Yep. That is a good one. Have you had the Coppola Claret? That's the one with the gold fishnet stocking around it. It's a cab blend... I think you'd like it.
Got my short story payment from LT3! Off to Total Wine tomorrow to pick up something fabulous - will report back with my acquisition.
Awesome! I must say I'm interested in what you get, One day, in the far future probably when my cash flow isn't so tight, I will probably invest in something more top notch just to see. At the moment, I'll stick to my 10-20 dollar bottles. I am planning a trip maybe back to my hometown, and I know they have much better wine selections in even the modest stores. I may pick up a nice Cabernet or two while I'm there, but it probably won't be too extravagant.
Homer is taking a break from the wine for a day or two. Homer had way too much wine last night. And scotch. And bourbon. And beer.
I've had those nights before...I remember them fondly for the most part, but that break is still necessary.
Back from Total Wine after talking at length to one of the Wine Service staff, and I came back with Caymus Vineyard's "1858" Cabernet Sauvignon at $54.97. I have not yet opened it yet (waiting until later tonight), but will check back in after the first glass has been consumed.
Apparently it is exclusive to Total Wine. And it's totally amazing. Super jammy with a thick mouth feel, almost like a port. I'm very happy with the purchase!
Couldn't resist getting a little something for tonight.: It's not too bad, I picked it up for just under $15. It has quite the aroma, maybe a little too punchy at first but letting it breathe a bit calmed it down. lol It reminds me a bit of the Simi in a lot of ways, but maybe not quite as refined? It seems a bit deeper though, or my memory is a bit bad (that's with the wine journal I'm keeping, but some things are still hard to judge overall). The aftertaste isn't immediate but creeps out after a bit, it's subtle and not at all unpleasant.
That's the gold fishnet one I was telling @Laurin Kelly about, lol... ETA: and coincidentally I'm drinking Simi right now... go figure
Rofl I see that now, and I saw it earlier but I didn't register it. Well, cheers, I finally found one that you've recommended, albeit unintentionally. The Simi is nice, one that I may revisit after a while. I'm enjoying this journey I've started, certainly more interesting than a general liquor or beer selection. Either that or I've just had so much of those it isn't as exciting to try any more. I did have a Piraat Ale though not too long ago, that was pretty good, but practically the same price as some of this wine.
@Homer Potvin I have a question about wine that I'm actually needing for my WIP, and I can't find the answer anywhere. I'm wanting to know two things about cask aging wine, particularly Cab. Can it be aged for 3-4 years or more, or does it turn bad after a while and need to be removed from the cask? And if it can be aged for that length of time, how much would that change the flavors compared to a 2 year cask age, for example?
Good question. Not sure. They age wine in barrels to impart the flavors of the wood, typically oak (or stainless steel with unoaked Chards, for example). These are tertiary flavors, with the grapes being primary and the yeast/bacteria being secondary. So the oak aging makes a difference, but it's not the end all be all. I'm just speculating, but I don't think it would make a huge difference to keep the wine in barrels beyond they typical 1-2 years. It's not like whiskeys or cognacs that need 8-15 years of maturation. I don't think it would make the wine bad or anything, but I don't think many wineries keep it in the barrels that long. Usually wines only mature so much. Most of the collectors and speculators age wine not because it gets better forever, but because it increases in value over time. I could be totally wrong. Not something I've encountered before.
Gonna grab me a nice white wine tonight (don't know which yet) because I'm making shrimp tacos with my spicy salsa verde (green sauce). It's always a good idea to pair a sweet (relatively) white with spicy food. It will make both flavors explode in your mouth. This is why most good Mexican restaurants take special care with their white wines. And because I love you all so much I'm going to share my green sauce recipe here, taught to me by a Mexican chef I once worked with. It's five ingredients (not including the salt). 4 tomatillos (those green looking tomato things) 1 medium onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 jalapeno (or half, depending on spicy you like it) 1/2 avocado salt to taste (I tend to use a lot... remember, salt always, always, always intensifies the flavor of anything you cook... especially tomatoes, of which, tomatillo is cousin) Throw all that shit in a blender/food processor and liquefy. Done. It takes three minutes. For the shrimp, I just toss em in oil and taco seasoning and bake them in the oven. About 9 minutes at 400, depending on size. Shrimp are unforgiving and super easy to overcook, so I always shoot on the low side time wise and keep tasting them until they are done. I make my own taco seasoning (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cajun seasoning, cumin, chili powder) but you can use the taco seasoning packets and be just fine. They're tacos so you can throw whatever you like in them. I prefer soft corn tortillas (homemade if I'm super ambitious, which I'm not) and like to throw avocado, tomato, and maybe a little lettuce in the with shrimp and green sauce. Or skip the shells and throw the shrimp and green sauce on a salad with some black bean and corn salsa. Easiest shit in the world. The green sauce is also awesome with chicken or steak or mexi-eggs in the morning. The chef I worked with used to make it with scrambled eggs and chorizo for us when we opened joint. ETA: this makes quite a bit of sauce... you can half it and have enough for a pound of shrimp with enough left over for something else
Homer, Why the FUCK do you not roast your tomatillos/onions/jalapeños before you blend them to make the salsa? Throw them under the broiler for a few minutes/let them hang out on a gas burner for a minute? Sincerely, A Concernen (Southwestern) Citizen
Haha... I've done it both ways (as well as boiling) and haven't noticed much difference. Been awhile since I've done it the other way, so I will try it again.
I'm mostly kidding, haha. But you're right. It doesn't make a huge difference one way or the other. I just love that little char flavor you can get, especially on the onions, by throwing them over an open flame for a bit.
Shrimp tacos?... I don't eat shrimp, so maybe I just haven't heard of this, but is that a thing? I might make that sauce sometime though, because it looks really good. What wine would pair with chicken tacos then? lol
Depends. If they're spicy, a nice crisp white will do well. Maybe a sav blanc of a Gruner Vetliner like I have now. Something with a little effervescence... the bubbles with have awesome sex with the spiciness on your tongue. It's like an orgy in your mouth!
