Wine Geeks

[Mikey]

No, I'm not going to post a pic of myself in front of my wine collection. Mainly because I don't have one. OK, I've got maybe five or six bottles that I've put away for special occasion, but once I buy it I tend to drink it. Though most wines, especially reds, get better with age (to a certain degree), once you open it you need to drink it in a day or two at the most.

In Goobs's Whiskey thread I mentioned that Tablas Creek is my favorite winery.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=47425
http://www.tablascreek.com/



It seems like a national panel of wine writers, sommeliers and chefs now agrees with me on this. They have Tablas Creek at #2 in their list of best wineries in America. I hear that Ridge is pretty damn good but I haven't been there yet. In fact, I've only been to three of these, all in Paso.

Thought about stopping at Caymus once on a tour through Napa but there's like a $50 fee just to go in. No thanks.

Nice to see that these aren't all in Napa...

http://www.thedailymeal.com/drink/101-b ... 016?page=1

1 Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif. 
2 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, Calif.
3 Au Bon Climat Winery, Santa Barbara, Calif.
4 Calera Wine, Hollister, Calif.
5 Quilceda Creek, Snohomish, Wash.
6 Heitz Cellar, St. Helena, Calif.
7 Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery, St. Helena, Calif.
8 Leonetti Cellar, Walla Walla, Wash.
9 Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Dayton, Ore.
10 Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Napa, Calif.
11 Turley Wine Cellars, St. Helena and Templeton, Calif.
12 Caymus Vineyards, Rutherford, Calif.
13 Woodward Canyon Winery, Lowden, Wash.
14 Linden Vineyards, Linden, Va.
15 Shafer Vineyards, Napa, Calif.
16 Massican Winery, Calistoga, Calif.
17 Dunn Vineyards, Angwin, Calif.
18 Diamond Creek Vineyards, Calistoga, Calif.
19 Chanin Wine Co., Los Alamos, Calif.
20 Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga, Calif.
21 Bonny Doon Vineyard, Santa Cruz, Calif.
22 Andrew Will Winery, Vashon, Wash.
23 Qupé Winery, Los Olivos, Calif.
24 Matthiasson Winery, Napa, Calif.
25 Château Montelena Winery, Calistoga, Calif.
26 Littorai Wines, Sebastopol, Calif.
27 Mayacamas Vineyards, Napa, Calif.
28 Saxum Vineyards, Paso Robles, Calif.
29 Forlorn Hope, Napa, Calif.
30 Stony Hill Vineyard, St. Helena, Calif.
31 Corison Winery, St. Helena, Calif.
32 Acorn Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.
33 Spottswoode Winery, St. Helena, Calif.
34 Copain Wines, Healdsburg, Calif.
35 Bergström Winery, Newberg, Ore.
36 Patz & Hall, Sonoma, Calif.
37 Domaine de la Côte, Lompoc, Calif.
38 Duckhorn Vineyards, St. Helena, Calif.
39 Evening Land Vineyards, Dundee, Ore.
40 Sandhi Wines, Santa Barbara, Calif.
41 St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery, Rutherford, Calif.
42 Red Newt Cellars, Hector, N.Y.
43 Boundary Breaks Vineyard, Lodi, N.Y.
44 Tensley Wines, Los Olivos, Calif.
45 Ken Wright Cellars, Carlton, Ore.
46 DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, Wash.
47 Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville, Va.
48 Mount Eden Vineyards, Saratoga, Calif.
49 Andrew Murray Vineyards, Los Olivos, Calif.
50 Inwood Estates Vineyards, Florence, Texas
51 Swanson Vineyards, Rutherford, Calif.
52 Neyers Vineyards, St. Helena, Calif.
53 Domaine Serene, Dayton, Ore.
54 Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Hammondsport, N.Y.
55 Beckmen Vineyards, Los Olivos, Calif.
56 Hanzell Vineyards, Sonoma, Calif.
57 Rochioli Vineyards and Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.
58 Foxen Vineyard and Winery, Santa Maria, Calif.
59 Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Santa Barbara, Calif.
60 Chehalem Winery, Newberg, Ore.
61 Sandlands, Napa, Calif.
62 Gruet Winery, Albuquerque, N.M.
63 Ponzi Vineyards, Sherwood, Ore.
64 Scribe Winery, Sonoma, Calif.
65 Navarro Vineyards and Winery, Philo, Calif.
66 Michael Shaps Wineworks, Charlottesville, Va.
67 Arnot-Roberts, Healdsburg, Calif.
68 Hermann J. Wiemer Winery, Dundee, N.Y.
69 Noceto, Plymouth, Calif.
70 The Eyrie Vineyards, McMinnville, Ore.
71 Wind Gap Wines, Sebastopol, Calif.
72 Andis Wines, Plymouth, Calif.
73 Robert Mondavi Winery, St. Helena, Calif.
74 Shinn Estate Vineyard and Farmhouse, Mattituck, N.Y.
75 Keplinger Wines, Napa, Calif.
76 Favia Wines, Napa, Calif.
77 The Ojai Vineyard, Oak View, Calif.
78 Seven Hills Winery, Walla Walla, Wash.
79 Pedroncelli Winery, Geyserville, Calif.
80 Chateau Grand Traverse, Traverse City, Mich.
81 Bokisch Vineyards, Lodi, Calif.
82 Black Ankle Vineyards, Mount Airy, Md.
83 Tatomer Wines, Santa Ynez, Calif.
84 Talley Vineyards, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
85 Va La Vineyards, Avondale, Pa.
86 Channing Daughters Winery, Bridgehampton, N.Y.
87 Broc Cellars, Berkeley, Calif.
88 Staglin Family Vineyard, Rutherford, Calif.
89 Callaghan Vineyards, Elgin, Ariz.
90 Bellwether Wine Cellars, Trumansburg, N.Y.
91 Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards, Malibu, Calif.
92 Allis Ranch Winery, Sedalia, Colo.
93 Center of Effort, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
94 Peachy Canyon Winery, Paso Robles, Calif.
95 Fall Creek Vineyards, Tow, Texas
96 Peay Vineyards, Cloverdale, Calif.
97 Charles Smith Wines, Walla Walla, Wash.
98 Ste. Chapelle Winery, Caldwell, Idaho
99 Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard, Westminster, Md.
100 Hope Family Wines, Paso Robles, Calif.
101 Jones Winery, Shelton, Conn.

