That's why I went for something more than five bucks, which they looked more like plastic than glass anyway. These are 22 ounce, and they're crystal. Picked a pair up for $19, so they're under ten apiece. 40 ounces? Wow, I realize that they aren't supposed to be filled even halfway up, but damn...leave room on the table for plates and stuff too. lol That's like a giant margarita glass...actually, I think I have had a margarita once in a glass that big before.
So I found a 2012 Gabbiano Chianti Classico, and a 2014 Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon. I also picked up a Roscato Rose, but that's mainly because it's one of the few wines that my fiance will drink. @Homer Potvin if you have any comments about these wines I'd love to here them. I may be sampling one this evening, but if you recommend storing one of them let me know. I've heard that Cabernet Sauvignon can change somewhat with age, if it's not worth it though I'll just go ahead and drink it fairly soon. I know that the Bogle is California, but per our discussion earlier it depends on the location, soil, handling, etc. so it may be good or may not be...
Never had a Bogle cab but their Merlots are pretty generic but acceptable and ubiquitous. We often had them on wine lists because people recognized them. Gabbiano was a cheap bottle we often used for the cheap glass of Chianti. Usually with a "Riserva" Chianti as the next step up. Think an $8 glass as opposed to an $11. With Chianti you're often better off skipping the Classico (aged 1 year?) and stepping up to a Riserva (aged 2 years?--can't quite remember the breakdown). Chiantis aren't terribly complex. I've never figured out with Hannibal Lector chose that one for a human liver pairing. I've never had that Rose but the best ones come from Provencal, France. There's nothing inherently wrong with the other regions, some of the California Roses are quite good (@Tenderiser--there's my "quite" with the impending yeah/but), but the Provencal Roses put that varietal on the map. And they're not terribly expensive either. I wouldn't pay more than $15 ever for a Rose or $12 for a Chianti (I prefer a Toscana/Tuscany). Cabs are another matter. Cabs are all over the place with complexity, climate, region, price, whatevs. In general, storing/aging the common wines we're likely to grab at a liquor store won't do much for them. You need to start from a certain point of complexity to reap any improvement. Unless you're a wine speculator that scoops up cases of good shit and keeps them hoping that they will increase in value down the road. Aging is a multi-step process. Wines are aged in barrels/casks as well as bottles. Usually the wineries are referring to barrel aging when their label says "aged two years." So taking a Chianti Classico aged one year and throwing it in your basement does not take it up a notch to a two year aged Riserva. Once it's in the bottle it's done aging for the most part. There are exceptions of course. Certain wines love being bottle aged in our basements. It's a case by case basis. I would check out Wine Spectator and other resources to see what they have to say about individual bottles. They may have an aging-potential thought or two. Also, don't bother aging whites. Whites don't age well. Most of them actually turn to dogshit after 20 years or so.
I'll have to look for Riserva sometime then and compare, I wasn't aware that the classico or riserva meant anything about the age. Well, at least I'll get to try my Chianti and see how it goes. Hannibal probably said that because "Chianti" sounds fancy and sophisticated, more theatrics than anything. Of course, I've never had human liver either, so maybe it complemented the taste? (there's some dark humor for ya) Oh well, I guess my classico will have to suffice...I really need to go back to that one store I was in not too long ago, it's a good hour trip there, but they have quite the selection and most likely will some Toscana, which I did not see at the much smaller place I just came from, but I was also rushing a bit with some groceries in the car, so might have just missed it. haha The Roscato Rose is actually not too bad, especially if you want something with a bit more sweetness. Easy to drink and doesn't assault the taste buds, but nothing more complex, and under $15 depending on where you go. It's Italian I believe. I've read up a little bit about aging, and mostly I get the impression that there aren't many wines that benefit from it like you said. I doubt the cab I got will do much, but one article was saying that cabs are more likely to than most others, and especially when the alcohol content is above 13%, and this one's a 13.5...that's the only reason I asked.
You sometimes have to look a little closer on the label to see the "Tuscan/Tuscany/Toscana" label: This is a good one. Antinori makes some crazy high end wines too. That "indicazone geographica tipica" you see in tiny print there, or IGT, is what I was talking about earlier. About how wine (especially European wine) is protected by region and by law. IGT is the basic guarantee (but still a guarantee) followed by "DOC" and "DOCG" in increasing specificity. http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-docg-doc-60449 That's what those little paper labels over the neck are all about. Those are the regulation and authenticity "tags" that have passed inspection or certification or whatever. So if you see a wine that just says Italy or France but has no paper tag or no IGT or DOCG (French ones are different and waaayyyy more complex) region stamp it means that they collected the grapes from a variety of geographical regions and the lumped everything together. Doesn't make it bad, but it does mean that no region will "claim" the grapes as their own. This is wine code for, "I didn't do it... don't talk shit about my vineyard."
