Wine

[JayhawkCO]

Just seems to me that you just have to drink 3.5 glasses of wine when you open a bottle.

I know your tongue was halfway in your cheek as you typed that, but...  Three glasses is pushing it for me, and requires me to spread them out over a couple of hours.  Even then, I can't have anywhere to go that evening.

Alas, my tolerance is such that 3 glasses is not an unreasonable amount for me in a couple hour span. A lifetime of being in the restaurant biz I guess.

[achilles765]

I absolutely love wine. I'm studying to take the level one sommelier exam right now.
I used to drink a lot of red but for at least two or three years now, I have a very heavy preference for whites and sparkling. And port and Sauternes.
I generally tend to prefer Old World—Spanish and French, but I'll not turn down South Africa or South America. Not a huge fan of California—too well represented.
I love white burgundy, Sancerre, Vermentino, gruner veltliner, oh and dry German Riesling. And Albariño.
Cava and champagne for sparkling.

[kphoger]

I absolutely love wine. I'm studying to take the level one sommelier exam right now.
I used to drink a lot of red but for at least two or three years now, I have a very heavy preference for whites and sparkling. And port and Sauternes.
I generally tend to prefer Old World—Spanish and French, but I'll not turn down South Africa or South America. Not a huge fan of California—too well represented.
I love white burgundy, Sancerre, Vermentino, gruner veltliner, oh and dry German Riesling. And Albariño.
Cava and champagne for sparkling.

For white wines in general, I'm not sure I've had a bad one from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

[JayhawkCO]

I absolutely love wine. I'm studying to take the level one sommelier exam right now.
I used to drink a lot of red but for at least two or three years now, I have a very heavy preference for whites and sparkling. And port and Sauternes.
I generally tend to prefer Old World—Spanish and French, but I'll not turn down South Africa or South America. Not a huge fan of California—too well represented.
I love white burgundy, Sancerre, Vermentino, gruner veltliner, oh and dry German Riesling. And Albariño.
Cava and champagne for sparkling.

My issue with California wines isn't the representation. It's that they're generally too heavy handed. Too much oak on their Chardonnay. Too much extraction on their reds. Santa Barbara is really the only region I really enjoy from CA.

I'm a bit fan of all of the selections you name above except for Gruner. Not sure what it is, but I have never tasted one that excited me, and I've probably tasted near 100 in my lifetime. It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me. If you like all of those whites, you should try to track down an Assyrtiko, a Greek white with a lot of saline character.

[kphoger]

It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me.

Hey!  I love pinot grigio/gris!

[JayhawkCO]

It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me.

Hey!  I love pinot grigio/gris!

The only ones I tend to find interesting at all have a touch of bottle aging. Otherwise PG, to me, is the generic definition of white wine -- a bottle that's fine for $9-10, but anything more than that I could find something dramatically more interesting.

[NWI_Irish96]

There are a couple wineries in the Traverse City area that produce cherry/grape blends. Always get a couple bottles every time I'm up that way.

[kphoger]

The only ones I tend to find interesting at all have a touch of bottle aging. Otherwise PG, to me, is the generic definition of white wine -- a bottle that's fine for $9-10, but anything more than that I could find something dramatically more interesting.

A lot of times, I have "not dramatically interesting" in mind when shopping for white wine, because it's primarily for cooking with and I try to avoid any strange flavors getting concentrated in what's probably a light dish.

If I want something more interesting, then I often have good luck with the north coast of Spain.

[JayhawkCO]

The only ones I tend to find interesting at all have a touch of bottle aging. Otherwise PG, to me, is the generic definition of white wine -- a bottle that's fine for $9-10, but anything more than that I could find something dramatically more interesting.

A lot of times, I have "not dramatically interesting" in mind when shopping for white wine, because it's primarily for cooking with and I try to avoid any strange flavors getting concentrated in what's probably a light dish.

If I want something more interesting, then I often have good luck with the north coast of Spain.

To be honest, I've cooked with a lot of different white wines over the years and can't remember ever tasting a difference between varietals. Even super oaky Chardonnays don't come through any different than something light and bright. I guess something super flabby and overripe with no acid left whatsoever, but I don't buy stuff like that.

I do love northern Spanish whites. If you can track a Txakolina down (from the Basque region), they're delightful. They also make great rosé. Ameztoi is my favorite producer.

[kphoger]

If you can track a Txakolina down (from the Basque region), they're delightful.

Pretty sure I've had one.  When I get home later, I'll sift through my notes.

[kphoger]

If you can track a Txakolina down (from the Basque region), they're delightful.

Pretty sure I've had one.  When I get home later, I'll sift through my notes.

