THE wine thread

[mrreindeer]

I can't believe there isn't yet a thread devoted to the beverage that is made from the wonderful fruit of the vine.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia.com

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients.[2] Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes the sugars found in the grapes and convert them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the type of wine being produced.

Wine has a rich history dating back to around 6000 BC and is thought to have originated in areas now within the borders of Georgia and Iran. Wine probably appeared in Europe at about 4500 BC in what is now Bulgaria and Greece, and was very common in ancient Greece, Thrace and Rome. Wine has also played an important role in religion throughout history. The Greek god Dionysos and the Roman equivalent Bacchus represented wine, and the drink is also used in Christian and Jewish ceremonies such as the Eucharist (also called the Holy Communion) and Kiddush.

The word "wine" derives from the Proto-Germanic "*winam," an early borrowing from the Latin vinum, "wine" or "(grape) vine," itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European stem *win-o- (cf. Hittite: wiyana ,Lycian: Oino, Ancient Greek οῖνος - oînos, Aeolic Greek ϝοίνος - woinos).[8][9] Similar words for wine or grapes are found in the Semitic languages (cf. Arabic ﻭﻳﻦ wayn) and in Georgian (ğvino); some consider the term to be a wanderwort, or "wandering word".

Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Othello, II. iii. (315)

So have at it, anything & everything wine goes in here, 'ya Wine-O.

If you've had a good one, tell us about it. If you've enjoyed a smoke with it, tell us about it. If you've lit, then clipped, or clipped then lit, then popped the cork on a bottle of '63 Chateauneuf du Pape & you're not sure it's still wine...ask yer questions here!

[mrreindeer]

Okay, so I'll go first.

A couple weeks ago, I took out a client & he introduced me to the world of Orin Swift wines.

Orin Swift Cellars Home

He suggested we order the 2005 Papillon. It's a Bordeaux-style blend, very full & jammy with a pretty nifty and unusual label. Also look for the butterfly ("papillon" means butterfly in French) at the bottom of the bottle in the dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle that is called the 'punt'.

The wine was absolutely delicious.



They also make "The Prisoner", also a blend, which I've since had and enjoyed but Papillon is definitely the better of the two, and more costly.



Orin Swift wines are pretty hard to find but I picked up a few bottles at Whole Foods in Redondo Beach. $50/each if you buy 6 total bottles for the '06 Papillon (the '05 we had in the restaurant is sold out) & $30 for The Prisoner. Considerably more than I normally spend on wine but definitely worth the occasional splurge.

And I've heard if you find these wines, get 'em while you can. They run in limited supplies and once they're out of any given vintage, they're out.

[Sweet_Cigars]

I would love to get into wine, being as I have a wine cooler and all now but, I would not have the first clue were to start. The only wine I have ever had, which I will remain nameless(Arbor Mist) or not, is the cheap stuff. I have been wanting to get into parrying my cigars with a drink now that I have moved away from the flavored/infused ones.

[mrreindeer]

Hell, Vincent, I'm no collector but I'm slowly amassing a small collection, especially with my partner, the pregnant mrsreindeer, not drinking with me!

You should just start sampling wines just like you do with cigars and keep a log of the ones you like. And there are perfectly good $5 - $10 wines out there, don't be fooled!

[Sweet_Cigars]

I know it's not wine but I do have a bottle of Dom Pérignon sealed in the box. Got it has a wedding gift. I was saving it for a special occasion but now I just don't wanna open it. It's kinda like when I use to collect the football starting line up figures, NO DON'T OPEN THAT!!! It's just for looks.

[Cypress]

Originally Posted by Sweet_Cigars

I know it's not wine but I do have a bottle of Dom Pérignon sealed in the box.

This is where you are wrong. It is sparkling wine and can only be called Champagne if it is from Champagne France.

Sparkling wine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Sweet_Cigars]

Awesome! That means I do have some wine in my wine cooler. Does this mean it gets better with age?

[Cypress]

Originally Posted by Sweet_Cigars

Awesome! That means I do have some wine in my wine cooler. Does this mean it gets better with age?

To a point where it reaches its peak. Some age better and slower than others.

