gamavor Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Mondavi Cabernet is one of the few drinkable Californian wines. Mondavi Merlot is also not bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted December 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 (edited) Gams, I disagree with the last part of your statement. Robert Mondavi Cab- if it is the Reserve(around $80-100 a bottle) that is an incredible wine but I cant afford it. The regular one $30ish is good but not that great. couple of wines that will move your ewegebies and are not too expansive -1998 Troplong Mondot - $50ish - Rich dens flavors. Beautiful dark color. Bordeaux France -2001 Peter McCoy Rex - $25ish - This is a mix from Cali but is a Bordeaux style wine. Smokey cherry flavor. Flavors linger for a long time. For this price you cant find anything better out there. Edited December 12, 2005 by Azat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 doctor has advice me to have a glass or tow read wine a day wellll - what has started as a half Glass ~ or a Glass a day - ~ now has turned in to 2 or 3 +++ for me it's toooo mcuh - and pople who know me - they all know i don;t even drink more then 2 or 3 glllas a year at first it was ok - after work go to the local wine store - spend an hour or so talking & browsing the store - soon i found myself "Friends" - it was like a place to unwind after day ov work - then get home have a Glass - it was fine - - but now i fill like an Alcoholic - i crave for it .... i still don;t know what the others are talking about - can;t get the fruit character and the texture - i just drink - the other day lady recommend me a wine - and next day asked me - so haw was it ?? - i'm like yeah it was good smooottttt - shes like that's alll ??? Smooth ?? she spends time to tell me the Region/Origin - Varietal/Type - Blend Percentage - wan and how made it - to me all it is - is a wine - to get home and have a glass or tow ..... and Azat has a goood point - if your regularly drinking it can get expansive - big time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted December 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Movses, can you drink alone? if not you always have my number. Actually for years I was like you Movses. for me wine was just wine. not a whole lot of difference between the expensive stuff and the cheap stuff, but over time your taste buds begin to appreciate the finer points of wine and the part that "kills" is that the cheaper wine starts to taste pretty bad so you get to spend too much money on this crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 I know what you guys mean ... before I always used to buy the cheap grapefruit and cranberry juices at the market that's like 30% juice and sugar water. But then I tried the 100% real juice ones and the other stuff tastes so bad now. And it gets to be pretty expensive because this stuff is never on sale. This latest one I have tried is a cranberry cherry mix and WOW is it good stuff. I go through a bottle in 2 days. It also has 130% Vitamin C per serving so I am getting a good doze of that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Sip jan wan you start making the juices at home that's wan it starts getting expensive some years a go i gat hooooked on making juice men i was making juice day and night and it's not only expensive - it's messsssssssssyyyyyyyyyyyyy well i was had more mess than juice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Movses, can you drink alone? if not you always have my number. Actually for years I was like you Movses. for me wine was just wine. not a whole lot of difference between the expensive stuff and the cheap stuff, but over time your taste buds begin to appreciate the finer points of wine and the part that "kills" is that the cheaper wine starts to taste pretty bad so you get to spend too much money on this crap. Azat jan Spending is the Fun Part remember i have a Obssessive Compolsive Spending Disorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 ... had more mess than juice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 man that was the good old days - wan i had interest in different thinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 doctor has advice me to have a glass or tow read wine a day Mosjan I want that doctors phone number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 12, 2005 Report Share Posted December 12, 2005 Edward jan #1 you need to have your thyroid remover - then you can go and see him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I know what you guys mean ... before I always used to buy the cheap grapefruit and cranberry juices at the market that's like 30% juice and sugar water. But then I tried the 100% real juice ones and the other stuff tastes so bad now. And it gets to be pretty expensive because this stuff is never on sale. This latest one I have tried is a cranberry cherry mix and WOW is it good stuff. I go through a bottle in 2 days. It also has 130% Vitamin C per serving so I am getting a good doze of that too. 100% cranberry? How can