What kind of WINE did you drink last night? (2 Viewers)

[Ray Karpis]

2008 Martinelli Vigneto di Evo Zinfandel

 

[Christo]

Anyone try Fuhrerwein?

Italian Company Makes Hitler Wine

August 14, 2012 at 8:06AM by Zoe Bain

Wines often have interesting artwork or out-of-the-box branding on their labels to make the bottles stand out. But one Italian wine company has gone overboard, creating what some consider the most offensive wine label ever produced.

According to Eater, an Italian wine company called Vini Lundardelli, located in Udine, Italy, sells wines with images of Hitler and other Nazis on its labels. The line of wines is titled "Linea Storia," or the "line of history." The Hitler bottles are part of this historical line, which is explained on the website as reminding, "us of the lives of celebrated personages of Italian and world political history such and Che Guevara, Churcill, Francesco Giuseppe, Gramsci, Hitler, Marx, Mussolini, Napoleon, and Sissi."

The site also states that the historical line has, "become a cult object among collectors." The wines began getting attention stateside after an American lawyer saw a bottle with Hitler on the label during his vacation in Italy. A local Italian paper explained the exchange between attorney Matthew Hirsch and the wine shop owner, who stated, "the bottles were part of history like Che Guevara."

The bottles have offended many people and the Italian government is looking into the matter. In a statement to the press, Italian integration minister Andrea Riccardi said, "This offends the memory of millions of people and risks comprising the image of Italy abroad." The wine has now been removed from the shop where Hirsch originally saw it, and local prosecutors have begun an investigation of the wine.

No thread is complete without a Hitler/Nazi reference!

 

[sbonomo]

2010 Madrigal Sav Blanc. - small napa vinyard that produces less than 1000 cases per year. I have had thier high-end cabs and chard's at the vinryard but have never seen them for sale in a retail enviroment. I was surprised by the $15 price tag which seemed low for this wine. Very nice fruit on the front of the pallet..would defintely buy again.

 

[sbonomo]

Wine guys: These are the wines my company ceo gave me this year - let me know what I've got. I told him I like "big reds", but I'm more about bourbon and beer and mostly just try to bs my way through when it comes to wine.Arundel 2006Damilano Barolo 2001Georey-Chambertin Claude-Dugat 2002 (also says "Robert Kacher Selections" on the label)Damaru 2008I'd like to know if these are good "special occasion" type wines, and if so whether I should decant, how long I can or should cellar them, etc.Thanks wine dudes.

Arundel 2006 - I am assuming this is the Shiraz (or Syrah in the us/europe) – I am a big fan of the Australian wines. Should be very fruit forward and big. Have this with Lamb or a big spicy steak. This one could probably sit for 2-5 more years to settle down a bit. Damilano Barolo 2001 - I have not had this exact wine but good year for grapes and plenty of time in the bottle. Give it 45 min in a decanter and enjoy. Should be very big in a much more subtle way than the shiraz above. I actually like driking Barolo’s by themselves or with a meal. Enjoy.Georey-Chambertin Claude-Dugat 2002 (also says "Robert Kacher Selections" on the label) – This wine may be past it’s prime. Depends on how it was stored. Should be very light by the standards above (primarily Pinot grape). Not my favorite varietal or region but there are many that will disagree. Very good year, drink it now with a light pasta, salmon, pork of some type. Damaru 2008 – Looks like a Frenchman making wines in CA…Should be interesting to see how this one comes out. I have been near the vineyard but have never had the wine. Probably a bit young and could use some time in the bottle. I would open it as a flyer to see what you think…Report back if it is any good.By the way, you have a cool boss..that is a good mix of old and new world wines….Let me know when the dinner party is and I will help you sample each.

 

[Otis]

Wife and I ran through our last case of Clarendelle 2006, and it was our favorite bordeaux for around 25 bucks. Still, even that was a little pricey for a daily drinker when we regularly plowed through two bottles a night. Well we can't find it anymore anyway, so maybe a non issue.

