Random Rumblings on Wine (Part 5)

[David M. Bueker]

Some of the things that have been crossing my mind recently (no cork discussions below):

Spain - I have not been drinking enough wine from Spain. I was at a dinner on Thursday night that featured mostly Rioja with some Ribera del Duero and Priorat thrown in for good measure. It was one of the most enojoyable wine events I had been to in a long time. Many of the wines were from more traditional producers (Lopez de Heredia, La Rioja Alta), but I enjoyed the Clos Mogador and Alenza as well. Some of my focus areas (e.g. Burgundy, Bordeaux) have gotten beyond my comfort range. It's time for a more significant exploration of what Spain has to offer.

Changing tastes - I'm glad I got most of this out of my system a few years ago. I went through my phase of buying too many high-octane Zinfandels. I ended up with a bunch of wines I didn't want to drink that clogged up the cellar pipeline for a few years. Now most of them are gone. I still buy some Zinfandel (mostly Ridge and Dashe), but my palate preferences and buying have settled into Germany Riesling, Red Burgundy and Champagne. That leaves room to experiment with Spain (or maybe some day when I am ready for the vinous firehose - a serious exploration of Italy), and smatterings of a few other things. There's still the annual Trimbach and Boxler (when I can find them) purchases, and there has to be some Cotes du Rhone, Beaujolais and Muscadet in the cellar, but the pattern has remained pretty stable for several years now. Of course now Laura's tastes are changing, and all those Germans that she wanted me to hold for maturity are less and less to her taste as they lose their baby fat. Looks like I'll have free access to the older Germans in the near future!

750ml bottles - Most nights I am the sole wine drinker in the house. A 750 ml bottle is too big. I really like 375s. Magnums are great for dinner parties or offlines, so that everyone gets a good pour (and maybe a second pour), but on a Monday night a half bottle makes so much sense. I purchased a bunch of halves a while back, but I am plowing through them very quickly. Most of the time I don't want to drink the same wine two nights in a row. I don't eat the same food two nights in a row. It's the rare bottle that can stand up to two nights in the fridge. Maybe I just need to drink more Sherry.

Point scores - if you don't like points, just read the notes. There's no reason to get worked up over a point score. The non-geek public likes scores, so they are here to stay (at least for a while), and howling at the moon (or score) won't change that. I put this item last because that's about how I feel about it.

Have a great day!

On the 750/375 issue, while I am in the same boat as you (the only wine drinker most nights), and often wish for more 375s, I also really enjoy seeing the changes that happen to a 750 bottle over two or three nights. Occasionally they degrade, but more ofetn they change for the better. But I agree that one doesn't eat the same food twice in a row, and that has an impact - but maybe you could have more leftovers!?!

[David M. Bueker]

Mmm...leftovers.

Sometimes a 750 does get better (or at least hold), but sooner or later I am going to have to start drinking older wines. Those do not usually do as well on the second night.

Interesting read, thanks for that. Agree with you on Spain - it's a region I'm keen on exploring more in the next few years, or at least the more traditional side of it. Most of my experience with Spanish wines so far has been with some of the bigger Priorats and the new wave of giants (Clio and Numanthia) which I've found quite enjoyable for what they are - but the notes I'm reading on some of the more traditional Riojas are making my mouth water - and the region seems a lot more accessible price-wise than Bordeaux, Burgundy or most of the west coast of the USA.

On changing tastes - I'm fortunate that I've normally bought wine in fairly small quantities (German Riesling aside), so I only had half a dozen or so bottles of big Aussie or Cali fruit bombs to move through as my tastes have shifted more towards Northern Rhones and cool climate Aussies recently. As far as the German wines go - let me know any time you feel like clearing out some of those older ones to make space for more young Riesling.

David, I think you should also be heading to Portugal in your wine exploration. Has to be some good choices in Connecticut!!

[David M. Bueker]

Actually Bob there is very little from Portugal available here. Too bad.

Agree with your points on points.

Enjoy reading your random rumblings, David, keep 'em comin', mate.

Thanks, David, for your most informative posting!

