[Joepicalli]

La Tour de Marrenon, currently on sale at tescos. Absolutely gorgeous, fruity, young red Cotes de Ventoux-cheap as buckets of berries in the gob.

[Houdini]

Fraudini & I have been supping the most insanely affordable-to-tasty wine of late:



As you can see, no oil painting to look at.  €4 a bottle, stupid price.  Utterly delicious; opaque, rich, velvety.  Big on body, something to roll around the mouth for a full minute before swallowing. 

[Houdini]

You all drink in pubs don't you?   Reassuringly expensive . . .


Ah . . .     A while back I mentioned something about only buying very local wines, as far as Portugal I recall.  This is no longer possible. 

Excuse:  Body.  I fear I do not have the dough to chase local corper.  I know that there are French and indeed German wine w/ very rich textures big on body but great German wine tends to be more expensive that great French wine and I don't want to pay the Earth for wine.  It is, after all, just wine.

Ah . . .   Oz it is.  And a move to Cab Sauv from our usual Shiraz.  There is something crazy rich about Oz wine is there not.  I assume it's the iron-rich soil.

Any thoughts on Oz wine? 

[Joepicalli]

You all drink in pubs don't you?   Reassuringly expensive . . .


Ah . . .     A while back I mentioned something about only buying very local wines, as far as Portugal I recall.  This is no longer possible. 

Excuse:  Body.  I fear I do not have the dough to chase local corper.  I know that there are French and indeed German wine w/ very rich textures big on body but great German wine tends to be more expensive that great French wine and I don't want to pay the Earth for wine.  It is, after all, just wine.

Ah . . .   Oz it is.  And a move to Cab Sauv from our usual Shiraz.  There is something crazy rich about Oz wine is there not.  I assume it's the iron-rich soil.

Any thoughts on Oz wine? 

Not iron rich soil, just loads of sun. Grapes ripen quickly (I'm generalizing obviously) and have loads of residual sugar (read high alcohol potential). This along with good (some of the world's best wine makers) gives us what I call alcoholic ribina: really, immediately approachable, fruity wines. Personally they don't do much for me. I actually like austere wines which match up against food. The big Oz, American, New World wines which are getting all the press these days are incredibly hard to match with food: they swamp it. Houdini you live in a country which has a talent for wines with a low alcohol content and wedges of character go discover them and tell us about them- please. As for this quote " It is, after all, just wine." Well it might be believable from someone who posted on this thread about 100th as often as you do.
And long may you continue posting.

[underground]

Joe's alcoholic ribena- stuff to get hammered on in pretentious circles innit?

The man's right - when he says 'low alcohol', bearing in mind the logarithmical way in which those numbers work, there int much to worry about. a few percent less ABV means a few more glasses of pleasure. Unless the goal is wankeredness. Or you genuinely love the taste of those wines- in which case tell him to bury himself in a sewer.

In my A level days mates and me used to use a simple equation to work out pissedness per pound, and stuck by it. Once we bought Holsten Pils by default as the one with stubble panicked, none of us could drink it. Probably still in a bush down Millhouses if anyone's thirsty.

[Houdini]

Alas, there is cost to consider, w/ the more interesting German wines coming in at around €9 per bottle. 

Myself & the Frau normally share one bottle in the evening.  We've found ourselves going for a heavier wine w/ more alcohol (13.5 - 14%) which I like as I miss port (the ridiculous flavour and body, which I don't drink anymore largely due to cost: tasty port is not cheap).  Also, w/ New World wines one gets more for less & I'm less likely to finish a bottle then go out for more (we live alarmingly close to shops . . .) as wine is, well, terribly moreish, at least for me.

W/ port I'd hold it in the mouth for a minute, even longer before swallowing, soak up all that flavour.  We've tried a few local Spätburgunders recently that needed to be swallowed immediately, there's nothing more on offer to warrant rolling it around.  Which is where the pleasure for me is.  Also as a vegetarian the food matching options are few, so the flavour must come from the wine.

Wankeredness . . .  Hmmmm . . .   Not the objective as I'll only be moidered by 'er indoors if I get leathered, and fat!  Crazy how a bottle or two sits on the hips in the morning.  Running it off can be fun but it does grind one down.  I'd thought about jumping to stronger wines in order to drink less, the 14.5 - 15% ones.  I'll look into it.
 

None of this is to say we operate a closed door policy @ Chez hOU's - all welcome!

[Houdini]

Actually last night's big red was S. African, not Oz.  That was mid afternoon's tipple . . .


