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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 2/22/2008 5:54 PM | | I'm thrilled to discover wine afficianados on this board (through it doesn't surprise me in the least). Consider this the thread to discuss anything and everything about wine.
First, if I may demystify for anyone who thinks wine is beyond them...wine is just grape juice left out in the sun. We'll start from there and work our way forward. 
I've been deeply involved in wine (as a restaurant professional) for decades, though only in the last ten or twelve years have i really been studying it. The beauty part of wine is that, unlike something finite like combustion engines, oenology is a constantly-changing course of which I am glad to be a student.
Bold statements to stake my claim in the "Ask the Expert" thread:
Best grapes in the world: Sauvignon Blanc for white (only nudging out Resiling), Barolo for reds
Best bottle I've had in the last year: 2000 Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet. Got it for free, to boot.
Best wine value (tie): Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc (yes, I said Sutter Home). Great acid, light fruit that won't bowl anyone's tastebuds over, this is about as approachable as wine gets for everyone and is 4 to 5 bucks a bottle. The other one is Beringer Chenin Blanc, a varietal with natural vanilla notes that are usually imparted to whites through oak aging (I spit on the ground here at the amateurs that cask wine to mask imperfections as the result of poor growing technique) and a higher level of sweetness (plus lower alcohol), this is a great transitional wine that can move drinkers of White Zinfandel to better blends.
Worst wine value: Opus One. Despite having Mike Salacci, Opus One's master wine maker, come and give us a talk and tasting of the 1992 through 2000, i still think this is about as overpriced as wine can get. Don't get me wrong, the making of the wine itself is brilliant, with seamless transitions from front of the palette to back, even down the throat, but at those prices I'm sorry, it's just not worth it. Better off with other makers' top tier reds for half the price.
Best wine innovation: screw caps. Wine can go bad through a mold that forms on natural corks. Conservative estimates put it at 3% of all wines are bad because of this. The new screw cap design (employed by more than 95% of all New Zealand bottlings and growing in acceptance worldwide) means 100% of the wines will taste as they should. Translation: the wine makers are thinking more about the consumers of their products than image. Unfortunately, I'll only know this has been fully embraced by the wine community when I unscrew a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem.
Worst wine innovation: plastic corks. They don't let in oxygen the way corks are supposed to. Hence, most wine in plastic-sealed bottles is lousy. Better drink a white bottled that year if anything.
Okay, have at it.
Rob Santa Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Firlefanz - 2/22/2008 7:02 PM | Wow, Rob, I also never realized people liked and loved wine here.
I wouldn't call myself a fan or afficionado. I just learned to enjoy wines because my father-in-law never lets an opportunity pass to serve one. I got to know many German wines because of that habit. (Of course, French and Italian wines are never far away, and I've had some very unusual Spanish ones, too.)
I agree on the screw-caps. More and more wines here have them, and they are useful plus the wine is usually fine. The plastic corks are indeed worst, but they are hard to detect before actually opening the bottle.
I'm looking forward to more wine talk - if only to improve my vocabulary. 
- Call me Firle.
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Mystical Adventures
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/22/2008 7:43 PM | I just read something (don't recall specifics, as I've been researching about 98 sources) that claimed on %1 of wines as "corked" (which is the industry term for moldy or fungal infestations from cork). Rubber plugs are, indeed, detestable. Especially since most vintners I've found using them tend to bottle their wine "green" (I'm borrowing from beer vocab here, not sure if they call it that with wine). I'm with you on the screwtops, though it wasn't an easy sell. I wouldn't expect to see them on anything that ages well, though. I mean like a bordeaux or such that doesn't plateau before five years.
I'm thinking that "corked" wine is more prevalent now because there is a worldwide shortage of good, real cork. So some of the cork being used is too wet to begin with. But that's complete speculation.
Pardon me for my one bit of wine snobbery: White Zin is not wine, it's a failed experiment that caught on with folks who graduated from Everclear Punch and 'coolers'. I'll sooner call sangria wine! [it's a wine-based cocktail and wonderful when well executed, especially by a blue-eyed Portuguese woman named Amy - who is also an author]
The Australians made a pretty good job of maturing from Matilda Bay [still gagging], to some very interesting varietals. I've always thought that the Down Under and South African wines were rather dissimilar to European wines of the same grape and vintage. But some are really great.
