WCWN General Forum

Re: Creeped out by Snooth

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:50:46 PDT

Posted by Roland Dumas:
I created an account at Snooth not so long ago to see how it worked. Clearly, the business model is to guide you to a retailer so they can make a kickback on sales. Recently, after reading a review here, I went in search of Txakoli Rosado, to see if there is any around my neck of the woods. One of the places I looked was Snooth. Then today, I get an email inviting me to review retailers and wine for Txakoli Rosado. I do a single search and they are trying to squeeze content (review) out of me. My instant response was that it is creepy to be tracking users so closely and a bit sleazy to try to turn every visit into something that makes their business better. I write some of the software that is used for these kinds of things and would never think to chase a visitor home and ask for a review or content contribution; it breaks the sense of anonymity that web visitors have and makes it clear that you're being watched. I deleted my Snooth account. Was I overreacting to feel creeped out?

Re: Wine Sales

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:45:12 PDT

Posted by mike volker:
Not only that, but they get paid on time! Mike

Re: Old Oak vs New Oak - what are the implications?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:22:19 PDT

Posted by Everett Bandman:
Ken, Don't really know, just that its part of the syrah character, even in the N. Rhone. As Allen says, the influence of new world winemaking there, ie. lots of new oak in many cellars now, has pretty much overwhelmed most Cote Rotie these days. Its amazing whats happened over the last 5 years there.

Re: Are alcohols getting too high, or should we give a rip?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:48:59 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=Tony Mastres][quote=larry schaffer]Man I LOVE these discussions . . . . At Pinot Days, I had somewhat come up to our table at Fess Parker and say - do you have any pinots under 13% because those are the ONLY ones I'll try. Everything else is simply too high in alcohol and just isn't right.' Open it, taste it, let it sit for awhile - if it does not float your boat, move on - there are PLENTY of choices out there . . . More later . . . Cheers! [/quote] I'm in full agreement with Larry here, I see the data on the other side but there are FAR to many variables to draw any conclusions and even using the data presented there is not a significant difference in the blood alcohol levels. They're different, sure by a teensy amount just as you'd expect. So? I just don't get the concern. [/quote] There's no question that consumers have options - just as much as winemakers have choices. The over-reactions to the issue comes from the fact that lines always get drawn in the "always" and "never"

Re: Box Wine - is there a place for it?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:21:06 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
As the article points our, "There still is a certain defiant cachet when serving wine from something other than a glass bottle." So, maybe we'll never find really quality wines in the this format. Too bad, because it could have some major repercussions in marketing wines. I mean, why should a box be seen in any a lesser light than screw caps?

Re: SF Family Winemakers Tasting 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:30:16 PDT

Posted by Sean_Devaney:
In the past it has been four hours starting at 1:00.

Re: Savoie Grapes...Calling Carole...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:04:36 PDT

Posted by Carole Meredith:
Tom, The Savoie may not be much different than other regions around the periphery of the Alps -- lots of small valleys that are somewhat geographically isolated. The Valais region of Switzerland, for example, is full of unusual varieties, some of which are shared with France to the east and others shared with Italy to the south but quite a few that are unique to the Valais. I think geographically isolated places have also been culturally and economically isolated in the past so wine varieties that were born in these locations just didn't get out much. (All these varieties arose through natural cross-pollination. No Luther Burbanks or Harold Olmos involved.) Syrah wasn't actually born in the Savoie. More likely in Isere just to the west, since this is where the two parents of Syrah, Mondeuse blanche and Dureza were most likely to have overlapped. Carole

Re: NYTimes: Burnt Rubber In SouthAfrica Wines...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:39:36 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=Ken Zinns][quote=Eric_Anderson][quote=Ken Zinns][quote=Eric_Anderson]Pinotage - this was a bad idea. [/quote] For the most part I would agree, but the Fort Ross Winery version is easily the best Pinotage I've tasted....looks like Alder Yarrow of Vinography agrees. Check out his review of Pinot Days wines (under "WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5"): [url=http://www.vinography.com/archives/2009/06/the_best_pinot_noir_in_califor_1.html]The Best Pinot Noir in California?: Tasting Pinot Days 2009[/url] [/quote]First, I was referring to the So.African versions of Pinotage; second, I outed Ft. Ross' Pinotage back in '05 at FWC: "Comments: I had no idea that this vineyard from one of the premier locations on the Sonoma Coast for Pinot Noir, would in fact also offer Pinotage. And frankly, if all Pinotage smelled and tasted like this, the variety would get more respect." OK, I give you all the credit for breaking the Fort Ross Pinotage story :) And I have to agree with you about South African Pinotage. [/quo

