Hot Tub Forum
General => General info Somewhat hot tub related => Topic started by: anne on November 22, 2006, 02:05:19 am
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As promised we shall talk wine :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Silent Water- I'll definitely check out that Campfiorin sangiovese. How could I fail to list Sangio up there with Zin as my FAV?????? Have not have a good one in a while. I'll check BevMo if I can, and get one for thankgiving.
In-Canada- Yes! I have had the Lindemans Bin 50, and I liked it, especially for the price.
Bosco- I agree, Chile makes some very nice reds. I cannot remember what variety it was, but I was hooked on a 1997 or 99 chilean red for a while, as it was tasty and I could afford it without guilty as a student and intern. ( I was in school till I was 27, so no underage jokes)
PG Rider- I realize in hindsight that I have made my family sound like drunken derelics. They're just drunken at night, not in the day, and they are not derelics. I'd hate to give them a bad rep. I'm from a big Irish family- what can I say.
Galen- Dont know if Viansa wines are in stores.....their website does not indicate it, but if you want to try La Nebbia blind, you can order it:
ftp://http://secure.viansa.com/Viansa/Catalog/ProductIndex.aspx?catalogName=Viansa+Catalog&departmentName=1+Wines&categoryName=Reds
And a hot tub is a GREAT reason to have a wine tasting party! You can only taste so much before they are all the same, so you can take spa breaks! And after you've tasted enough, and discovered your favorite, out to the tub it goes! :D
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(http://www.topliquor.com/store/image.php?type=P&id=67162)
Finished bottle last night in the tub. It was delicious. not to dark due to the light tannins and it was good flavour. I found it dry but hint of fruit to sweeten it a tad.
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I'm Irish also Anne. Not good huh? I'm going to get a couple of bottles today for my wifes family tomorrow. They like MD20/20. If you know what I mean. So why waste, buying an expensive bottle. ;D
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YAY! Fellow winos! ;D
It was years before I knew what good wine tasted like. Growing up in my house, wine came in a box - or had a picture of a duck on the bottle.
It wasn't until I met my wife that I discovered some white wines that I liked. (Inniskillin Chard was my first, I think.) Took me years longer to appreciate reds - couldn't get past that room temperature thing for a long time - but now they're at the top of my list.
Going home on holidays is funny though. I've learned to bring my own wine (and enough for anyone who cares to share) because that box of Baby Duck is still sitting on the kitchen counter every Christmas! For all I know it is the same box. :-[
I'm forever experimenting at the store now. I'll go in to buy a bottle or two of our favourites and almost always pick up an inexpensive bottle of something new. I've found some surprisingly good bottles of wine for $8 or less! The most recent was a Chilean Cabernet by Calama. They make a passable Merlot too! The best use for these wines, IMO, is as "backup wine". You know, when the evening turns from dinner party to "hey, let's open another bottle of wine" party? Crack these open when everyone's already laughing and they'll love it - guaranteed!
Sorry. That was rather long-winded.
Anne, please tell me about Zinfandels 'cuz I've always made the association with white Zin and avoided them thinking that they were too sweet. Sounds like I might be missing out if you put them up there with Sangiovese. Which one should I start with? :-/
Bosco, I've tried the Gato Negro and remember liking it very much. It's funny how I go through phases. A few years ago, I swore by the Chilean reds, then discovered the Australian grapes and I'm experimenting with the Italian wines now (most of which are heavy by comparisson). I will revisit the Gato this weekend. Thanks for the idea! ;)
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Rieslings for me, preferably German. I buy all of my wine from a wine broker who carries wine from all over the world. I love reds however they are usually always so dry. I did have one from Germany called Spatlese ( I think) that was incredibly good.