[The Big Pickle]

Only homos drink wine.

I don't drink wine. :)

[Mikey]

Only homos drink wine.

I don't drink wine. :)

And yet you're still a flaming cock gobbler. Ponderous.

[Goober McTuber]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

[The Big Pickle]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Homo

[Mikey]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Your opinion doesn't count. Your taste (whatever you had in the first place) was burned out long ago by high proof Kentucky rotgut.

[trev]

Not one Temecula winery made the list?

[Mikey]

Not one Temecula winery made the list?

Temecula is definitely and up and coming area for wine making but not on a par with the more established areas in Central and Northern California. Oregon and Washington also have some well established wineries. The list is obviously subjective, but there are over 3,600 wineries in California alone. All of Temecula's are relatively new. There's some good wine coming out of Escondido as well. Fallbrook winery also makes some really good wine and if you've driven on Camino del Rey lately between I 15 and Bonsall you'll see a few hundred acres of new vines that were just planted this year.

[Goober McTuber]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Your opinion doesn't count. Your taste (whatever you had in the first place) was burned out long ago by high proof Kentucky rotgut.

High proof? I don't very often go for cask strength, so most of what I drink runs 90-100 proof. As usual, you are talking out of your ass.

Where is Raymond on that list? Cline? Louis Martini?

[Mikey]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Your opinion doesn't count. Your taste (whatever you had in the first place) was burned out long ago by high proof Kentucky rotgut.

High proof? I don't very often go for cask strength, so most of what I drink runs 90-100 proof. As usual, you are talking out of your ass.

Where is Raymond on that list? Cline? Louis Martini?

Just because you've heard of it doesn't mean it should be on the list.
Sorry, but you'll have to read the article to find out what their criteria are. I know this might be a problem for you but I don't think I can help you there.

[Mikey]

I don't mind wine, but it seems sort of useless to me. It doesn't produce the desired effect quick enough, the sugar will give you a massive hangover if you do try to get drunk on it, and it gives me acid indigestion without fail.

Doing shots of Everclear is the way to go.

