Wine.

[Ulysses]

12 minutes ago, New Town Loafer said:

Love a glass of red wine. Malbec usually my go to, but I’m a very big fan of Portuguese reds. They’re underrated and can still be difficult to find in the UK.

 

Try either of these if you can track them down.

 

 

[Fxxx the SPFL]

Any Zinfandel Rose i know folk say Rose wine is a bit pish, but i can't drink red one glass and i have a stinker of a headache next day lass at my work said it's something to do with the tannins in the wine.

[OBE]

8 minutes ago, New Town Loafer said:

Love a glass of red wine. Malbec usually my go to, but I’m a very big fan of Portuguese reds. They’re underrated and can still be difficult to find in the UK.

 

You'll like Porta 6 then, it's dangerous, can be necked with or without food.

[periodictabledancer]

1 hour ago, New Town Loafer said:

Love a glass of red wine. Malbec usually my go to, but I’m a very big fan of Portuguese reds. They’re underrated and can still be difficult to find in the UK.

I'm a big fan of Portuguese reds and while easy to find in most supermarkets, there's not much selection IMO. Absolutely love a chilled albarino - which I thought was Portuguese but comes  from a region that spans both Portugal and Spain. I find Portuguese wines very different from the rest - seems to me they use grape varieties no one else does.

 

Aussie shiraz is bonzer, Argie malbec too (was once given a bottle that retails at £28.00 and it tasted nothing like any Malbec I've ever drunk and not in a good way). 

Currently drinking far too much of an Aussie chardonnay (which I never normally touch) that tastes like a really good burgundy. 

[stevie1874]

18 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

 

This stuffs magic. First seen it in Costco but the supermarkets now sell it too.

agree and its on offer at the moment in costco 

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

2 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

Just had a look in my local Aldi at lunchtime to see if they'd anything of particular interest in stock at the moment, but I didn't spot anything.

The Pomerol and the Margaux were only on sale for about a week and word went round the internet at the time and they were snapped up in hours in most Aldi's. Some wine snobs said they had maybe been badly stored at the wineries and they were sub standard and that's how Aldi got hold of them but they tasted fine enough to me. I have tasted wine that was around the £30 plus mark and these tasted better to me and claret isn't even my favourite red wine either.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

40 minutes ago, periodictabledancer said:

I'm a big fan of Portuguese reds and while easy to find in most supermarkets, there's not much selection IMO. Absolutely love a chilled albarino - which I thought was Portuguese but comes  from a region that spans both Portugal and Spain. I find Portuguese wines very different from the rest - seems to me they use grape varieties no one else does.

 

Aussie shiraz is bonzer, Argie malbec too (was once given a bottle that retails at £28.00 and it tasted nothing like any Malbec I've ever drunk and not in a good way). 

Currently drinking far too much of an Aussie chardonnay (which I never normally touch) that tastes like a really good burgundy. 

The Portuguese use Touriga Nacional a lot in red wines, it's the same grape used in Port therefor it is a full bodied grape. If you see Tinto Roriz on the lable that's actually Tempranillo the Spanish grape used in Rioja. 

[Ulysses]

12 minutes ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

The Pomerol and the Margaux were only on sale for about a week and word went round the internet at the time and they were snapped up in hours

 

 

Every so often, either Lidl or Aldi get their hands on a winner like this.  Often what happens is exactly what you've described, so you do need to be quick.  Mind you, I've done OK on occasion.

[Ulysses]

2 minutes ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

The Portuguese use Touriga Nacional a lot in red wines, it's the same grape used in Port therefor it is a full bodied grape. If you see Tinto Roriz on the lable that's actually Tempranillo the Spanish grape used in Rioja. 

 

I do like a nice port, btw.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

2 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

I do like a nice port, btw.

You don't suffer from Gout then 😉

[Ulysses]

1 minute ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

You don't suffer from Gout then 😉

 

Not yet.

[Dawnrazor]

8 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

I do like a nice port, btw.

Aye, love it.

[Ulysses]

Sitting in my house, never yet tried, are:

 

 

 

[Seymour M Hersh]

A friend who is a bit of a connoisseur on such matters told me years ago that when you find a grape you like stick with it. As no matter the winery or country you will enjoy it. So for me I stick with Pinot Noir and white some are better than others I've never met one yet I didn't enjoy. 

[Ulysses]

I normally wouldn't drink a tawny port, but there you go.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

10 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Every so often, either Lidl or Aldi get their hands on a winner like this.  Often what happens is exactly what you've described, so you do need to be quick.  Mind you, I've done OK on occasion.

A couple of years ago I did get a Barolo in Lidl reduced to £9 or something but it was more Barlinnie than Barolo. I know Nebbiolo produces lighter bodied wine but this was almost all water. It's hit or miss in these stores a lot of the time but if you go for big wines like Malbec or Zinfandel/ Primitivo you can't really go wrong.

