Wine

[n0d3]

Anyone interested in "natural" wine? Been in Australia for a couple of years and I really love the stuff by Patrick Sullivan, William Downie, Tom Shobbrook, Jauma etc.

 

[Dexter71]

Friends

Just got myself a wine chiller and would like to explore other wines other than the Aussie and Kiwi ones. For whites I do like Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc and for reds mostly Pinot Noir and Merlot. Certainly would like to explore other grape varietals and the Old World offering. However for example the french offerings are very complex in terms of region and labeling. I am still learning those and google for information. I would also like to join tasting sessions to broader my appreciation.

Any tips for old world offerings will be great.

Thx

 

[SpeedingBullet]

Friends

Just got myself a wine chiller and would like to explore other wines other than the Aussie and Kiwi ones. For whites I do like Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc and for reds mostly Pinot Noir and Merlot. Certainly would like to explore other grape varietals and the Old World offering. However for example the french offerings are very complex in terms of region and labeling. I am still learning those and google for information. I would also like to join tasting sessions to broader my appreciation.

Any tips for old world offerings will be great.

Thx

i think the first post is a great enough intro to old world wines from BDX, read through it, it's pretty thorough!

For Merlots from the old world u just have to look for wines from the right bank of Bordeaux- St. Emilion and Pomerol.

For old world pinot noir just look for Burgundy (Bourgogne in French, as labelled on their bottles)

 

[Wardyn]

Friends

Just got myself a wine chiller and would like to explore other wines other than the Aussie and Kiwi ones. For whites I do like Rieslings and Sauvignon Blanc and for reds mostly Pinot Noir and Merlot. Certainly would like to explore other grape varietals and the Old World offering. However for example the french offerings are very complex in terms of region and labeling. I am still learning those and google for information. I would also like to join tasting sessions to broader my appreciation.

Any tips for old world offerings will be great.

Thx

Congrats on getting a chiller and welcome on board to the old world. The old world french region is complex but it is what makes it interesting, sophisticated and charming. There are many wine retailers and merchants that do regular wine tasting sessions. Usually will need to be in their mailing list to receive some of their newsletter or even invites. Alternatively you can check out their website regularly to track down their tasting sessions. Some of them are actually listed in the in this thread. Or you can actually google "wine box" which list our various local wine events/tasting for the month.

 

[Dexter71]

Thanks for the tips and welcome.

For Bordeaux, am I right the left bank area ranked the vineyards by 1st to 5th Growth and 1st is the best?

Likewise for right bank, Grand Cru A is the best for that region?

I don't think I have the palate to taste high end stuff nor the wallet but I don't want to be ignorant of the different classes.

Thx

 

[SpeedingBullet]

Congrats on getting a chiller and welcome to the aboard to the old world. The old world french region is complex but it is what makes it interesting, sophisticated and charming. There are many wine retailers and merchants that do regular wine tasting sessions. Usually will need to be in their mailing list to receive some of their newsletter or even invites. Alternatively you can check out their website regularly to track down their tasting sessions. Some of them are actually listed in the in this thread. Or you can actually google "wine box" which list our various local wine events/tasting for the month.

Fuaark why do I only know about the wine box only now

The motherlode of all tastings was in July and I missed them ALL .

 

[alxin]

Thanks for the tips and welcome.

For Bordeaux, am I right the left bank area ranked the vineyards by 1st to 5th Growth and 1st is the best?

Likewise for right bank, Grand Cru A is the best for that region?

I don't think I have the palate to taste high end stuff nor the wallet but I don't want to be ignorant of the different classes.

Thx

The 1855 Bordeaux classification, unfortunately was only based on pricing during that era. It was not updated except for the one time promotion of Mouton Rothschild from 2nd to 1st in the 1970s.

While the 1st Growth is no doubt great, one can possibly find better value in the 2nd and even from some of the other lower ranked growth.

St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, on the other hand, is more up to date. But every time an update gets issued, legal battles ensued, so many times they revert to an older version.

Find wines you like, not necessary by ranking.

 

[Dexter71]

Thanks Alxin

Unlikely to go down that path. I am keeping budget around 30-50 level but would like to know for general awareness.

 

[Wardyn]

Fuaark why do I only know about the wine box only now

The motherlode of all tastings was in July and I missed them ALL .

Actually every month got quite a few tasting. This coming week end will be epicurean market 2015, $28 for 3 days pass.

 

[alxin]

Thanks Alxin

Unlikely to go down that path. I am keeping budget around 30-50 level but would like to know for general awareness.

Unlikely for me either. The less than 100 dollars levels already offer enough pleasure.

 

[DeepDive]

Actually every month got quite a few tasting. This coming week end will be epicurean market 2015, $28 for 3 days pass.

Oh nice! Will def chck this out

 

[ikileo]

boom

hi guys, it's been a while; great to see more people chatting about wine

share with us any wines you had enjoyed recently!

btw i very rarely visit HWZ anymore but you can email me ikileo at gmail dot com if you have any queries

 

[urbanathlon]

Any budget friendly light and smooth wine to recommend?

