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As far as I know, they watered them directly, (certainly, the Romans did) and few vintages lasted more than a year or two.

Nowadays, some of us drink water alongside - but separately - from - wine.

The past few nights, I have mostly had beers - mostly sours, the gooseberry sour (Trolltunga, which is excellent) and their first rate raspberry sour "Red Raspberry Rye' - from the excellent Buxton Brewery in the UK, and tonight, I am sipping a superb beer from The Wild Beer Co from the UK.

This is one beer style I have not been able to get into. I have tried several and none of them were something I would drink again. I know there are quite a few people who love them, but I have not been able to get into them. Heck there is even a few sour beer festivals now in my area.

I went to Stone Brewery's Hop-Con 4.0 this past week during me week long stay in San Diego (San Diego Comic-Con).

Tried some really good beers that were not open to the public. Mainly the different version of wOOtstout that were either barrel aged, smoked, mixed with other beers styles etc. Had a really good time and was able to try some really good beers!
 
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This is one beer style I have not been able to get into. I have tried several and none of them were something I would drink again. I know there are quite a few people who love them, but I have not been able to get into them. Heck there is even a few sour beer festivals now in my area.

I went to Stone Brewery's Hop-Con 4.0 this past week during me week long stay in San Diego (San Diego Comic-Con).

Tried some really good beers that were not open to the public. Mainly the different version of wOOtstout that were either barrel aged, smoked, mixed with other beers styles etc. Had a really good time and was able to try some really good beers!

I think that they are an excellent summer beer; I prefer heavier, darker ales and porters for winter.
 
Chilled sour beers are divine on hot summer evenings. Had a Stone Imperial Russian Stout from 2014 hiding in my cellar. I thought I had it last Christmas but it appears I was wrong. I was expecting terrible things, because I was told it doesn't age well. I had the 2015 during Christmas this year and wasn't a fan.

On the 2014:

Very mellow, the booziness wasn't there.
Incredibly creamy on the tongue.
Very low fizz, almost flat.
Sweet and rich, with just a hint of bitterness post swallow.
Aroma of honey, licorice and dark chocolate.
No coffee flavors present in 2014's batch unlike 2015, almost decadent sweet chocolate.
Paired it with 85% cacao chocolate that had been sitting out to room temperature.
No head seen, a mere ring around the serving glass.


Bloody ****ing incredible. I shared it with my wife as it was too much to drink alone. We'd had a large meal earlier.


Moving on to the last few days. Opened a bottle of Sandeman Tawny Port 10 yr. No real notes, it's your standard port. Smooth, bit boozy if you don't let it breathe, sweet enough, goes well with desserts. Don't think it's worth its price point. Had 2 Beck's yesterday, don't judge. Sometimes a commercial beer, no matter how terrible, is worth it.

Andre Tremblay Chablis, '12. A French style chardonnay (no heavy oak). Delicious, acidic, fresh fruit flavors, gorgeous note.

Cipher Pistile Rose, semi-sweet almost dry, heavy berry notes, very good chilled cold and served in cold stemware.

Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon, really surprised this came from the Mondavi family. Very jammy, hints of sweetness in the after flavor, no spiciness. This was very drinkable.

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Magnum, can't go wrong with this cheap cava. It's delicious, it's bright, acidic, carries enough dryness, it is quality for its price point. This was had with guests. This is one of my favorite cheap sparklings having discovered it in 2010 and buying cases of it. The bottle is beautiful and incredibly heavy when empty.

Tierra Del Fuego Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2012, spicy, bitter on the front and end, little fruit flavor, very dry. I'm sure their cabs are better but I can't imagine how this is loved by so many people. Awful waste for $18 - I want to believe my bottle improperly stored or something of that nature. A decanting of 3 hours made it more palatable, but by then what fruit was there wore off.

And bought a case of 12 Amalaya Malbec Blends.