Besides, it's summer now in the Reich.  Well, barely spring for you Englanders (and probably winter still in N. Wales).

For m'self and Nibs it's shorts silken thong and t-shirt muscle vest; BBQ's along the river and in the parks, and usually the time zee frau starts buying whites and I turn to weißbier (and some serious steiner training).

Apparently the local summer habit is to make weißweinschorle (white and sparkling mineral water) so stand buy, there'll be opportunities ahead to minesweep a (undiluted) Riesling or two 

[Joepicalli]

Actually last night's big red was S. African, not Oz.  That was mid afternoon's tipple . . .


Besides, it's summer now in the Reich.  Well, barely spring for you Englanders (and probably winter still in N. Wales).

For m'self and Nibs it's shorts silken thong and t-shirt muscle vest; BBQ's along the river and in the parks, and usually the time zee frau starts buying whites and I turn to weißbier (and some serious steiner training).

Apparently the local summer habit is to make weißweinschorle (white and sparkling mineral water) so stand buy, there'll be opportunities ahead to minesweep a (undiluted) Riesling or two 

Actually all blazing sun, instantly shite grit and St. Veran on the balcony

[lagerstarfish]

Tonight saw the happy demise of a bottle of Pouilly Fumé whilst watching the sun go down 

[GraemeA]

Myself and Mr Joepicalli downed some nice wine on Saturday night

3 bottles of Domaine Delas & Freres Hermitage, Cuvee Marquis de la Tourrettes

The 1971 was past it's prime but still very good.

The 1983 was very good but no where near as good as the 1983 La Chapelle we had a few months back.

The 1998 still tasted a bit young to me but Joe preferred it to the '83

Also had a 2003 white Crozes Hermitage, a NV Barossa Muscat, a 1988 Ch Suiduiraut (Sauternes) and a nice bottle of fizz.

My head hurt on Sunday.

Disclaimer - it wasn't just me and Joe, we ARE borderline alcoholics but we are that bad 

[Houdini]

. . . Cuvee Marquis de la Tourrettes . . .

Can't believe you didn't save any for me you you f-f-f--f--f-f-f-f-f-fuckin' wankers!

[Houdini]

Today I wandered in Hamburg town w/ €5/4 quid in my pocket.  I returned w/ 2 bottles of wine, 2 (empty) bottles of local export beer and an empty bag (which contained a fresh baked pretzel). 

Plus change!

Here is one of my bargains:



Ludicrous isn't it?  That in the German city w/ the highest percentage of millionaires in all of Deutschland one can purchase a 10 year old wine for €2.29 from a high street supermarket . . .

Review later, as I've an Italian red and a tomato/mozarella salad to get through first.   

[Houdini]

The reserva is great.  Punching well above it's weight in the price dept.  Officially the best taste-to-cost wine I've bought.

[Houdini]

Found this today (under €4 - getting fucked has never been so affordable) though as you see w/ this product, it's bio (that is German for organic) so I save hundreds - if not more - of French orphans a day from pesticide death w/ every bottle!



But seriously, it's come in tastier than wines at 2€ a bottle more.


Any thoughts on mis en boutille (sp?) dans le chateau (gr?) etc..  I've yet to be convinced this make too much of a difference to taste.  But as an ex-smoker I have next to no sense of smell/taste; so why should you listen to me?

By-zee-vay: taking snaps of bottles is piss, picture hosting too.  This thread needs more pictures. 

[Houdini]

Found another German/Austrian grape variety I really like, the Blauer Portugieser. 

Unusually it makes a good eating grape as well as wine but can't be sold as table grapes in the EU due to banal political reasons.  But lovely, rich, but not in an alcoholic ribena way.  Finding it so much more palatable than these thin, rather woody French pinots or the distant German spätburgunders we've had recently.

Anyone have any thoughts on Eastern European wines?  There's plenty of Bulgarian about but rarely see Croatian wines for sale here.  Which is weird as it roasts in Croatia.

                                                          *           *          *   
     
As it happens the hOU wine blog must rest a while:  I've been sworn to sobreity for a least one week.  Which pains me as the last booze in the house is now some ghastly Italian Cinzano-esque shit which I'd probably drink at gunpoint, and of course, that last bottle in every cellar, the Amaretto.  Great!





 

[lagerstarfish]

I've been sworn to sobreity for a least one week. 

