Daddy Dee Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I'm actually looking forward to trying two buck chuck's wine. There's a Trader Joe in St. Louis, so when I visit my daugher I'll pick up some to check it out. I can see now that we need to add blind wine taste tests to the audio A/B stuff at Klipsch gatherings. Dee--- Let me know the price you pay. I know in some states it is "Three Buck Chuck" and in others even "Four Buck Chuck." Here, we just call it "Up Chuck." Mark, I'll do that. I know that the St. Louis store has a range of prices on varieties of C Shaw wines. Some of them are indeed three or four dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonrpayne Posted April 24, 2008 Author Share Posted April 24, 2008 Some really excellent smaller 'boutique' wineries from which I have had numerous, reliably great wines. 1. Hannah Vinyards in Alexander Valley (Healdsburg). Of merit are the Bismark Ranch reds (several bordeaux style blends) and the Elias Russian RIver Chardonnay. 2. Davis Bynum in the Dry Creek area. Outstanding Russ.RIver pinots. 3. Rosenbloom Cellars - Dry Creel/Russian RIver - well known for excellent Zins and of real merit is the Maggie's Reserve Zin, and Rockpile Zin. All of the above are sort of moderate priced - perhaps from around $20 to $45 per single bottle. Without having some here to taste, the some of those Hannah/Bismark look to be right up my alley. I'm going to try to take advantage of our newly minted shipping laws to try some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Ahhh Meijers, originally called Meijers Thrifty Acres or something to that effect.... they invaded Indiana several years ago. The one in Kokomo opened shortly after we moved here over 13 years ago. I remember when we lived in the Detroit area quite a few years ago, around 1986-1988, in an apartment just north of M59 on Dequinder (sp?) Road just down the road from the mushroom barns accross the road from Rochester Hills in Shelby township (? Utica address), there was this HUGE store just around the corner by itself called Meijers. Had most anything you wanted except the kitchen sink and might have at least been able to get an utility sink or at least the plumbing supplies needed to finish the job along with fresh baked goods amongst other things, we were hooked on the fresh croissants for awhile.... I think that's when I maxed out in the weight department So really, a Super WalMart could be called a place similar to Meijers but might not be known outside of Michigan and maybe the surrounding states. Not too much further north, Dequinder turned into a dirt road. I think that was after the water powered cider mill (Yates?) we stumbled upon one very nice spring day just out for a drive ... they had pressed up some fresh cider from apples brought out of cold storage. There must've been over a hundred people milling around drinking cider and enjoying the nice afternoon. Still one of my favorite memories from the time we lived in Michigan. bsamuel: Not to highjack Damon's thread here but I just wanted to say it's nice to read someone's post that recalls fond memories of the area near where I live. I live in Allen Park, Detroit's Downriver area. Rochester and Shelby are both over on the east side about a 45 minute drive from here via freeway. You've got a good memory; we used to refer to Meijer's (pronounced like "My-errs") Thrifty Acres as Meijer's Shifty Acres back then. Maybe that's why the shortened their name? -Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatgrass Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 One that is not widely known to the public, but is well received by the people who know more about wine than me, is Bonny Doon vineyard. I still have several bottles left of a blend they used to produce. Big House Red. They sold off that particular label because they began to focus on very specific grapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 White Zin? A travesty on the bold and complex Zinfandel grape! Some people are very loyal reds and look down on whites. I like the white because it is (1) best served cold and I prefer a cool drink to a warm one, (2) is not spicy or pungent like red, (3) is a much sweeter wine - more akin to a fruit juice, and (4) typically is smoother. To red enthusiasts, white is for wussies.... I know, I know.... Ok Jeff, just PULease don't tell me you put ice cubes in it!! Very rarely. Only if I am ready to drink it and did not give it enough time to chill in the fridge. The folks that sold us our house 3 1/2 years ago left behind for us a 1986 bottle of Riesling from the Moser Ruwer Valley. I don't know why I have an impediment to drinking it, except I respect that someone actually has an unopened bottle 22 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Big House Red was a classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Well there is always "Two Buck Chuck" and you know, since there isn't any difference in wines or amplifiers or CDPs anyway, why pay more? Mark, "you talkin to me?" Because if you are, yes there is a difference, and the difference is that French and Italian wines are better, dollar per ounce (or more obviously by my favorite measure, buzz per dollar). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 White Zin? A travesty on the bold and complex Zinfandel grape! Some people are very loyal reds and look down on whites. I like the white because it is (1) best served cold and I prefer a cool drink to a warm one, (2) is not spicy or pungent like red, (3) is a much sweeter wine - more akin to a fruit juice, and (4) typically is smoother. To red enthusiasts, white is for wussies.... I know, I know.... Ok Jeff, just PULease don't tell me you put ice cubes in it!! Pretty funny there! I've done a fair amount of work at the Napa Bottling Center (where Fosters US bottles its wines), and you would not believe how much Beringer White Zin is bottled there! Tanker trucks all day long pump it in on one end of the building, and tractor trailers leave from the other end, full of cases, all day long. It is by far their biggest seller, and biggest money maker. So much so, that when Ed Sbragia (Beringer's winemaker) was asked to describe what he smelled when a "blind" glass of white zin was put under his nose, he replied, "New French oak barrels." No doubt for his private reserve cabs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 White Zin? A travesty on the bold and complex Zinfandel grape! Some people are very loyal reds and look down on whites. I like the white because it is (1) best served cold and I prefer a cool drink to a warm one, (2) is not spicy or pungent like red, (3) is a much sweeter wine - more akin to a fruit juice, and (4) typically is smoother. To red enthusiasts, white is for wussies.... I know, I know.... Ok Jeff, just PULease don't tell me you put ice cubes in it!! [:$] I'm a real wine wussie ... I lean towards the kool-aid varieties with names like Tickle Pink, Strawberry Hill... but my meds have the do not drink alcohol while taking this medication... well duh, I take my medication with water or OJ once in a while ... but people far smarter than I say that really means no refreshing adult beverages while on the medication not just while in the act of taking ... not willing to risk hospitalization or dain bramage to test that theory - so would I have a case? Your honor, I took my pills with water. Heck, I didn't even start drinking until 10 or so that morning. jist dunt get dis English language... while takin means while takin dun't it? If they's all meant no drinking while there's any chance of this stuff being in y'alls system then why din't they print dat on da label? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I bought Bonny Doon Cigar Volante years ago because the label was so cool. Yeah I've bought wine because of the label. It rarely works out this well but this wine is killer. After I tried this Bonny Doon I latched on to the Cardinal Zin and Big House Red. That cork was comical. White Zin also goes well with Taco Bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 White Zin? A travesty on the bold and complex Zinfandel grape! Some people are very loyal reds and look down on whites. I like the white because it is (1) best served cold and I prefer a cool drink to a warm one, (2) is not spicy or pungent like red, (3) is a much sweeter wine - more akin to a fruit juice, and (4) typically is smoother. To red enthusiasts, white is for wussies.... I know, I know.... try voigniers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Pretty funny there! I've done a fair amount of work at the Napa Bottling Center (where Fosters US bottles its wines), and you would not believe how much Beringer White Zin is bottled there! Tanker trucks all day long pump it in on one end of the building, and tractor trailers leave from the other end, full of cases, all day long. It is by far their biggest seller, and biggest money maker. So much so, that when Ed Sbragia (Beringer's winemaker) was asked to describe what he smelled when a "blind" glass of white zin was put under his nose, he replied, "New French oak barrels." No doubt for his private reserve cabs... I looked up some numbers and white Zin outsells the REAL Zinfandel by 6:1. Goes good with a Big Mac. I rather have the real zin..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Mark, "you talkin to me?" Because if you are, yes there is a difference, and the difference is that French and Italian wines are better, dollar per ounce (or more obviously by my favorite measure, buzz per dollar). I have to disagree with this statement. There was a time, not so long ago that what you are saying was true – particularly for low to mid price wine. it simply is not true today. While California wine makers have invested in state of the art wine making facilities, that has not happened in France. Spain, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina have also surpassed the French in modern wine making technique and invested accordingly. Italy is somewhere in the middle. France continues, for the most part to make wine in the old world fashion, which still produces the world’s finest wine. But the every day and mid range wine does not equal, in value nor consistency, the wine of the countries mentioned above. Wine is extremely personal so to each their own. Last time I was in France (about 18 months ago) I was looking forward to drinking a lot of good wine. Franky the average everyday wine ( say under $50.00) tasted more like a barnyard than the terroir of Bordeaux. The vin ordinaire was simply undrinkable. If you like it great. But it is no longer the value it once was – not by a long shot. josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 what's all this kalifornia wine stuff ..??my uncle Leo Goering was the winemaker here for 60 years ...http://www.eaglecrestvineyards.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 From a very lay understanding and experience, it almost seems that California wine has become too good. That is a nice problem for the wine consuming public because there are so many options for economically priced good wine. I would imagine this to present a marketing challenge for various wines to get up on the consumer radar screen. Fini has brought a selection of California wines with him on a couple of trips to Arkansas and I've been impressed with these and they have been moderately priced selections. I thought the quality was very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 From a very lay understanding and experience, it almost seems that California wine has become too good. That is a nice problem for the wine consuming public because there are so many options for economically priced good wine. I would imagine this to present a marketing challenge for various wines to get up on the consumer radar screen. Fini has brought a selection of California wines with him on a couple of trips to Arkansas and I've been impressed with these and they have been moderately priced selections. I thought the quality was very good. Hey Dee have you had Aux Arc and Arkansas vinyard near Altus? I knew the girl that started it years ago and she was a spitfire not suprising she started a vinyard. I've sampled the wines every year and they started a little rough but keep improving. It is also close to Subiaco. http://www.chateauauxarc.