What sorts of white wine do you like?

I actually thought of taking a picture of the cheese section of Wagemans. I don't think they like people taking pics inside the store (might be competition recording their prices?) so I ended up not doing it. Sufficient is to say, it's way way way way more impressive than that... Which again, goes counter to the idea that we Americans have a blind spot for gourmet cheese.

 

Yes, I'm aware of the exquisite 2017 vintage.
But I may commit infanticide and just drink it soon with my Stilton and my dark chocolate-covered figs, when my kids come for Thanksgiving.
I'm fully aware it's infanticide... but I likely won't be alive in 15-20 years.
I barely hold on to my Brunello di Montalcinos... Opening one less than 15 years old is infanticide, almost pedophilia.

 

Well, health-wise I shouldn't be eating all this cheese, but I just love the stuff. My wife tries to limit my consumption. Mid-way before the point when I'd finally want to stop eating, she says "that's quite enough" and starts removing and wrapping up the cheese.

I do spend a lot of money on food and wine. But then, there are other things I spend no money on. Clothes, watches, jewelry, I never cared for any of that. Cars, I tend to buy cars that are good value with all the electronics and safety features but none of the hype that makes certain makes be three times as expensive as the exact same stuff from less prestigious makes. My wife, despite the fact that she makes a lot of money, is always attentive to discount stores for her fashion stuff. We're pretty frugal in a number of things... and we splurge in others.

The things we tend to spend a lot of money on, are restaurants, wine, hotels, travel. That is, when we're on vacation, money goes down the drains. We tend to fly at least business class, we stay in nice hotels, and we eat in Michelin-starred restaurants. But when we're not on vacation, we're not big spenders.

 

Funny you should put it like that.
I always explain to people that if a port is too young to **** it's too young to drink.

 

LOL, funny!
You know, LBV Port wine is an interesting compromise. You can drink it young, and it does taste a bit like older Ports. And it's cheap, too.
But of course, there's nothing better than a good vintage, properly aged.

 

Honestly, if you are going to drink a vintage port so young you might as well have an LBV.
I'm particularly fond of Cockburns LBV. It has a rich fruity style that suits my taste.

 

Good choice. Wine Enthusiast rates it 93 (2015), and comments: "A beautifully perfumed Port, this has a fine balance between its structure and the opulent black fruits. There is some sweetness but this is definitely equaled by the wine's dry edge. Drink this very fine wine now."

 

Yes, blessed are the cheesemakers, for they will have cheese in abundance!

 

And here is the cheese thread now:

>>> http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/what-sorts-of-cheese-do-you-like.594114/

 

And here is some info about the Weißburgunder:

https://www.germanwines.de/knowledge/grape-varieties/white-grapes/weissburgunder/

 

Yes. One of my favorite sections! Lol

 

Wow. We are the same. I ask my husband when he will buy me diamonds, and he says never. And that’s why I love him.

we totally prefer experiences over stuff!!!

 

Can we agree to talk about wine in the wine thread

and about cheese in the cheese thread?

Here is the cheese thread:

>>> http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/what-sorts-of-cheese-do-you-like.594114/ <<<

 

@ Traminer

It is thanks to the Traminer that I became interested in wine.
Before that I did not know much about wine, even though all my ancestors were wine growers in the Grand Duchy of Baden in Germany.

 

Result so far:

6 x Riesling
2 x Chardonnay

Let me say it again: ABC = Anything but Chardonnay!
There is way too much Chardonnay in this world.

 

The white wine thread is also the wrong place to discuss port for which I apologise. Mia culpa but sometimes a conversation is so enjoyable you don't want to break the flow by moving it to the correct thread.
It is possible to be too rigid about content control. If the object is to stimulate interesting/entertaining conversations I rate this thread a success regardless of its occasional minor diversion from the topic at hand and we're five pages in without anyone mentioning Trump once.

Sheisse, I just mentioned Trump.

Bugger, I did it again...

 

That is quite OK.
Of course one can also divert from the topic,

I was only a bit worried whether this thread might become a total cheese thread only.
And no, I am not a cntrol freak.
You may also talk about red wine here - and about anything else on earth.

 

Yes, the topic is white wine, but all discussions had to do with wine at least, and cheese which is the traditional pairing for wines. I've seen a lot worse in terms of off-topic discussions. The issue is, most serious wine lovers prefer red to white so the conversation drifted a bit to red (and fortified red). Anyway, good point, we can go back to white wine.

I'd like to remind people of the Pouilly name. There are two French appelations d'origine contrôlée called Pouilly, both white wines. One is Pouilly-Fuissé in the Mâconnais subregion of Burgundy, a Chardonnay varietal, and it is excellent. People who automatically say they don't like Chardonnay should try this one; it would change some people's minds. The other one is Pouilly-Fumé, a dry Sauvignon Blanc produced around Pouilly-sur-Loire, in the Nièvre department (Val du Loire). I love it too. While not ponderous like the Burgundy Pouilly, it is fresh and fabulous as a party wine.