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(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/GodlikeMoron/boones.jpg)
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To each his own, Drew! ;D ;) ;D
Bosco or Silent Water, what variety is that Gato Negro? I need a couple bottles to pick up for our family thanksgiving. I'm the only "wino" in the family, though my mom and dad and some aunts and uncles appreciate my offerings. If I plan it right, I can make sure a couple of good bottles are open at the table, then as the night goes on and it gets to that "let's open a another bottle!" time, the other bottles brought by family members (who only differentiate red from white) will be perfect! I really hope that does not sound snobby- its jut to maximize everyone's enjoyment. None of them bother to get into wine like I do, but they always appreciate something better than.......Boonesfarm.....when it is in front of them.
And there is nothing wrong with Applt wine, as long as you dont consider it wine!
As for Zin- there is NOTHING similar about white zin and real zin. Red zin can vary from heavy to light, is not too tannin-y, and usually has a spiciness to it. Some of the best zins I have ever had come not from Napa, but the foothills where it get a little colder and drier.
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Anne, I am not sure what you mean by varitey but if you mean style it is a Cabernet Sauvignon Chilean. Here is a review I read and honors that it has recieved. Give it a go you will love it. Or if you have it in your local area wolfblass yellow label is to die for.
Color:intense red with violet tints.Bouquet:fresh ripe fruit aromas, such as blackberries and black currants. This is a generous, open wine.Palate:a drinkable wine with gentle tannins. Its attack is full of fruit with a pleasant finish.Awards: •Seal Of Approval, 2003 harvest, International Wine Challenge, London, 2004•Gold Medal, 2003 harvest, Sélections Mondiales des Vins, Montreal, 2004•Seal of Approval, 2001 harvest, Japan Wine Challenge, Tokyo, 2002•Seal Of Approval, International Wine Challenge, London, 2001•80/100, Wine Spectator, 2000
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Drewstar, dost mine eyes deceive me or does that bottle of fruit stuff say 9% alcohol?!?! :o
What's the point? ;D Might as well go buy Koolaid. Hey, don't get me wrong; I like Koolaid... WITH VODKA IN IT!
I'm such a lush.
(say that 10 times fast)
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I dug it off the internet, but yes 9%. I think you can get up to 10-11% by fermentation. Anything more than that you need to fortify it, (add booze) or distill it.
Ahh Bonnes farms. The drink of high school idoits. Later, as I matured, and my palate became more sophisticated, I drank:
(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j61/GodlikeMoron/home_bottleshot.jpg)
Ahhh, on ice...that's nice! ;)
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Here's a lineup of the usual suspects...
Actually, they're just a few that I've tried and would definitely get again. I've lined these up in order from the sublime to the ridiculous from left to right, from about $18.00 to $8.00 CDN.
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/DeepSilentWater/wine001_edited.jpg)
This is my current love interest...
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/DeepSilentWater/wine003.jpg)
And this is where they live at my house. I also make my own wine (with varying results) so I needed a wine rack to hold several dozen at a time. I built this little number from recycled skids (Home Depot rejects, actually) and it holds 108 bottles, including 12 of the magnum-sized babys.
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k255/DeepSilentWater/wine005.jpg)
Looks like I need to restock! (There's a batch on the way. ;))
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Perfect as that slightly different choice for a festive holiday soak with friends!
(http://www.rumball.com.au/images/M2_merlot.jpg)
(http://www.rumball.com.au/images/sb15_shiraz.jpg)
Not bad with a nice steak either!
:D
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I been reading this board every night for months, and now I got to reply, First all I been working for company for ten years wine distributor , and you all drinking stuff I never seen.like wolf Blass ,, we carry 1900 different wines. and to name my choice's Beringer sparkling white zinfandel, Peter Mertes Riesling , and one more if you can stand sweet wines I like ice wine, .Chateau ST Michelle White Riesling Ice wine , the Ice wine is a desert wine, but a bottle when gone is gone they only harvest it below freezeing,. and the fox tail wine is selling very well. it is from Austria ,I get my wine free and Silent Water you got me beat , on the wine rack,,, maybe I should save more and drink less ,lol just like to add you all have given me many hours of reading enjoyment ,, thanks
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YAY! Fellow winos! ;D
Took me years longer to appreciate reds - couldn't get past that room temperature thing for a long time -
That raises an interesting point that a lot of people are not aware of. "Room temperature" for red wine actaully refers to what room temp would have been way back when in a dark dingy castle. Red wine should be enjoyed slightly chilled (by common day standards) between 62-65F (16-18c)
Enjoy!