Yep.  I've had the 2020 vintage of this:

[JayhawkCO]

If you can track a Txakolina down (from the Basque region), they're delightful.

Pretty sure I've had one.  When I get home later, I'll sift through my notes.

Yep.  I've had the 2020 vintage of this:

Unfamiliar with the producer, but I'm sure it was pretty tasty. I've never had a bad one.

[achilles765]

I absolutely love wine. I'm studying to take the level one sommelier exam right now.
I used to drink a lot of red but for at least two or three years now, I have a very heavy preference for whites and sparkling. And port and Sauternes.
I generally tend to prefer Old World—Spanish and French, but I'll not turn down South Africa or South America. Not a huge fan of California—too well represented.
I love white burgundy, Sancerre, Vermentino, gruner veltliner, oh and dry German Riesling. And Albariño.
Cava and champagne for sparkling.

My issue with California wines isn't the representation. It's that they're generally too heavy handed. Too much oak on their Chardonnay. Too much extraction on their reds. Santa Barbara is really the only region I really enjoy from CA.

I'm a bit fan of all of the selections you name above except for Gruner. Not sure what it is, but I have never tasted one that excited me, and I've probably tasted near 100 in my lifetime. It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me. If you like all of those whites, you should try to track down an Assyrtiko, a Greek white with a lot of saline character.

I actually have had a couple of Assyrtiko before. I did like it. Very interesting.
I also don't care for Pinot Grigio.

I used to think I didn't like Chardonnay. But then I realized that many of my favorite wines are actually Chardonnay—Chablis, champagne, white burgundy. So I realized it's that I don't like CALIFORNIA Chardonnay. Too much oak and often too buttery.

[kphoger]

I used to think I didn't like Chardonnay. But then I realized that many of my favorite wines are actually Chardonnay—Chablis, champagne, white burgundy. So I realized it's that I don't like CALIFORNIA Chardonnay. Too much oak and often too buttery.

Oak and buttery tend to go together, don't they?  I like unoaked California Chardonnay just fine.  But y'all would probably find it too boring...

[JayhawkCO]

I used to think I didn't like Chardonnay. But then I realized that many of my favorite wines are actually Chardonnay—Chablis, champagne, white burgundy. So I realized it's that I don't like CALIFORNIA Chardonnay. Too much oak and often too buttery.

Oak and buttery tend to go together, don't they?  I like unoaked California Chardonnay just fine.  But y'all would probably find it too boring...

It probably accentuates it, but no, not inherently. Oaky flavors come from vanillin, a compound that comes from the wood. Butteriness comes from diacetyl, a compound that is created during a secondary fermentation called malolactic fermentation, which converts malic acid (think apples) to lactic acid (think milk). A wine doesn't have to be aged in barrel after having gone through malolactic.

I like unoaked California Chardonnay just fine; I wish more would make it in this Chablis style. I also like oaked Santa Barbara Chardonnays from good producers (Sandhi is my favorite) because they don't go heavy handed on the barrels' char. Santa Barbara, despite being the southernmost of California's wine regions, is also the coolest, so their wines tend to have brighter acidity to balance out the oak/butter.

[kphoger]

For white wines in general, I'm not sure I've had a bad one from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me.

Hey!  I love pinot grigio/gris!

Oh, hey, look what I found in the basement, just waiting to be had with dinner on Monday...

[JayhawkCO]

For white wines in general, I'm not sure I've had a bad one from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

It's too Pinot Grigio boring for me.

Hey!  I love pinot grigio/gris!

Oh, hey, look what I found in the basement, just waiting to be had with dinner on Monday...

I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine.

[kphoger]

I meant day before yesterday, not next week.  Yes, it was good for both cooking and drinking.  The rest is now in an ice cube tray in the freezer (hey, I should empty that into a freezer bag).

[kphoger]

If you can track a Txakolina down (from the Basque region), they're delightful.

Pretty sure I've had one.  When I get home later, I'll sift through my notes.

Yep.  I've had the 2020 vintage of this:

Unfamiliar with the producer, but I'm sure it was pretty tasty. I've never had a bad one.

Just recently, a Total Wine & More opened up on the northeast side of Wichita.  It felt like cheating on my usual liquor store, but I went up there to check it out.  One thing I specifically wanted to see was their Txakoli(na) selection.  They had a total of one option.

For our family Epiphany dinner this year, on Saturday, I went back to my regular liquor store and picked up a bottle of Asko Txakloli 2022, from the Basque Country.  It's 80% Hondarrabi Zurri and 20% Petit Courbu.  Very crisp and fruity, just what my wife and I like, with a faint grassy note at the end.  Quite refreshing and easy to drink.  The little bit that remained after dinner is now in my freezer in cube form.

