wiegie Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 Well, it looks like we are going to have a potpouri of Pinot Grigio. I got the King Estate and then went with the Banfi "San Angelo" Pinot Grigio. I typically like Banfi's wines quite a bit, so I figured I'd take a chance with them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted December 13, 2005 Author Share Posted December 13, 2005 i've liked ruffino... and like you went with...... i've liked banfi also.... at the time was hard to predict what others might go with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 in the normal chatroom (look for the link at the top right of your screen) 1213313[/snapback] You mean the one that says chat room? I didn't pick up the pinot grigios, but I may do a vertical Yuengling tasting and listen in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 OK, so here are my notes for the wines I had this week: Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio 2004 (Cost-Plus/World Market $14): A lot of citrus (grapefruit it seemed to me -- and also to my wife who took a sniff). Fairly crisp. Not bad. I do not plan on buying this wine again though as I think I can get a better wine for the price (or a similar wine for a few dollars less). King Estate Pinot Grigio 2003 (Cost-Plus/World Market $13): Again, a lot of citrus like grapefruit. Also noticed some pineapple. Very nice and lingering finish. Would consider buying this wine again if an occasion warranted drinking a white wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted December 14, 2005 Author Share Posted December 14, 2005 was a very good time...... Chateau St. Michelle- 04 light color. foral and pear aromas. mostly pear flavors.... crisp wine. seemed a little 1 dimensional to me.... wasn't overly impressed. Ruffino- 04 color was very similar to the csm. aromas of melon.... tasted more smooth than the csm. a little buttery, but not like a californian chard. i liked it... would prob get this one again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) We are going to go with: Querceto 2004 & Gabbiano Classico 2002 EDIT: If you haven't gotten the wine yet, buy the Gabbiano Classico Riserva 2002 instead of just the Classico. EDIT AGAIN: If you're like me, you won't be able to find the Gabbiano Riserva, so just get the Classico. (The Gabbiano Classico should be avaiable pretty much everywhere (I got mine at a Cost Plus/World Market for $10.99)--the Querceto was available in both Colorado and in Grand Rapids (I had to look a little bit for it though), so hopefully it will be available everywhere (although I just checked the online wine inventories of both Schnucks and Starr's** in St. Louis and neither had it (Starr's had a Querceto Riserva 2000, but that isn't what we are tasting.))) Bier also wants to know if anybody wants to do wine tasting on Sunday to fit around his work schedule. I think I'll be able to drink with him. **Here is the link to Starr's website from which you can get to their inventory: http://www.starrs1.com/starrs/store/Starrs_Home.asp Edited December 18, 2005 by wiegie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 Well, as it turns out, the Gabbiano Classico Riserva apparently isn't available in Grand Rapids. On the way home from church I stopped at three different places to find it, the last one being an Italian wine shop that carries the widest selection of Italian wines in Grand Rapids. When I didn't see it there, I asked the owner if he had it and he told me that for some reason he couldn't get it anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 (edited) i am more than happy to select our merlots this week..... does anyone want to participate in the selection? i will be off this saturday 1/7..... my schedule for the following week is not up yet. Edited January 5, 2006 by Bier Meister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 i am more than happy to select our merlots this week..... does anyone want to participate in the selection?i will be off this saturday 1/7..... my schedule for the following week is not up yet. 1249418[/snapback] No can do on Saturday. I can do the usual Tuesday though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady.hawke Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 (edited) Bier, I hoping to finally make it to the party this week! Regarding the choice - there are so many Merlots! For CA wines, I find the results of the CA State Fair commercial wine competition to be a very good resource. It's a multiple-blind competition and the only reason I go to the fair, for the tasting. And it's fun to see a $5.00 bottle of wine beat all the others in a catagory! If I am correct that "our" wines need to be under $10, the "Best Merlot" this year was the Blackstone 2001 Reserve, $17, and not eligable. There was a Double