Pahonu wrote:My palate is not as refined as some or even many but I do love a good French Burgundy when I am out having a steak dinner. If I can swing it a good "Grand Gru" or "Premier Cru" from the Nuits St. Georges area.................
I love a big peppery, fruity, Zin, but I still think a good Cab goes best with a steak.
I have really become a big fan on Pinot Noir, Thumbprint Cellars won me over a few years ago. It's a tough grape to get right, I think I read somewhere something like 70% don't get it right, but when they do there's a subtle complexity that's really enjoyable. The Russian River Valley has some of the best you can get, that includes some from Kendall Jackson.
Since I'm plugging my likes, if one is up in the Sonoma Coast area I recommend staying a few nights at https://www.timbercoveinn.com/, a beautiful place made for getting away, and then visiting Healdsburg. The wineries around there are excellent.
Ooooh, could a Sideways/Magnum,pi trip be a possible get together idea.......(And I am going to try a Zinfadel with my next trip, thanks for the info!)
Fine by me, but I am not drinking merlot!
If you have the chance, track down a Zin from Valdez, I was impressed.
You might consider trying a zinfandel with steak. NOT white zinfandel, the pink stuff, but the red, labeled just "zinfandel". It's spicy and big...perfect with rare steak. Just thought you might like it, and $20 will get you a good bottle.
I love a big peppery, fruity, Zin, but I still think a good Cab goes best with a steak.
I have really become a big fan on Pinot Noir, Thumbprint Cellars won me over a few years ago. It's a tough grape to get right, I think I read somewhere something like 70% don't get it right, but when they do there's a subtle complexity that's really enjoyable. The Russian River Valley has some of the best you can get, that includes some from Kendall Jackson.
Since I'm plugging my likes, if one is up in the Sonoma Coast area I recommend staying a few nights at https://www.timbercoveinn.com/, a beautiful place made for getting away, and then visiting Healdsburg. The wineries around there are excellent.
No doubt Conch, a big cab is best with a grilled steak, but try decanting it about an hour before you drink it. No joke, an hour. I scoffed, but a friend showed me and it's night and day. The Russian River Valley and the Central Coast are tops for pinot for sure. I think the Central Coast is the best quality for the price in all of California. There's a winery north of Santa Barbara called Cambria, in the Santa Ynez Valley, that started growing Sangiovese about 20 years ago. That's the majority varietal in Chianti. They do it better than the Italians, I think, at about $20 a bottle. It's as good as the Super Tuscans in my opinion.
Also, I just notice above your avatar it says "flemingo" not "flamingo". Is that a typo or is there a story?
Pahonu wrote:
No doubt Conch, a big cab is best with a grilled steak, but try decanting it about an hour before you drink it. No joke, an hour. I scoffed, but a friend showed me and it's night and day. The Russian River Valley and the Central Coast are tops for pinot for sure. I think the Central Coast is the best quality for the price in all of California. There's a winery north of Santa Barbara called Cambria, in the Santa Ynez Valley, that started growing Sangiovese about 20 years ago. That's the majority varietal in Chianti. They do it better than the Italians, I think, at about $20 a bottle. It's as good as the Super Tuscans in my opinion.
Pahonu wrote:
No doubt Conch, a big cab is best with a grilled steak, but try decanting it about an hour before you drink it. No joke, an hour. I scoffed, but a friend showed me and it's night and day. The Russian River Valley and the Central Coast are tops for pinot for sure. I think the Central Coast is the best quality for the price in all of California. There's a winery north of Santa Barbara called Cambria, in the Santa Ynez Valley, that started growing Sangiovese about 20 years ago. That's the majority varietal in Chianti. They do it better than the Italians, I think, at about $20 a bottle. It's as good as the Super Tuscans in my opinion.
You might consider trying a zinfandel with steak. NOT white zinfandel, the pink stuff, but the red, labeled just "zinfandel". It's spicy and big...perfect with rare steak. Just thought you might like it, and $20 will get you a good bottle.
I know Zinfandel has made a big comeback in recent years - Jammy & Spicy, it's great drinking - But I just can't get there, with a big steak - Esp. if it's grilled - IMO you need those heavy tannins/oaky taste ... That said, people from Cali are always ahead of the curve, so I'll keep my mind open .... For now I'll stay in my wheel house, the classic Bordeaux vs Burgundy debate or Cali vs Long Island wine ...
I know Bordeaux/Burgundy, but is there any debate over California vs. Long Island wines.
I know Long Island is up and coming. I've enjoyed a few. My brother and sister-in-law live in New Jersey and have shipped us some. They like to go tasting. I also get to hear someone say "Cali" once a year when they visit! No one says it here.
LOL ... Okay you got me, with the faux Cali vs Long Island wine debate ... But you've got to stick-up for the Home Team ... I love Cali, so much so, anything more than "visits," would leave me irrevocably lost on a beach somewhere ...
If I'm eating red meat the best wine on the cheap is a Cabernet Sauvignon by Carnivor and if you like a whiskey note in your wine Robert Mondavi has a Bourbon Barrel-Aged CabSav that is delicious, and on the Zin side 1000 Stories has an excellent wine. Seems like a lot of wineries are getting in to this Bourbon craze and I have tried a few but those two are my favorite.
Steve wrote:My palate is not as refined as some or even many but I do love a good French Burgundy when I am out having a steak dinner. If I can swing it a good "Grand Gru" or "Premier Cru" from the Nuits St. Georges area.................