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Interesting post Josh. I tend to agree, even with our limited experience of just a couple trips. While I have no specific data, we did find that vin ordinaire in Italy was like gasoline, and only marginally better in France. In Italy, we had to spend a hell of a lot to get just drinkable wine by our standard, which really isn't all that high. Italian "table red" which we were told ahead of time was outstanding anywhere you go, was hardly up to the sort of $5 Glen Ellen or airline "Vandage" brand of wines. We were there for 30 days and tried a heck of a lot of their wine, ordinary and not. Now for around $35 or so, you could buy some nice bottles in the wine shops. That was 1998 I think. At the highest end of the scales I really don't know. I have never had a bad experience there. Italy or France. I do prefer burgundies to bordeaux for the most part, probably because I know them better. To me, there is no comparison which is better between white burgundies and california chardonnay. Yes, watch out for the table wines depending on where you choose to dine. Other than that, knowing how to shop is the key. This is really similar to arguing over bbq from different parts of the US. Fairly pointless, full of subjectivity, yet fun all the same. Enjoy and appreciate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Interesting post Josh. I tend to agree, even with our limited experience of just a couple trips. While I have no specific data, we did find that vin ordinaire in Italy was like gasoline, and only marginally better in France. In Italy, we had to spend a hell of a lot to get just drinkable wine by our standard, which really isn't all that high. Italian "table red" which we were told ahead of time was outstanding anywhere you go, was hardly up to the sort of $5 Glen Ellen or airline "Vandage" brand of wines. We were there for 30 days and tried a heck of a lot of their wine, ordinary and not. Now for around $35 or so, you could buy some nice bottles in the wine shops. That was 1998 I think. At the highest end of the scales I really don't know. I have never had a bad experience there. Italy or France. I do prefer burgundies to bordeaux for the most part, probably because I know them better. To me, there is no comparison which is better between white burgundies and california chardonnay. Yes, watch out for the table wines depending on where you choose to dine. Other than that, knowing how to shop is the key. This is really similar to arguing over bbq from different parts of the US. Fairly pointless, full of subjectivity, yet fun all the same. Enjoy and appreciate! Again, in the past I would absolutely agree that the "typical" white burgundy was a more enjoyable bottle of wine than the over oak-ed "typical" California Chardonnay. I do not think that is true today. It wasn't to many years ago that I couldn't ( I should actually say wouldn't) drink a California chardonnay because of the emphasis on the oak versus the varietal character. In fact if I found one that wasnt over oak-ed I would describe it as French like ! Thankfully today that is no longer the case. I am not sure what kind of selection of California wine is typical in your part of Texas but from my limited travels to Houston and Austin I do not recall it being very robust. I know that in the east the selection tends towards European selections with few California wines other than KJ or other similar bad examples. Here we obviously have a great selection of California wine with lots and lots of small to medium sized wineries to choose from. For example a typical Safeway supermarket carries over 1250 wine sku's - with 90% of them from California. And for the most part across all price points they offer more consitent value when compared to their French conterparts. Yes its fun and subjective and we all know that Kansas City BBQ is best! Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 From a very lay understanding and experience, it almost seems that California wine has become too good. That is a nice problem for the wine consuming public because there are so many options for economically priced good wine. I would imagine this to present a marketing challenge for various wines to get up on the consumer radar screen. Fini has brought a selection of California wines with him on a couple of trips to Arkansas and I've been impressed with these and they have been moderately priced selections. I thought the quality was very good. Hey Dee have you had Aux Arc and Arkansas vinyard near Altus? I knew the girl that started it years ago and she was a spitfire not suprising she started a vinyard. I've sampled the wines every year and they started a little rough but keep improving. It is also close to Subiaco. http://www.chateauauxarc.com/ Seti, I've heard of this winery, but haven't tried any of their wine. Thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotog Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 My wife and I both enjoy J Lohr wines, especially their Cabernet. We stumbeled accross them at a small shop in Key West and became hooked. I try to keep a dozen or so bottles in the cellar. My oldest to date is a '96. J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet will run $12-20/bottle for the J. Lohr (Paso Robles) Estates and go up from there for their excellant black labeled (Curvee) series.For daily table fare we found a very ecomonical "house" wine called Copperridge. Again we gravitate towards the Cabernet. Copperidge is for businesses/resturants and its retail counterpart is Turning Leaf. $6-7/bottle.http://www.jlohr.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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