The Official Wine Thread

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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Gome, not that long. About 45 mins. I guess I'll decant earlier next time.
yeah, 45 mins will not soften it up very much.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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I like the Jancis Robbins series. It is interesting to see her interact with the wine makers in various parts of the world. The French highlighted certainly do not think much of US wines. One refused to even spit the wine inside his barn.
To be fair, that series was made over 15 or 16 years ago. A lot has changed about US wines and their world presence since then. And I have to say the Burg lady made a very interesting point about Oregon Pinot.

Originally Posted by Ricardo Malocchio

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Never heard of this one! Do you happent to recall the name of the series and whether it's available at Netflix?

it's available on Amazon for cheap, but well worth the purchase. Some of the clips are on YouTube as well.

They don't have the Didier video up, but that looked like a hoot of a time.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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To be fair, that series was made over 15 or 16 years ago. A lot has changed about US wines and their world presence since then. And I have to say the Burg lady made a very interesting point about Oregon Pinot.

Actually, that's what made me laugh. Oregon is much more terrior/vintage oriented that CA wine.

Now, I'm not saying there isn't something to the concept that NWW have far fewer ups and downs than OWW. I think that was part of her complaint. In Oz, Kiwi, and CA, vintage variations certainly seem much less than in France but Oregon and Washington, due to lattitude, do have some serious vintage differentiation. I'll even go and say there's a big split in terrior vs. wine maker's stamp in NWW vs OWW but I think to call a nice Oregon Pinot "soulless" is hyperbole.

I agree, US wines have shot up in stature since 1998, when that series was published. However, that is not to say an established wine making culture did not already exist on the Left Coast. Maybe the Burg lady was suffering from that effect of having the origin/label impact her opinion?

Something caused the outcome in the 1976 tasting.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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IMO no wine movie compares to Sideways.

Really? I hardly classify it as a wine movie. It just seems like any old movie but happens to take place in the wine world.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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Really? I hardly classify it as a wine movie. It just seems like any old movie but happens to take place in the wine world.

Wine is almost like another character in this movie. Of course, the metaphor that Miles views himself as the Pinot Noir grape (special, hard to appreciate, subtle, but oh so wonderful when nutured well) can't be lost on anyone.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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Really? I hardly classify it as a wine movie. It just seems like any old movie but happens to take place in the wine world.

they at least get half their **** right (the Merlot bit was an opinion) and the story is fantastic. And while not a wine specific movie, it does play an integral part from start to finish. Regarding Bottle Shock, even if it is true (is it?), the bit where the early 20-something guy guesses the name and vintage of a super rare wine in a double blind ad hoc competition in a h****y town bar is a little ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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Wine is almost like another character in this movie. Of course, the metaphor that Miles views himself as the Pinot Noir grape (special, hard to appreciate, subtle, but oh so wonderful when nutured well) can't be lost on anyone.

surely you noticed that in the restaurant they were drinking Kistler and Sea Smoke.

And Maya's "it" wine, the one that sold her - Sassicaia.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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they at least get half their **** right (the Merlot bit was an opinion) and the story is fantastic. And while not a wine specific movie, it does play an integral part from start to finish. Regarding Bottle Shock, even if it is true (is it?), the bit where the early 20-something guy guesses the name and vintage of a super rare wine in a double blind ad hoc competition in a h****y town bar is a little ridiculous.

Sure, the story is good. But about your comment on Bottle Shock--- like 15 seconds after that the guy tells the hot intern about how it was just a scam they had already set up with the bartender. So they never actually claim that the little field worker can do that.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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I like the Jancis Robbinson series. It is interesting to see her interact with the wine makers in various parts of the world. The French highlighted certainly do not think much of US wines. One refused to even spit the wine inside his barn.

Jancis Robbinson tried the ambush technique ("here, try this Californian wine") only a couple of times. I think she looked as awkward asking it as the winemakers, the lady burgondian excepted, did responding to it. I can just hear Jancis with her producers: "no, I'm not going to do that any more."

Originally Posted by gomestar

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surely you noticed that in the restaurant they were drinking Kistler and Sea Smoke.

And Maya's "it" wine, the one that sold her - Sassicaia.

Sure did. Botella bottling though (their entry level).

The best joke is the, "No ******* Merlot" and then his best bottle is a Cheval Blanc.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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Sure, the story is good. But about your comment on Bottle Shock--- like 15 seconds after that the guy tells the hot intern about how it was just a scam they had already set up with the bartender. So they never actually claim that the little field worker can do that.

Racist. That was no "little field worker." That was Gustavo Brambila! His family had three generations of Napa dirt under his fingernails!

Seriously, BS was a fun little movie. I said it before, it attempts to capture a time that is gone. It is essentially a period movie.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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Racist. That was no "little field worker." That was Gustavo Brambila! His family had three generations of Napa dirt under his fingernails!

Seriously, BS was a fun little movie. I said it before, it attempts to capture a time that is gone. It is essentially a period movie.

GustavoThrace is actually a pretty decent little winery. Buy a bottle if you find it around you.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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GustavoThrace is actually a pretty decent little winery. Buy a bottle if you find it around you.

Will keep in mind. What I found interesting was that zero mention of Grgich was made in the movie.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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Sure, the story is good. But about your comment on Bottle Shock--- like 15 seconds after that the guy tells the hot intern about how it was just a scam they had already set up with the bartender. So they never actually claim that the little field worker can do that.
I don't recall having only seen the movie once. I watch Sideways with sitcom frequency, it's fantastic when numb.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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The best joke is the, "No ******* Merlot" and then his best bottle is a Cheval Blanc.
And the other grape he pans ... Cab Franc. Conveniently the other major varietal in Cheval Blanc.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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It is essentially a period movie.
I don't recall much period talk, but there was some minor fornication if that is what you mean.

Originally Posted by gomestar

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I don't recall having only seen the movie once. I watch Sideways with sitcom frequency, it's fantastic when numb.

And the other grape he pans ... Cab Franc. Conveniently the other major varietal in Cheval Blanc.

I don't recall much period talk, but there was some minor fornication if that is what you mean.

Doh! I got the Merlot but missed the Cab Franc.

Period dress, period attitudes, period...rural/farm nature of Napa. We all know, that's long gone in Napa. Remember what a big deal it was Furrier was paying for tasting? Or helping yourself to barrel samples? He would be right at home in TFL these days.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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Doh! I got the Merlot but missed the Cab Franc.

Period dress, period attitudes, period...rural/farm nature of Napa. We all know, that's long gone in Napa. Remember what a big deal it was Furrier was paying for tasting? Or helping yourself to barrel samples? He would be right at home in TFL these days.
It wasn't that long ago. We basically left Napa in the late '70s because there was nowhere for me to go to school.