pacman Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 As an adult I tried to cultivate a minor wine habit since it's good for the heart.... but when gout kicked in it was the first to go (likewise I've also lost a of of my taste for beer since).... they're like old friends I have little in common with now. The dreaded gout!! I have friends who suffer with it, they descibe it as agonising. All that Uric Acid crystallising in their feet.... ouch! As for the health benefits from the anti-oxidants in red wine, that theory has been taking a hammering lately. I heard recently that any positive affect from bio-flavenoids in the red grape skin is more than off-set by the toxicity of alcohol in the body. The speaker, some kill-joy scientist, went on to say that there is no difference health-wise between drinking red wine or white wine. After all these years of being told the opposite we now hear that lakes of red vino have been consumed in the mistaken belief it was doing us some good. Well maybe it didn't but I don't regret a glass. And no doubt there'll be another "expert" come along soon who will tell us that they were wrong & red wine IS good for the heart. After all, there has to be something to explain the French Paradox. Quote Link to comment
KenW Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I have never sat down to drink wine with the sole intention of getting drunk. I would far prefer to enjoy a $20 bottle of wine than to drink 10 two dollar bottles. I remind myself that we can't live our life over. I have. Like try every day. 10 X 2 dollar bots sound good to me. I'm soon for it. Indeed we cannot live over or forever. Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 If I could live my life over I would age a few bottles now so I have them next time around. Whatyda think Ken? Good idea? Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Very happy I could revive some memories for you Khun 4:17...The Napa-Sonoma area is indeed very very beautiful...And a wonderful place to live...A bit cold these days for my old bones...On another thread I think I saw that you are or were a journalist,,,I did live in Napa as an adult...Worked for the Register for a spell...About the time the NR editor moved over to the Sonoma paper...Owned by the same folks as I recall...At the time I never figured out if that was a promotion or a demotion...But he was a nice man nonetheless...So if you lived in Sonoma, I know you got some wine in your blood...And that's a good thing... Back to wine...Last week I opened a bottle of a Pinot Noir from a California valley winery named Rex-Goliath...It tasted at the time a bit sweet...Put me off...So I put it in the frig for cooking stock...Today I'm cooking a little pot of stew...If my doc is reading here, it is low fat...and I used this Pinot Noir in the sauce...I looked at the bottle for a short while and at the sticker that proclaims that it is "Lush and Velvety" and said to myself..."What the fuck. Have a glass." So I pulled out an old jam jar and poured a bit and it tasted very very good...Although I must confess that I have been drinking a quantity of distilled wine the past few days...So I ain't got no idea what happened to this bottle between last week and this week but I am happy to report that the bottle is now near empty...And it didn't all go in the cooking pot... I am also happy to report that my little pot of chicken stew is very very good... Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I'm soon for it. Oh no. Did I miss the memo or is this the first time you mentioned it? I'm sad to hear it Ken, I'll raise a glass to you this evening. Quote Link to comment
4:17 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Very happy I could revive some memories for you Khun 4:17...The Napa-Sonoma area is indeed very very beautiful...And a wonderful place to live...A bit cold these days for my old bones ... Heh, I grew up in the midwest, and spent two winters in Northern Michigan, once upon a time, so I've been tempered by the cold. Having said that, the day after day of chilly wet weather in winter there in NorCal can get to you, after a while. It also took me a long time to get used to late spring/early fall days that could be in the 80s -- just like back home -- during the day yet still be 55 degrees at night (had the same problem in Northern Arizona). So I put it in the frig for cooking stock ... So I pulled out an old jam jar and poured a bit and it tasted very very good. ... So I ain't got no idea what happened to this bottle between last week and this week I've had the same thing happen. Open a bottle, and it's "meh." Try it again a day or three later, and it's much better. I would guess it has to do with the oxidation process. Maybe it just hasn't finished "aging" properly, and when you pull the cork and that oxidation process quickens, you find the sweet spot, so to speak, a day or two later. I'm just guessing, though, but then I've been told this is why you're supposed to let the bottle "breathe" for awhile after opening, prior to serving it, to give it that last little "je-ne-sais-quoi." On the other hand, more often than not, it seems if I open a bottle and it's not finished that night, even a day later it's deteriorated significantly. Even if I've used one of those fancy pumps to get the air out, or (even fancier) fill it full of an inert gas and recork it. It's a fragile thing, vino. ... Quote Link to comment
