Gary Childress wrote:
> On Apr 2, 6:42 pm, "Kevin T. Neely" >
> wrote:
>> On 2007-03-31, Gary Childress > wrote:
>>
>>> At Costco today I saw some Franciscan wines and also Stag's Leap. I
>>> can't remember which ones, however. Franciscan seems to be a pretty
>>> popular vineyard. I'll have to try it also.
>> If they haven't already, someone will eventually tell you that the
>> best advice you can get is to find a decent, small shop where the
>> keeper knows his or her stuff. Depending upon where you live,
>> however, this can be difficult. CostCo is great for wine prices on
>> wine that you want to buy. They don't usually carry junk, but they
>> don't carry "finds", either.
>>
>> As anyone who has ever seen my cellar can attest, I am a big fan of
>> Franciscan group wines. These guys never stop expanding: Ravenswood,
>> Simi, Estancia, Verramonte, and now Mondavi is part of the umbrella
>> owned by Constellation. Crazy. In any case, their wines are nearly
>> as ubiquitous as any of the ones you mentioned in the original post.
>> The Verramonte Primus is an excellent wine for the price (usually $14)
>>
>> good luck!
>> Kevin
>>
>> --
>> In Vino Veritashttp://astroturfgarden.com
>
> I was looking at a bottle of Simi wine today at Costco. Can't
> remember now which wine but I had never heard of the brand before
> seeing it today and until you just now mentioned it. (Not that that
> means anything. I probably haven't heard of 99% of the fine wines out
> there) Do you find Simi to be a good brand?
>

Simi makes the only California Chardonnay I actually like...And in
general I've not had a bad one from them

-ben

On Apr 3, 2:10 pm, Ben Snyder > wrote:
> Gary Childress wrote:
> > On Mar 31, 11:24 pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> >> On Mar 31, 9:01 pm, miles > wrote:
>
> >>>> I can't find much I like at Costco -- too bad for me
> >>> What wines do you enjoy the most? The Costco's in my area have some
> >>> excellent wines. A little of everything. They dont have my favorites
> >>> but then neither do most wine stores.
> >> Looking back over the year and a half of what I bought at Costco, it
> >> looks like I bought a 4 bottles of Kirkland Tawny Port, a Ruffino, a
> >> Melini chianti , 2 Kirkland Paulliacs, 1 Kirkland Champagne, 1
> >> Kirkland Merlot, 1 Kirkland Pinot Noir; a Rioja, a Graham port wine; a
> >> Kirkland Cabernet; 2 Banfi, 2 Kirkland Tuscany; looking for a Kirkland
> >> Chateauneuf de Pape (couldn't find - waiting) DaVinci (cheap and
> >> horrible) Coppola (horrible) Pinot Grigo Trentino (not good); Marchesi
> >> di Barolo Barbera d'Alba; maybe more wines, I don't remember. I'll
> >> pick up something and forget to write it down, but so far I'm looking
> >> for Sauvion Blanc and de Pape sold by Kirkland, but I think I missed
> >> them.
>
> >> Dee
>
> > I've always wanted to try Coppola. I've had it recommended to me a
> > couple of times by the wine people on staff at the local gourmet
> > stores as being a good vineyard. I may forgo that desire now that you
> > say it is "horrible". What kind of Coppola wine did you try which was
> > so bad?
>
> The Coppola Syrah was my first Syrah, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Had
> it a few more times, but haven't been back to try since they changed the
> label from Syrah to Shiraz.
>
> I've heard awful things about the Claret, that it was too thin, not much
> going on. Haven't tried it.
>
> Moral of the story, if you don't try it you'll never know.
>
> -ben- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

The only Coppola I'm really interested in getting at this point is the
2004 (or else 2005) Diamond Sauvignon Blanc. Wine News rates it at 90
and it seems to be the only Coppola wine with a rating of 90 or better
until maybe you get into the expensive stuff.

I have my strategy all set. I'll buy rated wines for special
occasions and then for just cocktails after work I'll purchase
something relatively inexpensive for six to nine dollars. Right now
I'm wondering about Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet. They have
it at Costco for $8.00!! Sounds like a good price for Penfolds. I'll
have to see if I like it or not.

I will yet be a suave sophisticated gentleman! Now all I need is a
Walther PPK and a license to kill! LOL! :0)

On Apr 2, 11:50 pm, miles > wrote:
> Gary Childress wrote:
> > I haven't seen the movie "Sideways". I don't watch hardly any movies
> > or TV.
>
> You didn't miss much. I have no idea why so many people raved about
> this movie. I thought it was just plain stupid with a few good jokes
> sprinkled in.
>
> It does take you through much of southern Californias Pinot Noir wine
> country. Oddly, one of the largest wineries in the region, Fess Parker,
> allowed filming at their winery but used a fake name on the signs.


I saw the movie and as far as I'm concerned it had one good line,
which I will have to paraphrase: I don't like Merlot.
Dee

On Apr 3, 2:10 pm, Ben Snyder > wrote:
> Gary Childress wrote:
> > On Mar 31, 11:24 pm, "Dee Dee" > wrote:
> >> On Mar 31, 9:01 pm, miles > wrote:
>
> >>>> I can't find much I like at Costco -- too bad for me
> >>> What wines do you enjoy the most? The Costco's in my area have some
> >>> excellent wines. A little of everything. They dont have my favorites
> >>> but then neither do most wine stores.
> >> Looking back over the year and a half of what I bought at Costco, it
> >> looks like I bought a 4 bottles of Kirkland Tawny Port, a Ruffino, a
> >> Melini chianti , 2 Kirkland Paulliacs, 1 Kirkland Champagne, 1
> >> Kirkland Merlot, 1 Kirkland Pinot Noir; a Rioja, a Graham port wine; a
> >> Kirkland Cabernet; 2 Banfi, 2 Kirkland Tuscany; looking for a Kirkland
> >> Chateauneuf de Pape (couldn't find - waiting) DaVinci (cheap and
> >> horrible) Coppola (horrible) Pinot Grigo Trentino (not good); Marchesi
> >> di Barolo Barbera d'Alba; maybe more wines, I don't remember. I'll
> >> pick up something and forget to write it down, but so far I'm looking
> >> for Sauvion Blanc and de Pape sold by Kirkland, but I think I missed
> >> them.
>
> >> Dee
>
> > I've always wanted to try Coppola. I've had it recommended to me a
> > couple of times by the wine people on staff at the local gourmet
> > stores as being a good vineyard. I may forgo that desire now that you
> > say it is "horrible". What kind of Coppola wine did you try which was
> > so bad?
>
> The Coppola Syrah was my first Syrah, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Had
> it a few more times, but haven't been back to try since they changed the
> label from Syrah to Shiraz.
>
> I've heard awful things about the Claret, that it was too thin, not much
> going on. Haven't tried it.
>
> Moral of the story, if you don't try it you'll never know.
>
> -ben- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I think there is something about the name, Claret, that makes me think
"Hey, this must be good." Do you think they drank it in Proust
novels? But you are right, it WAS thin -- and nasty.

Dee