Bluelight International Wine Club

[faithfully dangerous]

you cant understand wine without being snobby about it. wine and snobbery go together like cookies and milk... etcetcetc

 

[mitz-e]

I like this thread

On saying that I hardly know much about wine I'm just a large consumer. I prefer would drink white but only red if I was desperate, although I really like rosé wine.
In Tesco's you can get a bottle of Portuguese rosé for £2.50! And it actualy is queit nice, really!
My wine of choice is Buckfast Tonic Wine and well... it kind of has a cult following here. ALL wine snobs would frown upon anyone drinking this, its fortified to 15% and has an ammm aquired taste. Gives you the shites too.

 

[wanderer21]

you cant understand wine without being snobby about it. wine and snobbery go together like cookies and milk... etcetcetc

 

[haste]

If you're looking for inexpensive Australian wine, look no further than Rosemount.

Indeed the producers of a nice drop.

Also add Penfolds to the Aussie list, makers of a wide spectrum of wines, from affordable to the rather expensive Grange series.

http://www.penfolds.com/

 

[beanpoophead]

baby duck

its a beautiful, beautiful thing

 

[64tf]

^Werd.

I must say, though, that Charles Shaw hasn't done me wrong, yet.

Amen! I love Charles Shaw, and it's actually been getting some notice in the bigger wine shows. Amazing stuff for the price.

 

[Finder]

^A neat little trick is to leave the bottle uncorked for 45 minutes before serving (with reds) and the flavor will improve. A wine snobby friend told me about it.

Personally, I can't wait that long before I pour the first glass. :D

 

[Anarchofascist]

Swirling it around the glass a bit before you drink it helps it breathe, as well.

 

[day_for_night]

^A neat little trick is to leave the bottle uncorked for 45 minutes before serving (with reds) and the flavor will improve. A wine snobby friend told me about it.

Personally, I can't wait that long before I pour the first glass. :D

its called 'decanting' the wine, and its a good idea for most wines, especially those that are a bit older (ie. 4 years +). you should actually get a glass bottle called, you guessed it, a decanter...pour the wine into it, as it allows a greater surface area to be exposed to the air.

 

[Finder]

^Ah, yes, that's the word I was thinking of. I couldn't remember it so I just left it out. Thanks!

I assume you're saying it's good for both white and red wines? Also, I've been meaning to pick up a bottle of Amarone--any particular winery or vintage you'd recommend?

 

[DarthMom]

*gags*

there are 10,000 better chardonnays. you shorted yourself with that 4.99/bottle yellow tail, honest to god.

Don't be such a snot dearie. I liked it. I have had my share of fine wine, and it was good.

I sampled a few different Chardonnays this past weekend, all somewhat pricey bottles, and would buy this one hands down over them.
We don't do expensive wine for our at home enjoyment, at least, not until we are a double income family again. Until then, I am happy to find another chardonnay under 20 besides Kendall Jackson that I am happy with.

Someone mentioned Rosemount...I tried a merlot once and it was just terrible, so haven't touched anything else. I will try that one next time, thanks for the tip.

Keep the inexpensive tips coming.

 

[DarthMom]

its called 'decanting' the wine, and its a good idea for most wines, especially those that are a bit older (ie. 4 years +). you should actually get a glass bottle called, you guessed it, a decanter...pour the wine into it, as it allows a greater surface area to be exposed to the air.

I have been hunting for a beatiful decanter set for a few years now. I inherited an antique cocktail table that is gorgeous a while back, and need a set to put on it

I didn't realize it benefited the older wines, I thought every wine would get better...
speaking of twirling the glass, the balloon wine glasses are best for this. I twirl it right onto my shirt or carpet without them

edit. ok. i love google....

apparently, most red wines will benefit, and the whites should be aged 12 months min. decantering young red will help with the bitterness.

 

[64tf]

^^My girlfriend explained to me the other day that red wine glasses are fatter to allow better breathing.

For anyone that hasn't heard the Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw) buzz here is a little write up.

Published on August 25, 2003

When was the last time you enjoyed a bottle of wine for $3 -- In the United States? Enter Charles Shaw, the "Two Buck Chuck" maker that in recent years has been selling their wines at $2 in California, and $3 elsewhere in the U.S. For those who equate absolute price to absolute value, you may think it cheap, or even liken it to spam. Nevertheless, we recommend you give it a try

The staff at OregonWines.com tried out a few bottles of Charles Shaw's finest, and despite any negative reports we may have read by respected wine critics, we now understand why Shaw reds are selling so well at Trader Joe's. The reason is that there's a lot more to this wine than simply price point.

The 2002 Merlot presented the full-bodied characteristics of a more expensive wine. It showed richness of body and sweet aromas of berry and spice, was mellow and soft on the palate with balanced acids, and even had a pleasant, lingering finish. In brief, everything you would typically look for in a good Merlot, but at only $3 a bottle.

From our tests, we were forced to conclude that Charles Shaw Merlot is an excellent buy.

With wine this good, why is there an air of negativity about it? Perhaps because it threatens the industry. Perhaps because consumers won't know the difference and put the higher priced producers out of business. Or simply because the industry likes to hype and overprice some wines, but must now concede that while the cost of production is certainly high, it's not that high?

And then, what of the respected wine writers? How many positive reports on Shaw wines have you seen appear in the more trendy wine magazines? Probably not very many. Imagine the message that what would be sent if an elite publication were to put in a good word for the underdog, even were it an accurate and honest report.

So consider everything we have said in this article. The next time you happen to see a bottle of Charles Shaw Merlot, give it a chance, and the next time you hear a wine critic speak poorly of Shaw, consider whether they are being truly straight with you, or simply buckling under pressure from their sponsors.

http://www.oregonwines.com/article.php?ArticleID=264

It really is some pretty interesting stuff. It's not my favorite wine, but price per performance dollar it is the best. I love drinking expensive wine, but sometimes you've got to compromise.

 

[faithfully dangerous]

^oh for sure.

im a huge fan of charles shaw--- ive never had a hangover from it and it always tastes alright. i noticed there's a new beaujolais, too, so of course i was happy

its 3.39 in ohio, boo.

 

[64tf]

Tonight I'm having a Merlot by Ecco Domani (2002) 8.99 on sale.

Nothing to write home about here. It's very middle of the road, and not far from bad. We'll undoubtly finish the bottle, but I wouldn't suggest it.

If Trader Joes had been open I would have gone with 2 buck chuck.

 

[64tf]

I assume you're saying it's good for both white and red wines?

It really only works for Reds. It's also interesting to note that aging wine for a long time is really only for reds to.

i noticed there's a new beaujolais, too, so of course i was happy

I'll have to get in on some of that.

 

[Finder]

^I picked up a bottle the other day; haven't opened it, yet. I'm not a fan of the Ecco Domani, either.

 

[frostyangel]

4.99/bottle yellow tail

Wow, around here it's alittle more than that...maybe like 10-13 dollars a bottle, I think for this area it's one of the better ones.. I've only got a chance to try a couple shiaz's, but I definitely do like yellowtail, and penfolds.

 

[Finder]

I've never thought any of the Yellow Tail reds tasted poorly. The Shiraz and Cabernet taste fine to me. Chuck's is way better, though. I'm not a fan of whites in general, so I couldn't care less about them.

 

[Anarchofascist]

I like the Yellowtail Shiraz but the Chuck Cabernet. Merlots unblended with heartier grapes are for philistines.