Re: How much does it cost to produce a bottle of wine?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:08:53 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=Brad Harrington] I think having a winery that has been around for decades explain the costs as if these are the exact same costs for everyone is not really realistic. It MAY be the costs for them but others have had a different experience. Try buying vineyard property in Sonoma or Napa now and tell me how you can make wine for < $8 per bottle now?!?!?! [/quote] That's just what I was thinking. When we see a new guy come on the scene in Napa with some astronomical price for his Cab, much of that may have to do with his fruit source(s). Whether Estate or purchased fruit, if the land was a recent acquisition, it was doubtless costly - and that's bound to be reflected in the final price. Of course, that would also infer that 20-30 year old vineyards ought to have some advantage, right? Doubtful. Between plant disease, improved planting efficiencies, etc., I'd bet there's not much difference. That being said, if the grower or producer IS finding himself on the short end of the stick, I do hope h

Re: Russian River winery visit notes - Inman, Wind Gap, & Moshin

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:21:10 PDT

Posted by ksyrah:
He definitely seems to be having more fun, happy to be doing all the hands-on work and expanding into new directions. -Al

Re: SFChron: Calif Winemakers In NYC...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:41:20 PDT

Posted by TomHill:
When Susan & I visited her son out there several yrs ago, we hit up maybe a dozen. Very spotty wines...some pretty bad...and some amazingly good. Charles Massoud's wines I particularly liked, as well as those of ChanningDaughters. Particularly liked the whites and some of the reds, mostly CabFranc. Not very impressed, though, with the CabSauvg. It think there are probably better places in the USofA to grow CabSauvg. Why....perhaps even MonteBelloRidge is one such!!! :-) Tom

Re: Robert Young, pioneering grape grower, dies

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:25:37 PDT

Posted by Clyde Underwood:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090622/ARTICLES/906229934?Title=Memorial-for-grape-grower-Robert-Young-set-for-July-1

Re: SWR: Bear unable to open champagne bottle

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:57:45 PDT

Posted by Ken Zinns:
Saw this article this evening: [url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/28/national/a164506D29.DTL]Bear skips veggies for chocolate in Calif. home[/url] The article mentions that the bear tried but failed to open a champagne bottle...apparently it did not carry a sabre. ;)

Re: Anyone With Info On This Pennsylvania Wine

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:30:46 PDT

Posted by Curt Wood:
You could be right. This was given to me by someone who had it given to her. Now I know I drink a lot of wine, not sure about her.

Re: Stemware influence - real or imagined?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:05:24 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
It's fascinating to sift through all the logical, physical, and scientific evidence on this stuff - both pro and con. For me, the whole thing boiled down to anecdotal evidence - until I actually tried it! Each time there has been no question in my mind that the effects were fairly obvious - the wine was different out of different glasses. Interestingly, despite this knowledge, I continue to sip from the smaller INAO type glasses, like those provided from HdR about 5 yrs ago. I guess while you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, they're just as likely to slip back into their old ways! :D

Re: Screw Caps - coming or going?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:50:41 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=ksyrah]Not sure about Darting, but Leitz seems to have a hierarchy thing in the sense that he appears to use screwcaps on the entry level to lower priced wines, but not on the higher end of his line-up. But I suppose he may be trying to build acceptance before he expands their use. -Al [/quote] To me, that's the number one issue - public acceptance! Interestingly, it looks like there's almost a parallel thing going on with beer. Some have screw caps - some have bottle caps. Just tradition?

Re: Cleaning wine stems

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:29:58 PDT

Posted by Tony Mastres:
Thanks guys, appreciate the welcome. I hope to keep on posting and interacting. I don't know if we've met John, its certainly possible but if we haven't I hope we do so soon as I never get tired of meeting wine-lovers, Thanks!

Re: NWR: Physics Is Dangerous...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:59:49 PDT

Posted by Bernard Roth:
Tom's a physicist?