 

[acapella]

$2 buck chuck, which is actually $3 buck chuck here in the Midwest.

 

[McGarnicle]

King Estate 2010 Pinot Gris, from Oregon. Just fantastic. Picked it up from Costco today for $15.

The wife is making meat loaf tonight, so I'll need to crack open a red here soon.

 

[Christo]

Uncorked an oldie but goody for the Bears & Sox tonight--2009 Mark West Pinot Noir

 

[sho nuff]

King Estate 2010 Pinot Gris, from Oregon. Just fantastic. Picked it up from Costco today for $15. The wife is making meat loaf tonight, so I'll need to crack open a red here soon.

Wife loves that King Estate.Ive been kind of laying off the wine (hell, running in the last year and dropping lbs has me off most alcohol).Really disappointed with the selection at the local liquor stores here too. Part I miss about working downtown and hitting up my favorite spot with a great selection and very knowledgable staff.

 

[Quint]

VJB Winery - 2008 "Dante" Cabernet Sauvignon.Bought it on our trip to Sonoma. Really, really solid. Have another bottle waiting in the wings. Smooth and leathery...terrific value at $30/ bottle.Quint>cheers!

missed this one earlier. i agree: the Dante is a solid wine. IIRC, the 2008 has about 15% Sangiovese blended in with the Cabernet Sauvignon...almost like a backward Super Tuscan. for $30 (plus the ITB discount ) it's an easy buy. as an aside: for those of you who might be planning to visit Sonoma Valley, be sure to stop in and taste at VJB. they just opened a brand new tasting room which includes two tasting bars, a full market place (homemade sauces, pasta, etc.), a deli and cheese shop, outdoor pizza kitchen, and gelato bar. great way to spend an hour or two if you want to experience "Italy" in Sonoma. also not to be missed is their neighbor En Garde Winery. while they make an Albarino, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the highlight of the menu is the Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc. really nuanced and well balanced. a little on the spendy side, but well worth it.

 

[Chemical X]

la mora - nero d'avola

molto bene

 

[Ray Karpis]

I stay in my comfort zone (which is California wines) most of the time and rarely venture out into Italian wines. I know I'm missing out on a ton, but it overwhelms me a bit.

From the standpoint of reds, I prefer Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah. I've had a few Barberas that I really liked, but that's about it.

Give me a few places to start on Italian reds, $15-$30 price range, widely available, that you think I might like.

TIA.

 

[cosjobs]

I stay in my comfort zone (which is California wines) most of the time and rarely venture out into Italian wines. I know I'm missing out on a ton, but it overwhelms me a bit.From the standpoint of reds, I prefer Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah. I've had a few Barberas that I really liked, but that's about it.Give me a few places to start on Italian reds, $15-$30 price range, widely available, that you think I might like.TIA.

You might find an Amarone for that, surely a Ripasso.Good stuff. Masi is a reliable producer

 

[Quint]

I stay in my comfort zone (which is California wines) most of the time and rarely venture out into Italian wines. I know I'm missing out on a ton, but it overwhelms me a bit.From the standpoint of reds, I prefer Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah. I've had a few Barberas that I really liked, but that's about it.Give me a few places to start on Italian reds, $15-$30 price range, widely available, that you think I might like.TIA.

obviously, Barolo is the best. you might try some Nebbiolo from Harrington (East Bay), Novy (Siduri project), or even Wind Gap (Pax's project post Pax Wines).

