# Lounge > Food and Dining >  Official Wine Thread

## JLau

I was searching on Beyond to see if theres a thread on wine, but i couldnt find one. I am pretty sure a lot of Beyonders like to enjoy a glass or 2, some of you might even be wine professionals. I've completed 2 wine fundamental courses from ISG, considering pursuing Wine Sommelier.

The whole purpose of this thread is to talk about anything got to do with wine; regions, varietal, vintage, wines you highly recommend, wine investing, cellaring (you may even want to share what you have in your cellar). Since everyone has different palate, and a good wine could mean its quality, value, balance, or simply just what you like, so there are no right or wrong choices.

I personally enjoy wine from France, Germany, Chile, and to an extent Italy and Argentina. Most of the wine I post will be red unless specified. Gewurtz, riesling, and Sauternes are some of my favorite dessert/whites. I will start off with some of the wine i've tried in the past and really enjoyed:

1985 Gaja Dramanji 
2002-2007 Los Vasco
2005 Croix De Beaucaillou
1989 Chateau Margaux
2003-2006 Chateau Lynch Bage
2002 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
1985 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
2005-2008 Errazuriz (my favorite Chilean Winery, particularly the Carmenere)
2009 Greywacke Gewurtz
2005 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes
2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes

Cordon Bleu
Chivas Royal Salute 21yrs
Gentleman Jack
Macallan 18yrs
JW Bluelabel

My Cellar:
I have about 150 bottles of wine i actually collect and cellar, most of them are French wine, hermitage, lynch bage, sauternes, gloria, haut brion, latour, cardinale etc. i am trying to keep track of them on excel sheet (i had one going, but got lazy updating it) 

I am looking to invest in a wine fridge, probably eurocave or subzero, what are your suggestions on wine fridges?

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## CanmoreOrLess

There are apps for keeping track of a collection. Might be easier and for sure sexier than an Excel file. I normally just walk into Highlander and give the clerk my budget and he turns me onto something new I would not have considered previously.

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## Supa Dexta

.

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## JLau

I just did it on Excel because i can put more notes and stuff in it. I also put in how much i bought it for, what year i bought it in and where i bought them. I am sure there are good apps for it now, compared to when i last looked lol





> _Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess_ 
> *There are apps for keeping track of a collection. Might be easier and for sure sexier than an Excel file. I normally just walk into Highlander and give the clerk my budget and he turns me onto something new I would not have considered previously.*

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## JLau

Seems like those are North American wine. I am personally not a big fan of North American wine, although some Napa wine are definitely among the best in the world.

I remember trying a wine called Chateau Montelena, which was featured in the movie Bottle Shock, it was a great wine, but quite pricey. A bottle i am waiting to drink when matured is called Cardinale, bought it for $200, hopefully it is what i expect.





> _Originally posted by Supa Dexta_ 
> *Our wine just won a gold at the finger lakes wine fest. Not available out here though. 
> 
> http://www.fliwc.com/results/2012results.asp
> 
> Lochview L'acadie from Jost winery.*

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## Graham_A_M

Cool, I just finished ISG Level 1. I heard level two is quite a bit harder, leave alone their third one. How was the 2nd? I'd like to go back in the fall and get the 2nd installment done. Ideally I'd like to get my full fledged ISG Sommilier ticket, but we'll see how the cards fall this next year or two. 
For most people/events I buy Masi Campoflorin 2006 (Italy). I've never had a single person dislike it, even those who dont like reds. Its a good full bodied wine with hints of tobacco. It goes well with most meats.

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## GTi-RS

If you're going to invest in wine storage unit then make sure it has humidity control. Corks really dry-out here.

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## JLau

> _Originally posted by Graham_A_M_ 
> *Cool, I just finished ISG Level 1. I heard level two is quite a bit harder, leave alone their third one. How was the 2nd? I'd like to go back in the fall and get the 2nd installment done. Ideally I'd like to get my full fledged ISG Sommilier ticket, but we'll see how the cards fall this next year or two. 
> For most people/events I buy Masi Campoflorin 2006 (Italy). I've never had a single person dislike it, even those who dont like reds. Its a good full bodied wine with hints of tobacco. It goes well with most meats.*



ISG level 2 is quite a bit harder, diploma level is intense, i have no time for it right now....

Amarone and supertuscans are my favorite italian wines...

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## Impreza

Any luck on the hunt for a wine fridge? In the same boat myself right now.

