Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 >>> Warning! Wine snob rant ahead <<< Ok, so I enjoyed the movie Sideways ... but I hate that damn movie and the Pinot craze it started. Guess what ... I don't give a $#!% about your damn Cheap, thin, young, sweet Pinot. I'm a snob and I like my Pinot Noir to be a bloody Pinot. I don't want a Pinot that tastes like a Cab or a Merlot, I just want a damn Cab or Merlot!!!! There's a new wine shop less than a block from my apartment that opened a month ago. I finally decided to check it out on Wednesday night and I just looked around and checked what they had for a beer selection. While checking out, they suggested I taste some of the wines they were demo-ing in back. Sounds fine. So I described what kind of Pinot I like ... a full, aged, soft Pinot Noir, and not one of the newer young, thin, sweet Pinots so common now with the damn Sideways craze. She assures me I'm going to like it ... That wench served me some Australian 2005 Pinot that had been sweetened and watered down and tasted nothing like Pinot. She says "don't you think someone who likes a Cab would like this?" I wanted to spit the wine back in her face, but I pressed on after expressing my lack of enthusiasm for this wine. On to the next ... a 2003 all organic something Pinot ... this was better ... but still just ok. Then she shows me a Rancho Zabaco from the Russian River Valley ... which was good, but for 3 times the price, I couldn't taste how it was any better than the standard "California" variety of Rancho Zabaco. She suggests some more wines and I take it with a grain of salt ... I go back Last night ... same chick offers to help me (but she remembered my name, so the personal touch of service is appreciated). She asks what I'm looking for and again starts into "well, this pinot is really nice if you like a really mellow merlot, and this pinot is nice if you like something a little spicier with more 'zing' like a Zinfandel." So to the woman at the wine store and to the creators of Sideways ... $#*& You and your damn Pinot hard-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speeddr7 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 nice Who needs tickets to the gun show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Its f'ing grape juice. just drink some Welches with a few drops of Everclear and get shitfaced for crying out loud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHLEG Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 One of the best Pinot Noir's I've ever had was a Bartholomew Park Winery Pinot Noir 2001 Sonoma Valley Estate Vineyards. They only made several hundred cases and Bartholomew Park was the very last vineyard my wife and I visited on our 2003 Sonoma vacation (we were "wined out"...same thing happened 2 years earlier on our Napa vacation ). We thought the Pinot was "good" so we bought a bottle (one of 61 bottles we "carried on" in our luggage or shipped home) and didn't think of it again until Sideways came out. So, when we rented the movie we, of course, had to have a Pinot Noir and opened the Bartholomew Park Pinot Noir we brought home...WOW, WOW, WOW, YUM, YUM, YUM!!! We liked it so much that I ordered another 6 bottles the next day! Well, I have one left in the basement, but unfortunately the last one we opened just about a month ago was not as good as we remembered. I'm hoping it was a "bad" bottle, but it's probably starting to go "down hill". I'll open the last one soon and see what it's like...I'm hoping for the best! Do I love wine? Oh yeah! I'm just about to order a case from Milat and Loxton...Our favorite micro Napa and Sonoma vineyards respectively. I always order in the Spring and Fall to avoid extreme heat and cold while shipping. Next Spring I'm going to plant 50 Cayuga White vines in a field next to my house and make my own wine. Do I love wine? Oh yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 I understand the damn hype, and to that, I say whatever ... I usually have a good idea what I like. What pisses me off more is when the chick who works at a wine shop starts making suggestions of every style flippin wine and makes it a Pinot. "This tastes like a Cab ..." Ummm .... why the hell don't I just buy a cab then? "This is more like a Zinfandel." Great ... I love Zinfandel ... I'll buy a Zinfandel. "But this Pinot is really good, and if you like Zinfandel, you'll like this Pinot." I want to backhand that bitch. I think next time I go in there I'm going to warn her that if she suggests a single Pinot I'm walking out of her shop. She wouldn't know a good Pinot if she sat on the bottle. The other thing that pissed me off is that she suggested this Gnarly Head Zinfandel telling me that if I like Rancho Zabaco I'd love this Gnarly Head ... Well the first clue that I was getting into trouble was that it was a 2005 ... I figured it would either be too sweet, or too sharp ... It was both. And again, she didn't listen to what I liked or disliked. Then again, maybe it was a case of my comparing the Gnarly Head to the 2002 Clos du Bois Reserve Cab (which was fantastic). Long story short though ... I got Isht-faced yesterday, and paid dearly for it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZinFreak Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 