The Wine Thread

[Morphia]

I have not seen anything on wine in this group and wine and food do go together so I decided to share a few inexpensive red wines that are very food friendly.

I have one rule when it come to wine..."If I like, I drink, if I don't like I don't drink"

The more wine you drink the better one will be at determining what they do and do not like.

All are less then $15....All food friendly reds and pretty much go with anything

Carpineto - Dogajolo

Masi - Modello Delle Venezie

Gerard Bertrand - Reserve Special Pinot Noir

Louis Latour - Beaujolais-Villages Chameroy

Happy Drinking!

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. I've mentioned before

That one of my favorite things about Italy is the vast amount of really good, really cheap wine I could get. I particularly remember a fantastic lambrusco that I got for €2.

[eridani]

2. I tend to win my wine in local Dem party raffles

I use it mainly in cooking, but occasionally have some befoe bedtime.

Wine improves with age. I improve with wine.

[bif]

3. Trader Joe's has some great bargain wines

I like the La Finca which is from Argentina. The Tempranillo and Malbec are both excellent.And they're both only $3.99!

[cbayer]

4. Thanks for the suggestions!

I am currently in Mexico and exploring their wines.

They are wonderful and generally not exported. The prices are very reasonable as well.

Love that you have started this thread and look forward to suggestions from others.

[Kali]

6. I thought the prices were a little high

but the quality was pretty good. Some really good olive oils there in Baja as well.

Check out the strange sherry-like product a few of them have created and go see the wine museum, it is all in Spanish but still very nice!

Miguel Fuentes has the sherry stuff.

[cbayer]

8. They are a little high by Mexican standards, but the quality is really good.

Agree about the olive oil. Haven't seen the sherry - will look.

The museum is on my list for this week and it will give me a great opportunity to test my spanish!

Thanks for the info.

[Kali]

11. too influenced by California prices LOL

no photos inside museum but a really nice installation. Mexico does museums very well. (at least the biggies I am familiar with)

[cbayer]

12. And sold mostly in higher end restaurants with a fair amount of US patrons.

Any other suggestions for Ensenada before I leave here?

[Kali]

13. the drive out to the blowhole was kind of nice, you can park up at the top of the hill and watch the

water in the little bay surge back and forth. there was a bit of dog poop there but it was a nice spot to sit and take pix. You can see some the first of the strange plants up there, and on in to that little bay is a restaurant with a nice garden of strange plants. You have to run a gauntlet of curio shacks to get to the blowhole itself and it was too crowded for us the day we went by (seemed like they were charging for parking or something as well) getting wet late in the day didn't seem too appealing either and that seems to be kind a goal of going and looking at it. (plus you can see the whole scene from up on top of the hill)

And what the hell are those round pens in the bigger bay at Ensenada? Fish pens? somebody told me they might be raising tuna???

Somewhere around there (maybe south of Ensenada a few miles) was a fishing spot (aimed at US recreation) and a famous bar (can't remember the name at the moment) but supposed to be an old English cemetery. We never found it, but it is mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide.

[cbayer]

15. The Bufadora is on my itinerary for my upcoming drive down to La Paz.

I've heard that the road is under repair, so I might have to skip it.

I've wondered the same thing about those round pens and my best guess is that they are safe havens for some kind of fish.

I'll look for the fishing spot you mentioned and get back to you. I plan to drive very, very slowly and take about a week to get down there, so lots of time to explore!

[bif]

7. I had no idea Mexico produced wines

Some of their beers are excellent. Mainly because the breweries were built by Germans.

[cbayer]

9. Northern baja - excellent wines.

They are generally very small vineyards and not sold much outside of the region.

I had hoped to go up and tour some of them, but may not get to it before I leave. VERY expensive to go up and spend the night and I've got really strict rules about drinking and driving.

[Kali]

14. there is a small less expensive motel on the main road south of most of the wineries

right hand side as you travel north - Hotel Sofia. Nothing is open to eat after dark up there though, so beware! Take snacks, if you are going to spend the night!

If you hit the big L A Cetto winery the same time as a tour bus you can probably do the tour and taste for free

[cbayer]

16. I haven't seen anything about that hotel, but will do some research.

Good advice about the bus tours. Down side is, of course, you are with the people on the bus tour, lol.

[Kali]

17. got the name wrong - it is Fatima, not Sofia

here is their LAME website - http://www.hotelplazafatima.com/english/

don't believe those prices, I think we paid 70 for a double in February - definetly walk away if you can't get a better price - the staff is, uh...not real professional, if you know what I mean. Family owned and new. But the price beats the hell out of the fancy solar outhouses up on the hill (you will see it, don't worry)

edit to add - http://www.gizmag.com/hotel-endemico-mexico-eco-retreat/21384/

[cbayer]

18. I have found that researching and booking hotels in Mexico to be a bit of a challenge.

Doable, but requires a lot more effort than I am used to.

But that's cool. I'm on Mexican time!

[Kali]

19. I haven't found any need to make reservations ever. I do research a short list of possibilities

but lots of time you just drive by something that looks better. You can almost always find something and then go LOOK at the rooms and generally get a better price. Always ask if that is all they have and ALWAYS leave enough time to say "Thank you, but I will look some more" and walk away.

(though like in this case, there may not be much else in the area)

[cbayer]

20. I'm taking the transpeninsular all the way down and

I've run into a lot of posts that say to book because there are very limited options and they fill up.

The last thing I want is to be 150 km. from the next place in the dark, so I'm booking.

[northoftheborder]

5. Thanks for suggestions. i've tried to keep a wine diary the last year or so; I'll go look at that..

....post some of my better likes. (About half of what I take home from store is very mediocre.) Part of it is my being frugal!

[Kali]

10. Chateau Ste. Michelle and one of its subsidaries, Columbia Crest are my favorite domestics

both make good affordable wines and they are unionized!

[Morphia]

21. Thanksgiving Wine

Picking a wine for Thanksgiving can be hard but only if you make it hard.

First there is no really good pick for Thanksgiving, the cranberry sauce, marshmallow sweet potatoes and other sweet dishes make it really difficult to pick a wine, even for Sommelier’s, no I am not one.

So a few suggestions that have worked for me in the past…….
Light to Medium Body Zinfandels from California, sorry I can’t give you a label recommend I really don’t drink much wine from California but I have had some in past years but can’t remember the labels. Sorry.

Two Princes Riesling – Germany, should be about $12 a bottle

Sancerre – France, Just about any will work. Jolivet, Domaine Cherrier, Pascal Jolivet are labels I have bought in the past. Let your wallet be your guide the first 2 are under $20. Stay away from the sweet ones. Tip look for sec or demisec on the label if you are not sure.

Pouilly-Fumé – France, Pouilly-Fumé is hard to find, if you can find it is usually is not cheap due to price I would not recommend for Thanksgiving IF you are having a lot of sweet side dishes.

Beaujolais Nouveau works quite well for Thanksgiving. Tip look for Nouveau Syrah very had to find in the USA but if you can find it jump all over it!

Otherwise drink what you like, you really can’t go wrong.