Wine Legends

Hey Ant, those are some great pictures! What type...

2009-06-02T12:23:30.562-04:00

Hey Ant, those are some great pictures! What type of label did you guys go with? Curious..

Didn't see this until now--great post!!

2009-05-04T18:54:00.000-04:00

Didn't see this until now--great post!!

Who's the blondguy in the picture..I dont recogniz...

2009-03-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

Who's the blondguy in the picture..I dont recognize him

A Great time was had by all. Good to have Drew Tho...

2009-03-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

A Great time was had by all. Good to have Drew Thomas join our little Group. I just wish some of our old members would find an interest again.

Hey JP, seems we have a common opinion of the 2005...

2009-03-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

Hey JP, seems we have a common opinion of the 2005 Santa Christina. I did not enjoy it. Very poor showing.

Anthony, my apologies for not having the chance to...

2009-02-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

Anthony, my apologies for not having the chance to really immerse myself in this article sooner--what a terrific post! I have never heard of this organization, and up to now thought that the wine industry was one where this type of behavior was pretty much unheard of! I was wrong!

I agree. The areas they want to add, if I have rea...

2009-01-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

I agree. The areas they want to add, if I have read the articles correctly, have more in common with the central coast region (which I happen to like, despite the apparent disdain shown by the Gallos) and should remain there. The move is simply to squeeze and average of 6% more per bottle in price. Good article.

Wow, Ant! Great post! You've piqued my curiosity ...

2008-12-31T19:14:00.000-05:00

Wow, Ant! Great post! You've piqued my curiosity now about the outcome of this--I am in agreement with you that if it's revealed that the conditions are not consistent aross the proposed expansion region, then they shouldn't be labelled as such (if I'm understanding your argument correctly). Of course, expect there will be devil's advocates out there that will call such action an 'innovation' of the California Wine Industry rather than a bastardization of it.

Yeah, hate that it's been this long--and I agree t...

2008-11-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

Yeah, hate that it's been this long--and I agree that making time to update here is easier said than done!

JP, thanks for keeping the blog going. I need to m...

2008-11-19T07:20:00.000-05:00

JP, thanks for keeping the blog going. I need to make time to write some articles. Interesting group of wines. Sounds a bit too sweet for my tastes though.

Excellent account JP. I think it's fair to say tha...

2008-10-19T14:30:00.000-04:00

Excellent account JP. I think it's fair to say that a great time was had by all. One thing is for sure, New Jersey has proven it can hang with the big boys when it comes to this little known red grape.

Anthony, sorry to hear your efforts went seemingly...

2008-09-22T13:28:00.000-04:00

Anthony, sorry to hear your efforts went seemingly in vain. However, since you were thoughtful in sharing this experience and your research with us, I thought I'd try to get some answers to your question by some research of my own.

It seems that while we all know Sangiovese as a varietal of Italian wine, there are scores of subvarieties, one of which is the Sangiovese Grosso, also known as Prugnolo Gentile or Prugnolo--this site seems to provide some good information on wine (http://en.mimi.hu/wine/index_wine.html). Another website I came across explained the Prugnolo grape getting it's name from it's distinguishing "plummy" color (http://www.bryny.com/grapes.htm).
Given this information, it could be argued you DID accomplish your mission in trying a non-Tuscany Sangiovese subvarietal--regardless how you spin this argument, it was interesting research!

That is VERY cool! I am sorry my finances are so ...

2008-09-10T20:34:00.000-04:00

That is VERY cool! I am sorry my finances are so tight, otherwise participating would be a no brainer--HEY, always next year!

Yes, you do the actual wine making. Step one is th...

2008-09-09T18:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, you do the actual wine making. Step one is the d-stemming and crushing. Step 2 is 7 to 10 days later when you press the wine in pump it into American Oak barrels. Step 3 is racking and removal of sediment (this is done by the pro winemakers throughout the year). Step 4 you bottle, cork and cap your wine and attach your personal labels.

Ant, great post! So while at the place in Livings...

2008-09-09T17:05:00.000-04:00

Ant, great post! So while at the place in Livingston, what exactly is done when you 'make' wine? Are you involved in the actual process of pressing grapes, fermentation, other?

I'm pretty sure I'm in Christening hell that weeke...

2008-08-25T12:41:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure I'm in Christening hell that weekend, but will need to see...a sitter may also be an issue.

Daws, I'll check the date today and get back to yo...

2008-08-25T06:54:00.000-04:00

Daws, I'll check the date today and get back to you. Oh yeah and BTW...Jp...dumb runner boy! LOL

Vince couldn't make it. I think he was breast feed...

2008-08-25T06:52:00.000-04:00

Vince couldn't make it. I think he was breast feeding or something.

Lets do the 20th then

2008-08-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

Lets do the 20th then

2003 Nebbiolo Vecchio ReserveThe first barrel-aged...

2008-08-24T19:15:00.000-04:00

2003 Nebbiolo Vecchio Reserve
The first barrel-aged Nebbiolo in the U.S. Our Nebbiolo Vecchio is aged in predominantly French oak barrels for more than 24 months. Offering cedar, cherry, leather, spice and tobacco nuances. Limited to less than 500 cases.

Only the best for my hometown, boys. BTW... where is Vince in the picture? Is he sleeping under the table again? I thought we were past that...

Daws, I agree in taking advantage of the early fal...

2008-08-24T19:02:00.000-04:00

Daws, I agree in taking advantage of the early fall weather--I do, however, also have difficulty with later September through mid-October due to birthdays, christenings, and a pair of runs I am entered in. I also have difficulties with the 27th, as the 28th is one of the 2 runs I am slated to tackle. Sorry about that.

That was a terrific post, Ant, and a great recap o...

2008-08-24T18:58:00.000-04:00

That was a terrific post, Ant, and a great recap of the night's events! It was a great time!

Daws, I can't do the 27th unfortunately, I'm worki...

2008-08-24T18:25:00.000-04:00

Daws, I can't do the 27th unfortunately, I'm working the Fall Festival in town that day. Sorry.

I like the idea, Ant! It absolutely can complicat...

2008-08-19T08:24:00.000-04:00

I like the idea, Ant! It absolutely can complicate things somewhat, but here's my thinking in advocating this new scale--up to now, if a wine we've had knocked everyone's socks off, there tends to be a bias to forgetting about any shortcomings that came with the wine (such as maybe a not-so-great nose, or brief heat on the back end). Your scale seems to have potential to 'level the playing field', so to speak.

I think a good approach particularly for this upcoming tasting is to perhaps pilot this scale but use our traditional one as well to evaluate how our scoring varies.

Chilled...can be a bit harsh unchilled at $4.99

2008-08-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Chilled...can be a bit harsh unchilled at $4.99