Author Topic: The Vineyard  (Read 39745 times)

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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #75 on: May 13, 2017, 12:28:45 pm »
We had an enjoyable bottle of vinho verde recently - I don't remember which label - and I've decided it should become the summertime refreshment of choice this year. Just a hint of sparkle, light and crisp. Picked up a bottle yesterday and if it's as good as the one we drank last week, I'll share the vintner's name.

*Edit to add: the one we had last week that was so good was "Gazela."
« Last Edit: May 15, 2017, 11:37:32 am by mountaineer »
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Offline Night Hides Not

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New order placed
« Reply #76 on: May 26, 2017, 07:41:42 pm »
I've got a niece getting married in a few weeks, and I'm giving the happy couple a case of wine. Just emailed my friendly winemaker in Germany with a bit more varied order.

Instead of the standard, award-winning fare (Riesling), I'll be trying out the German version of Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder. As long as they have it in stock, I'll always order a few 2010 Ausleses, one of several that are either silver or award winning.

I didn't go that far off the path, as I'll be treating myself to 2009 Beerenauslese for Father's Day.

Sunday, we're heading down for the bimonthly wine club pickup, Lost Oak has many new offerings...should be fun as always.
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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #77 on: May 26, 2017, 07:54:24 pm »
We had an enjoyable bottle of vinho verde recently - I don't remember which label - and I've decided it should become the summertime refreshment of choice this year. Just a hint of sparkle, light and crisp. Picked up a bottle yesterday and if it's as good as the one we drank last week, I'll share the vintner's name.

*Edit to add: the one we had last week that was so good was "Gazela."

Is it a dry wine...I am into a sweeter wine now...
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #78 on: May 27, 2017, 01:31:54 am »
Is it a dry wine...I am into a sweeter wine now...
Not totally dry. A notch or two sweeter than Pinot Grigio, perhaps.
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #79 on: June 26, 2017, 02:54:04 pm »
Post vacation bump...was down in the Hill Country for a wedding.

I would have more to report, but my wife (conveniently) lost her car keys, and was unable to take her car. That was the original plan, as she was leaving early to head back to work, I stayed the entire week as originally planned. That meant my schedule was tied to the in-laws instead of 2-3 days of winery hopping.

All's well that ends well, I suppose. One of our days was spent in Greune, home of "The Grapevine", a very nice wine bar stocked with plenty of Texas wine. My first glass though was a crisp Riesling from Germany, and the second was a "Llano Viva Rosso from Lubbock, TX. A blend of two classic grapes, Brachetto and Moscato d’Asti."

A bit sweet, but the effervescence added to it. Another fine offering from the Llano Estacado winery in Lubbock.

http://grapevineingruene.com/

Gruene is a great little town to visit if you're in the Hill Country. Perfect for me: wife and inlaws can spend as much time in the shops as they desire, while I'm hanging out at the Grapevine.  lol
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #80 on: July 12, 2017, 05:04:59 pm »
Bumping the thread in advance of another vacation: this time, it will be the next two weeks. Heading for Spokane, I've been needing a road trip for a couple of years, and I haven't been back to GU since '01. My after action report will include the Spokane Wine Trail, and I'll be trying offerings of Washington and Idaho, at a minimum.
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Offline musiclady

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #81 on: July 14, 2017, 12:02:28 am »
Just had a glass of Napa Valley Grgich Chardonay.   Delicious!!
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #82 on: July 14, 2017, 02:11:32 am »
Just had a glass of Napa Valley Grgich Chardonay.   Delicious!!
We were just at a family event where someone brought a couple of Grgich reds. Nice. I figured I'd look for it next time I'm at the big wine store (doesn't look like Kroger carries it).  ^-^
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #83 on: July 23, 2017, 02:41:28 am »
Visited Barrister Winery in downtown Spokane yesterday. A bit difficult to get too, but worth the trouble.

Very friendly place, great wines. I bought a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc, and a bottle of a red blend called Rough Justice. Surprise, surprise...the winery is owned by two grads of Gonzaga Law School.

The trip has been everything I hoped for and more. The Gonzaga campus has transformed over the past 15 years. Student body is nearing 6000 undergrads, triple that of when I was there decades ago.

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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #84 on: August 09, 2017, 05:03:22 pm »
Not much to report on the wine front. We made it home from our jaunt to Spokane. Our stops on the way home included Little Big Horn, Mt. Rushmore, and Dodge City...no time for wineries. More of a case of wanting to get home after 10+ days on the road.