I was just there last summer with my wife. Cycling through the Burgundy vineyards by day, tastings and unforgettable gastronomy by night...highly recommended trip if you haven't been already.
Mostly agree with you on the Californias Pahonu. But sometime of those older Grand Crus can blow most of them away. In terms of consistency though, California all the way! There are a lot of French duds.
You're right on about the French lack of consistency. I've had some great ones, but many are unremarkable. I do still think California's best are among the best in the world, and the majority of lesser vintages are still quite good. We had a chance to go to a Napa vineyard called Stag's Leap about 15 years ago. It was famous for producing the first California varietals to beat the French at their own game, way back in the 70's. The best wine tasters in the world at the time (mostly French) picked their red and white as superior to any of the French blends. It's a well known story in wine circles. Anyway, they didn't disappoint one bit. That was what we did for two days of our honeymoon...taste and eat just like your Burgundy trip. Have to get back!
There is a really good movie from a few years ago about that "Judgement of Paris" where California wines beat out French wines in a blind tasting. The name of the Movie is "Bottle Shock" starring Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, and Alan Rickman, but it focuses on Chateau Montelena's chardonnay winning first, beating out all of Burgundy's chardonnays.
Interesting thing about Stag's Leap's cabernet, it didn't come in first in any one of the judge's rankings, was usually beat out by a French wine, but when each wine's grades (out of 20 points) by all the judges were averaged, it came out on top. Still a good wine.
Wine is the only alcohol I drink. I grew up in "Canada's wine country" and worked briefly in the Ministry of Agriculture, doing surveys of the orchards and vineyards in the area (an awesome job). It's a pity that the government totally f-cked it up and permanently destroyed what could have been a great wine region - paying farmers to rip out blocks of grapes and sell the land to corporations to build housing projects. The remaining grape growing land has been bought up by foreigners who now charge ridiculous prices for the inferior wine they produce. Yes, I'm bitter... but not as bitter as the wine.
I think the era of cheap, but drinkable wine has passed. I used to pay $20 (CAD) for a decent cabernet sauvignon - usually from Chile or Argentina (California wines were good, but overpriced - in Canada at least), but now you have to pay at least $60-$100 for a half decent red wine. A good white wine is now at least $40 - when there used to be plenty available for under $20.
Mad Kudu Buck wrote:Wine is the only alcohol I drink. I grew up in "Canada's wine country" and worked briefly in the Ministry of Agriculture, doing surveys of the orchards and vineyards in the area (an awesome job). It's a pity that the government totally f-cked it up and permanently destroyed what could have been a great wine region - paying farmers to rip out blocks of grapes and sell the land to corporations to build housing projects. The remaining grape growing land has been bought up by foreigners who now charge ridiculous prices for the inferior wine they produce. Yes, I'm bitter... but not as bitter as the wine.
I think the era of cheap, but drinkable wine has passed. I used to pay $20 (CAD) for a decent cabernet sauvignon - usually from Chile or Argentina (California wines were good, but overpriced - in Canada at least), but now you have to pay at least $60-$100 for a half decent red wine. A good white wine is now at least $40 - when there used to be plenty available for under $20.
Too bad about the loss of acreage. Chile in the 90's had some tremendous deals as did Australia, but those days are gone unfortunately. California's Central Coast still has some pretty good product for a decent price.
Hey Reef Monkey, good to hear from you again! Hope you're still paddling.
I remember hearing about the Bottle Shock when it was released but it just dropped off my radar. I guess I like drinking wine more than watching movies about it! Never saw Sideways either, funny. I'll have to check it out. We also visited Chateau Montelena on our honeymoon and enjoyed it very much. I looked up the Judgement of Paris and it shows one judge, Odette Kahn, the French editor of La Revue du vin de France did select Stag's Leap first in the blind tasting. She then, apparently, had a change of taste, wanted her ballot back, and began disparaging the British organizer of the event. I want to read more about this!
☨magnum.t wrote:If I'm eating red meat the best wine on the cheap is a Cabernet Sauvignon by Carnivor and if you like a whiskey note in your wine Robert Mondavi has a Bourbon Barrel-Aged CabSav that is delicious, and on the Zin side 1000 Stories has an excellent wine. Seems like a lot of wineries are getting in to this Bourbon craze and I have tried a few but those two are my favorite.
Speaking of whiskey, a friend of mine gave me a bottle of Jameson's for St. Patty's and apparently it was aged in IPA barrels the distillery got back from the brewery they had originally given them to for their beer. They're trying all kinds of things now. Fun to see the (and consume) the creativity.
☨magnum.t wrote:If I'm eating red meat the best wine on the cheap is a Cabernet Sauvignon by Carnivor and if you like a whiskey note in your wine Robert Mondavi has a Bourbon Barrel-Aged CabSav that is delicious, and on the Zin side 1000 Stories has an excellent wine. Seems like a lot of wineries are getting in to this Bourbon craze and I have tried a few but those two are my favorite.
Speaking of whiskey, a friend of mine gave me a bottle of Jameson's for St. Patty's and apparently it was aged in IPA barrels the distillery got back from the brewery they had originally given them to for their beer. They're trying all kinds of things now. Fun to see the (and consume) the creativity.
.... For now I'll stay in my wheel house, the classic Bordeaux vs Burgundy debate or Cali vs Long Island wine ...
