Starting to like wine...the Red version

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by ggainey

I just started drinking wine a few month's ago on the advice of my doctor for the cardiac benefits. I have found I tend to the Red wines as well cause the whites just aint "heavy" enough.

Try a nice German Reisling AUSLESE with some spicy Asian dish, let me know what you think

There is a place off the strip in Vegas called Lotus of Siam, considered one of the best Thai places in States. Their entire wine list is German Reisling, all at RETAIL prices and not a penny more, and the list is built on some of the best names in business. You order your food and tell them how spicy you want it, 1 to 10. I was OK at about 7 and I love spicy food... But the combo of spicy and sweet wine is the real deal and not to be missed.

No red wine would be able to play along with such a cuisine, so white wines do have a good place for certain foods. Although I am about a 95% red wine drinker.

[Razorhog]

For a nice BCR (big cheap red as we call it in my family) try Little Penguin. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a favorite.

[G G]

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

Try a nice German Reisling AUSLESE with some spicy Asian dish, let me know what you think

I am an admitted complete idiot when it comes to wine. I have found I do like cabs and port. I have a wine that a lady from my church gave us called Mission Hill Reserve Riesling Icewine 2004 that is awesome. Am I tasting olives? Or is that my imagination?

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by ggainey

I am an admitted complete idiot when it comes to wine. I have found I do like cabs and port. I have a wine that a lady from my church gave us called Mission Hill Reserve Riesling Icewine 2004 that is awesome. Am I tasting olives? Or is that my imagination?

Greg,

Icewine is usually sweeter than Auslese and by law it has to be picked when berries are frozen. They literally grow these in colder climates (Germany and Canada) and simply let the grapes stay on vines until winter hits. What that does, the cold snap I mean, is evaporate most of the liquid out of berries in turn concentrating what's left with the sugar inside (they usually pick in snow). Imagine raisin like berries (deflated) full of sweet juice. Then they pick and press.

Have not tasted that particular wine. If you taste olives, then olives it is :-)

Italians do something similar with red grapes, Amarone wines. They pick, destem the fruit (picking berries off the stems/clusters) and lay them on special mats under the sun. Achieves same thing: water evaporation and sugar concentration. When berries get raisiny they are pressed and fermented, same as ice wine. The biggest difference may be the use of oak in Amarone to age wine versus stainless steel tanks for icewine.

Best Canada made icewines are pricey, but I've seen some at Costco at decent prices. German Reislings made from frozen grapes are really expensive as are Alsace Gewurtztramiers. But if there is a time to splurge, once a year or whatever, they can be mild blowing experiences, you simply pour some in a glass and sit back sniffing the wine for all its complexity and concentration.

Try a few more affordable German Reislings with spicy cuisine. I've seen some at Trader Joe's and Costco. Just make sure they are at least Spatlese (shoul be on the label) or Auslese. Trader Joe's sold some Beerenauslese (next step up) for $20 per, a 375ml bottle.