2. Posted by s2_rob on Mon, Feb 12, 2007, 11:56 am PST
Bonnie, I just noticed on your most recent blog that you gave prices for the wine. It would be great that when you talk about a wine if you could indicate a price and source (ie: web site or specific wine stores).
Love your blog.... I'm learning a lot and enjoying wine much more
3. Posted by lazzroni@sbcglobal.net on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 11:38 am PST
What an infantile selection........... you have not even mentioned great wines like "Brunello di Montalcino", or "Amarone", or other superb Italian wines. But I guess you're too stuck on that French stuff that you could not even see past that. I am surprised they allow you to give advice on wines on Yahoo. Pick something else.
5. Posted by swtpjgirl on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:11 pm PST
I see you're speaking more of the wines, I wanted to get a bottle of champange, do you guys recommend anyhting good. I will be celebrating this weekend for Valentine's Day. Thanks
6. Posted by Lee Lee on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 12:25 pm PST
Hello, if you are reading these comments as i just did, please note that lazzroni is a biased jerk. "infantile selection," maybe he/she just had a bad childhood....... Never the less, wine and spirit selection is vast and ultimately a matter of opinion. I think your selections are as beautiful as your picture and I plan on purchasing the Rose Regale tonight for me and my girlfriend. Thanks for the advice. Happy Valentines.
9. Posted by Jenhoven on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 1:00 pm PST
Definitely TOO stuck on the French stuff...there are some BEAUTIFUL Napa wines out there and I'm very surprised none were mentioned! Highly affordable, Crane's Lake is my favorite...AND, you don't have to wait YEARS to drink it! After all, Valentine's day IS today! Sigh!
10. Posted by clasurf on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 1:07 pm PST
I was expection a more diverse selection. Wines comes from different regions in the world not only France or Italy. Great selection of French but there not the only good. For next year try to consider Chile, Argentica, Italy, Spain, Brazil and others
11. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:30 pm PST
To Lazzroni and Lee Lee: Yikes - appreciate the spirited debate but let's recall it is Valentine's after all! Lazzroni, I could talk/type your ear off about Amarone, Brunello and two thousand other less obvious Italian wines but please bear in mind that this blog is meant for a specific type of Yahoo reader. You might enjoy some of my other, more technical writing - currently, I also work as Food and Wine Editor for a California magazine called "Luxury Life and Style," for example, which offers much more comprehensive information if you're interested. --BG
PS - Do you know the trio of grapes in classic Amarone? Or how it's made? Will have to hit that as a separate entry.
12. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:33 pm PST
To s2_rob: I deliberately didn't put prices in this piece as they vary so widely from vintage to vintage and state to state. But for the record, the Bordeaux is $$$$, the Burgundy is $$$, the Billecart $$ and the others more like $. A good blog entry might be to better define pricing for the consumer - why are some wines worth those big sticker prices and others not? Thanks for the comment! --BG
13. Posted by lazzroni@sbcglobal.net on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:48 pm PST
Lee Lee - you're using the adjective 'jerk' and then claim that perhaps I had a bad childhood. My comments regarding someone's wine selection were not directed at offending the person who made the wine selection; you are using offensive language. Keep it down. And before you make childish remarks about others people's childhood look at your own...... baby!
14. Posted by Ian C on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 2:54 pm PST
Of course!! Another know-it-all wine personality that thinks all good wines come from Europe. People, again and again tastings prove that California wines are the best int he world. Instead of trying to find these obscure wines, look to the Napa Valley. Try Sawyer Cab Sav, Turnbull Black, Cakebread Cab Sav, Domain Carneros Sparkling Wines, and all of Stag's Leap reds. For whites how about a cool chardonnay from Rombauer or a nice Sav Blanc from Pineridge. Forget Piedmont and Bordeaux, look for Rutherford and Oakville and you will never be let down. Oh and for chocolate try Ghiradelli from San Fransico. Good drinking!!
16. Posted by Tao M on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 6:03 pm PST
tasting proves californian wines are the best.... HA!!
a few good variaties yes but the best... def not.
lazzroni - Chill man, dont get worked up, its a comments section
bonnie - Interesting picks, may follow up on 1 or 2. Godiva sounds good, work it into a desert. First time to see yahoo wine reviews, will come back, probably avoid comments section though. lol
17. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Wed, Feb 14, 2007, 7:41 pm PST
To Ian C. - Hey, don't assume that I have a bias exclusively in favor of Europe, as I most definitely do not! We "know-it-alls" aren't out to instruct you what to drink, so good for you for being loyal to what you like. But to disregard Piedmont and Bordeaux entirely is to miss out on some seriously good juice. Cakebread remains a Napa favorite of mine, too, and they are great people who do a lovely tour up there. --BG
PS - Pine Ridge makes a chenin blanc / viognier blend that is delicious, but they don't actually make a sauvignon blanc - just FYI.
