Million Post Quest - Had a good wine lately?

Gator By Marriage

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Confession time: I love a good bottle of wine with a meal. Back when Mrs. GBM & I were dating (long ago), she asked me to go to a wine appreciation course with her. Being a beer guy I thought it pretty silly, but since I was pretty into her, I kept this opinion to myself, wrote my check, and went. The instructor was the wine critic for Atlanta magazine and we ended up having a blast. Drank some good, and occasionally great, wine and learned a lot. Ended up becoming a modest collector and have had a lot of doors opened just for knowing a bit about what is basically fermented grape juice. I still prefer wine to accompany a meal more than anything else, and though my choices have become more frugal over the years (kids will do that), I still enjoy it tremendously. Some of my greatest pleasure comes from finding a really nice wine for less than $20. Hopefully, I’m not the only one on GCMB who enjoys the juice and I hope others will weigh in with nice bottles they have enjoyed. I am no wine snob and always bear in mind some advice I received from one of America’s fore most wine critics, a man named Robert Parker, who I had a chance meeting with: “Trust your own taste; if a bottle tastes good, it is good.”
This weekend Mrs GBM and I had 2 nice wines. One reasonable, the other in the $30+ range. Both were very enjoyable (and red). The cheaper wine ($12-15) was an Italian wine: 2016 Fontannafredda Briccotondo Barbera. Personally I love Barberas and they go great w/ everything from steak to pizza (we had it w/ pork chili on pasta). California to my mind has not really cracked the code to growing good Barbera, so you have to buy Italian, but great values exist. The nicer wine was a 2015 Siduri Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir, to my taste anyway, is the greatest red wine grape there is and there is some great stuff coming out of Cali and Oregon. Enjoyed it with NY strips smothered in onions and shrooms w/ roasted new potatoes. It was awesome.
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Gator By Marriage

A convert to Gatorism
Lifetime Member
Dec 31, 2018
14,784
27,962
Confession time: I love a good bottle of wine with a meal. Back when Mrs. GBM & I were dating (long ago), she asked me to go to a wine appreciation course with her. Being a beer guy I thought it pretty silly, but since I was pretty into her, I kept this opinion to myself, wrote my check, and went. The instructor was the wine critic for Atlanta magazine and we ended up having a blast. Drank some good, and occasionally great, wine and learned a lot. Ended up becoming a modest collector and have had a lot of doors opened just for knowing a bit about what is basically fermented grape juice. I still prefer wine to accompany a meal more than anything else, and though my choices have become more frugal over the years (kids will do that), I still enjoy it tremendously. Some of my greatest pleasure comes from finding a really nice wine for less than $20. Hopefully, I’m not the only one on GCMB who enjoys the juice and I hope others will weigh in with nice bottles they have enjoyed. I am no wine snob and always bear in mind some advice I received from one of America’s fore most wine critics, a man named Robert Parker, who I had a chance meeting with: “Trust your own taste; if a bottle tastes good, it is good.”
This weekend Mrs GBM and I had 2 nice wines. One reasonable, the other in the $30+ range. Both were very enjoyable (and red). The cheaper wine ($12-15) was an Italian wine: 2016 Fontannafredda Briccotondo Barbera. Personally I love Barberas and they go great w/ everything from steak to pizza (we had it w/ pork chili on pasta). California to my mind has not really cracked the code to growing good Barbera, so you have to buy Italian, but great values exist. The nicer wine was a 2015 Siduri Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir, to my taste anyway, is the greatest red wine grape there is and there is some great stuff coming out of Cali and Oregon. Enjoyed it with NY strips smothered in onions and shrooms w/ roasted new potatoes. It was awesome.
Comments as you will, be it mocking or joining in.
Not sure how I attached that file. Accidental discharge to be sure.
 

Gator By Marriage

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I don't drink.....but that is about the only vice I don't partake in.
Seen a lot of good men ruined by the drink, so I never question anyone’s decision on that front. Having said that, a good glass of wine is one of the greatest pleasures I know. To each his own!
 

Theologator

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I’ve been very happy with the Olema line at Total Wine. My go-to is their Pinot Noir, and I’ve found their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to be extremely good, too - and I’m not particularly partial to Cabernets or Chardonnays. (I am not big on high tannins in most cabs and most chardonnays aren’t crisp enough for my taste.)

Just helped a friend kill a bottle of Caymus 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was really smooth.
 

Gator By Marriage

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I’ve been very happy with the Olema line at Total Wine. My go-to is their Pinot Noir, and I’ve found their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to be extremely good, too - and I’m not particularly partial to Cabernets or Chardonnays. (I am not big on high tannins in most cabs and most chardonnays aren’t crisp enough for my taste.)

Just helped a friend kill a bottle of Caymus 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was really smooth.
Caymus is good stuff. Back in the pre kids days, we bought a half case of the 1990 “special selection.” One of the best cabs I ever had. Wish I had bought more.
The problem with a lot of Chardonnay from Cali is that it’s over oaked. If Macon’s are in your price range, you’ll find them a bit crisper. Some Oregon ones too. (I like “A to Z”). A crisp wine you might like, that I’ve seen at some Total Bev.s is a Torrontes made by “Crios” from Argentina. They make a good cab and a Malbec as well. The winemaker is a gal named Susanna Balbo and she seems to have a Midas touch. Very consistent from year to year. Wines will run $12 to 15 or so.
 

