Calling out the winos...

[Bella]

You know who you are :).

What's your current favourite? Your absolute favourite? What got you drinking it in the first place? What do you drink it with? Who do you drink it with - and what are you wearing when you drink it?

Do you have any food/wine pairing suggestions? We know to drink reds with meat and whites with pasta, but what do you drink with popcorn? With Jelly Bellys? How about dill pickles or KFC?

[Dingfod]

Reds with meat? Does that include fish and chicken?

Don't drink wine much. Don't like the dry wines. When my brother was living in Germany he sent me a bottle of a German wine, for the life of me, I cannot remember what kind it was or the winery name, but it was so good, slightly sweet, not too dry. Been seeking the same since to no avail.

[Ronin]

Back when I was active in the SCA as an aspiring member of an entertainment troupe I was just about addicted to merlot.

Merlot...with...anything.

Foolishly, I surrendered those ethereal times and moved on to the hard stuff.

Whiskey with meats and vodka with pasta.

:martini:

[livius drusus]

Barbera d'Alba from the Sandrone vinyard in Piedmont is the best all-around dinner red I've ever had. The 2001 vintage is particularly magical. It does this thing where it matches every dish you put out there exquisitely, even really hard to match things like Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola.

There's a little Sardegnan white called Aragosta which not only means "lobster" but is also perfection with shellfish of any kind. It's quite acidic and crisp, an unbeatable complement to shrimp, lobster, even deep fried, supersalty crawdads.

Oh, and Ronin, Bree already has my vodka with pasta recipe. :gnoshing:

[Ex-zombie]

The best bottle of wine I ever had was Napa Valley Pinot Noir. I don't remember the vintage year. That stuff was smooth as silk. At the time I drank it I didn't understand about wines and years. So I didn't buy more of that vintage year. Their subsequent vintages are nowhere near the quality of the first one.

[dave_a]

I am thankful that I do not have a very sophisticated palate when it comes to alcohol. I am more of an effect than taste guy.

As a result I generally drink wines that sell for <$10, often less than $5.

One I particularly like is the Concord Grape wine, don't have a bottle handy to figure out who makes it, but I get it at the gas station nearby.

Occassionally the wines packaged in boxes rather than bottles are good too :D

I also like the wines from nearby wineries like Door County, Cedar Creek and Wollersheim which is owned by relatives of my wife.

[Talulah]

Well, I took a bottle of Cabernet to my friend's house for Thanksgiving. I unfortunately don't remember the name but it was very good. It was 2003 from Pasa Robles. That was why I bought it. It was excellent. :(

I'll probably recognize it is I see it but that doesn't help ya'll now does it?

I really like Yellow Tail cab, pinot noir and the mix of the two. Yummy. I don't buy wine at gas stations (unless I recognize the brand and liked it before) because they let the wine sit in sunny windows. I buy the 7-9 dollar bottles of wine. Sometimes Diana springs for the ones a bit more expensive.

[Bella]

I also like the wines from nearby wineries like Door County, Cedar Creek and Wollersheim which is owned by relatives of my wife.
You might want to check out White Winter Winery (I think they have a website), which is based out of Iron River, WI. That's my hometown. They make some damned good mead.

[dave_a]

You might want to check out White Winter Winery (I think they have a website), which is based out of Iron River, WI. That's my hometown. They make some damned good mead.

Cool, I just checked out their site, I might order some of thier Sweet Mead, looks good.

[Godless Wonder]

For reds, I favor Shiraz, Lindemann's bin 50 is economical and serviceable. If I'm wanting something easier to drink, George D'Boeff (sp?) Beajolais is pretty good, but maybe a little overpriced. For white wine, which for the most part, I don't like enough to bother with, I favor Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, and their Fume Blanc is good as well. Actually I've never had a Chateau St. Jean of any type I didn't like, but those two I've had on multiple occasions, and not been disappointed. They aren't the cheapest around though.

Disclaimer: I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, (but unlike real wine connoisseurs, I admit it. :) )

[LadyShea]

My "everyday" fave is Louis Jadot Boujolais-Villages, my all time fave is Chateu de la Gardine red Rhone.

Don't care much for whites, except for Evolution (http://www.evolutionwine.com/)

[livius drusus]

My favorite all around white is Jadot's Pouilly Fuissé (http://www.kobrandwine.com/prodbook/ljj011.html). It's a reliably excellent dry Chardonnay.

http://www.kobrandwine.com/labels/ljj011.jpg

[Presence of the Passenger]

Pouilly Fuisse is an excellent white. Very, very versatile.

I actually work at a winery; so if anyone needs more technical knowledge, I'll do my best to find the answers. Up here, in northern Michigan, is riesling country. Shame I'm a huge red wine drinker.

My latest addition to my collection is a Bonarda 60% Malbec 40% blend from Argentina. Tikal - Patriota. Mid $20 bottle. They also offer three other varieties. Will stain your teeth purple after the first glass, so watch out. After pushing this bottle on our winemaker, I managed to convince him to purchase a vineyard next-door to Tikal's estate. So, come this spring, we're gonna have Argentinian juice for our red wines! :D:D:D:D:D:D


Warrenly, your wine was most likely a light German Riesling, or Kabinett. Which I have to say we do a better job of making at my chateau ;) If it's was a tad sweeter, had an amber hue to it, it's likely a blend with one of two other varietals and would be called a Spatlese.

If that wine had a bit of spice to it, it's a Gewurtraminer. Sweet, much like a riesling but is its own varietal, with lots of spice and a really pungent bouquet. Probably came from the Alsace region of France/Germany.

[livius drusus]

I'm ashamed to say I had no idea Michigan was anything wine-related country. I have a persistent blind spot when it comes to American wines of all kind, I'm afraid, and that unfortunately equals near total ignorance. I am very much looking forward to availing myself of your expertise whenever possible.

Welcome to FF, Presence of the Passenger. :welcome2:

[Talulah]

Yeah, the wine I drink stains my teeth too. In fact, a couple of months ago I took a picture of myself and emailed it to Diana and she responded by saying "Have another glass of wine why don't you."

[Presence of the Passenger]

Thank you. :wave:

[HarryLime]

Red wine (cheap red wine, that is) is a perfect compliment to vodka. Half red wine and half vodka in a glass with ice is what's known as a Brutal Hammer. Perhaps the most fearsomely effective drink in all of creation. One of the regulars on the Modern Drunkard forums created it by accident, and its power has become legend. Get down three of those, and reality will go away until tomorrow.

Will

[AspenMama]

A bold red cabernet or a spicy red zinfandel will complement any cuisine. You will rarely find a white wine in my hand--excepting perhaps a hot summer day and a cool glass of a pinot grigio.

My favorite wine was first consumed hiking through a place called Castlewood Canyon with my guy. We sat on a rock after a brief walk and opened up a bottle of Abadia Retuerta Selection Especiale (I don't remember the year-- '98 or '99 vintage). It was incredible.

A new favorite red zin is the Biker Zin by Four Vines.