Wine

[Wardyn]

which shiraz did you try before and was there any reason why you didn't prefer it? that said, shiraz/syrah is made in many different styles so it could be a vintage, region or even a producer factor that you didn't like.

I remember trying out my first few glasses of shiraz years back and i didn't like it at all. It was often too spicy, peppery coupled with rough and edgy tannins.
I recalled those few glasses are house pours from some casual restaurants.

It was only later i tried out better shiraz bottles and develop a liking for shiraz, and realised that the first few glasses might actually be "bad" or "not so good" bottles of shiraz wine.

 

[ABuNeNe]

rive gauche producer making entry level wines from france. in this case it's made from merlot grapes.

chianti classico is a sub region in Tuscany, Italy made from Sangiovese grapes.

both taste quite different, generally speaking merlot will be more approachable in its youth and it tends to have richer fruit. whereas sangiovese wines can be ripe and rich but tend to have a higher amount of acid which is important for food pairing.

you can try some chianti classico but please ensure you let them decant or breath before drinking.

which shiraz did you try before and was there any reason why you didn't prefer it? that said, shiraz/syrah is made in many different styles so it could be a vintage, region or even a producer factor that you didn't like.

I also tried Casa Lapostolle Merlot and quite like it.

The shiraz I tried is Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz 2011.

 

[staedtler_07]

Do you guys have a good Moscato to recommend?

 

[Arcanell]

Do you guys have a good Moscato to recommend?

this is very good

Ca'd'Gal Moscato D'Asti Vigna Vecchia DOCG 2013

 

[garycsy]

this is very good

Ca'd'Gal Moscato D'Asti Vigna Vecchia DOCG 2013

May I know where can buy this and how much does it cost? Thanks

 

[jarvis]

I remember trying out my first few glasses of shiraz years back and i didn't like it at all. It was often too spicy, peppery coupled with rough and edgy tannins.
I recalled those few glasses are house pours from some casual restaurants.

It was only later i tried out better shiraz bottles and develop a liking for shiraz, and realised that the first few glasses might actually be "bad" or "not so good" bottles of shiraz wine.

that was a particular style of Australian shiraz - can't remember which region had that style but I haven't had those for a while.

there are many other shiraz out there which are more fruit driven in style and also very full bodied. An example of that is the Boxer from Mollydookers.

alternatively, another you can try is the malbecs from argentina. these tend to be cheaper and pretty good value if you like the full bodied type.

 

[Arcanell]

May I know where can buy this and how much does it cost? Thanks

from italian wine club. I've tried the Asti too, not too bad, more gassy

 

[ikileo]

Do you guys have a good Moscato to recommend?

i've always been recommending people to local importer and italian special Luigi's Wine.

aside from the really good dry and sparkling wines, he carries a range of very good quality moscato d'asti from wine-makers who specialize in it and are very passionate about it compared to some of the more mainstream 'sugar water'

Home

check out the ones by Elio Perrone & Forteto


other forumers have tried it and have liked it also

 

[stayhappy21]

i've always been recommending people to local importer and italian special Luigi's Wine.

aside from the really good dry and sparkling wines, he carries a range of very good quality moscato d'asti from wine-makers who specialize in it and are very passionate about it compared to some of the more mainstream 'sugar water'

Home

check out the ones by Elio Perrone & Forteto


other forumers have tried it and have liked it also

Agreed. One of my favourite moscato d' asti is the SOURGAL Moscato d’Asti DOCG
ELIO PERRONE

Refreshing and enjoyable.

 

[kunzzy]

if you are looking for vintage french wines at affordable prices, do take a look at Fine Wines SG. amazing stuff with great provenance

www.finewines.com.sg

 

[charle]

jpfinewines is better.

 

[ikileo]

Both are fine as i have purchased from both b4. The key is to do ur homework and research on the wine, producer, vintage and global price benchmark prior to purchase.



Last weekend the hwz wine group did a supermarket wine dinner. I will post up the details soon.