[New Town Loafer]

3 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

Try either of these if you can track them down.

 

 

Thanks, will keep an eye out!

 

3 hours ago, OBE said:

 

You'll like Porta 6 then, it's dangerous, can be necked with or without food.

 

Yep, I’m a big fan and it’s very reasonably priced!

 

1 hour ago, periodictabledancer said:

I'm a big fan of Portuguese reds and while easy to find in most supermarkets, there's not much selection IMO. Absolutely love a chilled albarino - which I thought was Portuguese but comes  from a region that spans both Portugal and Spain. I find Portuguese wines very different from the rest - seems to me they use grape varieties no one else does.

 

Aussie shiraz is bonzer, Argie malbec too (was once given a bottle that retails at £28.00 and it tasted nothing like any Malbec I've ever drunk and not in a good way). 

Currently drinking far too much of an Aussie chardonnay (which I never normally touch) that tastes like a really good burgundy. 

 

I agree about the lack of selection. Love an Albariño, too. A Vinho verde in the sun is a lovely drop, as well. 

[New Town Loafer]

3 hours ago, leginten said:

 

 

Anything from Quinta do Crasto is worth drinking, but the wine produced from the old vines is exceptional.

 

 

Will keep the eyes peeled for this!

[ColinSmith1255]

19 hours ago, hughesie27 said:

 

This stuffs magic. First seen it in Costco but the supermarkets now sell it too.

I drink a fair bit (too much) of this.

Without getting into a discussion about the ban on multi buy discounts in Scotland you can get round it. I buy this when Waitrose Cellar is doing 25% off when you buy 6 or more bottles. I think it is because they are an online retailer without a Scottish address that I manage to get this discount when I order for delivery even though my home is in Scotland. This takes Apothic red to £7.50 rather than £10 a bottle. I just have Waitrose Cellar notifications switched on in Facebook to know when they are discounting multi-buys which is fairly frequent.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

I used to buy a Carmenere in Morrisons called Root 1 which went down a treat but they stopped selling it for some reason and I haven't found a replacement as good. That is a problem with wine sometimes you find one you really like and it's taken off the market or the they change the blend or producer. Even The Wine Society sometimes only have a short run on certain wines until they sell out and then they are unable to obtain further supplies as the wines normally sell only in the country of origin if demand is strong there and small wineries only have limited amounts they can produce in a season.

Some big brands like Yellow Tail are industrial in scale, are everywhere and vintages don't matter as they can sweeten wine in colder years so the taste is the same all the time for those that can't see past names they recognise on the shelf.  

[Turkishcap]

3 hours ago, Ulysses said:

Sitting in my house, never yet tried, are:

 

 

 

You lucky person you.

[Ulysses]

1 hour ago, Turkishcap said:

You lucky person you.

 

At least one of them won't make it as far as Jools' Hootenanny.

[Maple Leaf]

On 03/12/2023 at 16:37, Cade said:

Load of pretentious pish

Plus heartburn.  Gave up on red wine years ago.

[Hagar the Horrible]

Usually go for the top to mid range reds from aldi and Lidl, especially when going to somebody else's house.

 

But for my own pleasure I strongly recommend this NOT for sharing Chateau Musar. Its from the Lebanon and its a faff but worth it. Needs to be at room temperature then opened then allow to breathe, you need prongs to open the bottle, then you need to decanter it through muslin or cheesecloth leaving the sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Leave once again to breathe then enjoy on your own with or without a Cuban cigar.

[Ray Gin]

On 04/12/2023 at 09:27, Greenbank2 said:

A wise man once told me "there are only two kinds of wine; wine you like and wine you dinae!" that was 40 years ago and is till my wine mantra.

 

A wine man once told me "life is far too short to worry about being wise. Get drunk."

[Ribble]

On 04/12/2023 at 12:09, cosanostra said:

 

You put red wine in the fridge? Genuinely never met anyone who does that before. 🤣

You ever tried sparkling reds that are intended to be chilled? Seriously good. I'm a fan.

 

I do too, not chilled totally like a white but chilled somewhat. Red wine is meant to be drank at 12-18 degrees (with heavier fuller red's 15-18 degree's), if your heating is on at 20+ degrees then your red wine will be too warm.

[N Lincs Jambo]

5 hours ago, Ribble said:

 

I do too, not chilled totally like a white but chilled somewhat. Red wine is meant to be drank at 12-18 degrees (with heavier fuller red's 15-18 degree's), if your heating is on at 20+ degrees then your red wine will be too warm.

Spot on! Last summer (2022) here in Lincolnshire it hit 40C in the shade 2 days running. Indoor temperature was 28C. Popped the red wine in the fridge for a couple of hours to bring it down to where it should be. Lovely jubbly!

