Poll: What are your current "house" wines?

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What I tend to do for what we call "Hamburger Wine" is go to the wine store, grab a grocery cart, and pick up one bottle of a dozen different wines. Sometimes one sticks out sufficiently to buy more, sometimes not. The hamburgers generally survive the experience.

Regards,

Kent Feiler

Mark Lipton wrote in news:FCEgd.545824$8_6.346919@attbi_s04:

Whites:

Marchais Vouvrey

Washington State (St. Michelle, Hogue, Columbia) Riesling, Gewurtz, or Chenin Blanc

Red:

Rene Barbier - Mediterranean Red Caravaggio Motepulciano D'Abruzzo Rosemount Diamond Shiraz (for a couple of years we were "off" this one, it had gone down in quality, the last couple of bottles we tasted put it back in our collection.

Sometimes - if the spice in the spaghetti or pizza masks the hint of sweetnes, add Corbett Canyon, and Casarsca Cabernet

in article FCEgd.545824$8_6.346919@attbi_s04, Mark Lipton at snipped-for-privacy@eudrup.ude wrote on 10/29/04 9:18 PM:

Coppola Diamond Series Claret Rex Goliath Pinot Noir (thanks to this group) Ravenswood Vintner's Bend Zin Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

I BUY Ontario wines only, thus.........

Cave Spring Cellars 2002 Reserve Gamay and Lenko Estates 2003 Reserve Riesling

...... Nice seletion of house wines! 2 of the above are on my Restaurant's wine list (Coppola & Kim Crawford) and sell for a pretty penny.

Impressed Mathew

Disregard above. Found it at $12.95 Cdn. Guess I was looking at the

All the best,

Larry Southern Ontario

in article X29hd.35718$df2.33489@edtnps89, Mathew Kagis at snipped-for-privacy@telus.net wrote on 10/31/04 9:13 AM:

Thanks. It took me a little while to decide what to call 'house wines' because we tend more to trying new wines all the time. But, for something reasonably priced to drink often, I do keep going back to these four. The Rex and Ravenswood (Vintner's bLend, of course) are in the US$6-$8 where we live, but the Coppola and Crawford are generally around US$13. It wouldn't hurt, though, to replace the Coppola and Crawford for something more at the others' price level......... but it has to be something we'd enjoy drinking, and we haven't found it yet.

snip

Lamoreaux Landing Estate Red (Finger Lakes NV). It's really a pasta red, but quite fruit forward, maybe carbonic mac. Good with pizza.

Yes, I have to have it shipped in, but 90% of the wine I buy I have shipped in anyway.

Tom Schellberg

Like many others here, continual pursuit of trying new wines, including trade 'samples' etc. see me consuming a myriad of wines, often at the expense of repeated consumption of a particular drop. However, as value for money or affordable reliable wines, (with Antipodean influence), are :-

($15-20 AUD) Giesen Sauv. Blanc,(NZ), Ballast Stone Shiraz, Kidman Cab Sauv., Pepperjack Shiraz.

(Under $12 AUD) Howling Wolves cab. Sauv, Rothbury Estate Blue Label Shiraz, Berseford 'Highwood" Sauv. Blanc, McGuigan Black Label Merlot.

Regards

Swooper

You disappoint, Bill. I was expecting you to reveal that the '70 Latour or '82 LLC was your current house wine...

Mark Lipton

I could have predicted those two, Dale. Alas, Les Heretiques don't seem so welcome here in the Bible Belt. Go figger...

Mark Lipton

You dog!! I haven't even SEEN Rafanelli's Zins since the mid '90s and you're consuming them by the case. Grrrr....

Mark Lipton

I was wondering if I'd get called on that one. We too will pull gems out of the cellar for even the most modest of occasions, but stil find the need for good, cheap wines.

Remind me to show up for your parties on time. :P Actually, we've been known to do the same, opening house wines at the end of a dinner when the good stuff has all gone and the guests (and perhaps the hosts, too) are in no position to appreciate the nuances of a fine wine experience.

Mark Lipton

Ah, we should all have such problems, Michael.

Mark Lipton

We just bought two bottles of the '04 Kim Crawford SB this weekend for evaulation. It's been a QPR favorite with us, too, along with the Matua Valley SB and the Villa Maria Private Bin.

Mark Lipton

You know, there is a standing invitation to afw regulars to help me preventing my cellar from bursting ;-)

M.

Very interesting to see everyone's replies.

So here's a followup question- how often do you drink these wines? Is your "house wine" something you drink on a weekly (or almost daily) basis? Or do you use it more as a standby backup?

In my case, as one might gather from my...er.. prolific TNs, these wines are more backups- always available, but probably don't open more than 1 or 2 of each a month. I like the Borsao, but would quickly get bored if I had it weekly. I have these wines so that Betsy can go to cellar and grab something for cooking if I'm not available for consultation, without me having a heart attack upon discovering that a '88 Chambolle 1er or '89 Gruaud was now sauce. Even with inexpensive wines, I prefer to try the new rather than rest on the tried and true.

My attitude reminds me of a post not so long ago by Bill Spohn. He was dining with a friend (I think I have this right, Bill correct me if I'm wrong) and they shared a bottle of mature Bordeaux. It was at its peak, really singing. So then the companion wanted to order ANOTHER BOTTLE OF THE SAME WINE!!!!! Bill was horrified. That's the sign of the geek- while one is always looking for great wine, the search is half the fun.

Dale

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