you like that thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 @Anileve: I am french, so of course I am into french food You are right when you say French cuisine is a form of Art. There are so many dishes with names so long it opens your appetite while reading it. And most french always have a bottle of wine during their meals (no no not breakfast). French cheese, i suppose you know, is considered as dessert in France. They eat it after lunch and before fruits Having a "plateau" of cheese with a good bottle of wine that goes with it is simply marvelous! Well also the best thing is to have a good "Vin blanc moelleux" (sweet white wine) with some goood Foie gras as an apetizer. Ok now thank you guys.. I am at work and i am hungry! It's true, the other day I opened a French cookbook and reading the titles of some recipes instantly triggered heavy salivation. I've always been dying to try Foie Gras, and each time a restaurant seemed to be out of it. By the way, the cheese platter in NY restaurants is almost always served as an appetizer. And I have to say, I prefer it that way, it opens an appetite, where as at the end of the meal I am always craving some sweet pastry or mousse. Can you explain, why at the end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted December 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 It helps with the digestion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Can you explain, why at the end? Europeans have a penchant for long drawn out meals. They (like me!) love to eat - so it seems natural to want to extend the meal and offer more courses. A typical French meal may consist of five or more courses (soupe, entrée, main, salad, cheese, dessert) although in olden days it could have been 14 or more! Needless to say, all these courses are served in small portions. Elegant & refined unlike the 'bar & grill' mountain of fries with the ribs falling off the edge of your plate. If no dessert is planned, the cheese course may be accompanied by nuts and fruit. Alternatively, the cheese course can be served with leafy lettuce, eliminating the salad course. Furthermore a light sorbet right after the main course can break up the meal nicely. Now, why at the end? I don't really know, honestly. I suppose it's because it's a nice progression of tastes and textures. Besides cheese & bread can be quite filling, so if you haven't eaten quite enough, the cheese course can top you off And if you're craving something sweet, try having a nice chunk of gorgonzola drizzled with honey served with some roasted pecans and hard crusty baguette.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Anileve, you wanted some good combinations? Actually it depends on what kind of cheese you serve, there are so many types.. If you choose "hard" cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Provolone...), a good strong red wine would be perfect, like a good Bordeaux, a Medoc, Xeres or Porto.. A cheese like Parmesan would go nice with a dry white wine from Alsace. If it's a "soft" (sorry don't know how to say it in english..) cheese like gruyere, Cantonnier etc.. you should more probably choose a light dry white wine or a light little "rosee" or any wine not too strong like Beaujolais, Sauvignon, Chablis... If it's a little creamy cheese like Brie, or Camembert.. The best is a "fruity" wine like a Bordeaux, a Chateauneuf. The more the cheese tastes "strong", the stronger the wine should be. Ok, I don't like Brie, it's completely flavorless, a little more bland than cream cheese, it has no character. The other day I tried that "Famous French Cheese" the one that was nominated as the favorite French cheese few year in a row by the French. It was "marinated" in red wine, I can't say I was crazy about it. About pairing wine, I understand the concept of complimenting the flavors with similar flavors, but again I disagree. I feel like you must have completely opposite flavors to bring each other out. Sweet with Bitter or Sour, mild with spicy and light with rich. For instance I love combining meat with fruit and soft cheese with crusty bread. So perhaps I haven't developed a better palette, because I feel that opposites attract. Maybe I should experiment more? That's the point - Syrupy sweet - coats your mouth with lucious golden smooothness... mmmmm.... I don't have much of a taste for sherry - but good porto is amazing. The idea isn't necessarily food/wine combinations here, but more complimentary tastes & palette. I wouldn't drink port with a meal - but a nice Colheita with a couple of chocolate truffles is fine. You can also take a younger LBV and pair that with a good strong stilton or rochefort. Small quantities - loads of flavour. I'm sure you'll love it. Exactly! Although fine foods of menu other cultures can also be quite exotic & artistic (take fine sushi for example) French cuisine has a certain status. I love it - and I love the French culinary influence of the cuisine here in Montreal. Although Sip won't approve of the portion size You cannot convince me about icewine, I just don't like it, and that's that. I tried sherry, it's still in the fridge, too sweet. Port with chocolate, that's like a sweetness overdose. I love the portion size, more and more these days, especially because it leaves room to try so many other things. Recently I had an interesting dish, red snapper tuna with anchovies and onions and some sauce. Aaaaan I also tried charred salmon sushi, it's out of this world. Sea urchin and sea eel are absolutely divine. Also my newer discovery is a sushi chef. You sit at the bar and ask the chef to make something funky, you tell me what you like and he creates it based on your tastes. Downside? THE BILL!