DRINK ZINFANDEL! Pinot Noir is over-hyped over-priced wine for people who want to show off their grasp of enology. Yes, I've had some good Pinot's (Dehlinger, Scherrer, Jos . Swan to name a few), but at the end of the day, I can usually find two awesome Zinfandels for the same price as that Pinot. After the second glass of anything, you can be drinking some $12 grocery store shite from Kendall-Jackson and it won't matter. In the Sideways vain... One of my good friends was a Merlot grower for a prestigious winery that shall remain nameless, but has the initials GFV. GFV winery was purchased by some big muckity-muck international company. My friend got a bit nervous after Sideways came out. "GF" (still on as a consultant) tells my friend "don't worry, it's cool, they'll do what I tell them." Then the Bean Counters on high come down from the MBA Oracle after the movie with the dictate -- No More Merlot, No One Will Buy Merlot. So there my buddy sits with no contract and a vineyard full of Merlot grapes that GF can't buy. -Zin 06 LGT LTD GRP 5MT 07 FXT LTD OBP 4EAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHLEG Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^^^ I agree 110%. Zin is my favorite wine hands down! That is good Zin. Some of these 15-16%+ alcohol Zin's that are being made today just overpower the berry and spice of a good Zin. Speaking of good Zin, would "GFV" be Gary Farrell Vineyards and "GF" be Gary Farrell? Oh yeah, my last trip to Sonoma was 2 years ago and I stayed at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Nice place, but 2 years before that I went to Napa and stayed at Meadowood...WOW what a place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnAWD Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I'm on a syrah kick myself. I found an '03 from a small vineyard in Washington state - Syncline. One of the best domestic reds I've tasted. Pinot? *spit* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 The whole thing with Sideways is it made a wine snob out of a lot of people who know nothing about wine. People won't try a merlot because they don't want their friends to think less of them. Please. The only reason that character didn't like Merlot is because it's a hearty grape, easy to grow ... not because it's a bad grape. He liked Pinot because it's a difficult grape to grow. But being a difficult grape to grow, finding a good Pinot can sometimes be difficult. Which is why this Pinot craze is so unfortunate. You have a lot of people who might otherwise be learning to enjoy wine trying Pinots that taste like fermented swamp water thinking "this is what good wine tastes like?!" I'm going to give more props to Zinfandel too. I love it. Zins and Cabs are my favorites to keep in my wine stock. I like Pinots as well, but I just don't have the patience to deal with all the other Friday-night-connoisseurs fighting to impress their friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIZARD Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Yes, I hate it when someone recommends a wine to you based on the taste of another varietal:confused: . If I wanted a XYZ I'd be looking for it!! Personally, I don't much go for Pinots. I used to like the Zins, in fact the Ravenswood Lodi and knotty vine were pretty good. Merlots don't hold much in the way of body and flavor for me either. I'd rather have a cabernet or shiraz. Maybe a favorite red wine thread will come of this. 1996 Rodney Strong reserve cabernet and 1998 Bookpurnong Hill shiraz come to mind. There are many, and don't get me wrong, I am definitely not bashing Pinot Noirs or Merlots, I just happen to favor the other two right now. Stage2.5376, TDC ProTune,blah blah blahhhh and....Alky/H20 injection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 Merlot isn't my favorite, but it's a safe choice for dinner with folks who don't drink a lot of wine. A good merlot will just kind of work for anybody wanting to have a little wine. I usually keep a bottle or two on hand in case I have someone over who wants wine with dinner, but doesn't know what kind of wines they like. It's a safe "we'll try this then" wine and I know I won't waste a better bottle of Cab on someone who won't like it. Wine is best when shared with loved ones, but I do hate pouring a great bottle for someone who can't appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagcars26 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Thunderbird 13% FTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 It is hard to sound like a hardass when complaining about wine Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^ Brady, you should eat the wench's liver with som farva beans and a nice chianti...sssssssssssssssssssss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JessterCPA Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I am not the wine expert by any means, but I have done a slew of wine courses & tastings. I like, no I mean love the darn Shiraz. Rosemont Shiraz for $9.79 at Costco please. I will drink this all day long, and why not for this price. I met the distributor, and he agreed, saying unless you go the the $30 Penfolds, the Rosemont is just about the best for the price. I was on a bit of a Pinot kick a long while back, then moved to the Red Zin. That led to the SHiraz. Never a big fan of the Merlot or Cab, maybe because I never tries the right one. Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 It is hard to sound like a hardass when complaining about wine Listen, bitch, I'll cut you with the blade on my wine key! ^ Brady, you should eat the wench's liver with som farva beans and a nice chianti...sssssssssssssssssssss... I'll eat something ... Actually, the only reason I've put up with her this far is that she's kind of hot. But no more ... I'm already sick of her isht. Now that I think of it, her name is "Pooh". Can you really ever take advice about wine (or anything you eat or drink for that matter) from someone named "Pooh"? It's been a while since I've had a good Shiraz ... I may have to pick some of those up again. Had a killer Bordeaux on Thursday. Don't know anything about it, just what dad had picked out. It was quite tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZinFreak Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^^^ I agree 110%. Zin is my favorite wine hands down! That is good Zin. Some of these 15-16%+ alcohol Zin's that are being made today just overpower the berry and spice of a good Zin. Speaking of good Zin, would "GFV" be Gary Farrell Vineyards and "GF" be Gary Farrell? <snippage> - On the GF If you are really into Zins, the next time you are out in this neck of the woods, make sure you schedule a stop at http://www.healdsburg-california.com/wineries/ridge.html Ridge makes some incredible Zinfandels. Like liquid sex -ZinFreak -Zin 06 LGT LTD GRP 5MT 07 FXT LTD OBP 4EAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Rebo Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 This makes me want to start a beer thread. I'm not a wine drinker, but I do treat beer like many people treat their wine. I'll just add this comment: For anyone who claims they don't like beer, but have only drunk American macro-crap light and/or adjunct lagers, then they are missing out on dozens of other styles that are far better. It's kind of like drinking MD 20/20 and saying you don't like wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^^^ I think we had a beer thread a while back ... I'm a beer snob as well. Actually, I'm just pretty much an alcohol snob. Whisky snob as well (love my Scotch ... Single malt ... none of that blended crap), and starting to become a Martini snob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^^^ ........Whisky snob as well (love my Scotch ... Single malt ... none of that blended crap)......, Now thats a mans drink. I need to get m hands on some Glendronarch. its the only single malt distillery that still directly fires their stills. everyone else heat them indirectly with steam. the direct fire stills is really old school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleLegacy Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I like, no I mean love the darn Shiraz. Rosemont Shiraz for $9.79 at Costco please. i like that too. call me cheap or or having an im-mature pallet, but i don't spend more than $20 on a bottle on wine. many times less than $10. i just browse through the "economy" section and grab a bottle and try it out. some good wines out there for cheep. however, i do notice that some wines that I used to drink, no longer tast good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 I try not to spend more than $20 a bottle too. Too many good bottles for more reasonable prices. Like I said, Rancho Zabaco "California" is normally a $10 bottle. Then they were pushing the Rancho Zabaco "Russian River" which is $30. I can guarantee the Russian River bottle doesn't taste 3 times better than the "California" bottle. I can taste a difference, but not enough to justify that price differential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JessterCPA Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 i like that too. call me cheap or or having an im-mature pallet, but i don't spend more than $20 on a bottle on wine. many times less than $10. i just browse through the "economy" section and grab a bottle and try it out. some good wines out there for cheep. however, i do notice that some wines that I used to drink, no longer tast good. The distrib told me he sells Costco the Rosemont for 9.49, so Costco only clears .30/bottle & he also added to buy as much as I can at that price. Very few wines I will spend over say $18 or so for. Sometimes my wife asks for a Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, and I will go get it. I guess I just do not have the acquired taste for it. Or I am just cheap. I had a VERY nice Brunello over Thanksgiving dinner (someone else brought it). Probably a $45/bottle & was nice. I have two Bordeaux's in my storage right now that were given to me by an importer. Probably high $20's for those. I have a Stonestreet Cab that I am told is pretty pricey. I also just won a bottle at a tasting. Double Magnum of Aspen Cabernet 2003. Saving this for Chrstmas. Jesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc0032 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 California has NOTHING good to offer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brady Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.