Wine & Cigars

[docruger]

this I thought was a good read by Shawn O'Connor that i copied from the web.

There are only a few simple things to enjoy in life. Obliviously
wine is one of them. I feel that wine brings out the best in
people. It relaxes them and it enables the idea of true
conversation to be able to flow. Now port is a great wine for
after dinner. It is seductive and sweet and it just allows you to
be taken away by the thrill of it.

The ultimate thrill, however, is the combination of port and a
fine hand rolled cigar. Smoking a cigar is not really smoking,
but more of sipping on the flavor of it. First, you do not inhale
a cigar, but rather you gather it in your mouth. The flavors you
can taste are hazelnuts, cedar, pepper, nutmeg, and various
others. The problem is the flavor tends to become over-
powering even if it is a mild smoke, so you need something to
cleanse the palate. Now understand that I love red wine but it
does not stand up to port. A port clears the sense of taste like
coffee beans do when smelling perfumes. Why would I do this?
Because it is like tasting two different wedding cakes to see
which one is better, but in reality you are only eating more
cake. Let me explain a little more why I love these two things.

First the cigar is joy to smoke. The taste is exquisite. The smell
of a fine cigar is enthralling. You get a relaxing feeling from
smoking a cigar. The pleasure of blowing smoke is just simple
fun. A cigar gives you a block of time back to your life. It takes
at least forty five minutes to smoke an average cigar. In our
rushed world today it is a rare treat that we can live in the
moment and a cigar gives us that.

Now port is a great red wine. It is smooth and sweet. A good
tawny port is silky and rich. It coats your tongue and slides
down your throat. Since most tawny ports are aged they have a
thickness to the liquid that allows it to just linger on your
tongue. So you really enjoy the full flavor. It is also a little
stronger than wine so you really can’t rush drinking this either.
Are you beginning to see the why these pair so well?

What I love about this pairing is that you can truly enjoy both
luxury items at the same time. A fine Fuentes Hemingway
Double Corona cigar and Galaway Tawny Australian port pair
very well. After a night of enjoying fine wine and great food, I
enjoy a chance to sit back and reflect on life and slowly
partake of these items. Recently I have been sharing this
combination with my Father and experiencing great results. It
has been a great opportunity to really talk to my Father and
connect on a personal level. This idea is all about taking the
time to really enjoy life, so that’s what I do…truly enjoy it.

[Sweet_Cigars]

Cool post Joe, I have been wanting to get into wine to pair up with my cigars but haven't had the chance to yet.

[tx_tuff]

A good red wine goes well with an Anejo.

[Cypress]

Originally Posted by Sweet_Cigars

Cool post Joe, I have been wanting to get into wine to pair up with my cigars but haven't had the chance to yet.

I got a wine for you called CigarZin and pair it with a Padron 1926 Series.

Cosentino Winery Cigarzin

[Sweet_Cigars]

Originally Posted by Cypress

I got a wine for you called CigarZin and pair it with a Padron 1926 Series.

Cosentino Winery Cigarzin

Wow that wine sounds really good, I never had a Padrom 1926 either but next time I'm around the wine shop I'm gonna see if they carried the Cigarzin.

[MrMusicMan1]

Wow now pairing wine with cigars can get really complex. The only I can confidently recommend is Francis Coppola Melot with a nice thick maduro. mmmmm....mmmm

[mistabman]

I tend to enjoy a Pinot Noir with a good sungrown/corojo. Usually merlots and ports are just a bit much for my palate. I usually reach for some coffee first though.

[Tarks]

Thanks for that read Joe. This line gave me goose bumps, "Smoking a cigar is not really smoking,
but more of sipping on the flavor of it". Perfectly put.

I would consider myself more of a wine finatic than a cigar finatic however "cigars" are quickly closing in. It's funny, I used to love sipping a great glass of wine while smoking a great cuban but as I become more aware of my palate I find it too complicated to do both at the same time. Weird isn't it? I rather drink something that clears my palate (like water) while smoking my cigar. I believe that the cigar deserves my full attention. Thats not to say that I still don't do both at the same time, cause I do.

Anyhow, thanks again Joe.

[MrMusicMan1]

Originally Posted by Tarks

Thanks for that read Joe. This line gave me goose bumps, "Smoking a cigar is not really smoking,
but more of sipping on the flavor of it". Perfectly put.

I would consider myself more of a wine finatic than a cigar finatic however "cigars" are quickly closing in. It's funny, I used to love sipping a great glass of wine while smoking a great cuban but as I become more aware of my palate I find it too complicated to do both at the same time. Weird isn't it? I rather drink something that clears my palate (like water) while smoking my cigar. I believe that the cigar deserves my full attention. Thats not to say that I still don't do both at the same time, cause I do.

Anyhow, thanks again Joe.

I agree completely but I do like to experiment a bit. Usually it goes like that "wine is great and would go great with a ___________."

[AspiringGent]

Good read. I always gravitate to scotch or coffee with my cigars, but I think I'll have to give port a try.

[cruisin66stang]

I completely agree with Joe's comments, about cigars, port wine and relaxing. I went to Downing Street last week and had a port wine with a maduro cigar. The two flavors really complimented each other.

[ghost]

Thanks for posting that doc.

The past two years or so I have gravitated much more towards wines, partularly reds. I love a good merlot or shirazz.

I recently had a situation where I paired the end of a Tat Havana VI with Bookers bourbon and was blown away by the result. When I smoke I usually just have some water and every once and a while coffee but never alcohol as I do not even want to risk anything interfering with the cigar but this experience has mae me very curious.

May try to look for a good port for this weekend.

A cigar gives you a block of time back to your life. It takes
at least forty five minutes to smoke an average cigar. In our
rushed world today it is a rare treat that we can live in the
moment and a cigar gives us that.

This is so true and well put!

Good thread.

[Rodeo]

Thanks for sharing Mr. O'Connor's essay, I think he captured some of the beauty of vine and leaf eloquently!

[mistabman]

My GF and I enjoyed some Gran Habano 3 Siglos with a Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir last night. A tasty combination we both enjoyed as we walked around the subdivision about 7:30 last night. Sometimes I love the suburbs!