Piano World Home Page Forums Restricted and Archives The Coffee Room What wine are you drinking now?

It took me some time to appreciate zinfandel. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but I suspect it was the overripe fruit component of the smell (no, I'm not going to call it "nose"!) that turned me off, preferring the less obnoxious-smelling cabernets, merlots and shirazes. But a tasting that I went to a couple of years ago shattered my opinions about zinfandel, and I now find that the more I drink it the more I like it. It has a very complex taste, one that takes a good deal of paying attention to in order to get the full effect. Nonetheless, it's almost always a smooth, easy-drinking wine that goes well with food.

Zinfandel itself as a grape variety is kind of shrouded in mystery. Its origins are murky, with a number of competing theories as to what its parentage is. It is also one of the youngest of the major red wine grape varieties, and appears to have originated in California where it has been recognized as a variety since about the end of the 19th century. One theory that zinfandel was derived from a nearly identical grape grown in Puglia in Italy was turned on its ear when it was discovered that the Italians had actually brought in zinfandel grapes from California! The wine made from these Italian zinfandel grapes is sold as "Primitivo".

Bernard, I'm actually becoming obsessed with wines. I had THE BEST glass of wine that I've ever had a few days ago. It was a Riesling from Chateau Ste Michelle. I wasn't able to find the one that RP recommends above. But this wine was absolutely fabulous. Tart, semi-dry, citrus notes, and very refreshing as a summertime wine.
Was only about $10.
I'm contemplating attending the 3-day intensive wine course at the French Culinary Institute in New York. It is in October and costs about $850. Andrea Immer is the host. If I do go Bernard, we should get together at some point.
Matt, good points. I thought I just heard somewhere that they confirmed that the Zinfandel grape is actually genetically identical to the Puglia? Of course that would contradict what you just said above.

Right now - I'm on my 2nd bottle of Arbor Mist merlot. (I know - I'm a cheap wino ) For what it's worth, thst's what I'm drinking. heh/

I'm going to enjoy a bottle of loriñon tonight.
The greatest $12.00 wine on the planet.

'98 Chateau La Tour de Mons Margaux. Seems to be pretty good stuff straight from the bottle.

you are kidding...

I was going to share my cheap oaky Australian brand but now I won't since everyone will feel sorry for me.

Indian Creek Village is an Okey brand. The have Sooner Red and Cowboy Blush.

The Indian Creeks I've had the oppurtunity to try have been artichokey as well as oaky.

Tonight's selection was a 2002 Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet (Australia). I have found this $12 or so bottle to be a good wine to accompany a wide variety of foods. I've sampled a good number of vintages of this wine, and have found them remarkably consistent from year to year. A nice fruitiness from the shiraz is combined with the complexity and finesse of cabernet sauvignon, yielding a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. One of my all-time best value great wines.

The Indian Creeks I've had the oppurtunity to try have been artichokey as well as oaky.

I have not tried them as they strike me as, possibly, not being okey dokey.

(Although they are undoubtedly okey)

this is getting Honkey.

Something I got on sale at the grocery store. Hogue - Cabernet Savinghoweveryouspellit.

Jodi

Too bad 1998 wasn't an especially good year for Margaux. This means (to me at least) that a 1999 or 2000 should be incredible, with 2001 not too far behind. 2000 was the best recent vintage for most Bordeaux, so snap up what you can!

Honkey?

Oakey, Okie or okey.... who cares? The provenance of a wine means less to me than its character. Give me a wine with full body, complexity and distinctiveness and I don't care if it comes from Detroit!

BTW, Jodi, the Penfold's was on sale at the grocery store! And don't knock Hogue, they make some really good wines!

I have several 2000 Bordeauxs set aside simply because I liked them and I wanted to see how they improve in a few years.

I'm not knocking it - I LIKE it. I bought a second bottle today. (and I really am drinking it right now)

Jodi

As have I. Doubtless we will be well rewarded for our patience!

Just got back from the wine store. I purchased 3 bottles which I have done some research on.
One is Gallo of Sonoma's Pinot Noir. This is the one I'm drinking now. Excellent!
The other 2 are Rieslings. One is Salmon Run from New York state(Dr. Konstantin Frank)
The 3rd is Grove Mill, Marlborough Riesling. As Andrea Immer states, "Drink all the New Zealand Rieslings you can get your hands on."
BTW, Andrea is my Wine Goddess. I have a serious crush on her.

Every summer for our week vacation I have a client with a wine store put together a case. This year's standouts:

1. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (VERY grapefriuty). $16.99

2. Apollomio Copertino. Red table wine. Wow, talk about full bodied! $13.49

I meant to write down the vintages but forgot.

jf