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

Brandon R

I grew up in the tree fruit business in Central Washington. When it comes to soft fruit (peaches, nectarines), the phenomenon of having a hard piece of fruit that passes right by the "ripe" stage to being rotten (or shriveling, etc.) is a consequence of the grower simply picking too soon. When a fru...

Brandon R

Hi, All. I had my first Vesper the other day at a local restaurant and loved it. I didn't take the time to inquire as to what booze they used, but I'd like to defer to the experts here. I know it's gin, vodka, and Lillet. What, in your esteemed opininos, would make the best combination? I assume a g...

Brandon R

I have found that the key is to buy them green and allow them to soften up / "ripen" at home. If they're anywhere near ripe in the store, they get beat to hell. The bruises manifest themselves as that black goo in no time, even if other parts still aren't ripe. Plan ahead and buy 'em green!

Brandon R

I've had several very good vegetarian chili recipes. I know the original is all about the meat, so think of it as a bean-heavy soup. I really like this version: https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/veggie-chili/ The true kicker that really makes this version is the addition of 1/4 cup of masa. It rea...

Brandon R

But wouldn't moving air across the mouth of a decanter pull air into the space? Think about holding an empty bottle to your lower lip and blowing, making a sound (we've all done that, right?). Doesn't that create some effect of pulling air into the bottle? Isn't this / couldn't this be the same thin...

Brandon R

Truly, as others have said, I could certainly see if being a matter of constant air movement outside versus inside. A breeze blowing roughly perpendicular to the opening of the decanter could certainly funnel more air in to circulate in and out of the decanter where still air inside wouldn't nearly ...

Brandon R

It's hilarious that the first way they describe their own wine is, "....an experience, not a taste. Chocolate, caramel, chewy in the mouth. Fire and char. Like the best cigar in the world, the rarest spice. It’s wild energy, a leopard.” Last time I checked, things like chocolate, caramel, and char a...

Brandon R

Michael, you really did yourself a disservice by not following that William & Mary over the course of a week+.

Joking aside, nice succinct notes. Gotta love it when you at 1,000!

Brandon R

Welcome to the forums, CCoulson! Nice to hear you chime in and you're obviously drinking well. Please keep posting!

Brandon R

Astralis needs tons and tons of air. 24 hours. Not kidding . No one on this board does multi-day preps of their wines. This board is strictly pop-n-pour. If you talk about multi-day oxygenation, they seem to think you're insane. Really? Are you still hurt that some of us disagreed with you? Get ove...

Brandon R

When I bought EBs eggs in the past, they just didn’t taste like regular eggs . They just tasted different, and not in a good way, compared to the cheapest eggs in a store as well as organic brown eggs (my preference ). I’m thinking it has to do with the less saturated fat that EB touts? Or the Omeg...

Brandon R

Very cool Todd, thanks.

Brandon R

I have to say (first time posting on this thread) that a very delicious sounding review just landed for the 2017 Biggio Hamina Rose Pinot Noir Ella Claygate Vineyard! Sounds positively tasty: "Deep bright-hued orange. Potent red berry, blood orange, rose pastille and exotic spice qualities on the d...

Brandon R

What a great note in that ever-so-distinct TomHill style. The wine sounds great...gotta love when guests show up with wines like that! Thanks for posting.

Brandon R

I have to say (first time posting on this thread) that a very delicious sounding review just landed for the 2017 Biggio Hamina Rose Pinot Noir Ella Claygate Vineyard! Sounds positively tasty: "Deep bright-hued orange. Potent red berry, blood orange, rose pastille and exotic spice qualities on the de...

Brandon R

Tongue-in-cheek sarcastic threads are dead at retail.

Brandon R

You rabble-rouser you!

Brandon R

I, too, am sorry to hear about your only so-so experience. The closer one gets to the waterfront in downtown Seattle, the more touristy it gets. There are hold-outs (Matt's In the Market, for example), but the better food scene by and large is up on Capitol Hill. Prices are out of control in Seattle...

Brandon R

Wow. Very nice note and score. I see some on wine-searcher...like I needed a reason to buy more wine. Thanks a lot.

Brandon R

Great TN and thanks for following it over several days. Gotta go get me some of this.

Brandon R

Haha...that's funny, John. I now realize that I actually forgot the original question!

Brandon R

Craig G wrote: ↑
August 7th, 2019, 9:44 am

Brandon R wrote: ↑
August 7th, 2019, 9:19 am
I love the multiple, "....Ovid isn't my style..." and then following up with a purchase.
In my defense, I was there with Alex MacDonald just before going to his place to taste (before I had an allocation). I didn’t want to look like a cheapskate!

Wise move.

Brandon R

But, Otto and Greg, "....you'll stumble upon all sorts of knowledge of the wines which you never realized was there for the stumbling upon."

Brandon R

I love the multiple, "....Ovid isn't my style..." and then following up with a purchase.

Brandon R

We had a family vacation and enjoyed some of the activities at Black Butte Ranch: http://www.blackbutteranch.com/ . Bike riding, horses, trails, pool, other activities. The golf is great, too, but I doubt that's on your family's to-do list. My favorite brewery in Bend is 10 Barrel. I love sours and ...

