Wine Berserkers - international wine social media, online community, and discussion

Jim and Yvette produced a well organized and well paced tasting. Big thanks to them, and to all the contributors of food and wine.

Thank you, Mark, for posting the pictures. That is a lot of wine to remember.
My favorite dry white was the Chidaine. Favorite Loire Cab Franc was the 1989 Couly-Dutheil.

I've got some 2014 Port. I don't know if they are going to be among the last bottles I drink, or are in the "will never drink" category.
They will never be at their prime in my lifetime. That's for sure.

My wife is suffering burnout from having to socialize too long with visiting relatives, and would like to yield her seat to someone on the waiting list.

I'll also be bringing a Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon.

I know Pinot Noir is the main draw, but I hope some Pinot Blanc makes it into the BD offering.

By "flights" I meant grouping similar wines, and drinking from the groups in a logical order; usually from lightest to richest. That could put off-dry whites after reds. I didn't mean everyone sitting down at once with a set of glassware. That takes a lot of room as well as stemware. We talked about...

Jim,

My wife would like to take part.
Looks like a large crowd is attending. Maybe this time we should really do flights.

My formula is to serve guests wines of a style I think they will enjoy, but better than what they usually drink. I also believe in trying to match the wine to the food served, but when it comes to parties, I've found that catering to the guests tastes is more appreciated than trying to create an edu...

My incoming Fedex shipments (not necessarily wine) have been arriving 3-4 days later than indicated by the initial shipment notification. I think that online shopping increased faster than anticipated, plus competent seasonal labor is harder than usual to find. All the carriers are using rental truc...

Redwood is beautiful, but not necessary as the wine cellar is not exposed to sun and rain. I see nothing disadvantageous to using fir, or any hardwood if you want the look. Mahogany wood that is available is plantation raised, and not special at all.

It is still available. Who else feels lucky?

Chris Freemott wrote: ↑
December 15th, 2019, 10:14 am
Have her eat a dried apricot.

No headache then it’s not sulfates

Just to keep the terminology straight, sulfites are used on dried fruit. Sulfates have one more oxygen atom per sulfur atom and are less reactive.

Comments submitted, and since I live in a "Boeing" state, comments to Congressional representative also.

I'm in Seattle and have some wine that's been stuck in Troutdale since Sunday as well. From what I've found online, FedEx is extremely backed up right now and our packages are likely just sitting in a trailer that they haven't gotten to yet – other ones are prioritized above ours. The trailers with...

Must be Roar.

Jim Stewart wrote: ↑
December 9th, 2019, 2:54 pm
a romantic jester for the "rest of us" ?

court jester.jpg

Matello

Lots of birds on labels. Castellare?

Robert.A.Jr. wrote: ↑
December 9th, 2019, 11:37 am
Keith and Otto will know this legend, so perhaps they will allow us unwashed masses to guess....

F1AEBB3C-5B6D-4B40-B02E-E4564F78DFE2.jpeg

Gentaz-Dervieux

Lee

The pre-Thanksgiving tour was reasonably mellow, as were the pre-Memorial Day events.

How so? There is no direct connection that will help dissuade the French from imposing a digital services tax. European consumers will probably love lower Champagne prices, and the Chinese may develop a taste. Luxury taxes should have at least one of two bases: To raise revenue from those who can af...

"You cannot specifically tax an individual producer".

I figured that was the case, but it doesn't make the tariffs on wine and cheese any less absurd. It's a remedy that would fit perfectly in a Monty Python skit.
A 100% tariff on Champagne is like stabbing ourselves to punish our foe.

Seems like a more direct approach would be to place a tax on Airbus planes sold to US carriers, but I'm sure there something preventing that.
Penalizing US consumers to make Boeing more competitive is wrong headed to me.

The time to buy good Napa Cabs for $15-$40 was twenty years ago. Unfortunately, even in Washington the wines in that category are likely to be mass produced and somewhat artificial. You might find Seven Hills, Soos Creek and a few others at the upper end of that range.* If tariffs don't spoil the so...

I bet more people would be turned off by Gewurztraminer than by sweetness. I'd go with a Spatlese Riesling.

Gramercy was mentioned above. Avennia, Andrew Will, Betz, Cadence and Leonetti are all on par. Plenty of other Washington State Cabs are worth exploring; Double Back, Januik, Seven Hills, Spring Valley are a few. A large percentage of WA winemakers have been habitually over using oak, so you do need...

An interesting fact I read last week which you would not guess from that chart, is that more Washington State wine is sold in the US than French wine.

KevinK wrote: ↑
December 6th, 2019, 10:08 am
Someone talk me out of this La Chapelle deal.