Chianti Classico also has to do with the region the wine comes from (didn't know about the 12 month aging requirement; you learn something new every day). To make sure it's actually a Chianti Classico, look for the rooster on the label. Also, in my experience, Chiantis are very good wines in general. My grandpa was a huge fan of them and had no problem spending $30+ a bottle. He used to take annual trips to Tuscany just to tour the various wineries in that region. I've been lucky enough to taste a few bottles that were a few hundred dollars each. Being younger, I didn't really appreciate them as much as I should have, but it was nice to learn about all that from my grandpa. Being not-so-rich, I like to support some of the local wineries (Oregon and the cheaper ones from Napa/Sonoma).
And once again you've taught me something that I've always wondered about. So it's an authenticity thing that this wine came from that vineyard and so forth. I figured those labels over the neck had something to do with it, but it's interesting that it's also written out sometimes as well, not just abbreviated. That explains some of those extra words on labels that I have trouble pronouncing, and don't understand. XD I will keep a sharp eye out for Antinori. I feel like I'm breaking into a world full of secrets and hidden meanings, and I've always wanted to know this stuff, but it felt too overwhelming before and I didn't bother with it. Plus my tastes have changed a lot lately. Even just a few years ago I'd have preferred some hard liquor or a good beer, didn't care too much for the taste of wine in general... that's all changed though. On one hand I'm kinda wishing I'd spent more time and picked out some better wine for this weekend, but at the same time I will get a feel for the difference between "cheap" and "good" wines. If I didn't have a foundation to start with, I wouldn't appreciate the better stuff as much.
I've had Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon a few times. It's an inoffensive mid-range wine; nothing too exciting, but definitely better (IMO) than say, Barefoot or Flip Flop Cab. Tonight I am consuming Legend of the Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, which normally retails for about $15 but my hubby picked up for $9 on sale. It's a little oaky for my personal taste, but it does start with a nice bright fruity splash that I'm enjoying.
Nice Find! Cool, that makes me more hopeful for the Bogle then. I'm torn between digging into it tonight, or saving it for tomorrow night and seeing how I like the Chianti is. Enjoy the bouquet. Cheers!
I just opened a Slingshot cab from Napa. Only $14, which is great for a Napa cab. Nice legs with a long finish... little black cherry and a little tobacco.
From Reddit (although I saw it somewhere else first, but can't remember where): The version of it I saw first said that Chianti, specifically, was high in something or other that interfered with those meds.
@Homer Potvin You're right about the Chianti, it doesn't have too much depth to it. At least I can now say I've tried it though. Still enjoying your Slingshot? That's actually a very interesting theory. Sounds legit.
Don't give up yet on the Chianti. Gabbiano is not great. If you can find Nipozzano in your area I would recommend it. It's a bit more pricey... maybe $18? But we ran this for a special in one joint I worked in and it quickly jumped to the top of our sales and beat out the Ducale Tan (the Sopranos wine I told you about) in a taste test. Chianti in general though is pretty meh compared to the other Italian options. Failing the Nipozzano try the Banfi Riserva. Banfi is everywhere. Italy's largest wine family (I think). Again, with Chianti, make sure it's a Riserva or a Classico Riserva. A straight Classico is fairly generic and under-aged. The Slingshot Napa Cab is good but not great. The aftertaste is lingering more than I'd like. I don't think I'll be grabbing another one. Too many options.
Oh I won't give up on the Chianti, but like I said before I have at least a base to measure the higher qualities by. I honestly don't mind it, I finished the bottle off just now with my lady. I'm more excited about the Bogle though, I'll be trying it tomorrow night I think. It's Cali, but according to @Laurin Kelly it's not too shabby of a wine. Will definitely keep an eye out for the above mentioned wines. The larger local liquor store has been boycotted though, not sure if I can go there, might have to take an hour drive. lol Apparently the owner performed some unsavory actions, he was driving his store's inventory around in his personal vehicle, and I think driving it through dry areas. I wouldn't care if it hadn't been for the fact he's a Republican, who's trying to change the laws on this matter, but broke them while advocating for the change. It's complicated, and a local issue, but there's been some liberal protests and stuff...long story. It was a poorly kept store, but still had a large selection with some rare finds...I'll have to decide if I'm cool with continue my support there however.
I grew up in a dry city, had a "necklace" of liquor stores and bars around it. I think it was a more genteel, "National Front" type of place, but plenty racist nonetheless.
