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Sept. 19, 2010 12:48 p.m. Marjorie Suddard General Manager

Closely related to my "customer service" thread/rant, my sister remains giftless for her b-day. Since she lives way out in the boonies, I've given up on deliveries like flowers/fruit bouquets (though those rock) and the other suggestions I've already gotten.

Now I'm thinking of UPSing wine. She has an ailing live-in father-in-law, so wine is something she and her husband could enjoy together while they're homebound. But I want it to be something special and yummy, and my wine selections have gone the way of my meatloaf recipe: I've done so many variations on my original favorite tastes, I can't remember them and I'm not entirely delighted with what I've ended up buying these days.

So whaddya think? I'd like to send 3 bottles, preferably a combo of red/white/rose but that's not a must. What have you guys been enjoying? (And I know, I should ask one of those wine rating sites, but I trust you guys. I'm even prepared for the inevitable suggestions of "Miata" and "Thunderbird/Boone's Farm" that will follow.)

Margie
Sept. 19, 2010 12:55 p.m. mtn SuperDork

Petrus Pomerol
Sept. 19, 2010 1:16 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

We recently were given a bottle of this by a friend. Purchased entirely for the name.

what's odd? my wife and I never agree on wine until this one

http://www.folieadeux.com/mat/red.html
Sept. 19, 2010 1:18 p.m. Woody SuperDork

Sachem's Picnic is my local favorite. It comes from a vineyard about 20 minutes South of Lime Rock.

http://www.hopkinsvineyard.com/

Or, you could try to find a bottle of Cherry '55. It has a 55 Chevy on the label and retails for about $0.99. You are required by law to sit on the curb whilst enjoying it.
Sept. 19, 2010 2:19 p.m. Marjorie Suddard General Manager

From an online retailer:
1998 Petrus Pomerol Red Blend Varietal: Bordeaux Blend Vintage: 1998 Bottle Size: 6000 ml Rating: 100 Quantity: 1 available Price: $29,900.00

I think you overestimate what publishing companies are bringing in these days. I was thinking more in the $10-$20 per bottle range.

Margie
Sept. 19, 2010 2:34 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

FYI - You cannot ship wine to the State of Pennsylvania. Just one of our many odd alcohol laws, but it is a pain when visiting Sonoma or Napa. If they live here, you are SOL.

Maysara Winery has a nice Pinot Noir that you might be able to find in your price range.
Sept. 19, 2010 3:01 p.m. 4cylndrfury SuperDork

http://www.chateauelan.com/epicurean/winery/

Scarlet 211 and the Pinot are my 2 faves, add a 3rd if you like.

EDIT: the scarlet is out of stock...boo
Sept. 19, 2010 3:45 p.m. alex Dork

Marjorie Suddard wrote:

From an online retailer:
1998 Petrus Pomerol Red Blend
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend
Vintage: 1998
Bottle Size: 6000 ml
Rating: 100
Quantity: 1 available
Price: $29,900.00

I think you overestimate what publishing companies are bringing in these days. I was thinking more in the $10-$20 per bottle range.

Margie

Yeah but that's for 6 liters. Buying in bulk keeps the cost down. The more you buy, the more you save!
Sept. 19, 2010 3:56 p.m. fastmiata Reader

Yellow Tail: pinot grigio Sutter Home: white merlot

both are reasonably priced and fall within your menu
Sept. 19, 2010 4:51 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

I really like Malbecs.

Best (red) wines I've had are Old Vine Malbecs. I'm not sure exactly how much they go for, but I can afford to drink them at a local wine bar occasionally. So, I'm pretty sure you're looking at $30-$40 wine that always blows me away.

For $10-$20, Malbec is still a great bet. "Layer Cake" is really yummy, about $15, and tastes as good as a $25 bottle of something else.

I had a wealthy, Porsche-racing wine broker at the last NASA event I went to comment on my preference for Malbec's that they are an excellent value and tend to be much less expensive for similar quality wine of other varieties.

For whites, I really love Viognier. They taste almost bubbly and are also cheap. Unlike other wines, they're best when they're only a few years old.

Eiswein would also be a really good treat.
Sept. 19, 2010 4:55 p.m. Wally SuperDork

What's the word?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTDEpSYD25M

Surely the brothers Gallo wouldn't steer you wrong
Sept. 19, 2010 5:05 p.m. Osterkraut Dork

I visted Truchard Vineyards in March, the first one of a quick 5 vineyard power tour. At the end of the day myself and the 4 others with me all agreed Truchard was the best, and made our way back there to purchase a whooole bunch of wine. The chardonnay is great. Though I seem to remember it being less than the $30 they charge on the interwebs.

http://www.truchardvineyards.com/

As a bonus, they seem very "GRM"... started very small and went from there. Plus they're real nice folk.
Sept. 19, 2010 5:50 p.m. ignorant SuperDork

http://www.bishopsorchards.com/index.cfm

new england apple wine. Proper fall beverage. All other beverages are lacking in the gentleman's area.

dunno where to get it online.

hopkins vineyard is also good.. Local is best!
Sept. 19, 2010 6:33 p.m. Marty! Dork

I've recommended this one on here before.

Wollersheim Prairie Fume`. about $11 a bottle.

