Already paid stew, lay off my tickets

Had this last night. It did not suck.

Tonight: 2012 Capitel Della Crosara Amorene.

About twenty bucks.

Took a while to open up, but a really good value.

Been hitting the bottles a little hard the last seven days as a post training and race celebration.....

6 bottles in 7 days.....

Usually have one or two a week....

Amateur...

I try getting into Italian wines but man Italy is complicated....

htxag09 said:

---

Been hitting the bottles a little hard the last seven days as a post training and race celebration.....

6 bottles in 7 days.....

Usually have one or two a week....

---

6 bottles is a good weekend

I think I just got added to the Sine Qua Non allocation list.

Do you want to be friends?

Here's the thing... I don't really want them anymore. Maybe the whites, but $1500 for 6 reds that aren't my favorite style doesn't appeal to me. I have a very limited consumption amount and I tend to save it for styles I prefer.

Anybody else going to the long meadow ranch wine dinner at backstreet tomorrow?

Had the 2014 Yao Ming Napa Cab last night. Very dissapointing, glad I didn't pay for it.

Going to pappa bros for my birthday next week! Just wish their wine prices were more reasonable.....

Don't I know it. This was an out of pocket expense. It hurts.

How is their cab? Never had it....have had their Chardonnay which I really enjoyed. And of course a couple zinfandels.

It is excellent, but you don't want to open it before ten years after the vintage date. Some would say to wait even longer.

I buy two bottles each year (first started with 2007 bottling) and will age one bottle of each vintage for 15 years and the other for 20. Only 3 more years til I get to open one of my own!

Just bought some Realm. I can get the same vineyards cheaper but I just can't quit buying from these guys. Ugh.

752bro4 said:

---

Headed out to Napa this weekend, it's going to be unseasonably cold and possibly wet. It's a big group Saturday, and possibly a **** show.

Friday - nothing planned except lunch at RH Yountville
Saturday - Dutch Henry, Schweiger, Yao Family ('Tine folks in the group), dinner at Auburge du Soleil
Sunday (smaller group) - reserve tasting at Cakebread, Caldwell, then hop around St. Helena/Yountville, dinner at Bouchon

Looking forward to Caldwell for the stories more than anything. Possibly have a really, really good hook up at Cakebread, but won't know until Thursday or Friday.

We may look for some indoor activities like Wine Thief or other tasting rooms if it's going to be nasty.

My wife is kicking around Palmaz, Ram's Gate, La Quintessa, Davies (we're members at Schramsberg), and Darioush for some of our down time. Anyone have opinions on any of these to add to it?

---

Like Darioush wines. Tasting room is a little clubby but it's worth a stop. Alpha Omega is also a good stop. Dakota Shy is an up and comer is makes some good wines. Sat with the 30-something year old owner in his backyard. Farm boy from the Dakotas (hence the name) and completely down to earth.

As for the "experience," the best from my last trip was Aonair. Halfway up Howell mountain. Took us around the mountain vines in a Polaris. Sampled wines from a couple different spots throughout the vineyard that had amazing views. Then went in the cellar for a barrel tasting. Sampled some Howell mountain fruit from the barrel and then swirled in some Diamond mountain fruit to see how it changes the complexity of the wine. Really interesting. Highly recommend it.

JCA1 said:

---

752bro4 said:

---

Headed out to Napa this weekend, it's going to be unseasonably cold and possibly wet. It's a big group Saturday, and possibly a **** show.

Friday - nothing planned except lunch at RH Yountville
Saturday - Dutch Henry, Schweiger, Yao Family ('Tine folks in the group), dinner at Auburge du Soleil
Sunday (smaller group) - reserve tasting at Cakebread, Caldwell, then hop around St. Helena/Yountville, dinner at Bouchon

Looking forward to Caldwell for the stories more than anything. Possibly have a really, really good hook up at Cakebread, but won't know until Thursday or Friday.

We may look for some indoor activities like Wine Thief or other tasting rooms if it's going to be nasty.

My wife is kicking around Palmaz, Ram's Gate, La Quintessa, Davies (we're members at Schramsberg), and Darioush for some of our down time. Anyone have opinions on any of these to add to it?

