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  • #61
    Re: Wine Info Exchange

    Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
    Remember to look in the "Imported wines" section, it's a New Zealand wine. But, maybe not all Safeway stores carry it.
    Found it today at Safeway, on sale for 13.99. Is that a decent price?
    George is one of my favorite proprietors. Even though I'm obviously not a 'big spender,' he treats me like a valued customer.

    Good actor did you say? Hmmmm.
    Yes, good actor in the true sense of the word...as it relates to my industry!!!

    Comment


    • #62
      Re: Wine Info Exchange

      Originally posted by tutusue View Post
      Found it today at Safeway, on sale for 13.99. Is that a decent price?

      Yes, good actor in the true sense of the word...as it relates to my industry!!!
      $13.99 is pretty much full retail for Nobilo SB, though I've seen it at $14.99 elsewhere. The 'celebrated' 2007 vintage is long past prime, but I have so far found it consistent over the years.

      George, however, seems to have an excellent shelf-life - presumably in all industries. If there are HTers who have not met him, please do so. You may tell him the guy who provides free Cuervo Shot Glasses for him sent you.

      He doesn't know any "Ka`onohi." Just "Ed."

      K~
      Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
      ~ ~
      Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
      Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
      Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

      Comment


      • #63
        Re: Wine Info Exchange

        I found a place named Twenty-Twenty Wines in West Los Angeles, that still has some of that 2004 Lancaster Cab that is rated WE97 points, and I have searched the internet for this wine all over the country. This particular vintage is sold out everywhere. However, they only have splits, but the price if fair (obviously higher than when I first bought my first case a couple of years ago). I asked my Vegas contacts who like good wines, and I got commitments from them to split two cases of splits with them (48 bottles). I got to pick up the wine at the end of the month. I will let everyone know if the splits taste the same as the 750 ml bottles.......they should, but you never know how the taste might change due to the bottling and the air gap in the bottles.

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: Wine Info Exchange

          EK, what would be the bottle price of the 2004 Lancaster Cab?

          Second question, since I keep a variety of wines in my vast six bottle wine cooler , sometimes I chill all the wines in it to the high 40's and sometimes to the low 60's depending on what I am serving. Does this changing of the temperature within that range have any effect on the quality of the wine when served?

          malo 'aupito
          Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

          People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Wine Info Exchange

            Originally posted by matapule View Post
            EK, what would be the bottle price of the 2004 Lancaster Cab?

            Second question, since I keep a variety of wines in my vast six bottle wine cooler , sometimes I chill all the wines in it to the high 40's and sometimes to the low 60's depending on what I am serving. Does this changing of the temperature within that range have any effect on the quality of the wine when served?

            malo 'aupito
            ================================================== ====
            Two years ago, I bought a couple of cases for $48 per bottle. Then I have seen the price slowly go up. Each time I opened a bottle over the past two years, the wine's taste kept improving -- smoother, less tannic and less acidic. This actually did not surprise me; I expected this. All the tasting notes from other wine drinkers about this particular wine and vintage on the Cellar Tracker website all said that more aging would help improve the wine and it probably would age well for at least five or more years. This wine also has a very high depth of flavor and the color is fantastic, almost purple. (Note that I do not use adjectives like chocolate, black berries, cinammon, etc. etc. -- I just don't taste these things, I only know if it tastes good or not). I opened another bottle and shared it with a friend on 1/29/10 and it was super-good. So this prompted me to go looking for more. A couple of months ago, I saw a few bottles avail on the internet for about $78 per bottle, but they want $15 per bottle shipping. Now I couldn't find any more; until I found the Twenty-Twenty website that still had splits. I called them and they would not give me even a case lot discount, but their price is $35 per split. That makes it $70 per bottle -- not really a bad price for this wine. I think splits would be good, since if I only want two glasses, I can open a split instead of a full bottle. I said I would pick the wine up, but they said they would have to charge me the 9.75% LAX sales tax. If they shipped to me, there would be no sales tax. And the good thing was the shipping charge was about $40 cheaper for the two cases instead of having to pay the sales tax.

            Regarding your other question: The thing that hurts wine is heat and temperature variation. Heat is obviously the worse and it can destroy a wine in a matter of days or weeks.....like even 80+ degrees. But temp variation, even at cool temps, hurt wine too. So varying your temp in your cooler from 40 - 60 degrees is not a good thing to do. A 20 degree variation is not good, but obviously not as bad as keeping your wines out in the open. The better thing for you to do is keep you whites that you want cooler in the fridge, in a section that isn't too cold, like your vegetable bin. Then keep your reds in your wine cooler at about 52-55 degrees.