I love Spanish reds! Rioja. And Itallian reds - pretty much any sangiovese wine or blend. Also Chilean reds and French. I love a good cuvee or prosecco.
Did you know that the shape of the glass is very important? It influences the oxidation of the wine as well as doing a lot to determine how the wine is presented to the palate. I never could figure out the champaign bowls of yesteryear; I always prefered flutes.
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 2/23/2008 1:37 AM | Ah, yes, white zinfandel is merely soda pop for adults. But without the 50,000 acres devoted to white zin production in California we wouldn't have the 8,000 acres devoted to authentic, red Zin. As much as I would never put white zin in my mouth except when teaching a class (and even then I prefer not to but feel some creeping sense of professional need to join the other tasters), I'd drink red zin every day and twice on Sunday (especially if I were roasting lamb).
Spanish wines...I'm making more yummy sounds deep in my throat. Tempranillo is a merlot variant native to Spain and thrives in higher altitudes, especially the Rioja region. There's a great white from there called Basa; it's damn near perfect with raw oysters (lemony with a mineral finish that comes from the fossilized shells that dominate the soil). Cheap, too, as an added bonus.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Rob Mancebo - 2/23/2008 3:28 AM |
Rob Santa said...
Ah, yes, white zinfandel is merely soda pop for adults. But without the 50,000 acres devoted to white zin production in California we wouldn't have the 8,000 acres devoted to authentic, red Zin.
- Oh damn! White Zin is a favorite of mine, as is white Merlot. Man, I'm glad I never claimed any wine expertice! Of course I listened to Robert Moldavi who said, 'drink what you like' and proceeded to tell of Lord Rothchild drinking his frozen like a slurpie (He said, 'Don't tell anyone, but I just like it that way'.)
- I see wine making as a very old and honerable profession that brings pleasure to multitudes. It's like telling stories or playing music. I wouldn't pay $300 a bottle for it but if someone else wants to, enjoy with my blessings.
Adventure-History-Fantasy-Folklore www.geocities.com/robmancebo/
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/24/2008 2:52 PM |
Rob Santa said...Ah, yes, white zinfandel is merely soda pop for adults. But without the 50,000 acres devoted to white zin production in California we wouldn't have the 8,000 acres devoted to authentic, red Zin. As much as I would never put white zin in my mouth except when teaching a class (and even then I prefer not to but feel some creeping sense of professional need to join the other tasters), I'd drink red zin every day and twice on Sunday (especially if I were roasting lamb).  Spanish wines...I'm making more yummy sounds deep in my throat. Tempranillo is a merlot variant native to Spain and thrives in higher altitudes, especially the Rioja region.
There's a great white from there called Basa; it's damn near perfect with raw oysters (lemony with a mineral finish that comes from the fossilized shells that dominate the soil). Cheap, too, as an added bonus. Sorry. Can't sell me on the oysters. I'm landlocked in the Midwest, and I've had one bad oyster - all it takes. Get me on the coast, and you might convince me with the wine, but I'll never eat another oyster without the seabreeze in walking distance. I like Rioja wines, both red and white. The vintner I used to get from a locally-owned stopped carrying the El Coto that was my favorite brand. They had a blush now and again, too. Contrary to my SOP, I tried it and loved it with a sharper fruit salad (tangerines with green apples and freshcut pineapple and a mix of grapes). Didn't go well with the Havarti, though. Don't recall why.
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/24/2008 2:56 PM |
Rob Mancebo said...
Rob Santa said...
Ah, yes, white zinfandel is merely soda pop for adults. But without the 50,000 acres devoted to white zin production in California we wouldn't have the 8,000 acres devoted to authentic, red Zin.