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## Jlude

2005 Cakebread Chardonnay - That's about all I drink

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## hukgwai

im really not near as well versed as you all regarding wines, but we went with marvel wine coolers and beverage coolers. i did it to make the wife happy and "look" like i have a clue regarding wines. we were going to go the sub zero route to keep it consistent with the house, but i would be begging for spare change on the street corner as they are overpriced. a friend of a friend referred me to the marvel and said they are comparable to sub zero at a fraction of the price. something to look into; especially for a built-in appliance

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## JLau

> _Originally posted by Impreza_ 
> *Any luck on the hunt for a wine fridge? In the same boat myself right now.*



Havent really got around to actually buying one, but eurocave and subzero seems to be the way to go

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## D'z Nutz

I'm heading down to Mexico for a wedding at the end of the month and I'd like to bring back a bottle of wine back for a friend. I know nothing about wines. Do you guys have any recommendations as to what to look for? I googled it and from what it sounds like, though not world class grade, "Mexican wine" isn't as bad as it sounds so I figured it might make a good souvenir.

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## kvg

Sorry D, I'm not familiar with Mexican wines, just get tequila.

As for wine, I barely drink beer or the hard stuff mainly red. I am no connoisseur, I just drink what I enjoy.

#1 is Masi Campofiorin 2008
#2 is Apothic red 2011
#3 is belive it or not co-op dry red wine. I tried a bottle and it was surprisingly good and $7 a bottle.

I used to really enjoy Yellow tail, but it hasn't been he same since 2008, and I don't store wine.

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## msommers

I never remember what it's called but it's a French wine in a weird shaped bottle that looks really old because there is like "fake dust" added. I like the wine though and it's easy to find!

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## kvg

I keep seeing that, I'll try a bottle.

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## Impreza

> _Originally posted by msommers_ 
> *I never remember what it's called but it's a French wine in a weird shaped bottle that looks really old because there is like &quot;fake dust&quot; added. I like the wine though and it's easy to find!*



I think the wine you're referring to is La Fiole du Pape. This particular wine really isn't to my liking but I like this style of wine. If you like it, you should try other wines from the Rhone valley - particularly, other Chateauneuf du Pape's. Great values to be found in the Rhone region!

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## Evo prec

> _Originally posted by kvg_ 
> *Sorry D, I'm not familiar with Mexican wines, just get tequila.
> 
> As for wine, I barely drink beer or the hard stuff mainly red. I am no connoisseur, I just drink what I enjoy.
> 
> #1 is Masi Campofiorin 2008
> #2 is Apothic red 2011
> #3 is belive it or not co-op dry red wine. I tried a bottle and it was surprisingly good and $7 a bottle.
> 
> I used to really enjoy Yellow tail, but it hasn't been he same since 2008, and I don't store wine.*



The first 2 are my favourite .... you got good taste

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## nzwasp

That apothic white thats being sold at costco at the moment is a pretty good drop too

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## genesis0403

Masi Campofiorin 2009 is on sale in co-op right now.

As for wines, Casa del Diablo, Montes Alpha, 1865, Parallel 49 are not bad.
Carmen is not bad as well.
I also tried cupcake cabernet Sauvignon a few days ago. It's also a decent wine at a low price.
One thing I don't like about many US wines is that they mix too many different grapes but some US wines are very good

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## msommers

> _Originally posted by Impreza_ 
> * 
> 
> I think the wine you're referring to is La Fiole du Pape. This particular wine really isn't to my liking but I like this style of wine. If you like it, you should try other wines from the Rhone valley - particularly, other Chateauneuf du Pape's. Great values to be found in the Rhone region!*



I bought a bottle last night and you're 100% right! The dust on the bottle looks kinda neat but in reality, it's a pain in the ass to keep washing your hands after you pour a glass.

I was also given a few other bottles over Christmas, hopefully they're good!
- Chateau De Targe 2009
- Corfteforte Amarone Della Valpolicella 2004
- Mission Hill S.L.C. Syrah 2009

Where you can buy those vaccuum pump lid things? And what's your guys' take on aerators vs. decanters? I'm certainly no wino but would be interested in trying different things out.

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## Impreza

You can buy the vacuum pump things at Willow Park Wines and I have seen them at the Le Creuset store as well. Personally, I don't bother with them too much. I just recork the wine bottle or pour the wine in a 375mL half bottle, cork it, and throw it in the fridge. Usually can last a few days that way. You just have to let the wine warm up a bit before drinking the next day. As for aerators, I don't really like them. If you're dealing with an older or more delicate wine, you can potentially lose a lot of the "good stuff" if you pass it through an aerator. If it is a young wine, I prefer to slowly decant the wine in a decanter and watch it evolve over a few hours. For older wines, I don't even bother with decanting unless it is just a splash decant to separate the settled sediment.

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## ercchry

> _Originally posted by msommers_ 
> * 
> 
> Where you can buy those vaccuum pump lid things?*



fuck that, just finish the bottle  :ROFL!:

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## genesis0403

even if you have the vaccuum pump, it still won't preserve the wine past 3 days unless you have a wine fridge

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## C_Dave45

I seem to be lucking out with any of the Malbec's from Argentina.

My favorite so far is Trivento Amado Sur.

And a close second is the Alamos Malbec. 

Both Argentinian.