            Comment


            • #66
              Re: Wine Info Exchange

              Originally posted by salmoned View Post
              There used to be a winery run by Jesuit brothers in Los Gatos, CA called Novitiate...


              As a charter member & former president of the Friends of the Winemakers (FOW), this is a subject near and dear to my heart.

              http://www.fowca.org/home.shtml

              Brother Korte, who still lives in the Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, used to be in ads / commercials for the late lamented Novitiate Winery. Since Novitiate's closure decades ago, at least a couple of wineries have attempted to utilize its tasting room. No wine is made there. At one time, some FOW historical winery artifacts were displayed there.

              I agree that each of us has our likes and dislikes. No way will I even bother to affect anyone's thinking; each must drink (not taste) various wines and make up one's own mind.

              My taste has changed, from Weibel's Green Hungarian toward heartier reds, especially zins / cabs with a few merlots and pinot noirs. My "cellar" has reds going back to the mid-70s; most, thankfully, have held up very well in my uncontrolled coat closet.

              While I do admit a bias for the numerous local Santa Clara County / Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, I do have Oregon, Washington and Idaho bottles. Also, Gold Country wineries (think Ione, Sutter Creek and Jackson) are infiltrating my collection.
              Born in Hawaii, too - Truss me

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Wine Info Exchange

                Originally posted by Palama Kid View Post
                As a charter member & former president of the Friends of the Winemakers (FOW), this is a subject near and dear to my heart.

                http://www.fowca.org/home.shtml

                Brother Korte, who still lives in the Jesuit Center in Los Gatos, used to be in ads / commercials for the late lamented Novitiate Winery. Since Novitiate's closure decades ago, at least a couple of wineries have attempted to utilize its tasting room. No wine is made there. At one time, some FOW historical winery artifacts were displayed there.

                I agree that each of us has our likes and dislikes. No way will I even bother to affect anyone's thinking; each must drink (not taste) various wines and make up one's own mind.

                My taste has changed, from Weibel's Green Hungarian toward heartier reds, especially zins / cabs with a few merlots and pinot noirs. My "cellar" has reds going back to the mid-70s; most, thankfully, have held up very well in my uncontrolled coat closet.

                While I do admit a bias for the numerous local Santa Clara County / Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, I do have Oregon, Washington and Idaho bottles. Also, Gold Country wineries (think Ione, Sutter Creek and Jackson) are infiltrating my collection.
                ================================================== ===
                I am always in the market for good, economical reds -- full-bodied. Please share your tastings with me. My most recent economical finds are a Casa Lapostelle Cab 2006 from Chile, rated at only 88 points with a price point of $10. I found that if you open the bottle and drink it (even with some breathing time), the wine is acidic and tannic. But if you open the bottle and let it sit a while, then put the cork back in and drink it about 2-3 days later, it somehow mellows out considerably. I also like the 2006 Las Rocas Garnacha from Spain. Very good for a $9 bottle of wine, rated by RP at 91 points. But the 2007 vintage is rather nasty.

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Wine Info Exchange

                  Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                  One of Consumer Reports top picks is the Nobilo Marlborough sauvignon blanc 2006![...]
                  Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                  Found it today at Safeway, on sale for 13.99. Is that a decent price?[...]
                  Found it at Costco for $9.49! Both Safeway and Costco carried the 2008.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Wine Info Exchange

                    Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                    Found it at Costco for $9.49! Both Safeway and Costco carried the 2008.
                    COSTCO, here I come!

                    GREAT price. Check the online ratings for different years, but I have found Nobilo to be consistantly smooth and tasty.

                    Enjoy! (Hey!! watch those elbows!)
                    Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
                    ~ ~
                    Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
                    Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
                    Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Wine Info Exchange

                      OK; since some of you might be interested, I thought I would post this bit of info. Not trying to be snooty here, but just sharing some interesting information.

                      This past weekend, I went to LA for my granddaughter's birthday party. My son had about 30 people over for lunch and they stayed so long, we also had to make some dinner too. For lunch at 1:00 pm, he served a hearty, but simple Italian Meal. Garlic bread, Green salad, chips and dip, crudites, etc. etc. and the entrees were spaghetti with marinara sauce with meatballs and Italian sausage. He also had cheese raviolis and with white alfredo sauce with mushrooms and grilled chicken breasts.