It could be counterfeit

It could be cooked

It ain't Chave

Read the cellartracker tasting notes. While it sounds like a lovely wine, the descriptions are not of a peak N Rhone experience. There are plenty of 92-94 point wines at a lower price.

scamhi wrote: ↑
December 5th, 2019, 7:02 pm
Namasake would be great too.

There is a pun somewhere in that answer, I'm sure.

Let's look at some numbers. You want to assume unchanged sales, but no company has unlimited funds to put into inventory. An importer has $100K open to buy, and before tariffs could purchase 500 cases at $200/case. Tariff raise the cost of the wine to $250/case. Now the importer can afford 400 cases...

Companies will treat tariffs as a cost of goods, because they have to pay those costs and tie up their capital at the time of delivery. Sales taxes are collected at the time of sale, and thus are paid for by the purchaser. I should add that any intermediate distributor and reseller will see tariffs ...

So far there has been a wide range in how tariffs have affected retail prices, masking the eventual result if the tariffs hold long term. Whenever possible, companies built up stock in advance, pre-tariff. Some are holding back on price increases, hoping for a reprieve soon. Some are blending prices...

There are many wines on the list that I like, and more than a few that I've purchased, but I'd never use Jeb Dunnuk as a buying guide. I wish we could go back to reading wine writers choices as suggestions, not ratings. It took me a long time to accept that letting someone else judge wines for me is...

Every time I try to cancel, I'm offered another year for $2. Happens with other magazines too. They have to keep their circulation up to justify the advertising rates.
My wife says cancel anyway, because most of the issues never get read.

I hope whoever got the wine really appreciates it.
UPS would undoubtedly deny the claim even if it was a vase, blaming the packaging. Probably the same if the wine were shipped legally, i.e., from a registered seller.

I'll be at Whistler the weekend of the 11th.
I've got plenty of Loire whites, only a weak selection of reds.

This year I got one of my best results ever with a pasture raised heritage breed turkey. The shape is different than modern top heavy turkeys, giving a higher proportion of the dark meat I like better. To counter the firmer meat I brined 16 hours and slow roasted at 250 degrees for five hours. I upp...

Yes, if there is a restaurant in Yakima worth eating at, I'd like to know.

I wish every waiter would let me pour my own wine. Typically they pour every glass too full, and keep on refilling as fast as the wine is consumed.

Serve something like greasy sliders. Cheese is usually too harsh for tannic wines.

I decided that I am too old to take up the LastBottle offer for 2016 Fonseca Port today. I'll be kicking myself in 25 years if I can still indulge in drinking (and can still kick anything other than the bucket).

I didn't read the article, but the usual advice is to sell some assets and pay down the debt. If they can't stand to part with the art, it has to be the winery, and vice versa.

Goose

Did you check out the cellartracker notes?

https://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp? ... 78830c17b5

The top 100 seems to suck worse than usual. A to Z Wineworks? Come on! It is just a blend of surplus juice. It also fits WS that the choices from the Penner Ash and Cristom stables are their ripest, least subtle wines. There are, as usual however, a few wines that I have never heard of, and wouldn't...

I'm too old to buy '16 Bordeaux, and my cellar is too full for any more wine. Nonetheless, I find myself lugging 6-8 cases of big-ass bottles down to the basement several times a year.

We used to purchase from a vendor who was located 40mi north of our factory in Seattle. They shipped via UPS, and we got the parcels the next day. Then they switched to Fedex and all the parcels went to Portland, OR, and back to Seattle. Shipments now took two days. If we needed something next day, ...

He wants to teach billionaires about wine, but he can't be bothered getting a decent hair cut or a suit that fits.
Are you absolutely sure it is not a parody? I don't have sound on my computer, so I'm missing important cues. One thing that stands out is his apparent attempt to get the lady drunk.

No, not all the wines I buy come with screw caps.

WTSO often has wines in stock even after they have "sold out". They currently have a 2016 Stangeland in their holiday selection. I also purchased some 2014 Carabella last week from WTSO. I've tasted the wine at events, but never bought any at the regular price. At $20 is is definitely a deal, and sh...

Buried in the notes of a recent tasting of northern Rhone wines in Seattle is mention of Sotanum, a joint venture of Yves Cuilleron, Pierre Gaillard and Francois Villard. https://www.winespectator.com/articles/vins-de-vienne-pushing-limits-in-the-rhone The wine fit right in with the notable competit...

I agree that the Canary Islands are worth the trip. There are also good wineries on the more accessible Balearic Islands. I'd nominate San Juan Island Winery, or maybe Glacier Peak Winery, but for the provision that the wines themselves be worthwhile. https://www.seattlemag.com/northwest-travel-and-...

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