I bought the Amalaya before Thanksgiving this year and it sat in the cellar, gathering dust. We drank this three weeks ago, I think. I didn't have high hopes for it. I bought my bottle from Trader Joe's, and never noticed the "blend" part until three weeks ago. It's a screw bottle, which doesn't mean anything these days. I wasn't expecting much, but my god was I impressed. Very soft out of the bottle, good stone fruit flavors, hint of sweetness and a very smooth finish. We had it with roast vegetables, no meat. I don't often have a wine that I keep going back to for more. I called around and managed to find a wine store who could order a case for me as TJ's didn't carry it anymore. I bought the bottle for around $14, retail is a bit more, and the case cost me about $12 a bottle for 12. It's quite obvious by my previous ravings about my undying love for Malbecs that I'm going to keep this treat to ourselves. I may end up buying several more cases if I can convince the store to order more for me and put a deposit down. The bottles are good for the next 3-4 years, though I'm sure they won't last a year or two in my hands.

These days I walk into a wine store and close my eyes, point my finger somewhere and pick something up. I find this allows me to try something new. I've only gotten a few awful wines since I began doing this in early 2013.
 
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Chilled sour beers are divine on hot summer evenings. Had a Stone Imperial Russian Stout from 2014 hiding in my cellar. I thought I had it last Christmas but it appears I was wrong. I was expecting terrible things, because I was told it doesn't age well. I had the 2015 during Christmas this year and wasn't a fan.

On the 2014:

Very mellow, the booziness wasn't there.
Incredibly creamy on the tongue.
Very low fizz, almost flat.
Sweet and rich, with just a hint of bitterness post swallow.
Aroma of honey, licorice and dark chocolate.
No coffee flavors present in 2014's batch unlike 2015, almost decadent sweet chocolate.
Paired it with 85% cacao chocolate that had been sitting out to room temperature.
No head seen, a mere ring around the serving glass.


Bloody ****ing incredible. I shared it with my wife as it was too much to drink alone. We'd had a large meal earlier.

snip...

This made me crack up! Stone IRS is one of my favorite beers from them. They have a 20th anniversary edition out right now that is really good! I was able to get a glass or two on cask a while ago and man what a pleasure. I have not paired it with any really good or quality chocolate. Looks like I might have to go to my local chocolate store and pick some up.
 
Crack you up? I don't see it, but I won't get into improv based on that alone. Yeah, the 2015 was boozy when I had it, and even it sitting in a serving glass for 30 minutes didn't help. It was reminiscent of Old Rasputin XVIII, which I bought years ago and aged for quite a long time. Had that with a Swedish style Chocolate torte. I opened a can of Coconut Hiwa Porter from MB.Co. earlier that I had laying around for a while. Really disappointed. I recall enjoying this American porter during a tasting when I bought several cans of it. Maybe my memory is selective and I was on a slight buzz when I tasted it and bought them.
 
Crack you up? I don't see it, but I won't get into improv based on that alone. Yeah, the 2015 was boozy when I had it, and even it sitting in a serving glass for 30 minutes didn't help. It was reminiscent of Old Rasputin XVIII, which I bought years ago and aged for quite a long time. Had that with a Swedish style Chocolate torte. I opened a can of Coconut Hiwa Porter from MB.Co. earlier that I had laying around for a while. Really disappointed. I recall enjoying this American porter during a tasting when I bought several cans of it. Maybe my memory is selective and I was on a slight buzz when I tasted it and bought them.

Well, that part about bloody ---- incredible was funny, and no I wouldn't say you get into improv either.
 
Shrug, I don't see it.

Eric Bordelet Sidre Tendre was had over a light dinner tonight. Crisp, good apple flavor, subdued sweetness and a creamy almost buttery mouth feel akin to what's expected from malolactic conversion in rich chardonnays. No idea if that's what happened here. Most ciders I've had seemed to be crisp and clean. Served with grilled chicken salad with warm roasted beets, goats cheese and toasted almonds.

I'll admit to picking this up on a whim because I recognized Eric's name, and also because it was $8 cheaper than my regular place, tut tut. And know very little about cider. It was most enjoyable. It was chilled 24 hours before, and served in an ice bucket as we chose to eat outside. It was rather cool tonight.
 
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No, I wasn't laughing, I was reading to see if there was anything which could add to my knowledge, or with which I agreed, ro disagreed,and so on.

Pinot Noir is a difficult grape in which to find a good wine, as it can be too 'thin'.

Personally, I prefer French style Chardonnay to the style found in the New World.