19. Posted by Karen F on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 8:27 am PST
Hi,
I am a novice wine person and was wondering the best plact to go to find some of these. I live in Dallas TX and I usually order my wine by the case from a few wineries in Napa. So I've never gone to the store to buy any wine. Any suggestions?
21. Posted by tmtelmo on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 9:31 am PST
How come there is no mention of the great Portuguese red wines here? So much for being a "wine connoisseur", some of the French wines are so overrated, blend in taste and not necessarily affordable... Try any Portuguese wine from either the Alentejo, Douro or Dao region, and then let me know why one would overpay for "french" wine. You might need a specialty liquor store but, they are way worth it... Brachetto d'Acqui, "Rose Regale," Castello di Banfi (Piedmont, Italy), is that the best italian selection you can come up with?? please, get out and do a bit more tasting!!! and don't forget our own wine country in Cali, great wines come from there too!!!
22. Posted by MaGee on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 9:50 am PST
Though there are wines from both Europe (especially a few Champagnes) and Australia that I truly enjoy, I am dissapointed that not one wine from California is recommended.
The wines mentioned above seem to be geared towards making a social statement than anything else. In other words, "Look at me, I bought an import so I must be wordly and sophisticated."
Of course, being a winemaker from Mendocino, I might be a bit biased.
23. Posted by Hector on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 10:41 am PST
I always find it funny how "passionate" people get when it comes to recommending or giving an opinion on wines. I for one do not know a great deal about wine, I'm only 24, but have been drinking it with dinner since about 7 years old. I know that I like reds, usually milder or fruitier flavors. And given my income, can only afford to purchase low priced wines. That doesn't mean I buy Sutter Home and Leaf Ridge though. Maybe next time, consider specifying categories when making recommendations for occasions such as these. Not everyone claims to know a great deal about wine and not everyone has the means to select a very fine wine. Salud!
25. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:26 pm PST
Guys, I appreciate the zeal but I can't possibly mention every wine from every country in one brief (edited) blog entry! I find it funny that folks assume I systematically disregard California wine based on a single Valentine's post. (let alone Oregon/WA wines!) What is telling in all these responses is that many of you assume European wines or those who enjoy them to be snobbish or elitist. I am curious as to why. I grew up in Jersey, in Bruce Springsteen land with nary a vine in sight, I now live in and love California, and yet I still manage to enjoy wines from around the world including those fancy Frenchie bottles on occasion. --BG
To MaGee: Mendocino rocks. But you know this.
To TmTelmo: I taste thousands of wines a year. Professionally and systematically. If you were selecting a widely available, affordable and crowd-pleasing Italian wine for a massive audience base like Yahoo, I am curious as to what you would choose. I wouldn't exactly pick an aged aglianico from Taurasi, but that's just me. And do you know anything about Banfi and their history? Your scorn for them implies you don't. Don't be a hater. And drink more wine, especially Jerry Luper's Portuguese reds if you want to really understand the future of Portugal's wine industry.
26. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:27 pm PST
To Karen in Dallas: I don't know the retail wine scene in Dallas very well. Anyone out there have some suggestions for her - a small, passionate wine shop rather than a big chain or grocery store? Let us know. --BG
27. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Feb 15, 2007, 11:31 pm PST
To locationsmann: Comparing Salon to Billecart isn't very fair, now is it? But I am a Krug head anyway. Harlan? You have $$$$ taste. The '94 Harlan remains the pinnacle of California cab for me personally. But not too many Yahoo foodies are likely to be able to get their hands on a bottle, so you see my quandary. Great comments, thx. --BG
29. Posted by Rei-Rei on Wed, Jan 30, 2008, 9:54 am PST
I tried some Rose Regale at a recent wine tasting at my local grocery store and was hooked! I bought a bottle of my own. It is great. I love the hints of raspberry. It is sweet but not too sweet. And it's light enough to pair well with everything. I don't think there is anyone who wouldn't like this. Like the above guy. I have to defend yellow tail. There's nothing wrong with getting yellow tail and some russel stover chocolates! Better than nothing!
LEAVE YOUR COMMENT
You must sign in to leave a commentShowing 30 of 31 Comments