|
Wine to go?
You order an excellent wine to go with your restaurant meal, and when dinner is done, the bottle is half empty. Or half full, depending on your worldview. What do you do?
In recent years, though, model legislation (usually pushed by the restaurant industry and wine distributors) has made its way through the law-making process in quite a few states, including New York and Massachusetts as well as a few more rural jurisdictions. Kentucky's similar law won easy passage in March, with only nominal opposition from some lawmakers in "dry" regions. The law, as most of them do, requires that restaurant staff re-seal the bottle, place it in a container and provide a dated receipt. The consumer must keep the bottle in the trunk, a locked glove compartment or other place "inaccessible to the driver" during the quick trip home. The changes have not gone without debate. Supporters argue that the new laws foster moderation because diners don't feel pressured to drink the whole bottle at the restaurant, then drive home. Opponents fret that drivers can all too easily defeat the system if they desire a quick swig - or several - for the road.
In Maryland, where a similar law just passed the legislature and awaits the governor's signature, a local newspaper found the expected range of opinions from cheers to jeers. Here's a link to the story in the Frederick (Md.) News-Post:
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
For more advanced wine-enthusiast discussions on this or any wine-related subject, you're welcome in our non-commercial WineLovers Discussion Group, where today's article is featured at this link: To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
Garnet color, clear but very dark; almost black at the center. Fruit-forward aromas, currants, berries and red cherries. Lots of fruit in the flavor, too; serious and balanced wine in a crowd-pleasing style. (April 8, 2006) FOOD MATCH: Perfect with a dry-aged rib eye, slow-roasted in Chef Michael Schlow's style as discussed in yesterday's WineAdvisor FoodLetter. VALUE: In this day and age, quality, limited-production California Cabernets are no more budget wines than are top Bordeaux or premier cru Burgundies. By this lofty standard, however, a wine of the Turnbull's character is a fine buy in the $30s, capable of competing at a higher price point. WHEN TO DRINK: This Cab appears to have been vinified for immediate enjoyment, but the nature of the variety, and this wine's structure and balance, should carry it for a decade in the cellar, an experience that should see it evolve into a more subtle if not as fruit-forward a wine.
WEB LINK:
For a tech sheet on Turnbull 2002 Napa Cabernet in Adobe (PDF) format, click
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
If you're in a region that Connoisseur's Series doesn't serve, you may be able to track down this hard-to-find wine using Wine-Searcher.com:  The Connoisseur's Series: Unparalleled excellence in California wine Membership in California Wine Club's elite Connoisseur's Series has recently become available to WineLoversPage.com readers and our 30 Second Wine Advisor subscribers. The Connoisseur's Series is the only wine club in America that can guarantee a monthly wine shipment of impossible-to-find, 90-plus-rated wines - each and every time. Whether you choose to receive wines monthly, every other month or quarterly, every shipment is guaranteed to include two to four bottles of California's highest-rated wines, along with detailed tasting notes, cellaring recommendations and winemaker comments. Monthly shipments average $125-$175, including all shipping and handling. Visit http://www.cawineclub.com/connseries or call The California Wine Club at 1-800-777-4443 to learn more about The Connoisseur's Series. Feel free to tell them that I sent you ... and, if you join, please don't hesitate to contact me by E-mail and tell me what you think.
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Friday, April 14, 2006
|
Turnbull 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($36)