Not exactly sure...I seriously think it has some hold in religion though. You may disagree, but if you lived where I do, you'd be appalled at the number of churches there are on one road, down the street from each other no less, or even across from each other. It's ridiculous, and the area is inundated with Trump bumper stickers, heroin needles, and a more cops than there are civilians (I'm not joking, not even slightly exaggerating). These people are fucked, royally. The nearby, small city which is not dry thankfully, happens to have a third of its budget devoted to police...a third, more than major cities that actually have real crime, this one isn't big enough to even have a proper gang. lol I'm starting to rant now, but it's really messed up...you'd rant too in my case. XD Edit: Oh, and all the churches are positioned so that all the "heathens" going out to buy liquor have to drive past them to do so...insane...
The Bogle Cab is much better than the Chianti last night... I realize it's like comparing apples and orangutans, but as far as quality in general I can sense a difference. I paid about the same for both, I can't remember exactly, but it was under $15. I'm much more pleased with the Cab.
Not a shock there. Interestingly, my Slingshot cab had a shitload of sediment (yeast deposits) in it. My last glass wasn't quite ruined, but there were some nasty deposits in the bottom of the glass. I can't be bothered to research it further, but I would suspect that the sediment might be inherent to the wine itself and not that particular barrel. In which case I probably should have decanted the bottle, but that ain't gonna happen for a $14 bottle of cab. The dregs (sediment) aren't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not something I expect from a simple bottle. Cross Slingshot off the list.
I haven't found much sediment in most wines. I remember a couple times in the past I've had bottles that did, but it was rare. Is it possible it could just have been that bottle? I'm curious to know if it's something more common in the last few bottles from a barrel, or if it doesn't matter and sediment is going to happen with the first bottle filled from that barrel as it is the last. I did have another question as well. What exactly is the purpose of the bottom of the wine bottle being concave into a cone and simply not being flat? I feel like I've known why before but I've forgotten. Started bugging me the other night. haha
Same reason why a decanter has a dimple: to separate the sediment from the wine. There's probably other reasons, but that's the only one coming to me right now. And for the server's thumb to hold the bottle while pouring. The sediment is often intentional. Winemakers will keep the wine "on the lees" (yeast) to impart different flavors. Or they'll rack (separate) the wine from the yeast early to halt fermentation, which will preserve more sugars, which is how they make sweet wines.
I had a sneaking suspicion that's what it was for, something to do with the sediment. So that's also the difference, the sweetness is something that can simply be controlled? I figured it had to do with how it was made from the beginning. Are sweeter wines typically less alcoholic than others? I've noticed that trend, and wondered if that was intentional or just how it turns out due to being sweet.
This is a great wine if you're into whites. It's a gruner veltliner from Austria, kind of like their national wine. I can only drink it when it's warm outside, but whoa baby is it tasty. A little peppery and a little fruity with a bit of effervescence on the back of the palette. Great with oysters, shellfish, or any other summery seafood. I'm not sure, but I think this is the number one seller in Austria, so it's not some bullshit export wine packaged just for the Americans. I get em on sale for like $11. It got warm here yesterday so I bought a shit load! It needs to be drank cold. Heavy body Chardonnays like it a bit warmer (51 degrees to be exact) but this one loses all its character if it's not quaffed straight from the fridge. As a general rule, the lighter the wine the colder it should be enjoyed. This goes for reds too. Wine temperature is another rabbit hole. I hung like 10 thermometers around the restaurant to find the perfect place to store various wines. Unfortunately the owner is a dipshit who won't listen to me. He'll be broke in a couple of years while I'm still getting paid. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make em drink.
Awesome, I have yet to break into whites lately, so I'll check around for this one. Thanks for the picks too, makes it easier to spot stuff when I'm browsing through rows of wines. Yes I've heard that about wine, the lighter it is the colder it should be. Sad about the owner of that restaurant, but you tried at least. I've seen some tragic cases of stupidity like this. Business owners suffer from one major problem, they think they know everything simply because they started said business...and this happens at all levels, regardless of success too. I tried explaining things to my father about his business, but wouldn't listen, and while I did my best to try and save it, I'd be afraid to see the chaos he's wrought in the place since I left...just wrong. haha
It's all good. I'm in a weird place with the restaurant thing now. I grew up in the casinos and the Federal Hill Italian thing in Rhode Island where restaurants were alpha-dog, cutthroat competitive. New Hampshire is a bit different. My town fills up for ski season, summer, and foliage but comes to a screeching halt between seasons. There's no real competition or leveling effect. No real reason to pursue culinary excellence--it won't make a difference one way or the other. My wife is a nurse and does awesome because they don't have enough people to fill cover the medical needs of the community. As for me, well, they don't need what I offer. I've been serving and bartending up here because they don't pay managers (or anyone else) anything. I interviewed for a few jobs but what they were offering was laughable. Fine by me. I'll sell the shit out of whatever food and drink they offer, take my 20%, and go home. No stress, nothing to take home with me.