Gator515151

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Seen a lot of good men ruined by the drink, so I never question anyone’s decision on that front. Having said that, a good glass of wine is one of the greatest pleasures I know. To each his own!

Let me explain myself. I never had a drinking problem, Oh I drank my share of beer and rum back in my college and early adult days but always hated the taste of alcohol. One day 30 someodd years ago I woke up with a hangover and looked myself in the mirror and had a heart to heart talk with myself. "Mike, you don't like the taste of the stuff, you don't like the way it makes you feel in the morning and you sure don't like making a fool out of yourself when you drink....What do you do this for????" It all sort of made sense to me. I haven't had a drink since. OK I lied, I did drink a half a glass of rum and orange juice one night 15 years ago with the other parents after a high school baseball playoff game to celebrate but my arm was twisted, they made me do it. LOL
 

Gator By Marriage

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Let me explain myself. I never had a drinking problem, Oh I drank my share of beer and rum back in my college and early adult days but always hated the taste of alcohol. One day 30 someodd years ago I woke up with a hangover and looked myself in the mirror and had a heart to heart talk with myself. "Mike, you don't like the taste of the stuff, you don't like the way it makes you feel in the morning and you sure don't like making a fool out of yourself when you drink....What do you do this for????" It all sort of made sense to me. I haven't had a drink since. OK I lied, I did drink a half a glass of rum and orange juice one night 15 years ago with the other parents after a high school baseball playoff game to celebrate but my arm was twisted, they made me do it. LOL
Great story. Didn’t mean to imply anything, rather because of that I don’t question anyone’s reasons for not drinking. Some folks have had issues, some don’t like the feeling, some don’t like the taste, some just figure it’s not healthy, some think it’s sinful, etc.
 

stephenPE

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Accidental discharge to be sure.
:shocked2: agree that some wines are much better than others. I toured Napa back in the early 80s and Mondavi was the standard then. Now there are about 800 million more wineries in bidness...........my take on wine is after the 2nd glass its ALL good along with the meal that now seems gourmet..........I am quickly becoming a GBM fan...........
 

ChiefGator

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Interesting thread, perhaps we could expand it to say craft beers and hard drinks as well. I don't drink anymore, too many carbs for my body.
 

GatorFL

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Casemates.com is a great place to find wine. You can get a case or a few bottles, they cycle through deals a few times a week. Good review section, they also send out sample bottles to a couple of lab rats before their deals go live.
 

MJMGator

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I’ll drink a glass to two of red wine with dinner a few times a year but white wine is for hatchet wounds.
 

Gator by the Sea

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I’m not a huge fan on Pinot Noirs, but one that is very good and usually can be found for $18-22 is Meiomi. My wife and I prefer Cabernet, and I like a lot of Spanish reds. We were also lucky enough to briefly tour Napa and Sonoma last year and we found a fantastic winery called Sullivan. If anyone is ever out that way, be sure to book an appointment for a visit. You won’t regret it.
 

Gator By Marriage

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I’m not a huge fan on Pinot Noirs, but one that is very good and usually can be found for $18-22 is Meiomi. My wife and I prefer Cabernet, and I like a lot of Spanish reds. We were also lucky enough to briefly tour Napa and Sonoma last year and we found a fantastic winery called Sullivan. If anyone is ever out that way, be sure to book an appointment for a visit. You won’t regret it.
I'm a fan of Meoimi as well. Can often find it on sale here for around $16.

Don't know if you live near a Total Wine, but if you do and you are a fan of Spanish wines, they have a direct import Rioja you might like. It's called "Montebuena Rioja." Very consistent from vintage to vintage. Pretty versatile too as far as food goes.
 

T REX

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Caymus is the Gold standard. We don't drink it very often but Opus One is damn f ing delicious.

Shafer Merlot is outstanding. If you see it, buy it. You will not be disappointed.

I hate oaky chardonnays so I will always go for an un-oaked chard - Kim Crawford is always good. Mer Soleil. Talbott Diamond T is awesome. Conundrum used to be called Caymus Conundrum before they changed it. That's another story.

I've been into some Tempranillos lately. I'll drink just about anything. Not into wines as much as I used to be.

And to the OPs point...finding great wine under $30 is always appreciated.
 

Gator By Marriage

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Dec 31, 2018
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Caymus is the Gold standard. We don't drink it very often but Opus One is damn f ing delicious.

Shafer Merlot is outstanding. If you see it, buy it. You will not be disappointed.

I hate oaky chardonnays so I will always go for an un-oaked chard - Kim Crawford is always good. Mer Soleil. Talbott Diamond T is awesome. Conundrum used to be called Caymus Conundrum before they changed it. That's another story.

I've been into some Tempranillos lately. I'll drink just about anything. Not into wines as much as I used to be.

And to the OPs point...finding great wine under $30 is always appreciated.
Mrs. GBM & I had a bottle of 87 Opus One back when we were dating. One of the most enjoyable wines I’ve ever had. Rarely spend that kind of $ on wine anymore, though I still have a few cabs from that era in the cellar.
 

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