Gold winner in the range: Fusee 2003, $6.00, but I am not at all familiar with this label and have no idea how widely distributed it is, but for the price it should be. The Gold Medal winners in the range are: Coastal Ridge 2003, $6.99 Delicato 2004, $6.99 Forest Glen 2004, $8.99 Redwood Creek 2003, $7.99 Sutter Home 2004, $6.00 I've not tried any of these, only because I don't usually choose a Merlot, but at least they all have acheived some acclaim. This is fun! Edited January 7, 2006 by Lady.hawke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady.hawke Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Regarding the Fusee Merlot in the last post, that winery put up 36,000 gallons of that wine, so it should be everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Bier, I hoping to finally make it to the party this week! Regarding the choice - there are so many Merlots! For CA wines, I find the results of the CA State Fair commercial wine competition to be a very good resource. It's a multiple-blind competition and the only reason I go to the fair, for the tasting. And it's fun to see a $5.00 bottle of wine beat all the others in a catagory! If I am correct that "our" wines need to be under $10, the "Best Merlot" this year was the Blackstone 2001 Reserve, $17, and not eligable. There was a Double Gold winner in the range: Fusee 2003, $6.00, but I am not at all familiar with this label and have no idea how widely distributed it is, but for the price it should be. The Gold Medal winners in the range are: Coastal Ridge 2003, $6.99 Delicato 2004, $6.99 Forest Glen 2004, $8.99 Redwood Creek 2003, $7.99 Sutter Home 2004, $6.00 I've not tried any of these, only because I don't usually choose a Merlot, but at least they all have acheived some acclaim. This is fun! 1251977[/snapback] Great info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 Sebastiani 01 Bella Sera 03 was thinking about opening them 1 hr - 30 min before kickoff...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Bier, you are killing me. Almost literally. So, I go to the local grocery store which generally has a decent selection of basic wines. I see a 2002 Bella Sera, but no Sebastiani. Not to fear, there is another decent grocery store just down the road, I'll get both wines there. Alas they have a 1999 Sebastiani and no Bella Sera. On to store #3--no Bella Sera, no Sebastiani. On to store #4, the best wine store in my area, aha, a 2001 Sebastiani. Oh no, it is an expensive Alexander Valley merlot. But they do have the 2000 Sonoma Sebastiani. Wrong vintage, but what the hell. No Bella Sera. If I were smart I would have grabbed another basic merlot there and been done with it. I am not smart. On to grocery store #3 which is located in the hood. On the way, I see a liquor store advertising 600 wines in stock, so I stop in. They have about 200 bottles total of a bunch of crappy wines (but alas, still no Bella Sera). Get to the grocery store, still no Bella Sera. Have a phone book in my car, look up "wine", see a "wine" store just down the road. Get to wine store. It is really a shady liquor store. Go inside and almost get run down by a big woman holding 4 forties in her arms. Find the wine. They actually do have 1 bottle of Bella Sera merlot. It is a 2001 and is in a forgotten corner of the bin and has dust a mile thick on it. They want $9 for it. I pass. By this time I am finished. There is one more grocery store on my way home. I stop in. No Bella Sera merlot. I grab a 2003 Delicato (figuring it is about the same level of wine). Get home. Wife asks why I have been gone for more than 2 hours. Wife asks me if I will go shopping with her. I am going to go with her. Will drink wine when I get back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 OMG that's awefull....... got my sebastiani for 16.99 (figured it was worth the extra couple) i thought the bella sera would be easy to find (cheap italian 8.49)...was between that and a bolla....... man i'm sorry.... not supposed to be stressfull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 OMG that's awefull....... got my sebastiani for 16.99 (figured it was worth the extra couple) i thought the bella sera would be easy to find (cheap italian 8.49)...was between that and a bolla....... man i'm sorry.... not supposed to be stressfull. 