Re: I didn't realize there are stil states where beer/wine isn't

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:51:01 PDT

Posted by Bryan Gros:
Even when they do sell alcohol in grocery stores, there are still states where you can't buy at certain times. Like Sundays. Or Like Sundays before noon. How silly is that? Either you sell, or you don't sell, but what the clock says shouldn't matter...

Re: Blog-Growing Grapes in Short Season Areas

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:49:03 PDT

Posted by Bob Foster:
The staff viticulturist at Des Moines Area Community College has started a blog on growing grapes in short season area. A bit technical but lots of photos of leaves with various problems. https://go.dmacc.edu/programs/viticulture/blog/default.aspx In the interest of full disclosure this is the college that sponsors the Mid American Wine Competition (and I am its director)

Re: Provenance and Wine Buying

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:47:21 PDT

Posted by John Tomasso:
I've no experience with auctions whatsoever. I think I've made one purchase, two bottles of 89 La Chapelle which I've yet to open. I would like to dip my toe in the water more frequently, but sure, provenance is definitely a concern. Testimonials from buyers whose palates I trust, e.g BEB, go a long way toward alleviating my fears.

Re: Wine sales - how much reduction is an inducement to buy?

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:21:33 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=BEB][quote=Eric_Anderson][quote=Everett Bandman]Bonserine is quite new world in style, ie. lots of new oak and high extract for Cote Rotie. In addition many of the 03s are not aging well due to very ripe grapes and low acidity. Of course worth trying a bot, to see for yourself, before backing up the truck... [/quote] [size:14pt]But, Everett, it got [b]93 points[/size][/b]! ... [/quote] What more is there to be said?! Just give me the point score! I don't need no stinking TN! [/quote] You know, I hate to say it, but those are the Cliff Notes. Personally, I'd rather read the whole book, but there are so many people who want to skim things, that scores end up getting the big look.

Re: White wine drinking temp

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:55:42 PDT

Posted by Jim Harris:
My rule of thumb for the most part goes something like this. Full bodied or big fruit driven wines like Cal chards, Viognier, Gewuztraminers etc. . . I tend to drink warmer than say steely, mineraly wines like classic Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, many Italian varieties. I like these types chilled more. Sometimes if it is hot outside, I'll chill them down to the point where it condensates the glass for a refresher. Cheers

Re: CellarTracker - Who uses it?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:58:23 PDT

Posted by Andrew M c N e e s:
don't use CT, use vinfolio vincellar. i do like the CT notes and use the database to find odd ball wines. vincellar you can export to excel so i keep a couple print outs and electronic versions around.

Re: Zin: is it alive and well, or on lifesupport?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:27:03 PDT

Posted by Jim Harris:
I like in the summer when the grills get fired up more often. I like them with [i]real[/i] BBQ (with sauces and spices) not just grilled meats. Cheers

Re: Is there ever a time when you chill red wine?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:09:50 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=TomHill]...high VA/fumey/alcoholic but huge fruit, chilling reduces the fuminess w/ a bit reduction in the fruit intensity. If it's a low-tannin/low-extract red, like a Beaujolais or a Bone-Jolly, dropping the temperature. And reds w/ some residual sugar, like a late-harvest/stuck fermentation Zin, chilling makes them taste drier. [/quote] Completely agree. Sometimes this is only way I can drink over-the-top ripe fruit bombs.

Re: EU says Roses cannot be made by mixing red & white wines.

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:07:38 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=John Tomasso]I'm guessing that somehow, life will go on. [/quote] Golly willikers, I've never seen you so...uh...excited. Frankly, I'm just as glad the EU dumped this. Personally, I'd rather see a few traditions left in place.

Re: Thanks again to Randy for his pouring help

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:04:19 PDT

Posted by Randyhol:
My pleasure. Kudos to you for all your hard work, and the great selection of wines. Now, about the CLE..........

Re: The march of ros�s continues

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:13:52 PDT

Posted by Roland Dumas:
[quote=Brad Ballinger][quote=Roland Dumas][quote=Brad Ballinger] Txakoli is from Gurrutxaga. [/quote] could you give a pronunciation guide, please. That just hurt my brain. :crazy: [/quote] What works for me is tx = tch [/quote] thanks. Think I can handle that without tripping and falling.