- Oh damn! White Zin is a favorite of mine, as is white Merlot. Man, I'm glad I never claimed any wine expertice! Of course I listened to Robert Moldavi who said, 'drink what you like' and proceeded to tell of Lord Rothchild drinking his frozen like a slurpie (He said, 'Don't tell anyone, but I just like it that way'.)
- I see wine making as a very old and honerable profession that brings pleasure to multitudes. It's like telling stories or playing music. I wouldn't pay $300 a bottle for it but if someone else wants to, enjoy with my blessings.
I agree with you both! 
On the other hand, it seems to me that there's some correlative relationship similar to that between Hallmark cards and poetry. And I advocate the same stance on both issues: consume what you like. I also advocate occasional forays beyond one's comfort zone in the interest of enriching one's experience. 
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/27/2008 12:01 PM | How about Sauvignon Blanc?
I like it. It's versatile as far as my normal diet for food pairing.
Rob, what's your favorite wine with peppered steak? Or steak au pauve (sp?). Grilled steak? Pan seared steak? Do you prefer white or red with salmon, or does that depend on how it's prepared? Or what it's served with?
What goes best with grilled young asparagus?
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| Posted By : Stuart Clark - 2/27/2008 2:03 PM | If you want a recommendation for a brand, you won't go far wrong with any of the Wolf Blass bottles of vino. They are good quality wines and relatively inexpensive. Their yellow label Cabernet Sauvignon is a good starting point. That stuff slips down easier than a vaseline coated banana on a waterslide. 
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 2/27/2008 8:50 PM | Upthread I mentioned Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite varietal, one that goes especially well with grilled asparagus because Sauv Blanc typically holds not just citrus flavors but grassy and herbal ones as well. An exceptionally high acid level means it's great with seafood or anything with a cream sauce.
For au poive I'd go with a big red that also has peppery notes, though I'd try to steer clear of something with too much oak aging. Zinfandel would be a good choice. Ravenswood is easy to find, though I feel they've lost some of their magic touch from a dozen or so years ago.
As for salmon, the classic wine pairing is Pinot Noir (which would also be good if you were serving asparagus with the salmon for the gout flare-up hat trick). Another choice would be a full-bodied Chardonnay that hasn't seen a ton of oak. Single-fermentaion, too, to keep the acid level high. There's a Russian River Ranches label by Sonoma Cutrer that's perfect.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/28/2008 11:39 AM | Rob, I defintely agree on Ravenwood. Anything after 2002 or so seems . . . off somehow. That happens when a wine hits it big, doesn't it? I've had a lot of great Zins lately. Dancing bull seems to have gone parallel with Ravenwood, but I still prefer it marginally. Cardinal Zin is fun. I'm getting in TTV's signature Zin tonight. Likely save it for Sunday's tasting, though. So anyone in the Springfield, Illinois area is welcome to email and drop in this Sunday at 2:30 CST. It will be quite an eclectic crowd, too: poets, museum folk, retired librarians, a blues harpist, folks from the Classical Guitar society, and at least three novelists. Not to mention . . . well, it'll be a great time!
A medium bodied Argentine or Chilean red goes well with the asparagus, too. If you spice the asparagus with spicy dijon and McElhaney's Chipotle like I do. Makes for quite a unique meal . . . and a lot of askance looks from the inlaws  .
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/28/2008 9:21 PM | Okay. I got it wrong.
Tonight I made a roasted garlic red pasta sauce with angel hair pasta. The wine I chose for . . . let's say "price-point". It really should have worked! I have a Temp/Cab 80/20 blend. It's a 2002 and very good and dry. BUT, the past sauce is overly sweet and the wine wipes it out. The wine actually complements the garlic bagels, but not the pasta with red sauce. A true temprillo would be excellent . . . but I really should have gone with It. versus Sp. on this one. My bad.
So . . . I learned something new! And that is truly FANTASTIC! I'm enjoying the rest of the bottle as my wife and urchin go to discuss a trip to Germany for my 17YO.
Go figure!
I'm having a tasting in my home Sunday; wish me success, everyone! 
Read me soon in The Return of the Sword!