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Thanks for chiming in, Mack and Cyg! Nice to have you on board.
"Room temperature" for red wine actaully refers to what room temp would have been way back when in a dark dingy castle. Red wine should be enjoyed slightly chilled (by common day standards) between 62-65F (16-18c)
CYG_SPAAhhhh.... yes. But you see, although I have been aware of this fact for some time now, I used to think that wine came out of a BOX! "Room temp" is indeed meant to reflect an optimum temp of 62-64ish degrees....but I can't really achieve that in my house without a 1/2 hour pre-quaff chill in the fridge. So I live with it at about 69-71 degrees.
MACK, glad that you joined in. That's what this forum is all about. Please don't be shy; it's nice to hear from you. I really like Yellow Tail - it's their Australian Shiraz that does it for me! It's a fun and tasty wine. As for the rack itself, it cost me next-to-nothing. I cobbled it together myself out of leftover lumber so that I'd have $$ left over to stock it!! :-[ Ice wine was actually another accidental Canadian invention. In the Niagara region, late one season, some vintners left their grapes out too long and they froze. Being as adventurous and pragmatic as we are known to be, these enterprising Canadians said "hey, let's not thow it out! Let's drink it anyway!" And voila! A new classic was born. (Ice wine is world reknowned now but I still don't drink the stuff. Way too sweet for my taste, thanks.)
BOSCO!!!!! Do I have your attention!?!?!
I just bought a bottle of the Gato Negro this afternoon to have with dinner and I think that I got a bad bottle!! GAAACK!! PLAH! :P I'm sure that it's usually fine, but this bottle smelled like compost and tasted like FEET! Ugh. I've never had an "off bottle" before but this one's going back to the store tomorrow 3/4 full. On the up-side, this wine thread prompted me to buy a few bottles of my old favourites today and the Wolfblass Yellow Label more than made up for the unfortunate Gato experience. (I promise to give it another chance, Bosco.)
ANNE! I looked for a Zinfandel today too but they had none available. Will try a better-stocked liquor store over the weekend and let you know what I find... I'm very intrigued :-?!
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im sorry to hear that. I have half a bottle left from last night that I will be enjoying in the tub. I cant wait. hope you get a better one today.
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Ok, just got back from the wine store. Picked up Wolfblass Chard. on sale as well as wolfblass cab. sauv. very nice wine, and on sale to boot. I cant wait to crack them.
Also picked up a sutter home zin. on sale as well. Sutter home zin. is the best zin money can buy, in my opinion. I am going to have a great weekend of relaxing hot tub sessions.
........Oh yeah, and Im gonna get smashed as well!!!!!
Been thinking about converting my fruit cellar into a wine cellar. I mono cocked the hole to the outside and find the room, slightly damp and cool. From what I have read this will be nice for the wine. They recommend a constant 70 degree temp. Any concerns that I should be worried about??? No windows or light to spoil the wine, just cement walls, floor and celing. The room is 6x5.
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I'd definitely rather have a wine cellar than a fruit cellar! I have a wine fridge, which does not have the best humidity control out there, but since where I live is pretty dry to start, using the fridge is a whole lot better than having my wine exposed to sacramento's blazing hot summers. I has separate zones that I set for whites and reds. I love the thing, and it is fairly nice looking, too. There is a place in San Diego that has a great selection of them, and they sell their "seconds" at Ebay. They are very up-front about why the unit is being sold "as-is" and generally it is for tiny superficial scratches and such that happened in delivery, resulting in the person asking for a new one. It came with a full warranty. I got mine for about $250, and new it would have been $500. I guess the price could vary with who is out there bidding, but I got lucky.
