Wine Recommendations for the Holidays

[Andrew D]

Frankly, Gob, I put no stock in any of them, and I pay no attention to them. (If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have no idea who won the IWC(L) or even that it had happened.)

The opinions which I find helpful are those of the raters. I pay the most attention to Parker and the Wine Spectator, because I have found over the years that their tastes most commonly coincide with mine. (No disrespect to Wine Enthusiast, Robinson, Decanter, etc.; I have just found that Parker and the Wine Spectator are the least likely to rate highly wines which I find unappealing.)

Even when it comes to the raters, I generally do not buy more than one bottle of any wine based on its rating by anyone. And I generally do not buy even one bottle of any wine based on its rating by anyone if I have the opportunity to taste it myself before buying any of it.

To me, the palate that really matters is mine.

I do make an exception with respect to the raters for wineries with whose wines I am already familiar. (For example, I have tasted numerous vintages of Stag's Leap (Cask 23, S.L.V. and Fay -- I am a huge Cabernet Sauvignon fan). And I have tasted numerous vintages of Chateau Pichon-Lalande (I am also a huge Bordeaux fan). So if, when a new vintage comes out, it is rated very highly, I might buy a fair bit of it, because I know pretty well what to expect.)

I do make occasional exceptions to the primacy of my own palate. My wife's and my tastes in wine largely overlap, but I sometimes taste a wine and think "to me, this is good but not great, but she will absolutely love it," so I buy more of it than I otherwise would. If I am going to serve a wine to a guest or give a wine to a friend, I do my best to aim at that person's taste, if I know it, rather than my own. And if I am going to serve a wine to a guest whose taste I do not know, I will avoid serving a wine which, although I like it very much, I know is the wrong thing for a lot of people. (For example, an Amador County Zinfandel: They tend to be very highly tannic, which I like, but which many people find off-putting.)

More broadly than competitions or ratings, my fundamental opinion about good and bad wines is simple. There are only two kinds of wines that matter: The ones you (or the person to whom you are serving or giving it) like and the ones you don't. Everything else --ratings, awards (if you pay attention to them), general wine knowledege, specific knowledge of regions or vintners, etc. -- serve only two purposes: For most people, the only purpose is that when one is confronted with shelves full of wines which one has not already tasted, one will be better able to make a good guess as to which wine(s) will be good; for people who cellar wines, which wine(s) will age well.

All the rest is, at best, gravy and, at worst, snobbery.

[Gob]

Thanks Andrew, that's sound sense.

[Sue U]

I don't know nuthin bout Bordeauxs and Cabernets, but I've been drinking my way through the wines of the South of France, particularly Cotes du Rhone, for nearly 20 years and am still trying new ones every week. Almost all my favorites are under $20. But if you're having a meal of roasted meat, go out and splurge on a nice Gigondas, coupla few years old. You can get some very nice ones for (on the East Coast) in the mid- to high 20s, really excellent at around $35. Full and rich like a Zin, but generally somewhat more astringent.

[Rick]

coupla

ah yes Sue, welcome to the dark side...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Among the advantages of sipping and spitting, besides the preservation of my internal organs, is that I can do it all day long. I don't have to worry about being dysfuntional by lunch or unconscious before dinner.

Yes you take care. But really, when did not becoming dysfunctional by lunch etc. become an advantage? I didn't get the memo

[Andrew D]

I don't know nuthin bout Bordeauxs and Cabernets, but I've been drinking my way through the wines of the South of France, particularly Cotes du Rhone, for nearly 20 years and am still trying new ones every week. Almost all my favorites are under $20. But if you're having a meal of roasted meat, go out and splurge on a nice Gigondas, coupla few years old. You can get some very nice ones for (on the East Coast) in the mid- to high 20s, really excellent at around $35. Full and rich like a Zin, but generally somewhat more astringent.

What are some of your favorites -- Gigondas and otherwise?

And what do you think of the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

[Gob]

Andrew,

At "The Fat Duck" we tried Domaine De Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which was exquisite.

http://www.beaurenard.fr/pagesgb/2_1cha ... frouge.htm

[Sue U]

What are some of your favorites -- Gigondas and otherwise?