---

Like Darioush wines. Tasting room is a little clubby but it's worth a stop. Alpha Omega is also a good stop. Dakota Shy is an up and comer is makes some good wines. Sat with the 30-something year old owner in his backyard. Farm boy from the Dakotas (hence the name) and completely down to earth.

As for the "experience," the best from my last trip was Aonair. Halfway up Howell mountain. Took us around the mountain vines in a Polaris. Sampled wines from a couple different spots throughout the vineyard that had amazing views. Then went in the cellar for a barrel tasting. Sampled some Howell mountain fruit from the barrel and then swirled in some Diamond mountain fruit to see how it changes the complexity of the wine. Really interesting. Highly recommend it.

---

I second JCA's responses as well. Todd Newman is the owner of Dakota Shy and we have been following him for about 7 or 8 years now. He was tasting his Cabernet out of Hourglass when we met him and his wines have continued to be some of our favorites. He just opened up his winery recently. His story is of humble beginnings and has worked his way through Napa to where he is today. Started out at Martini House then transitioning to working for Revana where he learned from Heidi Barrett and met his current winemaker Tom Garrett. Guy is really down to Earth and always enjoy tastings with him.

Best experience we have had to date would be the recommendation above for Aonair. Really cool house overlooking the valley where the tastings are done and the Polaris ride through the vines to the gazebo tasting location is really fun. We joined their wine club after visiting them last year. In the same vicinity about 5 minutes down the road is Amizetta if you wanted to do two back to back that are close to each other. Good wine and fantastic view as well.

I'd like to just have an accomplishment that would rate chugging Hundred Acre like that, even without the actual chugging.

I just want to be able to afford it. Don't really care about the accomplishment...

Chateau Boswell email today. Both the "Napa Red" and "To Kalon Cab" are $325.

I do believe I'll pass...

For you wine geeks, this is a great article about tannins. Really an enjoyable read..

The Science of Tannins in Wine

Got an email from scarecrow that I should be up next year. Guess I will now have to decide whether I actually want to pay for it or not. Be careful what you wish for, as they say.

Do it. You can always sell them for cost plus $100/bottle if you're in a pinch. They get real good after 7-10 years.

aggiejumper said:

---

Do it. You can always sell them for cost plus $100/bottle if you're in a pinch. They get real good after 7-10 years.

---

I suspect I will. And I have a buddy who'll take 1 or 2 off my hands if I want to defer some of the costs. The list of places I'm buying from now is getting mighty long though. . .

So I've decided I'm going to organize a local wine club that meets every month or every other month in houston. I have a couple friends in mind to reach out to and get a group going. I know a few people here have mentioned being part of them before. Any tips or advice?

Don't want to be a snob but want to limit to people who actually enjoy wine. Don't want people saying they'll come but bring beer, just go to the store and buy any bottle, etc.

Thinking the format will be the host will pick the theme. Then basically couple up people and each couple will bring a wine with that theme. We taste the wines one at a time and the person who brought it gives a brief story, overview, whatever on the wine and why they chose it. It can be as simple as talking to the wine shop owner and this is what he liked about it and the story of it, i.e. doesn't always have to be personal. Hopefully this will lead into group convo....

Really just looking to get people who enjoy wine and try more wines and what others enjoy. Seems we're always hosting wine dinners and providing all the wine. Hopefully with this format will change that....

Depending on how much you want to geek out, do it blind or double blind. It's a good way to get people out of their preconceived notions about wine. The catch is that there are people who know what they like and get all butthurt when you show them something they like more than the wine they brought and it was 1/3 the price. So if you decide to do that, be careful who you invite.

I know there's someone else that likes Herman Story. I opened this tonight: 2014 Herman Story Late Bloomer. The lady on the label won a case of the wine for having the best(?) photo. This wine is massive but it has some tannin to keep things together and prevent the wine from being too over the top. Really good when it f-ing cold outside.

Going to the Taste of Howell Mountain tonight. Anyone have suggestions of their favorites from Howell Mountain?

I will be at Howell mountain tasting today as well. Lots of great options for amazing wines there but look for the predecessor wines from William cole. Really great stuff.