 

[phrozen]

2007 Torbreck The Steading (blend of Grenache, Mataro, and Shiraz)

2009 Damilano Marghe Nebbiolo D'Alba

 

[DA RAIDERS]

95 pichon longueville comtesse de lalande and a 90 drc la tache.

the pinot made my #### slightly hard.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Did a really nice summer wine class and tasting today with a Rosé and some Picpoul. I love it so much more when I can introduce the wine masses to:1) A totally misunderstood wine because of its colorand2) The most underrated varietal in all of LanguedocI have been trying to get other wine drinkers to enjoy what I think is my favorite varietal of Languedoc...Picpoul BlancThis is one of the oldest varietals of the Languedoc region and it is everything I want in the summer time. Light, dry, racy acidity, and wonderful minerality and so very many good ones are no more than $10-12 a bottle!A nice plate of some oysters on the half shell or butter and garlic escargot would be a delicious treat with this white wine. The one I have been drinking so very much of these days is Domaine Felines Jourdan. Please do yourself a favor when you want to have a great patio pounder or with some shellfish, fish, or lighter fare...go find a bottle of PicpoulRosé is what a red wine drinker should be enjoying on a hot summer day. Today it was Saignée Anne Amie Rosé of Pinot Noir. Saignée is when a winemaker takes dark skinned grapes are left in contact with their skin in a holding vat. Some of the juice is then bled out and used to make rosé wine. I love everything about rosé because it is so very good with so many different foods. Today it was some shrimp with some red pepper and spice marinade and some goat cheese crostini.Go and find a bottle or two of picpoul and please go get a bottle of rosé. I do prefer anything rosé from Loire valley because I love rosé of Cabernet Franc or get one from Provencé

before we die, you and i must break bread together

 

[cosjobs]

Was at a Humperdink's the other night. I would have never chosen to go there, but we were going to a ball game and they had a shuttle to relieve a lot of stress and walking in the Dallas heat, so we gave it a shot. I never expected to find good wine by the bottle at a really good price. They had Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay for $34 a bottle. We had one bottle before the game and three more afterwards. I love when places don't go crazy on the wine markups.

 

[Quint]

95 pichon longueville comtesse de lalande and a 90 drc la tache.the pinot made my #### slightly hard.

mine moved just reading about 22 year old DRC.

 

[Boulder Toads]

Heading back to Cali this October, going to explore Healdsburg and the RRV for the first time. Good info, thanks!

Martinelli and Michel Schlumberger added to the list.

 

[Quint]

Heading back to Cali this October, going to explore Healdsburg and the RRV for the first time. Good info, thanks!

Martinelli and Michel Schlumberger added to the list.

if you like Pinot Noir and Syrah, be sure to stop in at Red Car. if you like bubbles, Iron Horse is a must.

if you like Primus, check out Claypool Cellars. (Les is there pouring more often than not.)

 

[Boulder Toads]

Heading back to Cali this October, going to explore Healdsburg and the RRV for the first time. Good info, thanks!

Martinelli and Michel Schlumberger added to the list.

if you like Pinot Noir and Syrah, be sure to stop in at Red Car. if you like bubbles, Iron Horse is a must.

if you like Primus, check out Claypool Cellars. (Les is there pouring more often than not.)

Thanks Quint

 

[cosjobs]

Heading back to Cali this October, going to explore Healdsburg and the RRV for the first time. Good info, thanks!

Martinelli and Michel Schlumberger added to the list.

if you like Pinot Noir and Syrah, be sure to stop in at Red Car. if you like bubbles, Iron Horse is a must.

if you like Primus, check out Claypool Cellars. (Les is there pouring more often than not.)

Thanks Quint

Its been a decade for me now , but Rafinelli in Santa Rosa used to have some damn tasty zins that were only available at the winery, And it was always worth it to buy all they would sell to you.

 

[Ray Karpis]

Heading back to Cali this October, going to explore Healdsburg and the RRV for the first time. Good info, thanks! Martinelli and Michel Schlumberger added to the list.

:jealous:You won't be disappointed! I would move in at Schlumberger if they'd let me.

