Im somewhat of a newbie to the wine scene and i was curious on peoples favorites as far as producers and styles since there are many. I like Cabernet sauvignons, meritage blends, tried the popular grapes but never tried the italian reds except for a Sangiovese which i disliked (think it wasn't stored right). If someone could help me with some bordeux or red burgundy info i would greatly appreciate it.....i also have a bottle of 02 Opus any advise on the storage...good year?

2THESOIL, I myself favor Meritage style blends as well. When first trying Italian and French wines I also thought there was something wrong with them . They are more sour, sometimes bitter and not as sweet or they can be extremly dry. That is just the old world style.

I am no expert but I think you will like Chateaux Poujeaux Moulis En Medoc and Carillion De Angelus from Bordeaux. I had the 1998's but I have heard these wines are rather consistent. Just make sure to be aware of the drinking window on any vinatge you get or you may not taste much if they are not yet mature. For Burgundy I really liked the Bourgogne- Cote Chalonnaise- “La Fortune” Bouzeron 2004 from Kermit Lynch. All the wines I mentioned should be around or less than $30

I myself like to alternate one old world style wine with one new world style wine so I do not get bored. Try a few old world wines and you may find yourself craving them, I think its the acidity.

Hello,
I too felt the same way you do about Italian wines but, then I had to say to myself "hey, am I giving these wines a fair shot". The answer was no. I may have had seven Italian wines all Sangiovese/Chianti within a four month period which really isn't a fair representation of all the wines and grape types from Italy. So what I did and it may work for you is I took one of my favorite wine books and started up in northern Italy went to my favorite wine store and purchased a case of wines from that region.

Out of those wines I chose the wines that I had the most interest in and purchased two to three more producers of each type of wine. This may seem like too much to you and not sound like fun but it was a blast. There was no time restraints I could try all the wines in a day or even a year it didn't matter because it was all in fun.

I also looked up food pairing ideas for the Italian wines and that made a HUGE difference. I am usually a drink wine alone person but I noticed a huge difference when pairing wine with adapted dishes from the regions.

If you can find a Passtouisgrains from Burgundy which is made with both Pinot Noir grapes and Gamay grapes. I loooove it after work because it is thirst quenching and you can drink it right away.

As far as every day Bordeaux. I like Ch. Bernadotte (mainly Cab) & Chateau Renignac. I DON'T like Mouton Cadet. I am not sure why so many people do. There isn't any flavor.

quote:

Originally posted by 2THESOIL:
Im somewhat of a newbie to the wine scene and i was curious on peoples favorites as far as producers and styles since there are many. I like Cabernet sauvignons, meritage blends, tried the popular grapes but never tried the italian reds except for a Sangiovese which i disliked (think it wasn't stored right). If someone could help me with some bordeux or red burgundy info i would greatly appreciate it.....i also have a bottle of 02 Opus any advise on the storage...good year?

my advice:

1. get to know the best retailer in your area. they can help you develop your palate

2. take a wine course so you know how to evaluate wine

3. taste, taste, taste

cheers!
gloria

I've enjoyed wine for some time but only in the recent past have taken my wine knowledge seriously. I started with learning the wines from my state Texas. Not necessarily a good idea because Texas wineries have some way to go. It is always hard to find a really good Texas wine but they are there. The wineries that make a true Meritage using only Bordeaux grapes (whether they call it Meritage or not) tend to be the best to my taste.

Mostly my favorite wine drinking history was from California and Napa (way back when the old Inglenook was the best around). So Cabernet was my mainstay.

I "traveled the world" so to speak after enjoying a merlot from Chili. I started to buy only South American wines mostly Merlot and Malbec. After a while I moved on to Australian wines and they became my exclusive especially Shiraz and Shiraz-Cab blends.

I had generally stayed away from French and Italian unless purchased by someone else. But then I decided that my education is incomplete if I ignore what is the standard that all compare their wines to - even when they are very different.

I am still introducing myself to Old World Wine. I stay to the reasonably priced Bordeaux - CAHTEAU GREYSAC - has several and their CRU BOURGEOIS MEDOC - is available for less than $20. I sometimes go to a store and buy 2-3 different French Bordeaux. If I like it I remember it. If not, I forget it. Sometimes I'll give a different vintage of a questionable one a try.

I have not had the response to French, Italian and Spanish wine like I did to other parts of the world. There is a difference between the Old and New Worlds of wine even though the grapes are the same variety. I do not compare Old to New too much. I consider whether I like it or not, no matter where it comes from. I listen to others and read reviews and take the guides from WS with me always looking for the Best Buys and Values. In the end, do I like it?

Like the Schoolmarm said, "taste, taste taste" it takes wonderfully long to train a palet. I've been working on mine for 3 full years and still need schoolin'.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: EagleGrafix,

2THESOIL -- Give up on pineapple wine so soon?

Just kidding! And, belated welcome to the furums.

I still have a bottle of Maui Blanc Pineapple Wine from Tedeschi Vineyards in Ulupalakua that my wife and I purchased over 15 years ago. I'm sure it's not still good; however, I cannot bring myself to through it out.

sorry to hear about your tree EagleG

don't worry where you live more trees will grow

I would be interested in hearing which Texas wines you enjoyed....and have you been to Kiepersol?...if so I would be interested in your thoughts on their wines....I have not had any yet

also do you do graphix for the wine industry at all?

quote:

I would be interested in hearing which Texas wines you enjoyed....and have you been to Kiepersol?...if so I would be interested in your thoughts on their wines....I have not had any yet

also do you do graphix for the wine industry at all?

I live near Kiepersol (about 50 miles). I visited there when they first opened and tasted the wine. They are still a young winery with roots from South Africa. The first wines I tasted I did not like at all. They are getting better.

East Texas is not generally thought to be an ideal wine grape grown area but the Cynthiana grape and Blank Du Bois grape are being tried in our area as grapes "developed" for wet and humid summers. Of course this year has been anything but wet.

There is another young winery near us called Los Pinos Ranch Vinyards. Mostly typical Texas Red and White. I like the Syrah they make it has been good for the past three years and gets better.

Becker Vinyards makes a great Claret and a good Cabernet S. both from their Tallent Vinyard which I think is their best. Their Claret is an honest Meritage 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec.
I also enjoy Llano's Meritage Red that they make without using Verdot and sometimes Malbec.

Mostly I work in tourism promotion for my city. My grafix work is done in that job and on several websites I freelance with.

I know of Los Pinos, but have not tried them

I know Beckers wines pretty well....a Claret of theirs just got a silver at Long Beach and was to be served to the Arnold the Govenator at a dinner later that night

thanks for the reply