[westbow]

12 hours ago, Hagar the Horrible said:

Usually go for the top to mid range reds from aldi and Lidl, especially when going to somebody else's house.

 

But for my own pleasure I strongly recommend this NOT for sharing Chateau Musar. It’s from the Lebanon and it’s a faff but worth it. Needs to be at room temperature then opened then allow to breathe, you need prongs to open the bottle, then you need to decanter it through muslin or cheesecloth leaving the sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Leave once again to breathe then enjoy on your own with or without a Cuban cigar.

Getting expensive nowadays-not that long ago Waitrose had it under £20, now it’s over £40. Always found an Amarone or Borolo more bang for your buck. Aldi do an Amarone for £16 but you get what you pay for. I used to get a bottle of Tommasi Amarone from valvona & crolla for Xmas dinner. They cost about the same as a Chateau Musar.

Unfortunately, red wine makes me wheezy nowadays for some reason and I stick to Chardonnay.

[cosanostra]

9 hours ago, Ribble said:

 

I do too, not chilled totally like a white but chilled somewhat. Red wine is meant to be drank at 12-18 degrees (with heavier fuller red's 15-18 degree's), if your heating is on at 20+ degrees then your red wine will be too warm.

 

Usually like to drink reds at room temperature. Never knew that some were best served below that tbh.

[Tazio]

2 minutes ago, cosanostra said:

 

Usually like to drink reds at room temperature. Never knew that some were best served below that tbh.

There’s the theory that when the room temperature rule came into being rooms were a lot colder. It isn’t uncommon in Italy to have light reds served chilled. 

[Zico]

Another Wine Society fan here. Get a lot of my wine from there and will have my Xmas mixed champagne case from them delivered on Friday. They do good quality wine at all price points and also offer En Primeur if you’re patient. Get most of mine there plus A Case Of Wine (the guys who used to have the Calistoga restaurant) who also do great value, quality wines. Sometimes get bottles from the supermarket but prefer the own brand stuff which is better quality than the mass market wine they sell. I’d rather pay a bit more to drink better wine but the Wine Society do some sub-£10 wines (mainly whites) that are good. 

[Zico]

2 minutes ago, Tazio said:

There’s the theory that when the room temperature rule came into being rooms were a lot colder. It isn’t uncommon in Italy to have light reds served chilled. 

Lighter reds (Pinot noir, Beaujolais etc) definitely benefit from half an hour in the fridge. 

[Tazio]

13 hours ago, Hagar the Horrible said:

Usually go for the top to mid range reds from aldi and Lidl, especially when going to somebody else's house.

 

But for my own pleasure I strongly recommend this NOT for sharing Chateau Musar. Its from the Lebanon and its a faff but worth it. Needs to be at room temperature then opened then allow to breathe, you need prongs to open the bottle, then you need to decanter it through muslin or cheesecloth leaving the sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Leave once again to breathe then enjoy on your own with or without a Cuban cigar.

I’ve drunk a lot of Chateau Musar and have never had to decant it though it can be a good idea. I had a bottle of Hochar Brothers red  that my father in law bought me years ago and I kept for a special occasion looking after it properly. Eventually opened it to celebrate my last Sunday roast in a house before I moved. Absolutely lovely so I googled it to replace it. Turns out if you find a 1985 red to buy you need north of £180 or so. 🙄

[Dawnrazor]

Does anyone decant the bottle?

I don't but when I pour it I keep the bottle high and try and get plenty of air into the glass, I saw it on Tele once but have no idea if it makes a difference!

[westbow]

36 minutes ago, Dawnrazor said:

Does anyone decant the bottle?

I don't but when I pour it I keep the bottle high and try and get plenty of air into the glass, I saw it on Tele once but have no idea if it makes a difference!

If it had sediment I would. It’s pretty gross. Otherwise, nah, just let it breathe for 30 mins.

[Ulysses]

41 minutes ago, Dawnrazor said:

Does anyone decant the bottle?

I don't but when I pour it I keep the bottle high and try and get plenty of air into the glass, I saw it on Tele once but have no idea if it makes a difference!

 

I don't usually, although it's said that all reds benefit from decanting.  The only times I "decant" are if there's sediment or if the cork has been damaged, and even then I don't use a decanter, I just slowly pour the wine into a big glass jug or carafe, and I'll use a strainer if there are pieces of cork.

 

You can also not decant and use an aerator instead.

 

Best wine aerators 2023, from budget friendly to top of the range | The Independent

 

 

[Zico]

8 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

I don't usually, although it's said that all reds benefit from decanting.  The only times I "decant" are if there's sediment or if the cork has been damaged, and even then I don't use a decanter, I just slowly pour the wine into a big glass jug or carafe, and I'll use a strainer if there are pieces of cork.