Regarding points...I am a Very Beginning notewriter, I find myself awarding points because on re-reading my note I haven't said whether or not I liked the wine; I also find this often when reading others' notes, and rather like the system: describe the wine as 'objectively' and well as possible, this is the main value of the TN, then award a rating if one prefers, simply as personal judgment.

[David M. Bueker]

Steve,

Don't work hard to be "objective", as it's hardly possible or even useful. We all taste differently, so your sweet, confected fruit may be my ripe and balanced (not likely, but you get the idea).

One of the big problems with wine on the internet is that we sometimes take people's tasting notes/writing personally. It is rarely if ever meant that way.

Say what you think. Putting a comment such as "I really liked this wine" is much more useful than any point score.

This has probably been mentioned but I have 4-5 extra (empty) half bottles. When you open a 750 on a Monday night immediately pour half into an old (clean) half bottle, re cork it and put it back in the cellar.

I think this is far superior to loading up on a bunch of half bottles.

Tom

[David M. Bueker]

This has probably been mentioned but I have 4-5 extra (empty) half bottles. When you open a 750 on a Monday night immediately pour half into an old (clean) half bottle, re cork it and put it back in the cellar.

I think this is far superior to loading up on a bunch of half bottles.

Tom

I do that some times(it helps to have some screw top 375s!), but not as often as I should.

Changing tastes...

When I first began to seriously cellar wine in the pre-internet days of yore, I relied on the usual suspects for information (WS,The Bob, heck, even Clive Coates), before my judgements were more concrete. Lucky for me, this was before fruit-bomb became a verb and spoof was a comedy skit on television, and many of those choices and producers recommended have jived with my palate. One thing I have never done is to focus solely on 1 or 2 regions; I have always admired diversity and have catholic tastes, so I have never been stuck with more than a couple of bottles of something I've later 'outgrown'. One of my biggest problems has always been a lack of good income to purchase some of the great wines I've wanted. Even stretching (and many weeks even the day after payday was a stretch), I could never afford those bottles and they were always out of my reach. Here, I am talking about Giacosa red-label, Quintarelli Amarones, DRC (of course!), Leroy, German TBA's, etc. I'm lucky to have bought a few Chave before those prices kept me out, but price compared to income is my biggest wine peave.

As for areas to explore? For me, I would say Portugal, Greece, the former Yugoslav republic...these areas have unique autochthonous varieties that have not been explored too well. I am willing to try them, if they ever become more available and turned into good wine. Spain? Beyond some old-school Rioja and mencia wines, I haven't found alot I've wanted to buy yet.

Bottle size - I tend to be the only drinker in my family as well, although I prefer the 500ml size so I have enough leftover to see what changes the next day has wrought.

And David, you need to eat your leftovers.

One thing I have never done is to focus solely on 1 or 2 regions; I have always admired diversity and have catholic tastes, so I have never been stuck with more than a couple of bottles of something I've later 'outgrown'. One of my biggest problems has always been a lack of good income to purchase some of the great wines I've wanted. Even stretching (and many weeks even the day after payday was a stretch), I could never afford those bottles and they were always out of my reach. Here, I am talking about Giacosa red-label, Quintarelli Amarones, DRC (of course!), Leroy, German TBA's, etc. I'm lucky to have bought a few Chave before those prices kept me out, but price compared to income is my biggest wine peave.

That encapsulates my experience, too, Mark, along with the early reliance on received wisdom (if only there'd been a Wine Internet back in '81 when I started cellaring wines...) In addition to those older Chaves, we were fortunate to start buying Bordeaux back in the early '80s, when even First Growths weren't automatically out of reach and the Great Stylistic Shift had not yet begun. The same holds true for the CalCabs I bought back then, some of which we still possess. Now, if only I'd learned to appreciate Burgundy before the '99 vintage

As for areas to explore? For me, I would say Portugal, Greece, the former Yugoslav republic...these areas have unique autochthonous varieties that have not been explored too well. I am willing to try them, if they ever become more available and turned into good wine. Spain? Beyond some old-school Rioja and mencia wines, I haven't found alot I've wanted to buy yet.

I'm going to keep an eye out for Vermentino from Manchuela. I'm also keeping an eye on New Zealand to see how its wines develop with greater vine age and knowledge about local growing conditions.

The Other Mark