Re: Wine Scores Over The Short Term???...

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:46:52 PDT

Posted by Roland Dumas:
[quote=TomHill] What if you want to brag to your friends that this is a 97 and they'll know to like it?? :-) [/quote] 1. I write on the label "97pts-Parker" ;) 2. Don't have those kinds of friends.

Re: Current Wine Purchase Sources

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:13:07 PDT

Posted by KenMusso:
I buy most of our wine at retail grocery stores, wine shops, or wineries that offer trade discounts. Some purchases are made from winery mailing lists, but not a lot in this economy. In 35 years of buying and collecting I have never once bought a wine at auction other than at a charity event where you put your bid on a piece of paper. I do buy a fair amount of futures (bordeaux) from years that have special meaning such as birth of daughters, grand daughter, etc. as I have always enjoyed tying wine together with memories. When I do purchase futures it is rarely more than a case or two of mixed and the amount of money spent usually depended on earnings at the time. OK, enough already! But I still enjoy eyeing those 82' Bordeaux I bought for my middle daughter born that year.

Re: Changing wine styles - is the pendulum swinging?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:44:55 PDT

Posted by Bryan Gros:
[quote=Eric_Anderson]IF this is really happening, I wonder if changes in "alcohol levels and the jam factor" can be sustained. I mean, most of what drives the market are critic's opinions and scores. So, I'm wondering, in the face of all that attention, if perceived winemaking trends are sufficient to swing the market the other direction? [/quote] Good point, but I don't think it is just winemakers that are pushing the change. A fair number of consumers are also looking for more elegant and restrained wines. I mean look at chardonnay? I don't know what point scores have changed over the last ten years, but the "ABC" talk really grew and now how many wineries are quick to point out their chard has little or no new oak, no malolactic, etc. Clearly there is a market to reach, but to your point, these steel chardonnays are either separate bottlings or different wineries completely from the big buttery chardonnays that were so popular. Those wines may not have changed much at all in the time period.

Re: What is a "wine snob"?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:55:00 PDT

Posted by Kim Adams:
Good morning, Jeff! Nice to see you. All is well here in free agent land. Hope you and the family are doing well. Cheers, Kim [quote=Jeff Cuppett]I've missed your posts in these parts. Hope all is well with you and that reprobate you hang out with ! Cheers, JC [/quote]

Re: When to open a special bottle?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:08:53 PDT

Posted by Jeff Cuppett:
Fridays oftentimes we make a simple dinner, most of the time we open something ordinary, but if it's been a tough week, something special may make an appearance. Sat. is often the night we plan a good meal, maybe try some new dish and try to pair a wine. Lots of times we have friends over other times it's just us. Cheers, JC

Re: Kudos to whomever came up with the idea to. . .

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:50:40 PDT

Posted by Brad Harrington:
I went through a few iterations early on. There was a large contingent who wanted them mixed into the general forum. They felt it made the site look busier, I always liked the idea of separating them out into their own forum myself. It does a couple of things that are really helpful. One it allows those who really ONLY want to talk about actual wines, of which there are a number, to bypass the more general discussions. Two, it makes finding notes on wines a bit easier. I would still rather have a much more robust and specifically designed database structure for this, but there have been a number of obstacles in the way of that. As far as who decided on it, it was discussed openly in the community and I probably had mods involved back then too. Can't really remember the actual details, but I usually ask people what they think before I make those kinds of changes.

Re: The other way of pairing: with the weather � Ros�s with June

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:52:30 PDT

Posted by Roland Dumas:
[quote=Alan Rath]Hey, I can see the clouds rolling over San Mateo even now, this is definitely not Rose' weather yet. Give it time, we'll get some heat eventually :) Alan [/quote] How 'bout [b][color:#990000][size:14pt]now???[/size][/color][/b]

Re: Rueda Wines

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:10:24 PDT

Posted by John Tomasso:
and to that end, I took the liberty of removing the commercial link from Briana's post, because I assume she was unaware of our restriction on those. I am an old school, Rioja man myself, but I am willing to be persuaded.