Silent water: that is so weird to me that you cannot find a zin. Are they really just a california thing? I did not think so. Let me know how it goes. I'll see if i can think of any brands.
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that is so weird to me that you cannot find a zin.
Sure is! The liquor stores 'round here all have a slightly different selection and some of the smaller ones only carry what they can sell regularly. I'll just check out one of the larger stores this weekend and browse their California section...
Bosco, is Sutter a Californian Zin? What other regions produce them?
Wolfblass was on sale here too so that's one of the reasons I picked up a bottle yesterday. Any old excuse really! ;) I'll give the Gato another go sometime; I'm sure that I just got a bad bottle, but something like that really puts you off, doesn't it?
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I've been fortunate to have had Chateau Lafite Rothchild Bordeaux vintage 1962 once in my life. It was many years ago and it was wonderful.
We drink Chardonnay and Merlot here mostly. I came across an Italian blended wine branded Luna di Luna that is very good. We have gotten out of wines here since once the bottle is opened it's got to be finished rather quickly (few days) and we're always too busy to finish a bottle (running around with the kids!). We mostly drink it during holidays or get a glass when eating out.
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To keep this topic legal, what wine goes wtih Ambien while soaking in 104 degree tubs?
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To keep this topic legal, what wine goes wtih Ambien while soaking in 104 degree tubs?
Whoops! Pardon me, I digest! ;)
Quick, Anne! Come up with a good soaking wine - fast! ;D
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sutter home is california. Ontario Canada has some of the best wine in the world being produced. I will find a couple of local places that make californian wine.
I just opened a JJ McWilliams cab. merlot from Australlia. It is good, however, I find the alcohol to be very rich in this. Almost to strong for my taste buds. I must say, a half bottle down, it becomes lesser of an issue.
I need to soak in the tub to lose weight that im gaining from the wine.
How bad is wine for you health wise????
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To keep this topic legal, what wine goes wtih Ambien while soaking in 104 degree tubs?
Whoops! Pardon me, I digest! ;)
Quick, Anne! Come up with a good soaking wine - fast! ;D
Got it!!!! Got it!!!
What is... Ironstone Obsession OR Topolos Piner Heights Zin OR Viansa Athena???
Sutter Home Winery is a huge one in Napa. I have to say that I have not tried it much- I just assume that big wineries will have "walmart" types wines, which is NOT a fair assumption! I'll try their zin.
Red wine is good for you. It has lots of antioxidants and is good for preventing heart disease. Drinking about one glass a day is better for you than not drinking it at all, but Im sure that in drinking a whole lot more than that the negatives strongly start to outweigh the positives ::)
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What, no Slug Gulch Red? Or how about a Dos Oakies Sangiovese?
Does Sutter Home even do a real zin?
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Bosco, I'm going to try the Wolfblass tonight. 8-) Anne I thought wine should be served at room temp? Do you use the cooler because of the hot dry climate? Or you like your wine chilled?
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Galen, funny you bring this up. I always drink room temp wine. A friend of ours is a huge wine fanatic and the other night she asked me for some ice. I thought she was already drunk. She put two ice cubes in her red and loved it.
I tried it cooler and found it to be quite a different taste, but it kind of takes the edge off the wine. I still think this is crazy, it could possibly ruin a really nice wine.
Galen, Wolfblass is great. You will absolutely love it.
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I tried it cooler and found it to be quite a different taste, but it kind of takes the edge off the wine.
Bosco, one of the things that I love most about good red wine is the way it smells! :D I particularly like those reds that have a smokey "nose" (Wolfblass Yellow Label is a good example of this). Chilling a red takes away much of the smell of a wine and, for me, makes it less interesting. Drinking chilled red is like playing a guitar without the top two strings. You get a feel for the music, but much of the melody is lost. :'(
For white wine drinkers, chilling a red makes it taste more familliar, I guess. To each their own...
