What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Time to revive this sucker...
Today, finished what was left of something I had never had before (no not Laid's) it was a Montenegrin red wine, made from the Vranac grape indeginous to the Balkans. Nice dry red, 2005, well under $15. It's called Plantaze, from the Lake Skadar region, wherever that is.
Then, of course, I had to open something else. So I did. It is a souvenir from a trip up to Old Mission Peninsula, north of Traverse City, Michigan. Chateau Chantal, Proprietor’s Reserve (CCPR?), 2007 Pinot Gris.
WOW. Buttery, dry, golden yellow, perfect age, great vintage. I usually don't drink Alsatian/German-style whites in the winter, but this wine is full-bodied enough to hold its own against March 1. :grin:
What are you drinking?
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
I'm having a nice warm cotes du Rhone 2007. Nowhere near as good as that Chateau Chantal, I'm sure, but very drinkable.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
We had a bottle of Shiloh Road open this evening. not bad, but you're paying for Napa Valley.
My favorite cost/quality wine from the last few weeks was a bottle of Unruly Red, which I found to be delicious with whatever it was I was grilling that night (steak? mahi-mahi? I'm not sure). I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an easy-drinkin' red.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Erik,
Have you tried Evil? It's very nice for a very reasonable every-day drinking price.
We need to go wine shopping again in April . . . .
Hug!
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
I love the Traverse City area and the wineries...the Chantal location is gorgeous and the wines are good. Michigan produces some very good quality wine.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
A very nice Bogle Phantom. rich wine with a dry finish that then opens to more flavor...grapes.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jono
I love the Traverse City area and the wineries...the Chantal location is gorgeous and the wines are good. Michigan produces some very good quality wine.
Indeed it does! I assume you've been up there, Jono. Old Mission is a great little getaway spot, as is Leelanau Pennisula next door. People think of Michigan as The Great White North, but Traverse City is at the same latitude as Bordeaux and the lakes create favorable microclimates all over the place.
A little closer to you is the Lake Michigan Shore AVA around Berrien County. The wines, generally aren't as good as farther north, but many of them hold their own. Domaine Berrien (specializes in reds), Tabor Hill, and St. Julian are the best in that area.
ANYWAY...last night I attended a wine tasting above a deli in downtown Detroit. A friend of mine (a waitress at the pub I frequent) and her husband are in the process of opening a winebar/shop. They're specializing in affordable European wines.
I tried a lot of great wines last night but the best bargain was probably a Portugese wine called Versatil, from the Alentejano region. It was a 2005 and jammy, and semi-sweet and very fun to drink.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chu'Wuti
Erik,
Have you tried Evil? It's very nice for a very reasonable every-day drinking price.
We need to go wine shopping again in April . . . .
Hug!
Probably at your house, it sounds familiar. BevMo is doing a "buy one, get one for 5 cents" sale, so the unruly worked out to be about 6 dollars a bottle instead of 12.
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Josh, indeed that area is a favorite midwest vacation spot. If I had to relocate in the midwest that would be a top spot.
Here is site for all of the Traverse City wineries....more than when I was up there last...about 8-10 yrs ago.
http://www.michigan.org/Things-to-do...spx?city=G3602
Was the Versatil a white?
I have been drinking a lot of S American Malbec - none stand way out above the others....most have been very enjoyable. The last bottle was "Cupcake" Malbec out of Argentina. I also pick up various Italian, Aussie, CA reds and a few white. For a desertish white I really liked Baciami - Albana Di Romagna grapes. The back label states "Roman Princess Galla Placida tasted the wine in 382 A.D., she declared that it was so smooth it "should be drunk in gold."
Re: What wine are you drinking? Winter/Spring 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HipFlask
A very nice Bogle Phantom. rich wine with a dry finish that then opens to more flavor...grapes.
I picked up a bottle of Bogle Phantom just the other day! I'm not sure when We'll pop it open but I'm sure we'll enjoy it.