Blog: http://bitterhermit.wordpress.com
Buy wine: http://fringemonkey.org
Poetry Blog: http://fringemonkey.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : Stuart Clark - 2/29/2008 1:04 AM | | Don't know if any of you afficianados can make it, but this might be of interest...
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 2/29/2008 1:21 PM | Been to the Boston Wine Expo several times. Great opportunity to talk to winemakers, though most of the people there are only salesmen. The down side to these events is that too many event goers are there just to drink which is an expensive way to do it, mind you). I can't tell you the number of times I'd be talking to a rep about the intricacies of one of the wines when someone would put their glass over my shoulder and shake it. Very rude and hard to ignore.
Still, where else am I going to sample the wines these reps have "under the counter?" Start talking like a pro and these guys can't wait to pour you the good stuff that's hiding just out of sight. If you've never been to an expo, I highly recommend it.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 2/29/2008 1:33 PM | I'm working toward that end. As well as a number of incentives from TTV.
I've shared a couple reserves and highend bottles with the guy who mentored me in the business eight years or so ago. I have no idea where he is these days.
It'll happen soon. Meantime, I'm running around networking to earn money to pay off my student loans. That'll take a lot of wine sales! But I can manage it, and have a lot of fun doing it!
Find anything spectacular in Boston?
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| Posted By : MR Hicks - 3/1/2008 1:27 PM | Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I've never really acquired much of a taste for traditional wines (and I've had a few good ones). The whites are more palatable than the reds, but almost all of them are too bitter or dry for me.
So, I've wound up squarely in the so-called white zin soda pop crowd! But the nice thing is that a friend of mine got me into wine-making (with kits, not stomping the grapes), and that's been a lot of fun and has produced some really good-tasting wine! While I've done some traditional wines, nowadays I pretty much stick to the fruity wines from the Island Mist line.
But particularly if you really enjoy traditional wines, winemaking is a great hobby that's also inexpensive (about $100) to get into and very easy to do (MUCH easier than making beer!). The kits like I use run around $50 to $100 and produce 30 bottles. But of course you can also be more traditional and pick your own grapes, etc.
Cheers,
Mike
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel now available on Amazon Kindle. Learn more and read a free excerpt at www.KreelanWarrior.com! |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/1/2008 5:27 PM | | Where do you get the kits? I've been growing a grapevine for three or four years now. It should be good for a little wine this year.
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| Posted By : MR Hicks - 3/1/2008 9:25 PM | There are several companies that make kits that can be bought either in local winemaking stores or on the web. I get all my stuff from Annapolis Homebrew, as they're *very* knowledgeable about brewing. And if you want to stomp your own grapes and go that route, they have all the goodies to help you do that, too.
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel now available on Amazon Kindle. Learn more and read a free excerpt at www.KreelanWarrior.com! |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/3/2008 2:10 PM | Very cool. Thanks.
Had a new wine yesterday at an event I presented. Muscato D'Asti. Super frizzette. Light yellow. Fruity. Everybody loved it. Can't wait till my next event to have some again. . .
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| Posted By : MR Hicks - 3/3/2008 6:47 PM | My wife just saw something in the local community college listing that sounded interesting: an audited class that's entitled "Winetasting in Maryland" - the whole thing is just bouncing from winery to winery! I think we're going to have to try that one...
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel now available on Amazon Kindle. Learn more and read a free excerpt at www.KreelanWarrior.com! |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/11/2008 2:21 PM | We had peppered steak last night with a French Pinot Noir. WOW.
This Pinot Noir.
Before, I'd only had Californian PNs from the grocery store and didn't care for any. This one, though, really lit me up. Really brought out the tangy sweetness of the tomatoes as well as painting a picture of a very happy, self-sacrificing cow (from Minnesota) honored by the complement of tastes. And then, after the meal, it was incredibly complementary to the Dove Promises dark chocolate - even better with the Russel Stover's vanilla bean dark chocolate wafers. Cullinary equivalent of multi-O.
