume, so I left it at that I'd been around long enough to know many tricks of the trade, and which among them work and which don't. And I added I was blessed by Hashem to have a very average palate myself - which is ideal if you want to make good products that appeal to the largest swath of consumers.

In comment 14845953 gidiefor said:

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In comment 14845799 Victor in CT said: Quote: Colder weather last night, we made ribeye steaks (cooked in a pan) with porcini mushroom and chestnut sauce, polenta and roasted asparagus, we had a Ratti Barolo. The earthiness of the Barilo was a perfect match with the porcinis. I'm coming right over Victor maybe a massive no game tailgate/grill & chill when this all blows over?? Believe me gidie, the company would be welcome. Listening to the missus is getting stale LOL. My wife says she wants to come too -- she and your wife can entertain each other and you and I can eat, drink and talk foosball

That works!

I always enjoy reading your posts Blue Lou
My favorite grape is usually Cab Franc
Saw a bottle from you at a local Bklyn Shop
But alas @ 25 ish kind of our of my 15/20 sweet spot
Southern Rhone used to be ,but these horrendous tariffs are killing me.
Like Astor,Chambers St and Flatiron in the City
Any other Selections in the City you prefer
There open thank goodness Tia

when it's well made. For whites I love a good Reisling. But I like most varietals. lol...

All of the red Bordeaux, especially in the good years. All of the white burgundies I can't afford and some of the red burgundies I can't afford either. Rhones I generally avoid.

.

I am no longer a wine slob since my wife and quaffing partner died in Dec 2012 from the H1N1 flu.

I do buy a Texas winery's version - Messina Hof for under $10 a bottle. Its a "spicy or peppery" wine that goes really well with Tex-Mex and all kinds of fish dishes. Stands up real well to Cajun food, too. I also enjoy drinking it by itself.
We were introduced to the varietal back in 1985 when a woman vintner with St Michelle in Washington blended it with sauvignon blanc. It was in their Columbia Crest line. Much milder than pure Gewürztraminer but it was a winner!

In my experience, French versions are little stronger and also bit more costly.

I have liked Rioja's for years. In the mid 80's, I read about the famous French professor going to Spain to revive the grapes industry. I noted that he used the French Bordeaux style of making the stuff. Different taste but I sure can see why its described as in the Bordeaux style. Its nice cheaper alternative to some French Bordeaux's. IMHO. decent to good California Cabs are now out of my price range. I also miss the blending that was prominent in the 1980's.

I like all kinds of with wine with the notable exception of red zinfandel. I used to be willing to give different types and vintages a taste. In my advanced age and relative poverty, I pretty much go with what I know.

If I type much more, I will be approaching BlueLou Territory - LOL.

Sorry to read about the loss of your "quaffing partner" to H1N1.

Hang in there.

I cut my teeth in my late teens on Riojas, when one good buy really good ones with 5+ years of age on them for under $5 per bottle. It costs me more than that to make a bottle now.

"one could buy one..."

i am happy that you took my comment about the length of some your posts as ribbing on you. I do enjoy most of your posts.

I do have to ask if the french perfesser had modifed the Rioja's when you were in your teens. That would have been in the 70's, no?

I had two very good to excellent wine shops in Connecticut. The sommelier at Town and Country just over the border in Springfield was always educating me and had figured out our palate. The guy marked down a case of a 3rd or so growth of St Julian or Emillion for me so that we could open a bottle or 2 every 6 months to experience the aging process.

I had to leave Connecticut and my family to work in Houston for 6 months which then became forever. My wife wanted some wine to drink while I was gone and she was not sure which ones were expensive. She saw the price of $4.99 on the bottles and decided to drink them! When I got home, there was one bottle left! I drove up to the store and there was no more available. I think that the sommelier bought it off of the back of a truck.

Over the years, I would find it on the 'net for increasing prices just to bust on my wife. Started off at $10 or so and last I looked it was in the $40 or more range! Even at a young age, it was very good after letting it breath for a bit.

The other place was in Wallingford where I bought a bottle of Chateau Gloria St. Julien Wine on the sommelier's recommendation. I went back and bought 2 more for Thanksgiving dinner! Huge hit with experienced and novice alike! We had fun with wine! I think that if I went to that place more often that particular somelier wolf have approached the T&C guy. Problem was that they carried wines way out of my price range. Mostly French. Kinda snooty place.

When in my early 20s, I discovered a black market wine merchant/importer who operated out of his garage in Oakland California named Dr. George Lytton. He must be gone by now, so no damage to him to print his name. He had a knack for picking up really good wines at steep discounts, including many Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé reds from less than stellar vintages, that were beautiful distinctive wines at around $10 per, this in the early to mid 80's...

But the best wine I ever found at Lytton's black market wine garage was a Burgundy. 1970 Bonnes Mares Vielle Vignesh from the producer Clair-Dau. It was $10 per bottle when we purchased it (myself and some friends in the resto business), and I'm sure that something comparable today would cost at least $150, and possibly more like $300.

The Domaine no longer exists, Clair-Dau sold out to Jadot who then made a Vielle Vignes selection of Bonnes Mares for several years, at about $50-70 per bottle, still long ago.

Man what a wine! One of the friends who bought it with me later told a story about how he'd placed a bottle atop his fridge while starting to prepare dinner and promptly knocked it the floor where it broke and ran out on the floor.

He claimed to have grabbed a straw to suck up the juice from among the shards...