My inventory is in an overstocked mode currently...both coolers are maxed out (total 26 bottles), plus a half dozen bottles on the rack...time for a few "special occasions."
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Offline Sanguine

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #85 on: August 09, 2017, 05:14:25 pm »
Not much to report on the wine front. We made it home from our jaunt to Spokane. Our stops on the way home included Little Big Horn, Mt. Rushmore, and Dodge City...no time for wineries. More of a case of wanting to get home after 10+ days on the road.

My inventory is in an overstocked mode currently...both coolers are maxed out (total 26 bottles), plus a half dozen bottles on the rack...time for a few "special occasions."

That's a nice problem to have.

Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #86 on: August 09, 2017, 10:15:37 pm »
Not much to report on the wine front.
Same here. I've been too busy lately to visit a wine store, let alone to open a bottle. We did have something to celebrate last week, so we popped the cork on a bottle of Spanish sparkling wine (brut). That's about it. *terribly sad*
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Offline musiclady

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #87 on: August 09, 2017, 11:11:59 pm »
We were just at a family event where someone brought a couple of Grgich reds. Nice. I figured I'd look for it next time I'm at the big wine store (doesn't look like Kroger carries it).  ^-^

Incidentally, we had that wine in a restaurant in Bismarck, ND on our trip.

So you see, it wasn't all hiking and sweating.  :dx1:
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline Idaho_Cowboy

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #88 on: September 28, 2017, 07:55:16 pm »
No posts since July. Man you guys are letting this thing die on the vine. Get it?  :tongue2:

Pumpkin Spice Latte Season (The seasonal formerly known as Fall formerly known as Autumn) so maybe that'll get things going again.

I finally tried a German Riesling @Night Hides Not. Good stuff.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #89 on: September 29, 2017, 11:22:58 am »
Please tell me no winery has even attempted pumpkin spice chardonnay! I may lose it!

On a brighter note, I'm going to the big city this morning and hope to stop by my favorite large wine store. The "cellar" is looking a bit sparce.

We live in a semi-rural area where Kroger and Dollar General are about the only places to shop, and I rarely buy wine at Kroger except for Pinetti pinot grigio.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #90 on: May 29, 2018, 08:15:13 pm »

Hailstones 'the size of pigeon eggs' devastate Bordeaux vineyards
    David Chazan, Paris
27 May 2018 • 3:07pm

Hailstorms have devastated thousands of acres of prime Bordeaux vineyards, prompting the French government to promise support for winegrowers, some of whom have lost their entire crop.

Cyril Giresse, a winegrower, said hailstones “the size of pigeons’ eggs” destroyed grape buds and left vines bare on Saturday.

“The storm lasted only about 15 minutes, but in some places, there’s nothing left at all,” said Mr Giresse, who runs the Château Gravettes Samonac in Bordeaux’s Côtes de Bourg appellation. “No leaves, no grapes, just the vines stripped as if the grapes had all been picked.”  ...  The Telegraph (U.K.)
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Offline musiclady

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #91 on: May 29, 2018, 08:36:32 pm »
I had a delicious Riesling at a little Italian restaurant in Cleveland (called "La Dolce Vita" in Little Italy).

It was called "Pacific Rim" and it was absolutely scrumptious.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #92 on: May 30, 2018, 12:33:39 am »
We're likely to travel to the Alsace region soon (perhaps as soon as September) to see where some of my ancestors came from. Of course, there will be wine stops. Riesling, though - I don't know. Just don't like 'em sweet!
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #93 on: June 10, 2018, 08:27:54 pm »
We're likely to travel to the Alsace region soon (perhaps as soon as September) to see where some of my ancestors came from. Of course, there will be wine stops. Riesling, though - I don't know. Just don't like 'em sweet!

It’s my understanding that Alsace Riesling is drier than Mosle Riesling. You can also look for the word “trocken” on the label, signifying dry on German wines.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #94 on: June 10, 2018, 09:34:24 pm »
It’s my understanding that Alsace Riesling is drier than Mosle Riesling. You can also look for the word “trocken” on the label, signifying dry on German wines.
Definitely will do! We have our airline reservations and are ready to go. I've had an Alsatian Sylvaner, which was nice.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #95 on: October 01, 2018, 06:59:03 pm »
Alsatian wine update: we were in Kaysersburg, France, and I was determined to buy some wine. We stopped at a vintner's shop and picked up two bottles of 2016 Pinot Gris (at something around $9.32 per bottle), as that's all we could manage to transport home. We've had one of them and oh my gosh, is it good.