1253119[/snapback] I'll live. (And it sure isn't your problem that I'm stubborn.) When you posted those wines I figured I would find both of them at the first place I visited and would have been back home 20 minutes later. And I certainly thought I would have been able to get both of them within the first two places that I went to. I'll be back to taste wines in about 60-90 minutes or so. :brews: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady.hawke Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Bier, My story is not nearly as bad as Wiegie's: Went to my favorite gourmet grocery store, as I needed ingredients for dinner anyway. They have the Sebastiani - on sale fro 12.00. The only Bella Sera wine is Pinot Grigio. Store 2, only have Bella Sera 2004, but lots of if. Store 3, no Bella Sera Real Liquor Store, apparently under new ownership and stocked illogically. Proprietor would not get off the phone and help me and I not find any Bella Sera. I would have purchased another merlot there, but was too mad. I'd probably still be waiting to pay. So polish up those wine review and descriptive skills. We may have to taste that one vicariously through you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted January 7, 2006 Share Posted January 7, 2006 Believe it or not, I now have the 2003 Bella Sera Merlot. I went shopping with my wife and on our way home we were driving past a Rite-Aid Pharmacy. When I saw the sign I immediately remembered that it is the Rite-Aid weekend advertising flyer that I always see Bella Sera wine on sale. So I quickly went into the store, and there it was. Why I didn't think of this hours ago I will never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bier Meister Posted January 7, 2006 Author Share Posted January 7, 2006 :doah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 Bier, you are killing me. Almost literally. So, I go to the local grocery store which generally has a decent selection of basic wines. I see a 2002 Bella Sera, but no Sebastiani. Not to fear, there is another decent grocery store just down the road, I'll get both wines there. Alas they have a 1999 Sebastiani and no Bella Sera. On to store #3--no Bella Sera, no Sebastiani. On to store #4, the best wine store in my area, aha, a 2001 Sebastiani. Oh no, it is an expensive Alexander Valley merlot. But they do have the 2000 Sonoma Sebastiani. Wrong vintage, but what the hell. No Bella Sera. If I were smart I would have grabbed another basic merlot there and been done with it. I am not smart. On to grocery store #3 which is located in the hood. On the way, I see a liquor store advertising 600 wines in stock, so I stop in. They have about 200 bottles total of a bunch of crappy wines (but alas, still no Bella Sera). Get to the grocery store, still no Bella Sera. Have a phone book in my car, look up "wine", see a "wine" store just down the road. Get to wine store. It is really a shady liquor store. Go inside and almost get run down by a big woman holding 4 forties in her arms. Find the wine. They actually do have 1 bottle of Bella Sera merlot. It is a 2001 and is in a forgotten corner of the bin and has dust a mile thick on it. They want $9 for it. I pass. By this time I am finished. There is one more grocery store on my way home. I stop in. No Bella Sera merlot. I grab a 2003 Delicato (figuring it is about the same level of wine). Get home. Wife asks why I have been gone for more than 2 hours. Wife asks me if I will go shopping with her. I am going to go with her. Will drink wine when I get back. 1253110[/snapback] I go through this on a weekly basis trying to find all of the weekly wines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 well--I'm drinking some left-over merlot right now (but no one is in the chat-room) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 well--I'm drinking some left-over merlot right now (but no one is in the chat-room) 1259081[/snapback] :doah: I couldn't get home in time. These last few weeks have been hectic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 For what it's worth, the Sebastiani held up pretty well after spending three days in the fridge (vac-u-vin). The Bella Sera didn't do as well. The first sip I had of the Bella Sera was not unpleasant, but I picked up a real bitterness on the second sip. And after I tasted the Sebastiani the Bella Sera was almost undrinkable. (I only had a small glass of each, so I might try again tonight). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 For what it's worth, the Sebastiani held up pretty well after spending three days in the fridge (vac-u-vin). The Bella Sera didn't do as well. The first sip I had of the Bella Sera was not unpleasant, but I picked up a real bitterness on the second sip. And after I tasted the Sebastiani the Bella Sera was almost undrinkable. (I only had a small glass of each, so I might try again tonight). 1259714[/snapback] We may need to revisit this one down the road. It sounds like there wasn't a ton of participation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proninja Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Umm, I'm not so sure what's going on in here, but this sounds like a party I'd like to join. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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