Brandon R

No, as a matter of fact, I don't enjoy wines that show, "....ETOH & big oak & big residual sugar & big fruit esters..." Not decanting a young Cab for five days doesn't mean it's going to show that way. This wine is a great example of that. I think I'll stick with the "knowledge" I've gained from dec...

Brandon R

TPC Summerlin appears to be private. I booked one time at Dragon Ridge (which is also private, but allows some guest times staying at MGM resorts). Primm and Mesquite are too far away it would appear...a quick check currently shows an 1 hr. 10 minutes to Primm. The hotel concierge mentioned Reflecti...

Brandon R

James Cross wrote: ↑
August 5th, 2019, 9:22 am
Right now with 112 degree days I'd guess they would want your business.

Fortunately, we're not going until October. Thanks for all of the recommendations.

Brandon R

Five days ahead of time?!? To me (and, I've not purposely done this), that's just crazy talk. The wine would most likely taste oxidized by day five, wouldn't it? I've had the W&M Cab and we did a pop-and-pour and it was best toward the last glass. I've give it the (as Matt indicated above) 4-hour de...

Brandon R

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, Joe. Where did you end up eating and how was it?

Brandon R

Hi, All. I'm turning to you all again as my experts. I'm heading to Las Vegas for a quick golf weekend and we'd like to get in two rounds. What are the recommended courses near Las Vegas? I don't know much, but we'd ideally like to keep them to within a 30 minute drive. That's not absolutely critica...

Brandon R

Ian Dorin wrote: ↑
July 25th, 2019, 11:00 am
12 selections??

Keep in mind that they're wines that, before our advocates at Boojee wines saved the day, were "were once impossible to find outside of the winery’s own cellars!"

Brandon R

That there is a beautiful thing to behold, Michael.

Brandon R

Nice TNs. I've gone through two bottles of that '14 Merlot and am afraid I didn't take enough time with them. I wasn't a huge fan, and that's very probably because I didn't really take the time to contemplate them much. I found them good, perfectly fine with a nice balance of earthy notes and subdue...

Brandon R

You all are taking me way too seriously. I don't know Jay other than his online persona here and, from that, I can clearly see that he's a supremely generous and well-loved man. Rightfully so. Being a great person who is well-loved and with supreme generosity but with a propensity to boast a little ...

Brandon R

Here is Jay making an incredibly nice gesture, and he gets pilloried on the board. So let me add my own snide comment, and ask why he didn’t buy a decent bottle of my or six of Palmer instead. At no point did I say that it Mr. Hack is anything other than generous. This is undoubtedly going to be on...

Brandon R

I also am saddened to hear this. I keenly remember when a guy named, "Welshtar" came ripping onto the old Wine Spectator forums. He sure engendered a quick response there, too! RIP.

Brandon R

Well there ya go then.

Brandon R

Jay, you do realize that the unintentional result of this post and poll is making you come across as using this opportunity to brag about how many magnums of Saxum you have, right? I mean, you listed one and went so far as to say you won't open it. So then why put it up there? What's that all about?...

Brandon R

Todd Hamina wrote: ↑
July 23rd, 2019, 7:21 am
Wine dinners with morons: blue cheese "fondue" over seared ahi tuna. Disgusting.

Brandon R

Winery-specific, I also always thought cleaning the inside of fermentation tanks would be both nasty AND claustrophobic. No thanks!

Brandon R

Great responses so far...thanks. My parents are fruit growers in the Yakima Valley, so my job growing up was always on the farm. While I know this isn't winemaking, but it's agriculture. The least sexy part of the job was smudging. We'd have to get out of bed in the wee hours in the Spring when fros...

Brandon R

For those of us not in the business of wine production or viticulture, it's often a dream to one day make wine. I've heard more that a handful of wine enthusiasts hope aloud that, someday, they'll have enough money to "retire" from their day jobs and open a boutique winery and make and sell wine. I ...

Brandon R

Jeez, tough crowd here. Glancing at their webpage, there are some interesting wines like Thivin, Moncuit, Forlorn Hope. Nothing I need at the moment, but I wish them the best. Cheers, Warren It's not the wine selection we're poking fun at but rather the millennial marketing verbiage that invites mo...

Brandon R

Nice, John! Glad they're hitting your wheelhouse. I'll have to try the Rose.

Brandon R

Glad you enjoyed your quick trip, Jeremy. I always appreciate it when a poster asking for recommendations comes back and closes the loop with a recap. So, thanks!

Brandon R

Victor Hong wrote: ↑
July 17th, 2019, 9:19 am
It refers to the device to sample wine from a barrel.

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

Brandon R

Shepherd's pie Lamb chops Pork steaks baked with stuffing Surprise pie Fishfingers Lancashire hotpot Spag bol (Friday or Saturday) Rotating roast for Sunday lunch: beef/lamb/chicken Sunday tea toasted ham or tinned salmon sandwiches with crisps, mini-rolls and Battenberg cake. Steak and chips on bi...

Brandon R

I think their whites are better than their reds. So, yes, I think the Milbrandt basic whites (the Pinot Gris and Chardonnay) are good daily drinkers. I don't think the reds are. I've had the Estates Chardonnay which comes from, like Kris pointed out, the best (in my opinion) site for Chardonnay in t...

Brandon R

Flawed poll. The OP is an idiot.

Search found 1005 matches