Hot and sticky weekend, but a thunderstorm blew through Sunday
afternoon leaving behind a gloriously cool and non-humid evening. Some
friends came over, and we enjoyed smoked salmon canapes, beef and
andouille chili, cornbread, and a cabbage/bean/corn slaw. And, of
course, a few wines:

NV Bernard Bremont Rose Champagne
I love this, full and giving, clean red fruits, baking pie crust and
graham cracker, mineral. Zippy acidity, delicate mousse, long long
finish. I revisit all through night, and keep liking it more and more.
A-

2008 Donnhoff Riesling QbA
Lemonade, cherry, a little orange zest. Medium bodied, clean , fresh.
Quite good,but I'll be a heretic and say I thought the 07 was zippier
and better. B

2005 Andrew's Vat Alder Ridge Syrah (Columbia Valley)
OK, not my favorite style, but I have to say my guests loved this.
Fat, ripe blackberry fruit, some tannin. A jammy sweetness. B-/C+

Nice night with good friends.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

I seem to face this problem a lot. I'm not a fan of big, thick, over
ripe, jammy swwt wines yet many of my guest not only like them but
prefer these kinds of wines. Lately I've been serving two wines at a
time to give a "yin and yang" type comparison of wines with food.
Usually I'm in the minority preferring wines with more structure, more
acidity and zip to pair with foods.


On Jun 7, 9:48�am, DaleW > wrote:

<snip>
>
> 2005 Andrew's Vat Alder Ridge Syrah (Columbia Valley)
> OK, not my favorite style, but I have to say my guests loved this.
> Fat, ripe blackberry fruit, some tannin. A jammy sweetness. B-/C+
>
> Nice night with good friends.
>

On Jun 7, 11:44*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
> I seem to face this problem a lot. *I'm not a fan of big, thick, over
> ripe, jammy swwt wines yet many of my guest not only like them but
> prefer these kinds of wines. *Lately I've been serving two wines at a
> time to give a "yin and yang" type comparison of wines with food.
> Usually I'm in the minority preferring wines with more structure, more
> acidity and zip to pair with foods.
>
> On Jun 7, 9:48 am, DaleW > wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>
>
>
>
> > 2005 Andrew's Vat Alder Ridge Syrah (Columbia Valley)
> > OK, not my favorite style, but I have to say my guests loved this.
> > Fat, ripe blackberry fruit, some tannin. A jammy sweetness. B-/C+
>
> > Nice night with good friends.

I'm generally happy to serve these to those who like them (I drank the
Bremont through most of the meal). If I know someone likes bigger
riper wines, I do like you and open 2 bottles at a time, everyone can
choose. There's one couple we know where the husband always pours
about a 10 oz pour of red, drinks it in 5-10 minutes, then pours
another glass, drinks it over next 30 minutes, then kind of sits
glassy eyed for rest of meal. We don't see them often, but I have
learned to just put a bottle of whatever I have I don't want to drink
myself at his end of table.

On Jun 7, 10:47*am, DaleW > wrote:
> On Jun 7, 11:44*am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I seem to face this problem a lot. *I'm not a fan of big, thick, over
> > ripe, jammy swwt wines yet many of my guest not only like them but
> > prefer these kinds of wines. *Lately I've been serving two wines at a
> > time to give a "yin and yang" type comparison of wines with food.
> > Usually I'm in the minority preferring wines with more structure, more
> > acidity and zip to pair with foods.
>
> > On Jun 7, 9:48 am, DaleW > wrote:
>
> > <snip>
>
> > > 2005 Andrew's Vat Alder Ridge Syrah (Columbia Valley)
> > > OK, not my favorite style, but I have to say my guests loved this.
> > > Fat, ripe blackberry fruit, some tannin. A jammy sweetness. B-/C+
>
> > > Nice night with good friends.
>
> I'm generally happy to serve these to those who like them (I drank the
> Bremont through most of the meal). If I know someone likes bigger
> riper wines, I do like you and open 2 bottles at a time, everyone can
> choose. There's one couple we know where the husband always pours
> about a 10 oz pour of red, drinks it in 5-10 minutes, then pours
> another glass, drinks it over next 30 minutes, then *kind of sits
> glassy eyed for rest of meal. We don't see them often, but I have
> learned to just put a bottle of whatever I have I don't want to drink
> myself at his end of table.

I have a guilty pleasure over the top wine the Michael David Petit/
Petite. I should not like it based on good wine drinking but it tastes
so good it is hard not to like.

On Jun 7, 3:58�pm, lleichtman > wrote:
> On Jun 7, 10:47�am, DaleW > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 7, 11:44�am, "Bi!!" > wrote:
>
> > > I seem to face this problem a lot. �I'm not a fan of big, thick, over
> > > ripe, jammy swwt wines yet many of my guest not only like them but
> > > prefer these kinds of wines. �Lately I've been serving two wines at a
> > > time to give a "yin and yang" type comparison of wines with food.
> > > Usually I'm in the minority preferring wines with more structure, more
> > > acidity and zip to pair with foods.
>
> > > On Jun 7, 9:48 am, DaleW > wrote:
>
> > > <snip>
>
> > > > 2005 Andrew's Vat Alder Ridge Syrah (Columbia Valley)
> > > > OK, not my favorite style, but I have to say my guests loved this.
> > > > Fat, ripe blackberry fruit, some tannin. A jammy sweetness. B-/C+
>
> > > > Nice night with good friends.
>
> > I'm generally happy to serve these to those who like them (I drank the
> > Bremont through most of the meal). If I know someone likes bigger
> > riper wines, I do like you and open 2 bottles at a time, everyone can
> > choose. There's one couple we know where the husband always pours
> > about a 10 oz pour of red, drinks it in 5-10 minutes, then pours
> > another glass, drinks it over next 30 minutes, then �kind of sits
> > glassy eyed for rest of meal. We don't see them often, but I have
> > learned to just put a bottle of whatever I have I don't want to drink
> > myself at his end of table.
>
> I have a guilty pleasure over the top wine the Michael David Petit/
> Petite. I should not like it based on good wine drinking but it tastes
> so good it is hard not to like.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I like many of those style wines for a cocktail wine or if I'm
enjoying a glass of wine in the evening but with meals I prefer wines
with a bit more acid and a bit less fruit forward concentration.