Otherwise . . .

For simmering the rouladen (along with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and carrots and celery and bay leaves and thyme), I picked up a good old Côtes du Rhône blend—Grenache and Syrah.  This one was a 2021 Réserve from Cellier des Dauphins, which is nothing special but perfect for cooking.  Nothing left of that one:  the whole bottle went into the electric skillet.

Along with the Txakoli, I also picked up a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, to have with dinner.  This one was a 2020 from Matias Ricitelli under the label "Hey Malbec!".  It was even better than expected, primarily because it was actually less dry than the bottom of the three wise men's sandals.  Boy oh boy, is it a dark color!  Like, purple.  What I couldn't fit in an ice cube tray (I'm the only one in the family who likes any red wine) after dinner is still waiting for me, vacuum-pumped, on the kitchen counter.  I look forward to having it this evening.

[JayhawkCO]

All sounds good to me! Recently had some friends over and did Thai food. Started with a Crèmant de Loire Rosé that was really good bang for the buck. Then moved onto a Vin d'Alsace that was a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc blend, but sadly mostly the latter which left it pretty one note. Finished up with a demi-sec Vouvray that was lovely. All $22 or less.

[kphoger]

I also picked up a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, to have with dinner.  This one was a 2020 from Matias Ricitelli under the label "Hey Malbec!".  It was even better than expected, primarily because it was actually less dry than the bottom of the three wise men's sandals.  Boy oh boy, is it a dark color!  Like, purple.  What I couldn't fit in an ice cube tray (I'm the only one in the family who likes any red wine) after dinner is still waiting for me, vacuum-pumped, on the kitchen counter.  I look forward to having it this evening.

Finished off the bottle yesterday evening.  One glass with dinner, a second glass on its own while taking down Christmas decorations.  I'd never have thought of enjoying a Malbec on its own, but this one definitely pleased.

All sounds good to me! Recently had some friends over and did Thai food. Started with a Crèmant de Loire Rosé that was really good bang for the buck. Then moved onto a Vin d'Alsace that was a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc blend, but sadly mostly the latter which left it pretty one note. Finished up with a demi-sec Vouvray that was lovely. All $22 or less.

I've only found one or two rosé wines that I like.  Usually, they taste too much like wine that was opened two days earlier.

It's been a long time since I've bought a Gewürtz.  I used to buy it a lot back in the day, back before I knew much of anything about wine other than that I liked Riesling.  These days, I steer toward something a little less sweet.

Ooh, a demi-sec Vouvray sounds good.  I find a lot of Vouvray wines to be a little to oily for my liking, so I imagine a demi-sec would be more enjoyable.

[JayhawkCO]

I also picked up a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, to have with dinner.  This one was a 2020 from Matias Ricitelli under the label "Hey Malbec!".  It was even better than expected, primarily because it was actually less dry than the bottom of the three wise men's sandals.  Boy oh boy, is it a dark color!  Like, purple.  What I couldn't fit in an ice cube tray (I'm the only one in the family who likes any red wine) after dinner is still waiting for me, vacuum-pumped, on the kitchen counter.  I look forward to having it this evening.

Finished off the bottle yesterday evening.  One glass with dinner, a second glass on its own while taking down Christmas decorations.  I'd never have thought of enjoying a Malbec on its own, but this one definitely pleased.

All sounds good to me! Recently had some friends over and did Thai food. Started with a Crèmant de Loire Rosé that was really good bang for the buck. Then moved onto a Vin d'Alsace that was a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc blend, but sadly mostly the latter which left it pretty one note. Finished up with a demi-sec Vouvray that was lovely. All $22 or less.

I've only found one or two rosé wines that I like.  Usually, they taste too much like wine that was opened two days earlier.

It's been a long time since I've bought a Gewürtz.  I used to buy it a lot back in the day, back before I knew much of anything about wine other than that I liked Riesling.  These days, I steer toward something a little less sweet.

Ooh, a demi-sec Vouvray sounds good.  I find a lot of Vouvray wines to be a little to oily for my liking, so I imagine a demi-sec would be more enjoyable.

The explosion of popularity of Rosé has definitely contributed to having a lot of crappy stuff in the market. If you happen to find Planeta, it's a Sicilian rosé from Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese that should be something like $12-15 in a liquor store. Every vintage I've ever had has been good.

I don't love Gewurz on its own. Too flowery.

The demi-sec was more of a way to calm down the spice in the Thai food. Sugar kills heat. It was fine, but I tend to like my Chenin Blanc to smell like snuggle sheets, and this one was a little bit less of that fresh laundry smell that I like.