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 3/12/2008 3:05 PM | I can agree with you on substandard pinot. It is one of the most difficult grapes to grow, as it is famously quirky. If I might suggest something in the Russian River Valley, you'll be surprised with California pinot. Bearboat is a label I can think of right off the top of my head.
Now, while this is not often the case with wine, it is true for pinot: you get what you pay for. Because pinot noirs are so tough to grow, winemakers have to boost their prices for the acres that don't make it. There is no such thing as a cheap pinot, and if it is, it tastes like it. Your price point should be in the twenty to twenty-five dollar neighborhood if you want to enjoy something with depth.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/12/2008 6:25 PM | Isn't part of it the yield? Doesn't the vine yeild less per vine/acre/plot? Am I thinking of the right grape? Wait . . . I think I'm thinking of chablis. Too much study . . . too diverse a courseload. I'm studying "The Complete Wine Course" at the same time as "The Fabric of the Universe" and trying to run numerous projects simultaneously. I'll look it up and write in on a note card for later reference . . . and forego the wine tonight (likely until Friday).
Cheers!
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 3/12/2008 9:47 PM | You have it correct: pinot is a low yield wine. Small grapes, big headaches.
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/13/2008 11:39 AM | The big headaches are from an OD of tannins. Try exedrin and drink water till the stream runs clear . . .
Rob Santa said...You have it correct: pinot is a low yield wine. Small grapes, big headaches.
Just taking it to the metaphorical fun of it. Yeah. I think I'm much happier drinking the stuff than I would be making it. Within ten years I intend to find that out . . . I'm going to go google vine vendors and find some good grapes to grow in my sandtrap of a backyard. Certainly WON'T be Pinot Noir! Maybe sangeovese? Graves? Wouldn't try Chardonnay on a bet, and Reisling is out of the question on a stupid prairie.
Read me soon in The Return of the Sword! Blog: http://bitterhermit.wordpress.com Buy wine: http://fringemonkey.org Poetry Blog: http://fringemonkey.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : Rob Santa - 3/14/2008 1:06 AM | Lots of grapes do well in sandy soil. You should have a bunch to choose from (bunch, heh heh).
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/14/2008 11:18 AM | | A lot more than I thought, now that I've looked into it. But there is also the matter of extreme weather conditions (tornado one week, blizzard the next sort of thing), and an abundance of summer sun. Need a fairly sturdy stock. I have one area I'm thinking about illegally planting - behind our back fence. The verge is statutorily protected for utilities, but that seems to be the most consistently violated statute in our neighborhood. Anyway, the verge is between two fences, which means less brutal sunshine and more friendly shade. I'm thinking I'll till the stoney sand/clay mixture and beat in a lot of gravel. Then bring in lots of straw to rot and likely a ton of manure (though I'll have to do that by the barrow, as there is no way to get a vehicle in there . . . other than through the back of my garage. So then I can grow a few vines in the back yard and six to ten in that verge. So now I just need to research which varietal grapes will grow best under those conditions - buy two-year-old vines and feed the birds for three years. Then, in 2011, I should have a nice crop. Meantime, I get the kit-vit set and learn how to vint that way and experiment a little before I get my own grapes going. Then I buy that land 72 miles from here where the soil is good and there are a few hills . . . suddenly I'm a central Illinois vinter!
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| Posted By : MR Hicks - 3/16/2008 7:55 PM | well, while you all have been pondering about growing the grapes, i just corked up 30 bottles of green apple riesling! i'll drink some for you!
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel now available on Amazon Kindle. Learn more and read a free excerpt at www.KreelanWarrior.com! |
| Posted By : MR Hicks - 3/18/2008 6:44 PM | true chivalry!
unfortunately, we're down to the last bottle of strawberry white merlot. on the up side, i've got another kit ready to go into the primary fermenter: exotic fruits white zinfandel. haven't made this one before, but it sounds interesting!
Author of In Her Name, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel now available on Amazon Kindle. Learn more and read a free excerpt at www.KreelanWarrior.com! |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/19/2008 12:34 PM | I've got about 12 cases of inventory coming in today.