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## GTi-RS

Speaking of wine... Have you guys sen this new wine website in Calgary? They were featured on TV a few days ago. http://www.albertawinestein.com/

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## sputnik

This is a great thread.

OP starts off by talking about all of the $100-500 bottles of wine he has enjoyed and then turns into which $15 bottles are on sale at Co-op.

I guess some of us ballers and millionaires just are more frugal when it comes to wine drinking. After being in the O&G industry I have concluded that most people that buy expensive wine only do so to tell other people about the expensive wine they drink/own.

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## Dycker

Anybody have any suggestions on bottles of Ripasso and/or Amarone types of wine?

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## Impreza

> _Originally posted by Dycker_ 
> *Anybody have any suggestions on bottles of Ripasso and/or Amarone types of wine?*



I'm not huge into Amarone's but I have always enjoyed Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella - has always been consistent regardless of vintage. They sell this all over Calgary, cheapest is at Superstore liquorstore though.

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## KRyn

> _Originally posted by sputnik_ 
> *This is a great thread.
> 
> OP starts off by talking about all of the $100-500 bottles of wine he has enjoyed and then turns into which $15 bottles are on sale at Co-op.
> 
> I guess some of us ballers and millionaires just are more frugal when it comes to wine drinking. After being in the O&amp;G industry I have concluded that most people that buy expensive wine only do so to tell other people about the expensive wine they drink/own.*



I guess I shouldn't talk about the Château Mouton Rothschild's, Château Palmers and other good bottles I have been lucky enough to enjoy. That said, anyone can buy a good bottle of wine, that is not a challenge. Spend a small fortune and you will get an amazing wine. Being able to buy a good bottle of wine for under $15, now that is a difficult & rewarding.

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## CokerRat

+1 on the Zenato Amarone. Alternately, the Zenato Superiore Valpolicella Ripassa is a baby amarone for around $20.

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## flipstah

I hope to learn a lot from this thread.

My knowledge of wine is that I prefer white over red. 

So crisp.  :Drool:

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## kaput

.

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## Proyecto2000

I'm not much of a wine guy, but I have really enjoyed these 3 wines:

D'arenberg The Galvo Garage 2006
Terrazas de los Andes Melbec 2009
Cameron Hughes Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

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## 89coupe

Picked these up today

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## Buster

> Picked these up today



Post a review of the caymus when you open it. I've had mixed experiences with caymus lately.

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## JfuckinC

I drink other things 98% of the time, but one wine i do really like is this one.

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## ercchry

I remember this was good, also on willow park’s Black Friday sale…



Then things get blurry, but if I took the photos, they were probably okay

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## msommers

Stag's Leap was on sale at Willow Park. Looking forward to that one. (edit: looks like it still is: https://www.willowpark.net/products/...d917a6de&_ss=r)

Nice Barolo!

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## 89coupe

Some wines gifted to me this weekend.

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## Swank

I couldn't resist.




Continue.

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## Clever

> Some wines gifted to me this weekend.
> 
> Attachment 110103



Curious what you think about St. Supery, I’m glad they are in Canada now. One of my favourites when we did Napa Valley. I used to get family to ship their wine here.

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## 89coupe

> Curious what you think about St. Supery, I’m glad they are in Canada now. One of my favourites when we did Napa Valley. I used to get family to ship their wine here.



I haven’t tried it yet, but when I do I will let you know.

So far this is one of my favourite wines to date.

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## Darkane

> Post a review of the caymus when you open it. I've had mixed experiences with caymus lately.



Caymus is so good.

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## ThePenIsMightier

> Caymus is so good.



Is that where you sit on your hand until it goes numb and then - oh... 
Sorry... I thought we were talking about something else.




_______
What a waste of time, none of you tards will even understand that...

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## cycosis

Y'all drink bottled wine?

Myself I keep it classy with Supestore's Thicket and Thief cab sav. Goes on sale every once and a while for $28 for the 4L box.  :Big Grin:

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## kJUMP

You were at the 94+ Point wine festival at WP last Friday? I was there too, good times. That Atalon was nice, so was the Double Canyon Cab Sauv. I picked up a bottle of the Edizione 2018 afterwards. I'm really looking forward to the WP Champagne festival Dec 2.




> I remember this was good, also on willow parks Black Friday sale
> 
> Attachment 110097
> 
> Then things get blurry, but if I took the photos, they were probably okay
> 
> Attachment 110099

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## ercchry

Yeah, we’ve done a few this fall, VIP where it was available. The Bordeaux one was pretty crazy too…

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## msommers

Thanks Willow Park

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## 89coupe

A client gave me this today

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## bjstare

Usually like brunellos. The first couple sips of this were good, but it was underwhelming by the time the bottle was done.

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## 89coupe

> Usually like brunellos. The first couple sips of this were good, but it was underwhelming by the time the bottle was done.



Tannic & Acidic

 :crazy nut:

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