Andre et Lucas Ancel is the winery.
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #96 on: October 12, 2018, 10:16:06 am »
Alsatian wine update: we were in Kaysersburg, France, and I was determined to buy some wine. We stopped at a vintner's shop and picked up two bottles of 2016 Pinot Gris (at something around $9.32 per bottle), as that's all we could manage to transport home. We've had one of them and oh my gosh, is it good.

Andre et Lucas Ancel is the winery.

Here's their website, though I don't know any French.

https://vinsdacote.com/33__vins-d-alsace-andre-ancel

The pictures of the town are stunning. I'm going to contact them to see if they ship to Texas. There are several that look very tempting, i.e. the Rieslings and the Gewurztraminers. The pricing on every selection was very competitive.
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #97 on: October 12, 2018, 11:33:29 am »
@Night Hides Not   We met a British couple at a little cafe in Obernai who told us they drive their Land Rover to the Alsace on a regular basis and fill it up with cases of their favorite wines. Does that sound like heaven!
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #98 on: December 24, 2018, 08:43:10 pm »
Quote
Sommelier reveals the PERFECT wine pairing for every course on Christmas Day - and they all cost less than £21

    The supermarket wines to pair with all of your Christmas day dishes
    Includes recommendations for breakfast, turkey, goose, beef and pudding 
    Tesco's Pinot Noir, £11, is perfect with turkey, and Asda's £5 Rioja for a nut roast

By Chloe Morgan For Mailonline
Published: 08:06 EST, 24 December 2018 | Updated: 09:03 EST, 24 December 2018
Not sure many of the wines mentioned are available here, as this is from a British newspaper, but you may find it helpful, nonetheless. Read all about it at the Daily Mail


Here's a recipe for mulled wine:
Quote
- Heat (don’t boil) red wine in a large pan with sugar to taste (roughly 3 tbsp. per bottle).

- When the sugar has dissolved, squeeze in the juice of an orange, retaining the skins. 

 - Push cloves into the orange skins and add them to the pot with a couple of cinnamon sticks (or 2 tsp. powder) and a good grate of nutmeg.

- If you require a bit more kick (in case of especially difficult relatives) add a good slug of cognac, whisky or cherry brandy for extra richness.

- Simmer for 20 minutes and serve
He suggests the following wines for mulling:
Quote
    Torretta di Mondelli Nero d'Avola (£4.00 Sainsbury’s)
    El Puente Tempranillo (£4.75 Morrisons)
    Toro Loco Organic Red (£4.99 Aldi)
    Lidl Costières de Nîmes Rhône (£6.49 Lidl)
    Tesco Finest St. Chinian (£6.50 Tesco)
He also recommended a sparkling wine from Aldi: Aldi Exquisite Collection Crémant du Jura.

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Offline mountaineer

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Re: The Vineyard
« Reply #99 on: December 27, 2018, 02:23:09 pm »
What Did Jesus Drink? A Bethlehem Winery is Embracing Ancient, Indigenous Grapes
Linda Gradstein

As millions of people around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, Bethlehem’s Cremisan Wine Estate has just finished bottling its 2018 vintage. Founded by Salesian monks in 1885, Cremisan makes wine using indigenous Palestinian grapes. Some scholars say these are the types of wines that Jesus most likely drank.

“The Salesian fathers started making the first wines, called Messa, to use in churches,” Fadi Batarseh, Cremisan’s winemaker, says. The monastery started making wines in the 1880s, using grapes that are at least 2,000 years old. Batarseh, a Palestinian Christian and Jerusalem native who studied winemaking in Italy, joined the winery in 2015. “We make a white and a red, both sweet, because Catholics use white wine for mass, and the Orthodox use red,” he says.

While winemakers in Israel’s Golan Heights have found success growing imported grapes like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, Cremisan and select others are embracing the fruit that has grown in the region for centuries. Batarseh is leading the charge, incorporating modern technique and local, ancient grapes.  ...

Cremisan is just a few miles from Jerusalem, on the outskirts of Bethlehem. The winery is stunningly beautiful, with green hills more reminiscent of Tuscany than the hardscrabble West Bank. There are terraces and hundreds of ancient olive trees that also make excellent olive oil, which the winery also markets.   ...  Read more at Vine Pair
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