Great deal of Muscato d'Asti (for a sweet wine, this is really good)
a gold medal Syrah from California (2 cases or so)
My alltime favorite Pinot Grigio (closer to 3 cases)
a quaint little Merlot (its French cousin kicks it into swill, sorry)
French Merlot (far superior to the particular Cal. merlot above stated)
Lots of other wine. Of course, most of it goes straight to clients. But I've got some personal stock in there as well. So . . . next time you come to visit Lincoln sites in Springfield, Illinois . . . look me up (better, forewarn me), and we'll sit down for a nice bottle of wine. Or two. Or more.
Read me soon in The Return of the Sword!
Blog: http://bitterhermit.wordpress.com
Buy wine: http://fringemonkey.org
Poetry Blog: http://fringemonkey.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/20/2008 2:02 PM | It was 16 boxes! Fifteen of wine and accessories, and a box of RotS copies. WooHoo! I hit the motherlode!
The impressive part is that it came UPS and the company packs everything so well that everything was intact! It certainly wasn't because the guy bailing hay from the back of the UPS truck was respecting the "fragile" stickers! He's a nice fellow, though.
I am totally abundant with wine now! I'll hardly notice the three cases going out this weekend for events and Easter. Can't wait till the workday is done . . .
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| Posted By : Nicholas - 3/21/2008 4:11 PM | I'm a fan of pinot noir, myself.
And good port.
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 3/21/2008 4:45 PM | Hey! Nicholas. Great to see you. I would have guessed you for pinot noir. Pairs so well with most cigars and pipe t'backy.
Firle: it was starting on an empty stomach that did me in. That and a long phone conversation on the worst topic I ever treet in conversation - my former so-called family. Funny, but getting onto that topic seems to make whole bottles of whatever I'm drinking evaporate with ninja alacrity! Better wine than whiskey . . . 
I'll wait for tomorrow's event to taste any more wine. I have to live in this body for a little longer . . .
Read me soon in The Return of the Sword!
Blog: http://bitterhermit.wordpress.com
Buy wine: http://fringemonkey.org
Poetry Blog: http://fringemonkey.wordpress.com |
| Posted By : Nicholas - 3/21/2008 4:49 PM | | Ahh, a glass of good pinot noir and a fine cigar...With a good book at hand. That will cure any emotional turmoil or existential angst.
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| Posted By : MichaelEhart - 4/2/2008 7:29 PM | http://www.pierre-amadieu.fr/fr/index.php?numRub=1&srub=1
Nice fruity flavor, earthy with a slight smack of tannen and a veerrry nice finish. Yumm.
Excellent with almonds, BTW.
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| Posted By : Rob Santa - 4/2/2008 8:43 PM | Alsace wines can be great, especially Gewurtz and Reisling (with some nice Pinot Blancs thrown in as well). Trimbach, Schlumberger, Hugel and Josmeyer are labels that can be found in bigger wine stores without too much trouble. Most of the bottlings from there have a minerally quality (think crushed sea shells).
Rob Santa
Hopelessly Addicted Writer of Speculative Fiction
and CEO of Ricasso Press |
| Posted By : Nicholas - 4/3/2008 2:58 AM | | Has anyone had (and not just read) dandelion wine?
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 4/4/2008 10:22 AM | Not since I was fifteen. God it was lousy stuff back then. I'm curious as to what I'd think of it now. I recall it tasting like wine and whiskey mixed. I think it was served too cold. Closest thing I can match to that memory is plum wine mixed with a Boujelais?
I'll have to check around; my dad had some friends who brewed the stuff. Seems like there was a sort of cult built around the stuff. If I find some, do you want me to send you a bottle? Or is it just a matter of curiosity?
Nicholas said...Has anyone had (and not just read) dandelion wine?
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| Posted By : Nicholas - 4/4/2008 12:04 PM | | Just curiosity, really.
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| Posted By : MysticWino - 4/4/2008 3:36 PM | Actually, I recall now why I default to "NO!" on any Riesling. If it's sweet, it's too sweet. If it's dry, it vanishes too quickly. In the first case, I can't drink too little. For the dry . . . can't drink little enough 
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