Semi-Dry White Wine A crisp fresh semi-dry white bursting with citrus and tropical fruit aromas reminiscent of orange and grapefruit with a hint of sweetness. The Winery's most popular wine, perfect for every occasion and every taste. Wisconsin’s famous nationally-acclaimed “Double Gold” and “Gold” medal winner!

Another brand of wine I like is anything from Inniskillin. Their icewines are simply fantastic. The only caveat is that they are hard to find in the states as the winery is in Ontario (Niagara). If you can find it I would definitely recommend.

http://www.inniskillin.com
Sept. 20, 2010 7:50 a.m. 1988RedT2 Reader

Forget about Thunderbird and Boone's Farm. You haven't had a good cheap wine until you've taken a ride on the Night Train Express. It's my favorite bum wine. http://www.bumwine.com/

If you're looking to spend real money, like 10 bucks a bottle, then I like the Aussie reds. Yellow Tail is okay for cheap, and I've had nice wines by Greg Norman. Some good wines coming out of Chile and Argentina these days also.
Sept. 20, 2010 9:00 a.m. hobiercr Reader

This is my uncle's winery in Oregon. Carlton Cellars

They have an award winning Pinot Noir which is wonderful. A very nice special occasion wine that is not too expensive. They also just started distributing at some ABC stores in FL so you may be able to find some locally to try. Now that it is starting to cool down some they may begin shipping again. With the heat of the summer the wine will get ruined in transit and lose most of its character.

On a side note he used to race a TR4 in SCCA back in the early 70's. Now his "toy" is a loader backhoe.
Sept. 20, 2010 9:16 a.m. szeis4cookie New Reader

Salanis wrote:

I really like Malbecs.

Best (red) wines I've had are Old Vine Malbecs. I'm not sure exactly how much they go for, but I can afford to drink them at a local wine bar occasionally. So, I'm pretty sure you're looking at $30-$40 wine that always blows me away.

For $10-$20, Malbec is still a great bet. "Layer Cake" is really yummy, about $15, and tastes as good as a $25 bottle of something else.

I had a wealthy, Porsche-racing wine broker at the last NASA event I went to comment on my preference for Malbec's that they are an excellent value and tend to be much less expensive for similar quality wine of other varieties.

For whites, I really love Viognier. They taste almost bubbly and are also cheap. Unlike other wines, they're best when they're only a few years old.

Eiswein would also be a really good treat.

There's a Malbec that I find at my local wine shop for $10 that I love, it's called Staccato. I have no idea who makes it, but it's Spanish and great cheap wine.

Virginia makes some awesome Viogniers - my favorite is from Keswick Vineyards. For Rose, the King Family Vineyards Crose is a strong choice.
Sept. 20, 2010 9:26 a.m. DaveEstey Reader

Wild Pig Syrah is VERY good.

Something a little out of the wine realm, Farnum Ciders are terrific.
Sept. 20, 2010 10:00 a.m. wcelliot Reader

pinchvalve wrote:

FYI - You cannot ship wine to the State of Pennsylvania. Just one of our many odd alcohol laws, but it is a pain when visiting Sonoma or Napa. If they live here, you are SOL.

Maysara Winery has a nice Pinot Noir that you might be able to find in your price range.

The Supreme Court invalidated these laws back in 2005 http://www.lfirm.com/CM/Publications-Other/Supreme-Court-Overturns.asp

(so my layman's opinion is it's unlikely anyone will be prosecuted under them) but the courts didn't require the other states to modify their laws within any certain timeframe (or how to modify them), so we haven't seen a lot of legislative action yet.

But I have heard (from friends! ;-) ) that CA wineries who previously would not ship to MD suddenly will now...

Peju.com (both their wonderful but moderately expensive Cab and their reasonably priced Carnival... which has a 100% "love it!" rating with every woman I'm seen try it... is my favorite CA winery whose stuff isn't available out east...

Bill
Sept. 20, 2010 1:38 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

szeis4cookie wrote:

There's a Malbec that I find at my local wine shop for $10 that I love, it's called Staccato. I have no idea who makes it, but it's Spanish and great cheap wine.

Spanish? Pretty much all the Malbecs I've seen are from Mendoza, Argentina.
Sept. 20, 2010 2:12 p.m. szeis4cookie New Reader

It's been a while since I had Staccato, my wife and I have been drinking a lot more local wines recently. Might be from Mendoza, but my fading memory thinks it's Spanish.

EDIT: this was bothering me, so I googled, and yes, it is a Mendoza wine.
Sept. 20, 2010 2:47 p.m. Brett_Murphy New Reader

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

Whatever is on http://wine.woot.com/
Sept. 20, 2010 3:26 p.m. Marjorie Suddard General Manager

Something interesting I've learned while following up on some of these (excellent--thanks!) leads:

According to several online wine shippers:
If you're drunk when your wine delivery shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it.

That seems wrong. I should be allowed to get as stinky as I want in the comfort of my own home.

Margie
Sept. 20, 2010 5:24 p.m. RX Reven' Reader

Hi Marjorie,

Whatever you ultimately decide on, make sure you set $14.95 aside for these.

Racing Theme Wine Charms

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