Wine Suggestions?

Fratelli---Moscato D'Asti
Sutter Home--Moscato

I found this nice write up about Red Zinfandels.

Red Zinfandel - The Rodney Dangerfield of Wines!

Dashe Zin is awesome.

chocovine is a french chocolate wine. It is a cabernet with dark chocolate. Great before lovemaking.

Winery: Chamarre
Shiraz/Merlot - Selection
Location: Languedoc Region, South of France
Spec's Price: $7.25

Again, pretty good. I'm thinking now I like sweeter ... or lighter. When I say lighter, meaning it seems like a "thinner" wine.

It's so hard to verbalize this wine stuff.

And I have to admit, as I did early on, the $30 bottle was nice, but set along side the Llano wine I like for half the price I would consider them equal.

And you guys are right (unless someone else is buying) I shouldn't drink a $100+ Opus wine. At this point I'm not sure it would be anything but expensive pee for me.

I'll keep learning and experimenting mostly in the Sub-$15 range.

But, unless something's just total swill, then I won't give much feedback.

Keep making suggestions. I do take your idea on a shopping list when I go to Spec's.

Lighter wine as in: think of milk's fat content. A light body wine is like skim milk. This is how wine has been described to me. The full bodied wines are more like whole milk.

Agreed on the Opus One. I would try it, not buy it.

Deerfield Red Rex - a blend is nice.
Newton Claret - another nice blend.

For sparkling wines, you can' go wrong with Schramsberg!

This is my first PDF attachment, I hope it works. This is a series from Spec's on wines under $15 that scored higher than 90.

Wine Advocate is like Novice Advocate, ditto Wine Spectator!

Wine Advocate is like Novice Advocate, ditto Wine Spectator!

I figured, just marketing ploys to get name brands and new entries into the public eye in non-traditional advertising.

It's kind of like in my gun magazines when they review a gun from a manufacturer that advertises heavily in their mag. It makes me wonder just how bad they'll beat up a gun in a review from someone who pays them thousands of dollars in ad money.

Thanks for you continued input. I'm listening to all of you.

Living near Spec's DT, is like being a 10 year old locked in a Baskin Robbins shop over night.

For an all around drinking wine I buy Estancia Reserve Meritage (about $26)
Some of the Messina Hof ports are quite nice for the price.

Lacryma Christi (The tears of Christ) an Italian red. I'm not a big fan of wine, but this one I really enjoy. The only Specs that carries this is the one downtown (at least that's what I've been told).

My vote goes to:

Marques de Caceres (Espana)
Navarro Correas (Argentina)
Norton (Argentina)

In That order, all 3 have a reserve and a regular version, and different price of course, take your pick and try them

I stopped by a new source today, Houston Wine Merchant off Shepherd. They have a varied inventory, but I think their sweet-spot price-point is a little higher than I really want to pay.

I managed to get out of there with three bottles in the $16 or less.

I compared the prices to Spec's Online and on the two direct equals there are within a dollar difference with Spec's winning.

Here's what I came up with:

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Winery: C. Ramsay Winery
Merlot 2007
Napa Valley, Calif.
HWM Price: $14.99

The Hype: I couldn't find any.

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Winery: Crios de Susana Balbo
Malbec/Mendoza 2009
Argentina
HWM Price: $15.99

Background on Susana Balbo

Background on Malbecs

The Hype: The wine has a beautiful reddish/purple color as most good Malbecs do. The aromas are a mix of freshly crushed black cherries and toasty/smoky oak—just enough to frame the exuberant fruit. On the palate, the flavors of cherries and spice are obvious, and the jammy fruit quality just keeps coming on strong, with hints of spice and sandalwood lurking in the background.

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Winery: Budini
Malbec/Mendoza 2009
Argentina
HWM Price: $11.99

The Hype: Budini is named after the wild Pampas cat of Argentina (Leopardus pajeros budini), a beautifully striped, nocturnal predatory cat that lives off of Guinea pigs, ground birds and chickens. Dark red/purple color. Very perfumed with aromas of ripe black cherries and some sweet oak. Full, fleshy, and jammy in the mouth with loads of ripe and spicy red and black fruits. Great structure with loads of ripe, fleshy tannins, and a long, long finish.

Nice YouTube Video Describing what to expect with a Malbec


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Winery: C. Ramsay Winery
Merlot 2007
Napa Valley, Calif.
HWM Price: $14.99

This one is so/so. Nothing spectacular.

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Winery: Budini
Malbec/Mendoza 2009
Argentina
HWM Price: $11.99

I really like this one. Very peppery right away.


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