[Sweet_Cigars]

I've been having it now for a little over 5 years. It will probably go bad before I drink it.

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

Hell, Vincent, I'm no collector but I'm slowly amassing a small collection, especially with my partner, the pregnant mrsreindeer, not drinking with me!

You should just start sampling wines just like you do with cigars and keep a log of the ones you like. And there are perfectly good $5 - $10 wines out there, don't be fooled!

Between me and the wife we have cigars and wine covered. She loves wine and I love cigars so each of us have our bases covered and she has introduced me to some very good wine,,,esp. the Sangiovese Wines we discovered while in Italy.

[Tarks]

Originally Posted by Cigary

Between me and the wife we have cigars and wine covered. She loves wine and I love cigars so each of us have our bases covered and she has introduced me to some very good wine,,,esp. the Sangiovese Wines we discovered while in Italy.

Your wife sounds like a very smart woman. I am in love with Italian wine. My collection consists of many Italian bottles including my favs Brunello Di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Pricey but great wines to age for many years in the cellar!

Man I can't wait to go back to Italy. It's one of those great countries that you never get tired of.

[Vinnie]

Excellent post...

Up until this year, we have been to NAPA 8 or 9 years in a row for a weeks vacation.

My coolers hold 100 bottles and I keep another 100 under the stair case and another 50 to 100 in boxes with foam to keep them cool.

Having a lot (which I don't) only helps age them. I have done some testing over the years and have bought $3 and $4 bottles and put them down for 5 years. I have to tell you, they still don't get great, but they do get better or even drinkable.

I keep my higher end wines in the coolers and have some as old as the late 80's. I keep my drinkers in the boxes and my mid priced under the stairs.

I no longer can tell you what I have, at one time I could, but it's either age or I drank too many to know.

Good wine does not have to cost a bunch of money, you can get a great bottle for $20 and I have had some damn fine ones for $10. If you want to learn about wine, start drinking to see what you like. After you land on a great bottle, it's all over, very much like cigars, once you know the difference, it's simply going to cost you.

Keep telling about great finds, I will have to try some of them.
Vinnie
AKA Wino

[ncstogie]

Originally Posted by Vinnie

Excellent post...

Up until this year, we have been to NAPA 8 or 9 years in a row for a weeks vacation.

My coolers hold 100 bottles and I keep another 100 under the stair case and another 50 to 100 in boxes with foam to keep them cool.

Having a lot (which I don't) only helps age them. I have done some testing over the years and have bought $3 and $4 bottles and put them down for 5 years. I have to tell you, they still don't get great, but they do get better or even drinkable.

I keep my higher end wines in the coolers and have some as old as the late 80's. I keep my drinkers in the boxes and my mid priced under the stairs.

I no longer can tell you what I have, at one time I could, but it's either age or I drank too many to know.

Good wine does not have to cost a bunch of money, you can get a great bottle for $20 and I have had some damn fine ones for $10. If you want to learn about wine, start drinking to see what you like. After you land on a great bottle, it's all over, very much like cigars, once you know the difference, it's simply going to cost you.

Keep telling about great finds, I will have to try some of them.
Vinnie
AKA Wino

That's a beautiful setup you have my only question is are those Haiers front or rear vent? I have a single haier unit and it is rear vent which I thought meant it could not go under the counter.

[DSturg369]

A great new player on the market..... Oak Leaf Vineyards: A Fine Wine at a Great Price

I've sampled several different bottles and it's really good. The prices are great right now but have doubled since I bought, so I wouldn't wait long.

[Vinnie]

NCStogie,

On the coolers, they are rear vent. Here is what I did.

There is 6" behind them, so lot's of air there. If you look close, you will see there is about 1/8 of an inch on all sides of the front so they can draw air in. It just happened we had the nook in the kitchen that was perfect for 3 coolers. I have had them in now for 4 years without a hitch.

They don't seem to over heat and the only thing I don't like about the units is that they have a 5 to 8 degree swing in temp. Not a big deal, but if I had mega dollar wine, I wouldn't want it swinging that much. My average price per bottle in my coolers is probably $40 so not real high end. Now if I win the lotto!

Vinnie