CA wines downunder!

I second the Storr's and Cline's and would add several of Wellington's. There are also many bargains to be had in the Paso Robles area - Melody for instance. I've found that there are quite a few QPR wines from California with the massive plantings in the last five to ten years and the current financial "downturn."

I have been prejudiced against Aussie wines as they all tasted like they had been picked overripe - like PN from Lodi or such, but the last few bottles I've tried were much lighter and more to my taste.

As to Loire, like them a lot, but I find them reticent in their youth, so generally want to cellar them a few years, not my usual way to deal with a US$10 wine.

Well, I guess you know your wine. :-))

Dee Dee

I was too late; all sold out.

There are no country's wine aisles that I don't search through, except California.

I'm not sure what it is about 'all' CA wines for me to make such a blanket statement. If I do buy any, it usually goes down the sink. We usually drink wine with food, and generally food will make a wine 'somewhat' palatable, but CA is an exception. Dee

The HdV Syrah I have had is one of my favorites. But it is unusual...very complex, I picked up some smoked meat in the aroma...but the flavor was almost JL Chave Hermitage. I think mine was 2004 but would have to check...I have more in cellar.

The HdV Chard is also a nice wine.

Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley is great for the Money. I acutally like the L'Emeritage they do in Anderson, even more than any of Roederer other bottlings from France or USA, including Kristal.

What is it about California wines that you find so off-putting?

Try doing some blind tastings. Do you think that you can pick out the California wines in a group of wines if they are blind? What California wines have you tried recently? What is the price point of the wines that you've tried from California and elsewhere? Bulk wines from California (and elsewhere for that matter) are generally loaded with chemical additives that can have an off flavor to some folks. They can be bitter or sweet or leave a bad after taste. These wines usually go from juice to bottle in a few days with no barrel time or aging at all. Two Buck Chuck is an example of this type of wine and there is a distinctive bitter after taste to the wine that stems from the additives used to flavor and soften the wine. COuld this be the problem?

Try doing some blind tastings. Do you think that you can pick out the California wines in a group of wines if they are blind? What California wines have you tried recently? What is the price point of the wines that you've tried from California and elsewhere? Bulk wines from California (and elsewhere for that matter) are generally loaded with chemical additives that can have an off flavor to some folks. They can be bitter or sweet or leave a bad after taste. These wines usually go from juice to bottle in a few days with no barrel time or aging at all. Two Buck Chuck is an example of this type of wine and there is a distinctive bitter after taste to the wine that stems from the additives used to flavor and soften the wine. COuld this be the problem?

You are so kind to take the time to write. Even though I might be missing a real treat, CA wines are not worth spending any time with.

I've been through the drill. I make the statement so others will realize that there is one dissenter that doesn't like CA wines; however, that statement is usually met by similar advice meant to be helpful to me. The same thing happens when I express an opinion on two major kitchen products that are very popular.

I might make an exception for Rutherford cabernet ;-))

Dee

Australia is struggling to salvage their wine industry hit with pricing issues, drought, poor decisions by wine makers. There are obviously many good wines from Australia but the decision on what to try in the most recent vintages is difficult. I have had almost no recent Shiraz bottlings that I enjoy as they are intense fruit bombs that are not my style. Still like many D'Arenberg wines but the prices can be daunting.

Irony, Australia may soon have to side with the "Old World" to defend terroir wines... now they too have to contend with cheap plonk from... somewhere...

When you say you don't like the two major kitchen products, you are expressing a specific dislike, and that's fine. You are certainly entitled to that opinion, regardless of what anyone else's opinion is.

Similarly, if you said you didn't like two (or some other number, even if much larger) specific California wines, I would say the same thing. You would be expressing a specific dislike and that's fine. You are entitled to that opinion, too. We all have different tastes and don't have to like the same things.

But the problem is when you make a broad blanket statement saying you don't like all California wines. Bi!!, in the message above, said much the same things I said in an earlier post. Not all California wines are the same, and many of them (but not all), especially the cheaper ones, *are* poor. You certainly haven't tasted all California wines, and you haven't told us which you have tasted and disliked.

I strongly recommend that you take part in a comparative blind tasting of high-quality (not cheap) similar wines (of a grape you know and like) from California and elsewhere, and do two things in the notes you take: identify which wines are from California, and rate the wines in what order of quality you think they deserve. I think you would be very surprised at the results.

My personal view is that I evaluate the wines I taste without regard to where they come from. In almost every part of the world that makes wines, there are good ones, poor ones, and a bunch that are between those extremes. My objective, when I buy wines, is finding wines I like with prices that I can afford. And, again, I make those choices in what I like and what I can afford without regard to where they come from.

I guess that's what is meant by "it's a woman's perogative"! While I respect your opinion and we all have different tastes, I guess I just don't get the logic. The 2005 Provenance is a prototypical California Cabernet that is pretty much right in the middle of the pack in terms of price, quality, flavor profile and you like it but you don't like virtually any California wines.

Bi!! wrote on Wed, 8 Jul 2009 10:14:34 -0700 (PDT):

Without disputing anyone's right to their own tastes, flat global statements tend to make one think "troll". I know Dee Dovey does not live under a bridge etc. but the use of a few actual rather than implied "IMHO"s could help. I won't even say that I dislike *all* Georgian and Moldavian (and I know where to buy them!) wines even if my experience has not inclined me to try them again.

but the use of a few actual rather than implied

James, I did say that I liked a 'prototypical California Cabernet.' So I guess it was a one-trillioneth bottle, which should prevent me from saying I dislike "all" California wines.

Living in California and surrounding area for 30 years, visiting wineries with friends, drinking their wine, and the ones I was given AND bought myself at wine stores, and certainly not even close to a majority of those wines being 'cheap' or 'uninformed,' I really can say for myself that I dislike (all?) California wines.

IMHO, and thanks for your reply, Dee

From...New Zillund...:>)

hooroo....