Haven't had a Sandeman port in an age; the 10 year old tawnies I have had in recent years have come from Niepoort, (excellent), and sometimes, form Noval (also very good), and Taylor's which was also extremely good.

Most recently, last night, I have had a really good Chateauneuf-du-Pape (which was superb) and a Ricasoli (from Italy) the previous night with friends; both were excellent.
 
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Pinot noir often has a high alcohol mouth feel when it actually doesn't. It's a thin juiced grape and isn't too special when eaten raw from the vine. The idea of it going through a dummy phase did strike me later on but the 2012 vintage of that wine is highly acclaimed for its price range. I haven't got a clue as to why I kept drinking it. I could have cooked with it instead without suffering through the onslaught of tasteless wine.

Ah see, this makes sense to me now. A while back you asked me why I didn't like chardonnay and I explained why. As I said, I don't really like new world chardonnay because they focus on buttery and heavy oak and vanilla flavors. French style is fantastic. There is a mass produced chardonnay under 16 USD under the name of Le Crema that's very good and goes toe to toe with those from Napa California. These are grown in Sonoma and Russian River.

Fonseca Bin 27 is the lowest that's decent here in the states. Not too rich, not too thick, sweetness, earth and a bit of warmth in the mouth. Which does go away when poured and let to air a bit before consuming. Not port, but if you like sherry, I'd pick up a bottle of Noe by Gonzalez Bypass (Pedro Ximinez) if I were you. It's thick and dark like used motor oil, but it's dessert in a glass. I think you'll be highly pleased.
 
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More of the Sandeman's port with some stilton served with some leftover ganache and toasted spiced pralines. Chocolate goes remarkably well with stilton. Who knew.
 
More of the Sandeman's port with some stilton served with some leftover ganache and toasted spiced pralines. Chocolate goes remarkably well with stilton. Who knew.

Well, candidly, I am not sure if it is that chocolate and Stilton go well together (who knew? Certainly, not I) but, rather, more a case that both chocolate and Stilton go exceedingly well with port.
 
Well, candidly, I am not sure if it is that chocolate and Stilton go well together (who knew? Certainly, not I) but, rather, more a case that both chocolate and Stilton go exceedingly well with port.
I feel the same, but I recently came across blue cheese chocolate truffles, and thought why not. I had a cab earlier tonight. Not worth naming, but had it with some delice de bourgogne. This one was different to priors I've had, as it seemed to be salt water washed. Very good, but it brought out the sweetness of the cab and the tannins. Imagine a cab with sugar added and a dryness that leaves both your mouth and lips dry. It was an interesting experience. It also brought out the minerals of the red which I didn't take to.
 
I feel the same, but I recently came across blue cheese chocolate truffles, and thought why not. I had a cab earlier tonight. Not worth naming, but had it with some delice de bourgogne. This one was different to priors I've had, as it seemed to be salt water washed. Very good, but it brought out the sweetness of the cab and the tannins. Imagine a cab with sugar added and a dryness that leaves both your mouth and lips dry. It was an interesting experience. It also brought out the minerals of the red which I didn't take to.

Well, I absolutely love blue cheese - in almost every form imaginable.

And, yes, there accompaniments - sweet ones - that flatter blue cheeses very well.

The obvious one is quince paste, (morbillo) and those fig jams, other fruit jams, or red or white wine jellies that you can get in Italy or Spain.
 
Think you mean membrillo? Quinces keep for a long time. At least 3-4 months in the fridge.
 
Think you mean membrillo? Quinces keep for a long time. At least 3-4 months in the fridge.

Yes, I did mean membrillo. I am rather partial to that, and it goes very well with both goat's cheeses and blue cheeses.

(Between them, this new spell check and google can be frustrating sometimes).

Typing without my glasses - they are now steaming up - but, earlier, I had dashed downstairs without them - is also a bit of a pain, as the screen is a blur.
 
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Quite warm memories of a (lengthy) period abroad some years ago were revived when I had a glass of Georgian wine last night at dinner; this was a wine I had been very happy to make the acquaintance of while I was in Tbilisi.

The grape is the Saperavi grape - probably the best known of the Georgian grape varieties - which is a dry red - made in the classic style; this particular wine was one I had come across during my time in Georgia, as it had been highly recommended by those who knew their wines. It hails from the Satrapezo vineyard, and is a lovely, soft, full bodied wine.
 