 

[ikileo]

Any budget friendly light and smooth wine to recommend?

there have been a lot of posts in the past pages of good deals that you can dig around to find. you can also search for my userid and i've posted some recommendations in the past.

it would also be good to understand what is your definition of 'budget friend'.
honestly under $30 wines there isn't much variance in quality in SG and you will be able to get a decent experience with the mainstream and popular labels and their casual drinking wines.

when you start going up in the $30s, $40s & $50s that's where the variance and diff in quality appears.

On the first page of this thread I have put up a range of recommendation & links for everyone to check out. Also I had a few recommendation in post #4577: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/90835329-post4577.html


if none on the list is something that you are keen in, let us know your budget and perhaps what kinds of wines you've enjoyed in the past. most important is to try different wines and eventually find what you like instead of drinking the same ones all the times.

 

[Dexter71]

I just had Penfolds 2012 Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz and thoroughly enjoyed that. I can't remember when I bought it and for how much but I doubt it's Over 50$ knowing me lol

On a seperate note I went epicurean mkt fair and quite happy on the pair of schott wiesel glasses as door gift.

As I went during lunch hour yesterday Friday I did not do any tasting but also tasting appears to be chargable. Not entirely sure

 

[ikileo]

yes the bin 8 should be quite enjoyable. there are many different types of shiraz from australia and other parts of the world that taste delicious too. explore moe!

yes the wine tasting at the epicurean market you have to pay, that's why the 3 day pass is so cheap. but that being said most of the wine booths are showcasing really good things. two of my fave were there: KOT Selections and Luigi Wines. Great by the glass wines and great tasting flights for extremely reasonable prices.

i saw many people just buying abottle to sit down and eat & drinks while others ordered cartons to bring home to enjoy.

 

[ikileo]

side note earlier last week i was at 1855 Bistro at Suntec to meet friends. I had 2 very nice wines and considering it's a sit down & retail concept i felt the prices were quite fair for what i got.

2007 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 'Sierra Madre', Santa Barbara, California
2012 McGuigan 'The Shortlist' Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia

Au Bon Climat is one of the most famous pinot producers in California as he makes his style of wine much less 'californian-style' (which tends to be overly ripe and big) and more of a style with more elegance and restraint; which is perfect for food.

the 07 is his mid tier bottling and a good example of a new world pinot with some age on it (8 years). it has elegance as well as concentration from a ripe year.


the McGuigan Shortlist Riesling is their mid-tier bottling and they only make small quantities of this . Eden valley is known for it's whites in Australia and especially riesling which benefit from the cooler microclimate & higher elevation. The shortlist style is not as sharp and citrusy as the other famous Riesling region in Australia: Clare Valley; but instead the citrus and mixed in with more floral elements on the nose a slightly waxier texture (in a good way) on the mouthfeel; making it an extremely versatile wine for food.

 

[alxin]

side note earlier last week i was at 1855 Bistro at Suntec to meet friends. I had 2 very nice wines and considering it's a sit down & retail concept i felt the prices were quite fair for what i got.

2007 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 'Sierra Madre', Santa Barbara, California
2012 McGuigan 'The Shortlist' Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia

Au Bon Climat is one of the most famous pinot producers in California as he makes his style of wine much less 'californian-style' (which tends to be overly ripe and big) and more of a style with more elegance and restraint; which is perfect for food.

the 07 is his mid tier bottling and a good example of a new world pinot with some age on it (8 years). it has elegance as well as concentration from a ripe year.


the McGuigan Shortlist Riesling is their mid-tier bottling and they only make small quantities of this . Eden valley is known for it's whites in Australia and especially riesling which benefit from the cooler microclimate & higher elevation. The shortlist style is not as sharp and citrusy as the other famous Riesling region in Australia: Clare Valley; but instead the citrus and mixed in with more floral elements on the nose a slightly waxier texture (in a good way) on the mouthfeel; making it an extremely versatile wine for food.

They have quite a number of outlets. At 6th avenue, you can order the kopitiam food just across the street and eat in their premise.. At Triple One Somerset, I used to order finger food from Apple Bee. But that spot seems cursed, no restaurant can make it for long. Even the latest attempt, Seasons Bistro, bit the dust.

 

[Dexter71]

Nearly forgetten that I have a mini NDP viewing party at my place and we ordered zhichar to feast one (i.e. prawn paste chickens, mee goreng) and I opened a bottle of Waipara Riesling 2013. Again I do enjoy them vs chardonnay.

Is this particular riesling considered medium dry whites or light crisp lean white?

Specs:

Alcohol 12.1%

Acidity 8.3 g/L

Residual Sugar 13.3 g/L

Thx

 

[ikileo]

it's actually the sugar levels in relation to acidity levels.

to me this would be at the sweeter edge of off dry.

who was the producer in the Waipara Valley?