OK, a bit off-topic... someone mentioned rosé, and white lots of these are low quality wines, the big exception is the Provence. I mean, if you've been to Aix-en-Provence, a delightful town, go sit in the outside tables of a local restaurant and ask for a glass of the house rosé, and you're in for a treat (not to forget the exquisite people-watching; some of the most beautiful women in the world seem to flock to summers in Aix-en-Provence). Anyway, beyond the local petit vins that are fruity and refreshing, they do seriously bottle them too, and some of them are excellent, such as Château Léoube 'Secret de Léoube', Kylie Minogue Côtes de Provence, Chase Selladore en Provence, Château Minuty M de Minuty, or their 281, or their Rosé Et Or; I like Minuty; Château D'Esclans Les Clans, and Cave D'Esclans Rock Angel, to name a few. There are many more that are of high quality.

 

OK, for people who say "I don't like white wine" one should be reminded that Château d'Yquem is a white wine, and arguably one of the top ten wines in the world. It is a Premier Cru Supérieur dessert wine (noble rot) from the Sauternes, Gironde region, and an aged bottle of the best vintages can fetch a price of $20,000. No kidding, I saw one in a wine list in a restaurant, priced at $20,000.

I never had one of the very best vintages... too expensive; the stuff for presidential palaces, the monarchy, and the ultra-rich. Sometimes you can find a very good vintage for $2,000. I once got together with several friends, and we bought one of these bottles, and shared it, each person getting a little glass. I've bought on my own regular ones priced around $300, and I'll tell you, even their regular vintages that don't get to be super expensive are still delicious. The property also makes the Ygrec, which is a very good dry white.

 

People who say white wines are unpopular forget to take into account all the sparkling varieties. Champagnes of course but also some of the Méthode Champenoise wines from around the world.
I would argue that a vintage Cordon Negro from Spain is at least as good as one of the cheaper brands of Champagne from France. Better even IMO for less money.
Even England is producing top class sparkling wines these days as climate change makes them more and more viable.
Bear in mind I'm not talking about cheap wines artificially injected with CO2 here but genuine traditional method Champagne like varieties.
You won't catch me buying a cheap Lambrusco but I'm partial to a good Spanish cava at £10 - £15 a bottle.

 

I was gifted a bottle of this when I was quite young; it remains a favorite. Thanks for the reminder; I shall run out and get some this weekend!

 

You are right. There are several Spanish cavas that are quite good. California makes some rather exquisite sparkling wine, some as good as most French champagnes (I'm not saying as good as top French champagnes like Roederer Crystal, but as good as their best of their second tier, like California's Schramsberg - which fetches a price consistent with great French ones ($130 to $160 for a bottle of their top of the line). Also, Prosecco (Glera varietals) can be incredibly good despite using the Charmat-Martinotti method for fermentation (in stainless steel tanks) rather than the Champenoise method (in bottles). The Champenoise method (called in Italy Metodo Classico) is also permitted in the Prosseco area, so some bottles will be done this way.

Picking Proseccos is more of a lottery and involves having some knowledge of the Prosecco region and producers to pick the good ones, because there are generic Proseccos that are inferior in quality, often the ones that only qualify for DOG as Prosecco del Veneto. The DOCG ones, however, from the Conegliano, Valdobbiadene, and Asolo villages and with the Prosecco Superiore denomination, are almost invariably good. Here are two very good ones: Tenuta di Collalbrigo Extra Dry NV, and the Conte Collalto Ottaviano Sui Lieviti Brut Nature 2019.

The absolutely best micro-region for Prosecco is the hill of Cartizze (part of the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region). Some of the best ones from this micro-region (140 proprietors) are skipping the name Prosecco all together, and calling their wines Superiore di Cartizze. So if you see this in a bottle, do know that you're about to buy or drink some of the best Prosecco you can find, although you won't see the name Prosecco. Some other superior micro-regions are called Rive, followed by the name of the Rive subzone. The Asolo region doesn't do that, just the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene.

My family in Italy produces a phenomenal DOCG Prosecco Superiore in the Valdobbiadene hills. I won't tell you which one because my last name is prominently displayed on the front label of the bottles, so that would defeat the anonymity of this forum.

 

Right. I've never met a Chardonnay that I like. But I did like very much a Halbtroken created by Cathedral Ridge Winery.

 

I also like Halbtrocken! More than completely Trocken!

 

I have no doubt.

My point with that pic was to demonstrate that even our basic supermarkets in the most 'rube' locations, carry the usual array of well known cheeses. You won't find a supermarket carrying only the mass-produced bland stuff.