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Well, I absolutely love blue cheese - in almost every form imaginable.

And, yes, there accompaniments - sweet ones - that flatter blue cheeses very well.

The obvious one is quince paste, (morbillo) and those fig jams, other fruit jams, or red or white wine jellies that you can get in Italy or Spain.

I love blue cheese also, I wonder if there is enough interest to start a cheese thread! haha!

I was able to get my hands on a bottle of Stone Brewery's Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout small batch edition. Can't wait to crack it open, which I will be doing this weekend!
 
I love blue cheese also, I wonder if there is enough interest to start a cheese thread! haha!

I was able to get my hands on a bottle of Stone Brewery's Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout small batch edition. Can't wait to crack it open, which I will be doing this weekend!

If you start a cheese thread, I will happily contribute to it.
 
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Took a chance and tried out a California sparkling from Piper Sonoma last night. 60% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier according to the vineyard site. It's made with the classic style. Owned by one of the large champagne houses, Piper-Heidsieck, this was an interesting sparkling stemming from the true champagne style and regulation without foreplay of grapes. As with most bruts, there was no noticeable sweetness in the profile or aftertaste. It smelled of citrus and tart apple. Made in the traditional method, the sparkling like a true champagne hailing from the French region displayed minute bubbles that rose steadily, unlike vat made mass sparkling that has large noticeable bubbles. The finish was tart, grassy, and citrus. Compared to Roederer and M&C, this is much better at a few dollars less of a SRP of around $17 a bottle.

I don't enjoy the fact that the best California sparklings are owned by the French houses, but it does allow leeway for them to create some interesting and exciting blends. Would I buy it again? Yes, of course. This is a sparkling to be enjoyed on its own, without the aid of food. Something to consume on the veranda while laying back with a significant other or friend. And at $17 SRP, it quite cheap and doesn't break the bank if you find yourself consuming it often. It may very well supplant my love for cava as a good, every day sparkling.

If you start a cheese thread, I will happily contribute to it.
We'd been using the coffee thread for it, but I'll contribute, too.
 
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Took a chance and tried out a California sparkling from Piper Sonoma last night. 60% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier according to the vineyard site. It's made with the classic style. Owned by one of the large champagne houses, Piper-Heidsieck, this was an interesting sparkling stemming from the true champagne style and regulation without foreplay of grapes. As with most bruts, there was no noticeable sweetness in the profile or aftertaste. It smelled of citrus and tart apple. Made in the traditional method, the sparkling like a true champagne hailing from the French region displayed minute bubbles that rose steadily, unlike vat made mass sparkling that has large noticeable bubbles. The finish was tart, grassy, and citrus. Compared to Roederer and M&C, this is much better at a few dollars less of a SRP of around $17 a bottle.

I don't enjoy the fact that the best California sparklings are owned by the French houses, but it does allow leeway for them to create some interesting and exciting blends. Would I buy it again? Yes, of course. This is a sparkling to be enjoyed on its own, without the aid of food. Something to consume on the veranda while laying back with a significant other or friend. And at $17 SRP, it quite cheap and doesn't break the bank if you find yourself consuming it often. It may very well supplant my love for cava as a good, every day sparkling.


We'd been using the coffee thread for it, but I'll contribute, too.

Glad you enjoyed the Californian sparkling wine; personally, sparkling wine is not one of my favourites - it seems to be a style of wine where it is relatively easy to make stuff that is exceedingly drinkable but not terribly good.

From my (admittedly somewhat biased) memories of Californian wines, I'd welcome French experience, savour-faire, and sophistication to this wine making world, although I appreciate your concerns about foreign ownership.
 
I quite like a petite sirah that softens as it oxidizes yet leaves its complex flavor. Lovingly nicknamed the black gold of wine, at least here. Mainly due to the inky qualities it has.
 
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I quite like a petite sirah that softens as it oxidizes yet leaves its complex flavor. Lovingly nicknamed the black gold of wine, at least here. Mainly due to the inky qualities it has.

Well, I can't fault your taste.

Some of the Syrah wines from the Languedoc region - especially the balanced blends - can be said to be rather palatable.
 
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