Re: Restaurant Wine Lists - Build your Ideal

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:40:19 PDT

Posted by BEB:
I've seen lists prepared by price before also and very much like the idea. Also, should you ask the somm. for some assistance he knows immediately the price range. It will be interesting to see if that type of list becomes more prevalent in the current economy.

Re: Hospice du Rhone - my take

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:44:51 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=ksyrah]I think many of the established Napa cult cab makers actually make a lot of wine, so the bottles they can pour during a tasting aren't as big a fraction of their production. -Al [/quote] It's just like Al to bring a Cab to a Rhone fight. ;)

Re: Purchasing for the "Per Serving" Event - How much to buy?

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:25:29 PDT

Posted by ksyrah:
If you serve wines you'd be happy to drink, maybe as everyday wines, then you can have a few in the on deck circle. -Al

Re: Must.....drink.....more......Bordeaux.....blanc

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:47:23 PDT

Posted by BEB:
I agree with Jim that the prices are high. Particularly if you compare Bordeaux Blanc with Sancerre, for the most part & YMMV. But then, of course, they're not the same thing, so it's a bit of an apples and oranges issue. From the map, I'd say stick with Graves or Entre-Deux-Mers [img:center]http://www.franceway.com/wines/bordeaux/blanc.jpg[/img] Sometimes and only in better years Ch. Ducasse for about $8 would pass as an everyday-wine-if-in-a-pinch. Ch. Olivier won't break the bank and offers a very crisp Bord. Blanc style. Lynch-Bages, but then that starts to pinch the wallet (not an every day wine for me anyway.) In our area it's hard to find Bord. Blanc

Re: Napa suggestions

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:22:19 PDT

Posted by JFO:
Agreed. Tastings are free. Most other places charge.

Re: How many sulfites occur naturally in wine?

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:30:16 PDT

Posted by BEB:
Actually, that's why I said in part and in part not. He didn't have the data as to ppm (or whatever the measurement is) of sulfite in bacon and the level in bacon can vary just like the level in wines. His point (and mine) is just as you say, lots of foods have sulfite and lots of foods have significantly more sulfite than wine. The hypocrisy of the feds singling out wine for "disclosure" galls me. Am well aware of histmines - long suspected of being a leading culprit with wine reactions. Other issues, as you correctly say "not yet fully understood" contribute to problems and may mask proper detection. Much more to be studied in this area.

Re: SFChron: IndigenousVarieties

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:01:41 PDT

Posted by Bob Foster:
Tom-Concord? How could you leave out Norton? (g)

Re: Cork Sniffing?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:35:03 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
[quote=John Tomasso]I don't. I just pour a bit of wine into the glass, and give it a sniff. That tells me all I need to know. [/quote] Yeah, but do you swirl it first?

Re: Are you a Regional Specialist or do you like Everything?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:30:34 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
A lot of this stuff has been phase oriented for me. First, it was Cabs. Then it was Zin. Then it was Aussie's. Then it was Syrah. Then it was Pinot. I've tried the dabbling thing, but then I never have "exactly" what I need/want - unless I buy more! I'm beginning to think this is all a conspiracy by persons unnamed to get me to buy more. ;)

Re: Yikes!

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:58:01 PDT

Posted by BEB:
Anyone know whether Laube uses this stuff?

Re: Returning a Corked Bottle

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:25:58 PDT

Posted by Eric_Anderson:
I suppose it's possible. But, like Bernie said, could just as easily be bluster. I know there have been times I've smelled it in wineries and case-goods storage rooms. Of course, because it's associated with wine I think the brain can be a trickster here. It's not that uncommon a smell in nature - outside near gardens and the like. So, who knows, maybe the guy is trying to let you know that he know his stuff. At least he didn't give you static.

Re: NWR: Cool interactive map of California unemployment

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:54:56 PDT

Posted by Ken Zinns:
[quote=Eric_Anderson][quote=ksyrah]It's looking like the number of California public employees will be dropping. -Al [/quote] I know I am. ;) [/quote] Well, that should solve our budget crisis right there! ;)

Re: Riedel Breast Cancer Series Champagne Tumblers

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:40:18 PDT

Posted by BEB:
[quote=ksyrah]Those things look like soda fountain glasses[/quote] ...At best, Al, at best. They remind me of something from some of those "toy" sites that gets linked from time to time on a certain "NSFW" forum.