As far as I'm concerned, even a bad wine tastes better towards the bottom of the bottle! ;D
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What a great line Silent Water "even a bad wine tastes better towards the bottom of the bottle". Mind if I use that one.
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My wine fridge is for storage- reds are best kept a bit cooler than room temp. The cooler you keep them, the slower they age, within reason. Most wine that you buy and plan to use in a few days to a few months is probably fine on a counter wine rack, but both light and heat will degrade them if you plan to keep them for a while before opening. My whites are stored in the colder part of the wine fridge, but is still not that cold. I try to buy wines at wineries when they are released. The wine makers are really good at advising you when the wine will be at its peak. I store it for a year or three, then open it when it is mature, and my $12 bottle tastes like a $20 bottle! If I go tasting regularly, then I always have 2-5 year old red wine to open. I have not gone in about 1.5 years, so my supply is waning!!!!
My mother used to put an ice cube in her wine, and it would have irritated me except that they mostly buy cheap wine and sometimes it is better a bit colder. But a good wine has much more dimension at room temp! When we drink red I take it out of the fridge, pour two glasses and let it air and warm up for a few minutes while dinner is cooking. If we drink white I take it from the wine fridge and put in in the real fridge or freezer for a bit to chill it.
ok, I see that I am a wine snob. fine.
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ok, I see that I am a wine snob. fine.
And a nicer one I've never met! ;)
You are NOT a wine snob, Anne! There's nothing wrong with knowing what you like. I figure that I learn a little something from every bottle - so LET THE LESSONS CONTINUE!! ;D ;D ;D
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Drinking chilled red is like playing a guitar without the top two strings. You get a feel for the music, but much of the melody is lost. :'(
Very nice analagy SW! :)
Thanks for all the info on wine. Keep it coming. I treat this topic like a class in school. Except I actually want to pay attention here. ;D After all, I was the one who started all this. ;)
Remember?
happy b day, hope you have a good one. Tonight treat yourself to a nice glass of wine and a soak in the tub.
Thanks Bosco.
It would have been alot better if my camera had arrived.
How'd you know I'm a wine drinker? That's almost as good as me guessing Anne was from California. ;D ;D
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Tonight was "The Little Penguin" cab from SE Australia not bad for under 10 bucks. Tomorrow "Toasted Head" cab from Esparto CA.
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Galen, Toasted Head is just down the road from me. I'll be interested to see what you think. I had their chardonnay once, and was not too thrilled, so I have not tried other stuff.
Silent water, thanks for not thinking I'm a wine snob. Its all relative, I guess. My brothers give me $h!t for my interest in wine, but if it was not that, they'd find something else. And the guitar analogy was perfect!!!
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I liked it. Real smooth. A bit dry. With a little after taste.
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Thanks, Galen, I'll give it a try.
Just had a slightly disappointing experience: opened a bottle of wine for dinner tonight that we bought wine tasting, (and bought it b/c we liked it so much) only to find that it was just not as good as we remembered. So I think that either our tastes have changed a bit (unlikely) or we bought it that day after trying a few too many wines, and were no longer as picky as usual (more likely!!!) We still drank it of course.
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I think I paid 15 or 18 for it. Even my wife likes it. Shes hard to please when it comes to wine.
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I've been to a few wine tastings, and try to pick three. Taste those and thats it. If I don't like any then so be it. I get lost after three.
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I am going with another bottle of JJ McWilliams Cab Sav from Austrailla. It was pretty good. I will see how I like the second bottle.
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We had a bottle of this last night with dessert:(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/pinky.jpg)
It comes from the local winery that we do some cross promotions with. It's a neat little place out in the sticks near Pittsburg, TX.
http://www.lospinosranchvineyards.com
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/EastTexasSpa/DSC01249.jpg)
Terminator
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Wine accessory question!!
