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ah love the info! wine is something i want to get more into.

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Mavrodaphne (Greek attempt at port) on the balcony of our hotel in Mykonos!
http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/...pslketz88b.jpg

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What a view! I never had much luck with Greek wines when we vacationed there. I ended up just sticking with Metaxa. :D

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Suffering, eh Gabe?

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Stress is killing me Neil!

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There's some good wine being made in Greece actually. Your picture looks like heaven...

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http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2nvhmd2e.jpgh

A 97 botrytisized Chenin from one of the most beautiful spots on earth.
Enjoyed in downtown Toronto (no contest for the Loire) at Barberiens

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And this with a medium rare strip loin

http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/...psgzwq5mqp.jpg

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Le Mont and Cote Rotie.... Yes, with medium rare strip any night!!!

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Don't cry for me Argentina...

It's an interesting phenomenon that things transported to different climates and terroir behave so differently. Cuban seed would be a fine example, where the identical species of plant tastes completely different when cultivated outside of Cuba.

Vines transplanted in the New World do the same thing. The classic example would be the finely structured Syrah grape form the Rhone that becomes the fruit forward, jammy, almost unrecognizable Aussie Shiraz.

Malbec was widely cultivated in France prior to phylloxera, and following the decimation of Bordeaux in the 19th century, was only modestly replanted and became overshadowed by Merlot and the Cabernets. A little to the South East, close to Bergerac is the Cahors region, Malbec remains king in the old world. Heavy, structured, tannic reds to have with your steak. Once in the New World, the same vines become fruit forward and less tannic. Argentine Malbec from Mendoza is all the rage.

Well I have a thing about Old World wines, especially with food. The Cahors I had last night would be a fine example of a wine for a meat dish. Now the assemblage of this particular wine has a dose of Tannat in it too (a brutally tannic grape), so we can't blame all of the backbone on Malbec.

If you haven't had a decent Cahors, I would suggest trying some. (The caveat being - only with food - some juicy steak, a hearty stew or duck confit.) Where the Bordelais have largely given up on Malbec, in Cahors they have persisted, and it really pays off.

Not big in North America - overshadowed by Mendoza - too bad really....

http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4xwxu0ea.jpg

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Cahors is the only region for Malbec IMO. I do not like South America Malbec at all.

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Ah Moses! A kindred spirit! I challenged our local wine boutique to find a good Malbec from Mendoza. Turns out I'm a hard lad to please!

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My girlfriend can't stand Malbec, only having S. American bottles. Served her a Cahors and she loved it.

I find the same with Pinot and Syrah; Burgundy and N. Rhone are the best example and that's it.

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While I do prefer old world wines, I find that many new world wines are very well made. It's often a case of terroir versus deliciousness and accessibility. Argentine Malbec does serve its purpose and is certainly a crowd pleaser though it may not measure up to your refined palates.

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Couldn't agree more. You only have to look at any wine list to see what sells. Crowd pleaser, especially as a "stand alone" without food, is quite a different thing to pairing up a wine of structure with a meal.

Makes it fun! I find it sad that folks stick to 3 or 4 favourites, instead of trying what the world has to offer.

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Bud Light is number one, but is that a good beer? I do not like virtually any new world wines. Wines start in the vineyard and making wine is a time tested tradition that should not be messed around too much.

He had a nice Michele Chiarlo 2008 Barolo last night. Great buy at $28 at NH Liquor Store. Worth picking up a case if you are in that locale.

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An ice cold Bud Light is perfectly fine for me as a refreshment on a blazing hot summer day. Vinho Verde, a classic style of Portuguese wine, is light, fresh, and not terribly complex but perfect for quaffing as well.

I agree that good wine starts in the vineyard. You can't make good wine without good grapes. But winemaking tradition has given way to technology. Some technology is good and some bad. I would guess there are probably less than 10% of traditional wine producers left in the world.

Good pick up on the 2008 Chiarlo Barolo! $28 is a great price. Much better than their overpriced Cannubi.

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Picked up a case of 1979 Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde & 1988 Guigal Gigondas! Can't wait to start drinking them. These wines can really age well. :noon

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Wow - nice. The Brune et Blonde is hard to find here. Wonderful stuff. Proper Syrah!

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Celebrating with my brother who is visiting from Johannesburg. Called for something special....

http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/...psrfhlpcox.jpg