 

[ikileo]

The HWZ Wine Group had the first wine dinner last night at Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Cuisine in Ngee Ann City with the theme: SUPERMARKET WINES

Our goals was to help intro HWZ-ers to some accessible wines from supermarkets that you may not have purchased or tried before.


Criteria:
- Must be a still red or white wine (no sparkling, rose, or sweet wines)
- Wines must be purchased from a supermarket
- Wines must be no more than $40 each (including discount)

The wines were served blind so we didn't know the producer or country etc...
In total there were 3 whites and 5 reds and here is the lineup.

If you realize there was a repeat of the exact same wine. But served blind there was a different in taste!

2013 TAKU Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Gooseberry nose with some kaffir lime and chalk. Lots of limes and citrus on the taste with a rounded texture in the mouth
Available in Fairprice: Promo $19.50

2010 Diamond Creek Estate Chardonnay, Austalia
Lots of mangoes and tropical fruit on the nose with a hint of oak. On the palate the buttery notes from the oak comes through more with ripe starfruit and tropical fruit.
Available in Cold Storage: Promo $26

2012 Ashbrook Estate Verdelho, Margaret River, Australia
New World Riesling-ish nose but with more green apples. A little sweeter on the taste and a very rounded mouthfeel laced with good acidity.
Available in Fairprice

2011 d'Arenberg 'The Footbolt' Shiraz, Mclaren Vale, Australia
Dark coloured wine. Rich and ripe on the smell and on the taste of dark fruits and spicy finish. Elegant nose with gives more floral notes with more air
Available in Fairprice - Promo $26.50

2012 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA
Lots of blackcurrant on the nose with light hints of chocolate. Quite a classic cabernet sauvignon type of smell. On the palate it's quite big and ripe with a soft and smooth body.
Available in Fairprice Xpress - Promo $39.50

2009 Chateau Fourcas Dupree, Bordeaux, France
Lots of cherries and plums on the smell, giving way to more mineral notes. Has an elegant mouthfeel with lots of structure and an understated power. This one needed more air to show.
Available in Fairprice Finest: $34​

i will update the prices when the rest of the group updates me. but they are all under $40.

 

[Wardyn]

Both are fine as i have purchased from both b4. The key is to do ur homework and research on the wine, producer, vintage and global price benchmark prior to purchase.

Can share a few tips on how to do global price benchmark?

 

[ikileo]

Can share a few tips on how to do global price benchmark?

actually that's just a fancy way of saying checking other websites from other countries to compare price.

after that factoring an increase in shipment, GST and local alcohol tax to see what is the difference in markups. internally i have an acceptable level of markup for SG.

an easy way is to go to Wine-Searcher. Find and Price Wines. and compare prices. keep in mind the prices listed there for all the countries do not include tax. so you have to do your own internal calculation.

 

[Wardyn]

an easy way is to go to Wine-Searcher. Find and Price Wines. and compare prices. keep in mind the prices listed there for all the countries do not include tax. so you have to do your own internal calculation.

I have been checking out wine searcher for a while.
The free version does have some limitation on the searches though.
But i guess that is good enough for a casual wine drinker like me.

 

[ikileo]

Its good enough especially for key labels. Its also impt to know the ave shipping rates and taxes and standard retail markup to see if its a fair price.

 

[urbanathlon]

Eh can intro me an easy to drink smooth and light red wine?

 

[ikileo]

you can check out the whole bunch of recommendations i gave in the past few posts as a good reference. they're all good drinking at a decent price.

just remember to chill them down a bit and give them some air for about 15-20 minutes before drinking.

 

[Wardyn]

Eh can intro me an easy to drink smooth and light red wine?

For a light red, you can try a pinot noir. One of the recommendation posted here was the TIKI Pinot Noir Single Vineyard 2012. You can get it below $40 when it is on promo.
If you find it to be too acidity or tart in the beginning, let it breath for awhile. You can also try pairing it with some roasted meat like char siu, sio bak, roast duck etc.