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

Al Osterheld

I've opened at 2006 Merlot that may have been an off bottle (some EA), a 2000 Meritage I thought was quite nice in a somewhat old school style, a 1996 Meritage that was a bit past peak but again quite nice, a 2003 Cabernet Track that was ripe, hot, and a bit of a mess, and a 2001 Merlot that was on ...

Al Osterheld

Yes, as far as I can tell, it's a start-up trying to develop a market for items flown in space, not a science experiment.

-Al

Al Osterheld

They have a control case of the same Bordeaux to compare. But, it sounds like most of the bottles will be sold along with other items that have flown to generate the money to fund the research. I'm guessing that's "research" rather than research, but I may be biased.

-Al

Al Osterheld

I had a chance to taste the 2017 Ribbon Ridge Chardonnay because Sean brought one as a mystery wine to the last big Harrington bottling day, yesterday. Agree that it's a lovely wine and great value.

-Al

Al Osterheld

I definitely changed what I buy (and amount) and how long I keep it.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The state of California, for creating the environment that fuels these fires. But that's all I'll say, because then it will get political.

How inconsiderate of them, there's wine to be shipped. By the way, the Kincade fire started on federal land.

-Al

Al Osterheld

It's also pretty cool at present. Which is good, because it would need a lot of generators to keep a large warehouse cool if it was hot. At whom are you p.o.'ed?

-Al

Al Osterheld

Most Champagne has 4 to 6 atmospheres of dissolved CO2. If pour half then reseal with a stopper, at worst it would reduce to 2 to 3 atmospheres. The simple act of putting it in a cold refrigerator makes a big difference because CO2 is more soluble at colder temperatures.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The seal is great, pumping air into the bottle makes essentially no difference. Pumping CO2 would make a difference, but air is only 0.04% CO2. The dissolved CO2 and the CO2 in the headspace achieve equilibrium independent of the other gases.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Mass market wine isn't shipped in styrofoam or pulp. -Al you dismissed my point, as no one covets mass market wine, yet the mass wine market is propagated by styro I didn't intend to dismiss your point. but I guess I'm still confused. The overwhelming majority of wine is sold in stores rather than ...

Al Osterheld

Mass market wine isn't shipped in styrofoam or pulp.

-Al

Al Osterheld

A glass of bubbly is great after a day of wine tasting.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Mine has not lost its vacuum seal, that would be annoying.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Christine Huang wrote: ↑
October 23rd, 2019, 11:01 am
Yes, but I want perfection, Al!
Why can't I have perfection?

I never found it, so I became (somewhat) tolerant.

-Al

Al Osterheld

It is odd to not have a spout. But, keeps coffee hot without a hotplate.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Yes, I think a hand grinder is the only compact option for something small and better than a chopper. I've also been using a Moccamaster, one of the models with a thermal carafe. Amortized over the years I've used it, the extra cost seems pretty minor. Pour over is more time and effort than I want f...

Al Osterheld

The nasty sediment takes years to precipitate, would not expect it in a 2006 Barolo. Like others, I don't understand the chemistry, just indicated what I've experienced. To be honest, don't even know that recent wines will develop that same sediment or whether it was more prevalent with wine making ...

Al Osterheld

I save "xyzzy" for wines that transport me.

Or, moments when you need to be transported to a better place. But, some folks thought magic should be eliminated.

-Al

Al Osterheld

He agreed to repay at least $45M as part of his sentencing deal. Personally, I think modest checks from the bankruptcy trustee are more likely.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The bankruptcy isn't wrapped up, yet, although it looks like it's getting close. Any checks would come after then know how much money has been collected and how much is left after paying off the entities involved collecting the money and the creditors farther up in the line. I also received the upda...

Al Osterheld

Should be xyzzy. Works better.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Yeah, have to take advantage of those generous opportunities when they arise. Ken Zinns and I attended a Chalone appellation tasting hosted at Brosseau about 10 years ago. There was a food table hosted by a restaurant in Carmel that served an entire lobe of foie gras. I think I had my share.

-Al

Al Osterheld

I have a few different stoppers, a couple like the one Neal posted and another (Rabbit) that you twist the top to expand the part that inserts into the bottle. Like Sarah, I find they all work roughly the same although I prefer the former clamp type. At home, I get four glasses out of a 750ml of Cha...

Al Osterheld

I could see labeling them as trending modern in the sense that they are clean and polished compared to some of the funkier producers. They also tend to be big with substantial alcohol but usually carry it well.

-Al

Al Osterheld

I like the Passopisciaro wines. The biancos are good but I think are all Chardonnay which seems like a lost opportunity (Carricante).

-Al

Al Osterheld

I don't know particulars of CA grid, but I don't think that the high voltage transmission lines that run on towers are very vulnerable to winds, they make it through hurricanes, it's the distribution lines that are typically endangered by falling trees etc. I think that's correct and it's also cons...