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Now, why at the end? I don't really know, honestly. I suppose it's because it's a nice progression of tastes and textures. Besides cheese & bread can be quite filling, so if you haven't eaten quite enough, the cheese course can top you off And if you're craving something sweet, try having a nice chunk of gorgonzola drizzled with honey served with some roasted pecans and hard crusty baguette.... Now, I have to say that my last post was severly drawn out due to a heated discussion I was engaging in, thus I missed two posts. Vavachka, loooooooooooooove the gorgonzola creation, that sounds brilliant, I have to try it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Chateau Musar, excellent choice Azat. Also agree on Benmarco even though there are a number of very good Malbecs in Argentina that take precedence in my view. The well known Catenas, the less known but fantastic Yacochuya, even better value is the San Pedro de Yacochuya. If you still want to stay in S. America but are willing to do some indulgence go for Almaviva. Overall excellent value is Alto Las Hormigas Reserva. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted December 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Eve since you have discovered sushi have you tried to combine it with champagne? it taves the flavors to the next level. Boghos, great to hear from you. thanks for the recommendations.For sure i will give them a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 I don't think we get any of those S. American wines up here We have some generic Malbec (mostly large producers like Peron) and maybe some from Mendoza. Again nothing exciting, unless you do speciality orders, and at that price.... Some of the Chilean selections can be interesting - must by and large the Chilean wine imported here is targeted at the 8-12$ consumer (the minimum price for a bottle of wine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghos Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 vava: SAQ never impressed me, I remember their store on René Levesque as being better but not that interesting. Whenever I get to Montreal I promise to bring a few interesting S. American bottles for our enjoyment. Azat: good to see you too, carrying on when the bad apples like myself have just been lurking and attempting smart ass comments from time to time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 I don't think we get any of those S. American wines up here We have some generic Malbec (mostly large producers like Peron) and maybe some from Mendoza. Again nothing exciting, unless you do speciality orders, and at that price.... Some of the Chilean selections can be interesting - must by and large the Chilean wine imported here is targeted at the 8-12$ consumer (the minimum price for a bottle of wine) I also am very impresed with Chilean wine laitly, Trader Joys has a nice selection of reds, from $5-$12, spicy full body wines, laitly I discovered I'm mor leaning thourds spicy and strong aromatic wines especialy Shiraz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 I really like this thread, can we turn it into a "Food & Wine" thread instead? It would be nice to diversify wine with gastronomy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anileve Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 I also am very impresed with Chilean wine laitly, Trader Joys has a nice selection of reds, from $5-$12, spicy full body wines, laitly I discovered I'm mor leaning thourds spicy and strong aromatic wines especialy Shiraz I am still familiarizing myself with Chilean, can't say that I am swept off me feet but perhaps I can be. I love Shiraz! It's my new favorite. When I order wine by glass and the selection is poor, I opt for any Shiraz (hey Yellowtail is not half bad). I used to go with Pinot Noir but we were over after the movie “Sideways” made its sweeping debut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Have you guys had any interesting wine and cheese combinations? Yes Eve! Take a deep breath. This one is from The Saveur! "Take grogonzola or some other pugent, salty, earthy blue. Take bitter honey, sweet but sharp, preferably from chestnut or arbutus blossoms. Drizzle latter over former! Honey on blue cheese. Dessert for grown-ups!" This is what I call gastronomic perversion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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