KenW Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Oh no. Did I miss the memo or is this the first time you mentioned it? I'm sad to hear it Ken, I'll raise a glass to you this evening. Don't get too maudlin pacman. It's simply called ageing. The older you get the less time you got left, right? Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Aging? Is that all that's wrong with you? When someone writes they "are soon for it", I do take it literally. I will wait for an announcement next time. In the meantime, I'll raise a glass to your new found "health".... 1 Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Sam my friend I apologize. I have been a bit lax reporting back on the Trader Joe wine purchase a few weeks back... In my defense I have been distracted by a bottle of distilled wine that was very nice and I am happy to report is now gone and the empty bottle has been deposited in my recycle bin to be collected next week by the collection crew to whom I pay a small fortune each and every month for the privilege of allowing them to pick up my empty bottles and such so they can sell them to another company for a profit...In that a run on sentence or what? Earlier this evening while I was watching my Alma mater get their ass beat by Northern Arizona University and feeling a bit French (if you are French please don't take that as a slight...the ass kick part), I opened the bottle of Bordeaux...I am happy to report that it is very very nice and mild with no strong lingering taste that I truly do not like...I thought it would be heavier, but it ain't...and it is truly tasty...I know you will cringe, but it was a great accompaniment to the Kahuna's version of coq au vin...For the casual eater coq au vin is not ladyboy cock dipped in wine...although that might be a tasty treat to also enjoy sometime...I'll have to keep that in mind... In short, the Bordeaux is pretty good...I'm enjoying it as I type... Next up some Italiano... Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 Mmmmmmmm, sounds good. I am surprised you waited so long to pop those corks. You bought them over a week ago. My recycling bin would be over flowing by now. Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 This afternoon I cracked open a chilled bottle of 2009 Montagny 1er Cru which is a delightful French white from Domaine Feuillat-Juillot. Cost $24.00CDN. It is terrific. I have a 3 hour work related conference call during which I will be quietly sipping the nectar. Ain't no Trader Joe stuff Kahuna but thought you like you know nonetheless my little Arizona tuna. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I have never sat down to drink wine with the sole intention of getting drunk. That I finished up affected by alcohol on many an occasion is just a pleasant by-product of an indulgence I love. To compare drinking wine to smoking dope is to miss the point. I would far prefer to enjoy a $20 bottle of wine than to drink 10 two dollar bottles. There is something almost spiritual about savouring a good wine. That sounds a bit wanky but wine drinkers will know what I mean. Wine even has the sanction of the Bible where it is written.... "a little wine for thy stomach". I put aside a bottle of Grange Hermitage years ago for a special occasion. Now simply called Grange, this 35 year old wine is too expensive to open. Last time I looked it had an auction value over $500. But that pales when I remember the day I opened a Grange for my best mate's birthday. It was the famous 86 which I found out later was worth $1000+. We still talk about it & both agree it was a fabulous wine. And we came to that conclusion long before we knew what it was worth. But I don't mind the extravagance, I remind myself that we can't live our life over. Especially if it is savoring a good Australian red wine while in the company of the consummate Australian gentleman...Mr Pacman. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The dreaded gout!! I have friends who suffer with it, they descibe it as agonising. All that Uric Acid crystallising in their feet.... ouch! As for the health benefits from the anti-oxidants in red wine, that theory has been taking a hammering lately. I heard recently that any positive affect from bio-flavenoids in the red grape skin is more than off-set by the toxicity of alcohol in the body. The speaker, some kill-joy scientist, went on to say that there is no difference health-wise between drinking red wine or white wine. After all these years of being told the opposite we now hear that lakes of red vino have been consumed in the mistaken belief it was doing us some good. Well maybe it didn't but I don't regret a glass. And no doubt there'll be another "expert" come along soon who will tell us that they were wrong & red wine IS good for the heart. After all, there has to be something to explain the French Paradox. I agree with that. They say there is the antioxidant Resveratrol in red wine. There is, but to consume enough red wine to gain any benefit from the resveratrol would offset by the liver damage by the excess wine consumption. Resveratrol is a good thing to take, but better just buy the capsules and get it that way., I think drinking a little wine isn't bad at all, but lets not kid ourselves that it is also some sort of drink that we can suck down like water and not experience any negative effects. Quote Link to comment