And what do you think of the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Well, I drink Gigondas because I can't afford the Chateauneuf du Papes, at least not on a regular basis. As a consequence, I don't have much experience with them. Lately there have been a bunch of new labels of Vacqueyras at the wine store, many of which compare very favorably to various Gigondas, so I'm exploring.

I really can't sort (or at least can't remember) wines by year (athough I think 2008 was supposed to be a very good year for Cotes du Rhones), so for keeping up stock I rely on various houses that produce a pretty reliable bottle year to year. My regular everyday drinkers are all typical blends of syrah, grenache and mourvedre in varying proportions. I'm not terribly fussy; I very much like the Mas des Bressades (Costieres de Nimes) and the Vidal-Fleury Vacqueyras, both around $13-$15. Perrin & Fils, Cave de Rasteau and Domaine de la Presidente all produce reliably drinkable stuff. I've got both a Maison Arnoux & Fils Vacqueyras and a Gigondas for Christmas dinner (prime rib); we'll see how those are.

[Gob]

We had a very nice little muscat with our cheese course yesterday.

Our Fine Old Muscat received 96 points from Robert Parker.

Fortified Muscat wine is one of the truly world class Australian wine styles. Nowhere else in the world can you find wines of such complexity with unique raisiny sweetness which is a hallmark of the style. And that's exactly what our Fine Old Muscat has to offer.

TIME is an essential element in the making of fine quality fortified wines. To create the rich and complex flavours of the Buller Fine Old Muscat, the wines in this blend have had to spend years slowly maturing in old oak casks.

'Fine Old' is more than a name, it is a reference to the skill and patience necessary to produce our premium FINE OLD range of fortified wines.

Richard Buller
Winemaker

[Long Run]

Sounds like Muscat Love. Can't stand the stuff myself. Thanks to Andrew for the thoughts on good wine.

[oldr_n_wsr]

(With a tiny swallow once or twice per bottle for the finish.)

For me, that "tiny swallow" would be the whole bottle.
I was never a wine person, but whatever got me lit, I was up for. Taste never mattered (although I did enjoy a nice dark ale). ho hum.

[Gob]

Researchers have cheering news for grumpy old port drinkers. Beer drinkers are far more likely to develop gout than those who quaff wine.

But the age-old hypothesis linking men's alcohol consumption generally to the common form of arthritis appears to have been verified.

A study of the lifestyle habits of 47,000 US male medical staff, including dentists, osteopaths and vets, suggests two or more beers a day increases by two-and-a-half times the risk of developing gout by comparison with non-beer drinkers.

A couple of shots from a bottle of spirits daily increases the risk by 1.6 times, while two glasses of wine has no effect on the chances of big toes or joints being inflamed by the painful but treatable condition.

Researchers from Massachusetts general hospital and other parts of Harvard medical school in Boston followed the medical history of the men, aged 40 to 75, over 12 years. During that time, 730 developed gout and increased risk began at fairly low levels of alcohol consumption.

But there were differences in the role of drinks, according to the results from the study, published in the Lancet.

Researcher Hyon Choi said beer "increased the risk of serving (of alcohol) per day more than twice as much as did spirits, even though the alcohol content per serving was less for beer than spirits. Consumption of two 4oz glasses of wine was not associated with any increased risk of gout."

He suggested one possible cause was the amount of purines, chemicals found in high levels in beer, yeast extracts, liver, offal and some oily fish, all foods which the Arthritis Research Council says are not recommended for gout sufferers.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Seems wine (red) is the best beverage for you. Less chance of gout, less chance of heart problems. Of course for people like me the liver problems will kill you (me).

[Long Run]

Yellow Tail, not so much. Jacobs Creek does it much better for a large Australian firm. Neither are part of the effort that has made Aussie wines worth talking about.

Recently had the Mohua Sauv Blanc (New Zealand), its very nice and for $10 it is a great buy. I'd pass on more affordable wine tips, but that's like telling people about your favorite fishing hole. For example, the garnachas of the Calatayud region of Spain were a great buy for a couple of years before doubling in price (still reasonable); Tres Ojos seemed the best that I tasted, and picked that up for $6 bottle, though there are numerous good ones. Now it will run you $12-15 -- break the bank!