Al Osterheld

Municipalities can set up their own power agencies, but they rarely set up their own distribution lines to bring the power from the source if it's not local. My place of work does have two sources with independent power lines, and the non-PG&E source is much less likely to have issues (less extensiv...

Al Osterheld

Yes, I think some types of heat damage take time to show up.

-Al

Al Osterheld

It's Sushi Yoshizumi, a very small Edomae style sushiya in San Mateo, I think nine seats and two seatings (although sometimes seats are used for extended menus for the whole evening). When it opened it was a screaming good deal. I think it's still a good deal for the level of food but will be viewed...

Al Osterheld

I believe it effectively offers that option in the last three sentences, although I agree it does not offer it explicitly. But, I'm pretty sure that anyone who contacts them with that request will have it granted.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Alesia is now declassified Rhys (used to be purchased grapes). They have a partnership with Salvo Foti in Sicily, have planted their own vineyards, and these Aeris Etna Carricante wines were made with purchased fruit from one of the top vineyards in Milo.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The wine is from the Etna DOC.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The styrofoam shipper has negligible thermal mass, only the wine and the glass. It has some insulating ability.

Inside CA, I don't worry about it much unless it's exceptionally hot. Cross country when it's hot, I pay more to have it not go ground.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The average velocity of the molecules in wine at room temperature is around 500 meters per second. The vibration has a negligible impact on the average kinetic energy, you'd affect it more with a tiny increase in the temperature. Oh, and if the vibration was increasing the kinetic energy of the wine...

Al Osterheld

Where I live, it's currently 48F and expected high is 67F, I think slightly cooler at Brian's place. Depends on the wine, but I like Roussanne around 65, or so.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Markus S wrote: ↑
September 30th, 2019, 5:41 am

Al Osterheld wrote: ↑
September 29th, 2019, 8:57 pm
He's in Oakland.

-Al
Oakland's not bad. Isn't that the Bay Area's Brooklyn?

In some ways. FWIW, part of Oakland was originally a small town called Brooklyn.

-Al

Al Osterheld

He's in Oakland.

-Al

Al Osterheld

The 2001 ESJ Wylie Fenaughty Syrahs I opened last April and June were very nice, have two or three more.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Should be more about drug addiction and homelessness than being a sommelier and homeless. Sad that addiction takes down talented people. Thanks for sharing article, sad story. Yes, it's mostly a story about addiction. The somm part is relevant except for helping to accentuate how far he's fallen. H...

Al Osterheld

Definitely a strange reason unless they had cash flow concerns (seems unlikely).

-Al

Al Osterheld

Hey, I think I helped with the 2012 Perfusion Pinot which may have been the first real vintage. Didn't realize they had gone commercial.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Waiter's corkscrew and Monopol Ah So work pretty well, although may need a bit more practice than a Durand.

-Al

Al Osterheld

FWIW, the chardonnay is from a vineyard in the western edge of the Fountaingrove AVA, not far from the boundary with the Chalk Hill AVA. The $75 still seems steep.

-Al

Al Osterheld

Yeah, I also avoid 2003 Rhones (although I bought a few at the time), 2007 is ripe but without the roasted quality I don't like in most 2003s.

-Al

Al Osterheld

I’d like to say that it’s been a great experience working with Bryan Harrington all these years. I’ve had the opportunity to work with over 50 grape varieties and to help make wines using a number of techniques - skin-fermented whites, partial-carbonic reds, foot-stomping, fermenting in an amphora ...

Al Osterheld

Yes, great story. I had a few bottles of their first few vintages of Maridon Syrah, but think I drank them all.

-Al

Al Osterheld

we actually picked the Tempranillo, and about half the Grenache yesterday before the rain, Ken. Hoping to see the rest in the next 10-15 days, but feel, since this is only the fourth harvest from Shake Ridge, that I'm now in somewhat uncharted territory, since this seems to be the weirdest vintage ...

Al Osterheld

The people who subscribe to the publication understand that he's not writing all the notes (unless they're illiterate). As far as the people who rely on shelf talkers, I think that's its own reward but I also doubt the majority of them care, they just want some guidance and I doubt they've done any ...

Al Osterheld

I'm sure it was a fun visit, I need to make it up to the Willamette Valley area one of these years. I have an order of the 2017s showing up tomorrow, I've been quite happy with the style and the individual wines from the past couple of years.

-Al

Al Osterheld

In a large gated community in Danville with mansions and a golf course, called Blackhawk, there are two place to buy wine - a bottle shop and a Safeway. Draeger's. May not be the greatest prices, but better selection than the Safeway and probably the bottle shop (haven't been in years since wasn't ...

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