Lefty Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Saw a bit of the first page, skipped the racism part, saw a photo of Thunderbird in there somewhere, and that reminded me of MY early wine-drinking experiences; Boone's Farm! Or Mad Dog 20/20...... $1.99 at any Cumberland Farms back in the late 70's......got you pretty blitzed too. and honestly, that was the last time I really had any wine. Tried it a few times in my 20's and 30's; it's just not for me and frankly any time I try a sip or 2 it just gives me heartburn. Used to make me the running joke of any fancy meal, where people were drinking their favorite wine or beer and I was getting my usual Diet Coke.......didn't care then, don't care now; I like the flavor of soda and it goes well with just about any meal. But I understand the need or desire for people to drink the vino, it's just not for me. *Far from innocent though, as I still enjoy a whiff or 3 of the demon weed from time to time [Read; every day]. Just about everyone out there has their favorite buzz, and that's still mine. One of my health books, written by a doctor from India declares that carbonated beverages are the unhealthiest drinks that a human can consume, The human digestive system wasn't designed to process carbonated liquids, according to that doctor. Said it causes a lot of stress on the system. That's not to mention the presence of aspartame in diet sodas, which is worse for us than raw pure sugar and just as bad as high fructose corn syrup. Not to mention the damage to tooth enamel caused by the soda. Quote Link to comment
JaiDee Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Yaaaa, I know......but it tastes sooooooooo good. Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Well Mr. Sam...our resident sommelier...A couple days back I was shopping at the local food establishment and knowing that my daughter is due to arrive at my home this weekend I was trying to to save the Italian reds because I know that she, like her old ancient father, is partial to Italian reds, so I bought a bottle of some California Turning Leaf Merlot...Outta breath after that one...I just opened it tonight...I doubt if the bottle will last through the evening...Very nice and tasty...It normally retails for ten bucks at this store but was on sale for $4.99...If I was sober right now I would drive right on back and buy some more but the bottle is half empty and I am completely smashed...So my return trip will have to wait until tomorrow...NOTE: I'm just writing here...You guys are gonna have to provide the punctuation and other shit... I enjoyed it this evening with a baked sweet potato and some Brussels sprouts and a very large and tender artichoke...And I will continue to enjoy it until I pass out...Although I am trying to watch my SF Giants beat the Det Tigers in the opening game of the World Series...(I will try my level best to come to in the morning)...It was a veggie-Merlot evening...Look for a bottle my friend...You just might enjoy some of the Kahuna's cheap shit wine... Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 My, my Mr. Kahuna. You are smashed on 1/2 bottle of wine?!!? Goodness, gracious me! Get a grip on yourself. What's happening to you? If you are in Southern Arizona go north. If in Northern Arizona, go south. The altitude range may be affecting your levers. That's levers, no livers. I am sitting here 3/4's of the way through a bottle of Montevina Pinot Grigio from your home state of California ($14.99 here in Canada) and even if the alcohol cuntent is 13.5% I am still wishing I had another bottle to turbo charge the buzz. By the way, in IMO Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are the places on earth closest to heaven. I hope you get out there, explore and enjoy it. Without sounding too much of a dated hippie, it is my place on earth that I have gone to heal and rejuvenate. I intent to return and hopefully not for the purposes of healing but to breath in and honor its awe. It really is a spiritual gift and I encourage people to experience it. Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 My, my Mr. Kahuna. You are smashed on 1/2 bottle of wine?!!? Goodness, gracious me! The entire bottle is gone Sam...The Giants are up 6 to 1...I am in heaven... And the wine was lovely... Quote Link to comment
Quietguy Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 my other doctor (when you get old you get a doctor for every part of your body) has restricted my wine to one glass a day...He failed to tell me just how large a glass I can use... the bottle is half empty and I am completely smashed.... The entire bottle is gone Sam... And the wine was lovely... I see you take as much notice of your doctor as I do of mine! Mind you. judging by the doctors I've met socially they don't practice what they preach. Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 By the way, in IMO Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are the places on earth closest to heaven. Forrest Gump: And then in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the earth began. It is so beautiful. Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 I find it fascinating all the references to Italian red wine. I have nothing against the stuff, I have drank a lot of it... IN ITALY. I learnt to order the vino di casa rosso. Not because it was cheap or because I couldn't remember Montepulciano or Barolo or Brunello but because it was often the best red wine in the house. Outside the big cities, there is great regional pride in the local vino & many times we were told the house wine came from a winery down the road which the ristorante or trattoria or taverna took delight in featuring in their establishment. How I loved the inky black wines that were served in earthenware carafes. One litre for about five dollars. And I can't remember one that wasn't good. I can remember some that were superb. Better than any house red had any right to be but that's an observation from an Australian perspective. The Italians thought otherwise. God bless 'em! In the large liquor shops here at home, red wines from around the world are sold. Lots of Italian wines can be found on display. Most of them I have never heard of, I have no idea how they stack up for value, etc. And that's because, I never buy them. I don't know anyone who does. Someone must, obviously. They wouldn't stock them otherwise but I rarely see someone choosing one. And now I see you guys comparing notes about different Italian reds & it reminds me that someone, somewhere must be consuming it because there is zero need to go near it here. With so much good wine selling for low prices, why would we? But I stepped out of my comfort zone & bought a bottle of local Tampranillo last weekend. It was among several wines being offered at a tasting in a local wine store & I decided it was worth buying a bottle. It's hard to judge from the little thimbles of wine they give you but I asked for a second one & took the plunge. Along with a number of bottles of Shiraz. Long story short, I enjoyed the Tampranillo & now I am motivated to look for something good in an Italian grape. I will have a poke around the imported section of the bottle shop & see if anything jogs my memory. Thanks to Kahuna & Sam for raising the subject. Quote Link to comment
Kahuna Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Khun Pacciman... Remember my Australian friend...I don't know fuck all about wine...All I know is what tastes good when it passes over my lips and tongue and down my throat... I was born in a wine community filled with Italians and I was raised in a community filled by descendants of Portuguese fishermen...Red wine no matter it's origin is what everyone drank...Wherever you went, it was on the table... My best friend was Italian...Later on in years, he and his Sicilian wife started visiting Italy every year...Kept trying to get me to go along...Seems I was always in or on my way to Thailand...I finally agreed...And we were starting to make plans and he upped and died on me...Fucker...No damn respect for me at all...If there is a heaven, I know that he is there and drinking some Italian red as I type...He always said, "There is good Italian wine and there is great Italian wine. There is no bad Italian wine." I have been following his advice now many years and while I surely ain't certain that it is true, I seldom have one that I don't like... Right this minute however, I am drinking a cheapo Napa Valley Pinot Noir from Sutter Home Winery and it is very very nice... Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 28, 2012 Author Share Posted October 28, 2012 Yesterday evening I enjoyed a bottle of white from New Zealand. It's called NEW-Z from a company called DIVIN (perhaps just the importer). It retails for about $13.00. I have never had a disappointing wine from New Zealand and this one continues the tradition. It is excellent, fresh, alive and full-bodied with aromas of citrus. Good stuff. Today I will have a red bourgogne called LUPE. Happy Sunday to you all. Quote Link to comment
SiamSam Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Recently purchased a French white chardonnay. NUDANT 2011 Bourgogne Haute-Cotes de Nuits I'll let you know what it was like after the contents disappear. Quote Link to comment
pacman Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 Remember my Australian friend...I don't know fuck all about wine...All I know is what tastes good when it passes over my lips and tongue and down my throat... What else do you need to know? Tasting different wines is the only way to learn what you like. Our palettes become more attuned to different tastes the more we try. Personally I can't drink any sweet wine. But I enjoy a dessert wine that is super-sweet. Go figure... And we were starting to make plans and he upped and died on me... It happens. I'm sorry to hear it, I have a friend with weeks to live & we shared many bottles of good wine. Both here & in Italy. I will ring him in the next hour & remind him of those good times. It's always hard to make these phone calls but I have to do it. Right this minute however, I am drinking a cheapo Napa Valley Pinot Noir from Sutter Home Winery and it is very very nice... One thing I can't buy here is cheap Pinot. There's a good choice of it, it isn't my favourite wine but I haven't drunk much of it because there is always better value among the reds than what I have to pay for Pinot Noir. I had an Arneis this week, an excellent white wine originally from the north west of France. It is grown in Oz at a number of wineries & if you have never tried it, please do. It is dry with a mineral feel on the tongue. It is like an aged Riesling but different. Words fail me in trying to describe it but I have another bottle so I will open it over the weekend & see how it tastes this time. Quote Link to comment
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