At the moment we're using the same disposable plastic wine glasses that Term's holding in his recent pic. They're fine for now but I'm looking to pick up some real-looking ones that I can use in the tub (OK, so the little plastic jobs just don't hold enough! ::)) and I can't seem to find any around.
Where do you get half-decent plastic wine glasses?
On second look, it seems that Term's glass is larger than the ones we have. I feel like I'm sipping from a kid's juice glass!
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Silent
You get em just about anyware in the summer months (department stores, pool and patio stores, and even in the kitchen stores; Linen & Things, bed bath beyond etc). Google em to find them on line.
Wm Sonoma offers a product called dura clear wich they claim is ubbreakble glass and suitable for pools and outdoor use. (Similliar to bullet proof glass) . I havne't seen the product, but have heard of it.
All the plastic wine glasses I have owned over the years eventually hazes, or get hair line cracking, or clouding. So I wouldn't spend hhuge money on them, and I usually find that after a year or so, I need to put a dab of super glue between the stem and the bottom disc base as they loosen up over the years.
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Check it out:
Plastic wine glasses
http://www.ehow.com/buy_11095_plastic-wine-glass.html
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Thanks, Drew!
I checked out the link and they don't ship to Canada... but I'm sure that others will; I'll Google as you suggested.
While I'm out fighting the Christmas crouds, I'll keep my eyes open for 'em. I haven't checked out Dollarama yet. ;)
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With the internet, I haven't done the holiday mall mess in over 7 years. I don't miss it abit.
I hate the empty shipping boxes filling up my breezeway though. Arrrrrgh.
No shippy to Canadaland? Why not?
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Some great gift ideas for the wine lover...
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_rs_1/002-5238117-9122428?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-alias=garden&field-keywords=outdoor%20wine%20glasses
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I like the three bottle backpack.
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looks good. I wish shipping to Canada was better on the net.
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And this a.m. while looking through one of the dozens of catalogs that come to my house everyday, I found some outdoor, polycarbonite wine glasses.
http://herrington-catalog.stores.yahoo.net/hs300.html
I have shopped this catalog before and was happy with them. I do not know anything about these particuliar wine glasses though.
:)
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I was in Costco yesterday and saw a wine I had last year and really liked. Renwood 2003 Zin, $12.99. I think I had the 2002 before, but I picked this one up assuming that it would be as good. Since it was in Costco, I'd assume it's fairly widely available. Someone brought a bottle to my christmas party last year, and though there were about 4 bottles open at once, it was gone very quickly.
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I tired some Ice wine last night. Thoght it was very very good.
Anyone familliar with it?
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I tired some Ice wine last night. Thoght it was very very good.
Anyone familliar with it?
Heard of it, but never had it. Dont they harvest after the grapes have frozen? I think it is a less common wine because of the precarious timing and the manual labor. What kind of grapes are used?
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Riesling Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc , and the red grape Cabernet Franc .
I tired a taste of the Vidal and found it to be very interesting. Tart, yet sweet. Defintely a desert wine. If you ever have the chance, and are interested in wines, take th eopportunity to try one.
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Karly, just outside of Plymouth does a nice variation on Ice Wine. They use Orange Muscat, pick it as late as possible to concentrate the sugars, and then hang it in cold storage to simulate the freeze that doesn't happen so well here in California. It's definitely a desert wine. One of the things they do in the tasting room is to freeze the wine in small cups. The alcohol content is high enough is turns into something like a slurpee with a mild kick.
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Karly, just outside of Plymouth does a nice variation on Ice Wine. They use Orange Muscat, pick it as late as possible to concentrate the sugars, and then hang it in cold storage to simulate the freeze that doesn't happen so well here in California. It's definitely a desert wine. One of the things they do in the tasting room is to freeze the wine in small cups. The alcohol content is high enough is turns into something like a slurpee with a mild kick.
YUM.
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silent water, they have williams Sonoma here in Ontario. You cant get them if you like them. If not check Ikea, Pier One imports, zellers, walmart. I have seen them everywhere.