 

You can also not decant and use an aerator instead.

 

Best wine aerators 2023, from budget friendly to top of the range | The Independent

 

 

I use a Vinturi aerator, much quicker than decanting. 

[Ribble]

10 hours ago, cosanostra said:

 

Usually like to drink reds at room temperature. Never knew that some were best served below that tbh.

 

yeah it's a consequence of improvements in central heating etc, everyone know's that red should be drank/kept at room temperature, it's just in the past wine would be kept at maybe 5-9 degree's in a dark wine cellar, then brought into a dining room and by the time the wine had been opened and left to breathe it would have risen to a room temperature of 12-18 degrees, doesn't translate as well to being kept in your kitchen cupboard with the heating on full blast haha 

[Deodato]

On 03/12/2023 at 21:08, Tazio said:

I’m a bit of fan of it as well. The Trivento from Tesco is a nice drop. One of the best things about modern wine making is that unless you drop to stupid cheap it’s hard to find something horrible. Not always great but always drinkable. I’m trying the Tesco Finest Malbec Mendoza today. It’s rather pleasant and went very well with the ribeye steak with dauphinois potatoes I cooked earlier. 

 

Here's a top tip from my Spanish in-laws: https://www.vinoseleccion.co.uk/

 

They knock it out the park. And they have a very good subscription service as well, six-bottles every turn. 

 

The Thyssen selection is pitch perfect for Christmas events and a very decent price. 

 

[Dazo]

10 hours ago, Dawnrazor said:

Does anyone decant the bottle?

I don't but when I pour it I keep the bottle high and try and get plenty of air into the glass, I saw it on Tele once but have no idea if it makes a difference!

We do but only normally if it’s a nice bottle with nice food or we have people round for a meal. Don’t bother if it’s a bog standard dinner on a Wednesday night. I’ve no idea if my mind is playing tricks on me or it’s just the occasion but find it tasters better but usually results in drinking more. 

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

10 hours ago, Dawnrazor said:

Does anyone decant the bottle?

I don't but when I pour it I keep the bottle high and try and get plenty of air into the glass, I saw it on Tele once but have no idea if it makes a difference!

It does help with older red wines which have a sediment but young wines like a northern Rhone Syrah will benefit to soften the fresh tannins a bit and improve the taste over all.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Does anyone watch some wine geeky channels on youtube?

 

There are loads but some I watch are 

Wine Folly. "We learn by drinking", as Madeline Puckette says at the end😁

Dr Matthew Horkey.

Attorney Somm. Wines that are beyond most though on his upmarket channel! 

Konstantin Baum, 

 Know wine in no time. 

There is also old episodes of Wine Library TV if you can stand Gary Vaynerchuk's over the top persona !

Wine Mastery is a small channel but the two presenters are like a comedy duo.

Wine King. Just be careful how you say that 😄 

 

Oh I forgot No Sediment, great name for a wine channel !

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by All roads lead to Gorgie

[Bigsmak]

New Fav thread on KB? 

 

I watch the TikTok Wine guy, Luke Flanders - I am always amazed by how red his cheeks get! 

 

Anyway - I joined Naked Wine club a few years back - I think i've maybe only had 1 or 2 bottles that I didn't enjoy - So big shout out to them and I get to try a lot of different wines. 

[Dazo]

Only because a few mentioned the wine but Aldi have a Côtes du Rhône red as wine of the week at 65% off. No doubt we’ll be more in Scotland but a decent price for those in a country that treats its adults like adults. 

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

I have always found red wines from the Costieres de Nimes appellation are great value and are usually cheaper than the wines from the Rhone Valley itself further north and they use the same GSM blend. They usually come in at about £6 or so, might even be cheaper in Aldi or Lidl.

[Dawnrazor]

Got a bottle of this tonight, 13 quid, absolutely beautiful.

[Ulysses]

1 hour ago, Dawnrazor said:

Got a bottle of this tonight, 13 quid, absolutely beautiful.

 

Yep, it is.

[Ulysses]

2 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Yep, it is.

 

Try also:

 

 

It's a blend with 75% Malbec in it.

 

[Dawnrazor]

27 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Try also:

 

 

It's a blend with 75% Malbec in it.

 

👍

[periodictabledancer]

On 06/12/2023 at 21:22, Bigsmak said:

New Fav thread on KB? 

 

I watch the TikTok Wine guy, Luke Flanders - I am always amazed by how red his cheeks get! 

 

Anyway - I joined Naked Wine club a few years back - I think i've maybe only had 1 or 2 bottles that I didn't enjoy - So big shout out to them and I get to try a lot of different wines. 

I was a member during lockdown 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

 

Some of their stuff was outstanding , but over priced IMO.  Never had a bad one. I liked the idea of supporting new growers etc  but I thought they played on that. Good stuff though. enjoy.