 

and of course, that last bottle in every cellar, the Amaretto

I myself have a whole pipe of Amontillado - if you will just follow me into this cellar - bring your own trowel... mind the pile of bricks... we shall return to the party shortly...

[Joepicalli]

A sentence I never thought I would write...I'm drinking a glass of really good fruit wine. There I've done it; I'm a fucking hippy (Christ, now I look at the label, its got a fucking Mandlebrot set on it, it just gets worse).
Apple wine given to me as a present yesterday for putting in a really long day for a vaguely hippy place out in north Derbyshire; "Great" , I thought, "Thanks", I said, meaning; "Die Die, something slow, and pustules many pustules".
However,being constitutionally incapable of not trying something which is free and has alcohol in it, I've just opened it and its like a really strong, still cider with a finish like a marsanne based wine, really quite un-hippy.
I was given two bottles; I feel something involving mature cheddar and the second bottle coming on.

[Houdini]

I had reason to translate a little Latin to German last night for zee frau: Delerium tremens . . .

...Other common symptoms include intense hallucinations such as visions of insects, snakes or rats (or stereotypically, pink elephants)...

 

There's no way I'll touch that amaretto.

[Houdini]

Quick shout for anyone online early. 




Need to find an Italian red as a birthday gift (cab sauv preferably).  Any knowledge?  Probably pay €15 which should get a great wine, here in the land of the free.

Fraudini & I are particularly fond of all thing Sicillian, so that's what I'd normally err towards.

[Joepicalli]

Quick shout for anyone online early. 




Need to find an Italian red as a birthday gift (cab sauv preferably).  Any knowledge?  Probably pay €15 which should get a great wine, here in the land of the free.

Fraudini & I are particularly fond of all thing Sicillian, so that's what I'd normally err towards.

Cab souv isn't an Italian grape, though it has since the 80's been quite widely grown esp in Tuscany and added to the so called Super Tuscans. You should go for somthing Piemnotese. Your fifteen euro won't stretch to a Barolo, but it will get you a corking barbera or dolcetto. If you can find it the dolcetto by Boglietti(indeed any wine by them) is great. If you are up for something headier (and from reading your posts it sounds like you usually are) The go deep southern- Sicillian Nero d'Avola is vey well produced by the  Planeta Estate who also do a good cab sauv if you must wuss out of drinking Italian grapes.

[Houdini]

Italian Cab/Sauv:  Yes I did a little net research before posting.  There's plenty grown there, even on Sicily.

Alas the advice came too late and I purchased (from my usual independent) the following:

The wine snob will be gifted this whether he likes it or not @ €13:



This is for me 1L @ €5: 



This is for the frau (and her screeching witches that decend on our flat like shitflies ever 3rd Thursday to watch Germany's Next Top Model Show) 1L @ €5 (she mainly drinks Syrah & doesn't particularly dig Oz or New World Shiraz, though I did scope out some lovely looking Sicillian Syrah around the €7/bottle range, which I suspect will be divine.)



The wino gave me an invite to a wine tasting which is @ an independent merchant warehouse but 5 mins walk from our gaff, so I think I may go as it's only €15 a ticket inc. buffet and I've never been known to spit my wine out.  Should be a good opportunity to get well-spazzed.

 

Thanks for the advice, I will bear it in mind for the future.  Though I should add that I don't rate France in general and prefer Italian, Austrian and German culture.

[Houdini]

'Er indoors picked this up for (see label) €4.99.  Can't find a reliable online price but people are biddling €47 for 6 bottles on ebay.  So we did OK I think.  Nicely austere, I assume Joe approves.  Kinda woody/pencil shaving-y/tannin-y w/ a hint of cassis and if I'm not mistaken, nubile bitch-ling on heat.  Scooby Fucking Doo!

[Joepicalli]

'Er indoors picked this up for (see label) €4.99.  Can't find a reliable online price but people are biddling €47 for 6 bottles on ebay.  So we did OK I think.  Nicely austere, I assume Joe approves.  Kinda woody/pencil shaving-y/tannin-y w/ a hint of cassis and if I'm not mistaken, nubile bitch-ling on heat.  Scooby Fucking Doo!

I do I do. 4.99 for 2001 Graves, Houdini, you're becoming an easy man to dislike.

[Houdini]

It's tasty enough.


But it didn't go too well w/ potato, cream and sage gratin.   It's been 20 years since I've eaten it but I'd say wild roast rabbit w/ rosemary would go famously (taste: so easy to remember even decades later . . .  *whistful*)

[Houdini]

EDIT killing double post