You must be drinking cheap wine. Any decent wine, except for sweet dessert wines, has less than 1 g per glass.

[Mikey]

That sucks. Seriously.

I like beer on occasion (used to be every occasion) but now it gives me a headache. Guess we all have our different poisons.

[Dinsdale]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Spain is famous for cheap rotgut reds.

Hope that helps.

A good friend used to run a distributor that specialized in Spanish wines that they paid next-to-nothing for (and got into stores at $5).

As far as the list... joke. Some of the Oregon wineries thy have on there are well-respected, but the omission of Argyle (who also makes by far the best sparkling wines in the country, not even a contest), who are the undisputed kings, makes the list laugh-worthy.

88 might have an opinion on good Oregon wineries.

[Moving Sale]

Jason Haas is a family friend if you ever want to meet the winemaker I'll see what I can do.

[Diego in Seattle]

Where's Boones Farm?

Sin,
Atomic Panties

[Dinsdale]

Silver Oak

And I will say that there is NOT ONE member of this forum that has some pilfered cuttings from there, and is growing them in their yard a little too far north for zin and cab.

Nope. That poster doesn't exist here at T1B.

[Dinsdale]

Where's Boones Farm?

Sin,
Atomic Panties

It pairs well with 7-11 hot dogs.

[Moving Sale]

Silver Oaks does not grow zin grapes. Are you (not) talking about their Sausal vineyard?

[Dinsdale]

Silver Oaks does not grow zin grapes. Are you (not) talking about their Sausal vineyard?

I was talking about the one in Oakville (I used to visit my buddy in St. Helena, saw Silver Oak off Silverado Trail).

But I didn't get the cuttings, someone I know did. I think you may indeed be correct that the zin didn't come from there, but I'm fairly sure the cab did.

[Rooster]

My taste buds can't tell the difference between one type and another. Give me an expensive Cab or white and I couldn't tell you it tastes any different from a $2.00 bottle. And my wife gets massive migraines from the sulfides in reds, so we don't keep any in the house. However, we used to live in the town which has the biggest producer of wines: Ripon, CA. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting another Zin winery.

[Moving Sale]

Yeah the Oakville vineyard has no zin as it is a cab only property. The zin must have come from Sausal which they bought a few years back.

[Goober McTuber]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Spain is famous for cheap rotgut reds.

Hope that helps.

A good friend used to run a distributor that specialized in Spanish wines that they paid next-to-nothing for (and got into stores at $5).

And Cali produces Two Buck Chuck and Crane Lake.

I've had some very nice Garnachas and Monastrells from Spain. Pretty sure that mvscal has as well.

[Mikey]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

Spain is famous for cheap rotgut reds.

Hope that helps.

A good friend used to run a distributor that specialized in Spanish wines that they paid next-to-nothing for (and got into stores at $5).

And Cali produces Two Buck Chuck and Crane Lake.

I've had some very nice Garnachas and Monastrells from Spain. Pretty sure that mvscal has as well.

Tempranillos as well. A couple of years ago the nearby Costco was selling a 2007 Reserve Rioja Tempranillo (Vina Eguia) for under $10.00. Best deal around but I drank it so often I got tired of it.

[Mikey]

Jason Haas is a family friend if you ever want to meet the winemaker I'll see what I can do.

Seriously?

[Moving Sale]

Hit me with some dates and I will see what I can do.

[Mikey]

Next time we plan a trip up there I'll let you know.

[trev]

Some friends are members of a winery in Escondido and Temecula. They took us a few weeks back. I love the whole beauty of it all, but I can't drink it. Mostly I don't like the taste, but I am allergic to it also. I took a few sips, bought a cute t-shirt and we had a picnic lunch at a winery in Temecula. I would do it again, for sure.

[Mikey]

As far as the list... joke. Some of the Oregon wineries thy have on there are well-respected, but the omission of Argyle (who also makes by far the best sparkling wines in the country, not even a contest), who are the undisputed kings, makes the list laugh-worthy.

Like I said, it's a subjective survey, of people who work with wine and food every day. For some reason they didn't include "does Dinsdale like it" among their criteria. Ponderous.

