Calling Resident Oenophiles......

I'm listening.....

I know way too little about wine

I passed my level 2 sommelier in 2008 while still living in Louisiana. The wine bible is a great read for a somewhat beginner and very approachable. The key to learning is drink...a lot...and think about what you're drinking...smell stuff that might associate with certain wines and see if you catch those aromas (i.e. Dark fruits for cabs/syrahs, bramble red fruits for Pinot noir, stone fruits/citrus for whites).

On allocated items, I scored a bottle of Sine Qua Non Dark Blossom Syrah and Stock Syrah on Tuesday...gonna lay those down for a decade or more.

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On allocated items, I scored a bottle of Sine Qua Non Dark Blossom Syrah and Stock Syrah on Tuesday...gonna lay those down for a decade or more.

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As someone kind of new to signing up for mailing list and such I only recently signed up for a few. This Fall I was offered allocations to a few but only picked up a 2 pack of Scarecrow's M. Etain' 2013 vintage. I am progressively getting away from some of the larger US producers, i.e. I canceled my Cakebread membership and exploring varying regions focusing on smaller productions.

Just recently I traveled to VA and was really impressed with most all of the offerings from Linden Vineyards. Sadly they do not ship out of state.


Also, to the poster who mentioned the ins and out of the sommerlier exam. If you haven't watched the documentary Somm I would highly recommend watching. Futhermore, the same outfit who produced Somm will be releasing a follow out titled, Into the Bottle this November at the Napa Wine Festival.

Tiger Attorney, since you were the initiator of the idea I'll yield to your preference. Would you like to try to revitalize the original thread or pick up and try to make this one work.

Anyhow... I hope to open up a nice French wine this weekend and will report back on Monday of how it showed.

This is a great watch for Burgundy lovers.

UnTamed, what type of French wine will you pop this weekend? Looking forward to the review!

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Quite a few Napa allocations opening up this month. Anyone taking advantage of any offers?

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No. I´m going to have to delve into the American offering (I´m an Old World consumer, specifically Spain and the odd French or Portuguese sauce).

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UnTamed, what type of French wine will you pop this weekend?

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I am eyeing up a 2010 Chateau Cantemerle from Saint Emilion.

I typically don't spend enough / bottle to reach the price point that Burgundy is commanding these days. I eventually want to explore the village producers and possibly so lower grade Crus but Grand Crue status i'll probably never reach.

I really enjoy the old world but always keep a decent variety of new world as it is a little more forgiving to most dinner guest.

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To someone who doesn't comprehend the aromatics and nuances or have the availability to taste thousands of wines a year and understand the terroir of each country and region, it can be construed as BS.

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It has also been construed as bullshite by several that understand and have access. Just saying...

And I'll kindly disagree....Sauvignon blanc in New Zealand tastes nothing like Sancerre or touraine....Loire clones from Sancerre do not taste the same in California. Oregon Pinot noir tastes nothing like California, which tastes nothing like burgundy. That argument is valid as saying al lagers taste the same, it's your imagination telling you otherwise. Not to mention yeasts that are alive within wineries also give their own personal touch to a wineries aromatics. There are also tendencies of winemakers that show up every year from their choice of oak/toast level, extraction levels, temperatures at primary fermentation. But once again, it's a lot to comprehend for the majority of people.

And Artie, let me guess you read that one article that everyone seems to fall back on I'm guessing. Just like the article where this company in China tested vaporizers at elongated use at higher temperatures and voltage than should be used causing an increase in carcinogens bc someone intentionally burnt the vaporizer. There is more BS out there claiming something is BS honestly.

I have a dear friend who is a pretty well respected wine maker in Cali. He is not pretentious at all and gave me this simple advice. When smelling a red, look thoughtful and say "Mmmmm, currant." When Smelling a white do the same but say "Mmmmm, melon."

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And Artie, let me guess you read that one article that everyone seems to fall back on I'm guessing.

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That's one. But I agree with you that there are freaks, and I mean %.01 of the population, that can distinguish the subtleties you are talking about. But I think the vast majority are faking it.

And the bottom line to me is does the consumer enjoy the product and are they willing to pay for it. Not whether they can give you the ph of the dirt the grape was grown in.