 

[snogger]

Thought I'd give a quick update on "Snogger's Vineyard" I have been taking it easy on drinking up my bottles from last year so still have a few left to get me through the rest of the year. Hoping to keep one around long enough to compare to this years batch but I may not have the patience.I opened one of my bottles for a family gathering over the July 4th weekend and, even though most there are not wine drinkers, all enjoyed it. My father in-laws comment was the best:

I don't like wine.. but I could see myself drinking this as it tastes pretty good.

Doesn't get much better than that I ended up harvesting for 2012 over the weekend and have doubled my output from last year so things are going as planned. My blog is included in my sig if you are interested.

 

[phrozen]

Decanting a bottle of 2008 Duckhorn Merlot. Looking forward to tasting it

 

[17seconds]

Polishing off a bottle of 2007 Perrin and Fils Cotes Du Rhone Villages.

Love pretty much all Rhone reds. Rhone >> Bordeaux IMO

The new Spectator came out and apparently 2010 is a classic year.

 

[cosjobs]

Polishing off a bottle of 2007 Perrin and Fils Cotes Du Rhone Villages.Love pretty much all Rhone reds. Rhone >> Bordeaux IMOThe new Spectator came out and apparently 2010 is a classic year.

Great varietal. Love me some grenache and Chateauneuf du paup. I find I especially like them this time of year, when the nights start to get a little cool, but I am not yet ready to take on the big cabs and zins over winter. ALso a big fan of Spanish Garnacha. I esp. like TRes Picos, but Torres and others put out some great juice for $10-!4 a bottle.

 

[⚡DEADHEAD⚡]

Decanting a bottle of 2008 Duckhorn Merlot. Looking forward to tasting it

How was it?A few years I had a bottle 2005 Estate Grown. I'll never forget it.

 

[Quint]

opened a bottle of 2007 En Garde Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mtn.) on Halloween for some friends who came over. didn't try it that night, but finished the last 1/3 of the bottle Friday night. still plenty of life left on Day 2, with big black and blue fruit notes over a mild tannin profile. a hint of herbaceous flavors on the mid-palate, and something like white pepper on the finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon really isn't my thing, but really nice bottle of wine from a small producer. A-

 

[General Malaise]

2008 Naked Winery Cabernet Sauvignon which was delightful.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

'02 Howell Mountain O'Shaugnessy Cabernet Sauvignon

 

[Jules Winnfield]

German and Austrian wine tasting last night and I lover wines from these two countries. 2012 vintage is going to be a great one! Some of the things I thought stood out were both high end and some were also very affordable

Nikolaihof Riesling - The '02 Wachau Burggarten Jungfernlese was the hit of the night

Nikolahof Gruner Veltliner Hefeabzug and also some from Bauer, Hirsch, and - Best Gru-Vee maker there is

Hiedler Riesling Steinhaus

Heidi Schrock Furmint

Maximin Grunhaus Riesling Abtsberg Spatlese

Van Schleinitz Riesling Secco - Sparkling Riesling was very good and very affordable

Hofer, Ecker, and St. Laurent Zweigelt - 1 liter bottles for Ecker and Hofer

Prieler and Glatzer Blaufrankisch

Way too many to even list but as far as everyday and affordable goes, Villa Wolf from JL Wolf Estate is very affordable and combines JL Wolf estate fruit with some from contracted growers. Their dry Riesling is a great everyday drinker.

 

[VA703]

2007 Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese

GOOD!!!!

 

[Quint]

speaking of Germans, we had this a dinner on Saturday night:

2010 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese - opened this about 15 years too early, but i've had very little experience with German wines and wanted to share with some other wine-geek friends who were curious. moderately sweet, light gold in color, with enough acidity to balance out the stone fruit and citrus flavors. had it as a "dessert" wine with some goat cheese and honey, though i imagine it will serve as an aperitif as well. going to bury the other bottle in the cellar and see if i can wait a decade to open it. my money's on the under.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

speaking of Germans, we had this a dinner on Saturday night:

2010 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese - opened this about 15 years too early, but i've had very little experience with German wines and wanted to share with some other wine-geek friends who were curious. moderately sweet, light gold in color, with enough acidity to balance out the stone fruit and citrus flavors. had it as a "dessert" wine with some goat cheese and honey, though i imagine it will serve as an aperitif as well. going to bury the other bottle in the cellar and see if i can wait a decade to open it. my money's on the under.