We considered not just individual wines, though, but the overall place of each winery in the American wine scene. Is it a dependable veteran, tried and true? An audacious innovator? Does it specialize in just one or two grape varieties, or do a sterling job with 20? Is it representative of its corner of the wine country? Does it help, in one way or another, enhance the reputation of its region, and/or of American wine in general?

Though it wasn't our main criterion, we also factored in quality-to-price ratio — in other words, value. Value doesn't necessarily mean low price, of course, so there are some producers of very pricey wines represented here. But our consideration of value accounts in part for the absence from our list of some of famous "trophy wines" from the Napa Valley and elsewhere, wines priced at many hundreds of dollars on release and bought more often (we're pretty sure) as status symbols rather than as delicious things to savor — though it is also worth noting that, for whatever reasons, our panel didn't vote for some of the most famous names at all.

Maybe they should have included Argyle. Apparently they make some fairly decent soda pop.

Based on what's probably the largest database of community tasting notes, they produce some pretty good bottles and a lot of fairly pedestrian stuff. But then again, it's not Dinsdale.

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?O ... 1e29e6a7d0

[Mikey]

I hear that Ridge is pretty damn good

It is. Me and Mrs. 88 are members of all three of Ridge's membership programs. Great stuff. Open the wallet and be pleased.

I may have to consider this. Have you been to either of the wineries?

[Mikey]

Just realized that Monte Bello is 6 miles (as the crow flies) from where I grew up.

That probably pre-dates the winery by several years, though.

[Dinsdale]

Like I said, it's a subjective survey, of people who work with wine and food every day. For some reason they didn't include "does Dinsdale like it" among their criteria. Ponderous.

What an arrogant response. You seem to forget that I work at a winery (very) part-time, where I'm the assistant winemaker (completely facetious title). But "does Dinsdale like it" has nothing to do with it -- but I'm quite in tune to the Willamette/Yamhill scene, and Argyle reigns supreme for the typical Burgundy shit of the area. And they charge accordingly (the drawback).

Maybe they should have included Argyle. Apparently they make some fairly decent soda pop.

I'd say "fairly decent" is a fairly decent descriptor... since they've racked up 98 scores recently.

As much as you'd like to be the T1B Arbiter of Wine... sorry, bud. I work (albeit part time) in the industry, bro. And have for many years. And you, Sir, are the prototypical "corksniffer," that is roundly ridiculed as soon as you leave the tasting room (and ohhhhh, it's a LOT more common than you think).In fact, I can't remember the last time someone took a tour, and the cellar rats and winemakers (that would be the employees) said "yeah, that guy was cool."

Just so's you know.

[Mikey]

My arrogant response was made to your arrogant response, which you obviously don't see as arrogant. Just so's you know.

And wow, Assistant Part Time Winemaker. That's pretty impressive cred.
Sounds like an honorary title they made up for somebody's retarded son.
Did they give you a special badge and helmet?
Let you run around in the vineyard during harvest, picking grapes as long as you don't get in the way?
Empty the dump buckets in the tasting room?

As much as you'd like to be the T1B Arbiter of Wine

I'm just trying to start a conversation.
Never claimed any special knowledge, unlike a certain U&L blowhard bullshit artist whom I won't name here. That title's reserved for him, seeing as how he's an Assistant Part Time Winemaker, and all in tune with the Willamette/Yamhill scene and stuff. Sort of how having once cleaned out a flocculation pond makes him a world class expert on how shit runs downhill.

...since they've racked up 98 scores recently.

BTW...score whores tend to be the about the most insufferable low-information wine snobs around.

Just so's you know.

[Rooster]

Wow, Willy Pete rounds flying overhead! Left 10, drop 50, fire for effect.

[Goober McTuber]

...since they've racked up 98 scores recently.

BTW...score whores tend to be the about the most insufferable low-information wine snobs around.

Just so's you know.

And I seem to remember a certain Assistant Part Time Winemaker pointing out more than once that those scores are directly proportional to the advertising dollars spent by the rated winery.

[Mikey]

I prefer Spanish reds to 98.5% of everything I've tried from Cali.

Hope that helps.

I'm sure you sip Mexican Browns for the remaining 1.5%, too.

87.9% of statistics on the internet are made up.

sin,
MA

[Goober McTuber]

I've never had a brown wine, but if Papa Willie's involved, I can imagine what the "grapes" look like. I'll pass.