                      At 2:30 pm, he also served the birthday cake with ice cream. He had beer, booze, sodas, bottled water, and canned juices for the kids. We also served some wines. He served some simple, inexpensive reds and there were about six people there who talked like they were afficionados of fine wines. They were commenting of the various wines and their characteristics -- color, nose, taste, depth, etc. etc. etc. So my son and I thought it would be interesting to do a little test. In addition to the three different bottles of mediocre reds (a Meritage, a Shiraz, and a Cab), we opened a bottle of 2004 Lancaster Cab and a bottle of 2006 Staglin Family Rutherford Hills Cab. Obviously they liked those two cabs too, but could not essentially tell the differences between the mediocre ones -- I was shocked since those two were head and shoulders superior to the mediocre ones ----- the mediocres ones were all rated at 88 point each and the Staglin was rated at 96 points and the Lancaster at 97 points. My son just laughed and said they would not know the difference between good wines and two buck chuck. I guess it goes to prove that in addition to the natural differences in everyone's palate, most people have not as of yet developed the palate for good wines. Good wines are like good scotches -- you have to develop a taste for them over time. If not, I guess most people cannot tell the difference.

                      BTW, since the party started at noon and was supposed to be over by 5 pm, we expected everyone to leave by then....after all, it was only a birthday party for a four year old. When most of them were still there at 8 pm, we had to go to the store and buy some steaks. We grilled steaks and made baked potatoes. We also had a lot of green salad left over so we serve that again.

                      My wife said that if we were still living in Hawaii, most local people would have more class and leave at the proper time, or if they were invited to stay longer, some of them would have gone to the market too and contributed to the pot-luck. But most of the people were non-locals, I guess they did not know any better. Maybe as we used to say, "No class, man".

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Wine Info Exchange

                        Originally posted by Expat Kamaaina View Post
                        Good wines are like good scotches -- you have to develop a taste for them over time. If not, I guess most people cannot tell the difference..
                        I think I fall into that category.
                        Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                        People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Wine Info Exchange

                          Originally posted by matapule View Post
                          I think I fall into that category.
                          I definitely fall into that category. I either like a wine or I don't...and that even occurred before I lost the majority of my sense of smell and taste!!! I've taken wine tasting classes where I sniffed, swirled, tasted and spit! My taste buds (at that time!) just weren't very discerning. IOW...I'm a cheap date!

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: Wine Info Exchange

                            Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                            I definitely fall into that category. I either like a wine or I don't...and that even occurred before I lost the majority of my sense of smell and taste!!! I've taken wine tasting classes where I sniffed, swirled, tasted and spit! My taste buds (at that time!) just weren't very discerning. IOW...I'm a cheap date!
                            ================================================== ====
                            Hey friends, both Sue and Matapule, if you enjoy something that is the main thing. Wine and other foods are to be enjoyed. It you get overly engrossed with the finer characteristics of fine wines or fine scotches, then you become an officious snob. Although I like the "good stuff", I hope I am not an officious snob.

                            And you cannot be a cheaper date than my wife. She now does not drink at all since she has developed an allergy to alcohol. And, since her battle with cancer (which she is winning), her appetite is very small. In fact, there is a decent (not good, but decent) sushi bar near us that has introduced a $19.95 all-you-eat option to compete in these tough times. When we go there with friends everyone takes the all you can eat option since it is easy to eat $20 worth of sushi and more. But my wife orders ala carte since all she can eat is about two and maybe three orders at a sitting.

                            On the other hand, I love simple, comfort foods or local foods. Like we love grilled or fried Kole, plate lunches, pulehu beef, Hawaiian style dry chow fun, etc. etc. So my tastes in food are very wide and varied. But the funny thing is that the older I get, the more I gravitate to local foods and Asian foods.

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Wine Info Exchange

                              Hi again:

                              I check this thread frequently, but nobody has anything to say. I guess I was wrong that there might be some wine drinkers or wine lovers that would like to exchange information. Was I wrong?

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Re: Wine Info Exchange

                                Originally posted by Expat Kamaaina View Post
                                Hi again:

                                I check this thread frequently, but nobody has anything to say. I guess I was wrong that there might be some wine drinkers or wine lovers that would like to exchange information. Was I wrong?
                                I think Hawaii Threads as a whole has slowed recently; it’s not just this particular thread. For myself, I just haven’t felt like posting very much. But hey! That might change.

                                The other thing is: you’re obviously much more knowledgeable (and adventurous) about wines than the rest of us. It doesn’t mean we don’t take wine seriously; it’s just that we’re not as adventurous (I like that word “adventurous”).

                                For myself, from post #17 above, I still haven’t gone to Tamura’s to test my adventurous spirit, and I still mostly buy the simple Gabbiano chianti. But a saving grace: I did try some of the wines from the various posts in this thread, namely Nobilo sauvignon blanc, which was very good. I also chanced upon a Malbec (sorry, I can’t remember which one), but I liked it. It was simple, yet very robust. I know it’s from Argentina, but I don’t know very much else about this wine. So can you fill me in?

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