Nahe region wine and a killer one at that. Terry Theise and Michael Skurnik are big about this winemaker and Michael feels these Rieslings are the best in the world.Try to hold out on this one as it will only reward you wit some lay down in the cellar

 

[cosjobs]

Had a 07 Ramey cab last night. I liked it very much. Its quite complex yet still rounded and balanced. Lots going on, but still some of the fruit forwardness associated with new world cabs. One of the better Napa cabs I've had this year.

 

[Ray Karpis]

2007 Rodney Strong Symmetry Meritage. Had dinner with a work group and the big bucks guy bought a couple of bottles for the table. I think this is 85% Cab. A little more fruit than I prefer, but it was very good.

 

[jamny]

Casa E Di Mirafiori Barolo

We drink 5 or 6 bottles a week so usually it's the $10 variety.

Damn, this was tasty.

 

[phrozen]

2008 Boom Town Syrah

Big fan of Washington State Syrah's

 

[phrozen]

just put a 2010 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel into the decanter. looking forward to it tonight

 

[17seconds]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.

Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

 

[phrozen]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

 

[17seconds]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

I see you can get it at gas stations. lol

 

[Christo]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

I see you can get it at gas stations. lol

I checked too. The two closest places to me are a CVS and a 7-Eleven.

 

[jamny]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

Tried Apothic recently and didn't care for it but I'm not a big fan of New World wines. Our favorite though is Benton Lane Pinot Noir.

 

[phrozen]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

I see you can get it at gas stations. lol

Its a good wine for the price

 

[17seconds]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

I see you can get it at gas stations. lol

Its a good wine for the price

I'll give it a shot. But if it is anything near as jammy/flabby as Yellow Tail I'll hate it. I don't need complexity in a $15 red but it has to have some kind of tannin structure on the finish.

 

[jamny]

I'd like to kick up our wine collection to the next level, how do you guys go about it? I'll usually buy about a case or two at a time and will restock when we get low but I'd like to start more of a collection to save for better occasions. We have a good 10-15 regulars that we like. I'll mostly buy in the $15 range and get 1 or 2 in the mid-20's.

I've read that wines in the $20-$30 range don't really improve much with age, you need to get better ones to make a difference. Is that true? I usually can notice a difference in the better wines, although our favorites are tough to beat for us. Do I need to step it up to more expensive wines? We're usually about 4-6 bottles a week, probably 60% Italian, 30% French, 10% others.

 

[Quint]

Going to have something tonight, not sure yet. Money is a little tight right now and my cellar is getting sparse. I have a 400 bottle vinotemp with like 80 bottles in it. I need to go out and buy about 3 cases of ~$15 wine or pretty soon I'm going to complete run out of everyday drinkers.

Any suggestions on $15 new world reds? Also love the Rhone, but my wife is strictly into CA, WA, Chile, Argentina, etc so I'm kind of limited.

if you are looking for a daily drinker, you can't go wrong with Apothic. I always have 4-5 bottles on hand and averaging in the 10 - 12 range it is a great taste for a smaller price.

I see you can get it at gas stations. lol

Its a good wine for the price

I'll give it a shot. But if it is anything near as jammy/flabby as Yellow Tail I'll hate it. I don't need complexity in a $15 red but it has to have some kind of tannin structure on the finish.

maybe try a newer-vintage Petite Sirah or Mouvedre-based blend? IIRC, Concannon Petite Sirah is pretty solid juice at that price point. your wife's preferences aside, i'd also recommend some Garnacha or Tempranillo from Spanish producers. great value to be found in the $12 - $20 range.