Comments for Swirling Notions http://swirlingnotions.com Experiential wine education and real conversation over a virtual glass of wine Sat, 17 May 2008 09:09:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Making History in Monterey by foodette http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/15/making-history-in-monterey/#comment-2246 foodette Sat, 17 May 2008 05:53:58 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/15/making-history-in-monterey/#comment-2246 Don't make the mistake that my hubby and I did and eat at the Fisherman's Wharf sushi restaurant, Sapporo. I will put a post up warning against it, but I digress. Anyway, I just had to comment because we stopped here on our drive back to LA from your neck of the woods. We went to the aquarium, which was amazing. I definitely want to go back, and eat some good food this time! Also, I just read that Robert Mondavi passed away - I bet this is big news in Wine Country. I went on the Robert Mondavi wine tour, and it was amazing. Cheers Don’t make the mistake that my hubby and I did and eat at the Fisherman’s Wharf sushi restaurant, Sapporo. I will put a post up warning against it, but I digress. Anyway, I just had to comment because we stopped here on our drive back to LA from your neck of the woods. We went to the aquarium, which was amazing. I definitely want to go back, and eat some good food this time!

Also, I just read that Robert Mondavi passed away - I bet this is big news in Wine Country. I went on the Robert Mondavi wine tour, and it was amazing.

Cheers

]]> Comment on Making History in Monterey by Dana McCauely http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/15/making-history-in-monterey/#comment-2243 Dana McCauely Fri, 16 May 2008 11:05:35 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/15/making-history-in-monterey/#comment-2243 We've been planning a trip to Monterey that keeps getting put off! Besides being huge food and drink lovers, both my hubby and son are divers and crazy about everything to do with aquaculture so the allure of Big Sur and the Aquarium are huge for us. I had been toying with the idea of Atlantis in the Bahamas for a long weekend this fall (our airmiles points are mounting up) but now you've convinced me to reconsider Monterey. Thanks for that! We’ve been planning a trip to Monterey that keeps getting put off! Besides being huge food and drink lovers, both my hubby and son are divers and crazy about everything to do with aquaculture so the allure of Big Sur and the Aquarium are huge for us.

I had been toying with the idea of Atlantis in the Bahamas for a long weekend this fall (our airmiles points are mounting up) but now you’ve convinced me to reconsider Monterey. Thanks for that!

]]> Comment on All A-Squiddy by swirlingnotions http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/13/all-a-squiddy/#comment-2242 swirlingnotions Fri, 16 May 2008 06:57:41 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/13/all-a-squiddy/#comment-2242 Dana . . . You see, and I don't even have that reference point because I never cleaned the fish! ;-) Dana . . . You see, and I don’t even have that reference point because I never cleaned the fish! ;-)

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part II: How do I Tell if it’s Good? by Rosemary http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2241 Rosemary Thu, 15 May 2008 22:11:24 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2241 I can see why you'd want to do this often/regularly. The tasting was pretty straightforward, I looked through the nice sliiightly greened yellow, wished I had 2 hues to compare. (Next time, two wines.) Swirling the glass coated it, but not...creamlike or syrupy or leggish--(do they have a wine edition of Roget's haha?) When I smelled it, I immediately thought "flowers" but I think I meant "green growing things" as opposed to ripe things or even ripening things. It also smelled like...Wine... (sorry!) But oh dear the sip--I sloshed it all around all at once-- altogether too resinous! Why are we introducing a LOT of liquid to the part of our mouth that detects bitter? In normal drinking, maybe the tannin would not be detected so much, so the wine would SEEM balanced? Anyway, after that initial shock (I'm sure you know Retsina!) I went back to just sipping. I was eating seasoned Ry-Krisp with cottage cheese and black pepper at the time, for a snack. The cottage cheese was not right, but I'm not sure why or with what to replace it. I don't feel crazy in love with the Fetzer NOR adverse to buying it again, maybe to use in another experiment with TWO Chardonnays. Or will Chardonnays ALL taste a little too green to me if I am sensitive to the tannin? The End :) I can see why you’d want to do this often/regularly. The tasting was pretty straightforward, I looked through the nice sliiightly greened yellow, wished I had 2 hues to compare. (Next time, two wines.)
Swirling the glass coated it, but not…creamlike or syrupy or leggish–(do they have a wine edition of Roget’s haha?)
When I smelled it, I immediately thought “flowers” but I think I meant “green growing things” as opposed to ripe things or even ripening things. It also smelled like…Wine… (sorry!)
But oh dear the sip–I sloshed it all around all at once– altogether too resinous! Why are we introducing a LOT of liquid to the part of our mouth that detects bitter? In normal drinking, maybe the tannin would not be detected so much, so the wine would SEEM balanced? Anyway, after that initial shock (I’m sure you know Retsina!) I went back to just sipping. I was eating seasoned Ry-Krisp with cottage cheese and black pepper at the time, for a snack. The cottage cheese was not right, but I’m not sure why or with what to replace it. I don’t feel crazy in love with the Fetzer NOR adverse to buying it again, maybe to use in another experiment with TWO Chardonnays. Or will Chardonnays ALL taste a little too green to me if I am sensitive to the tannin?
The End :)

]]> Comment on All A-Squiddy by Dana McCauely http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/13/all-a-squiddy/#comment-2238 Dana McCauely Tue, 13 May 2008 23:55:01 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/13/all-a-squiddy/#comment-2238 A million years ago when dinosaurs stilled roamed the earth I was a restaurant chef apprentice. I cleaned pounds and pounds of squid each day ( I even bought a special pair of gloves for the task since the squid juice can really irritate your skin). One of the marvels of cleaning squid was all the stuff you found inside their digestive system: minnows, little stones, the occasional bit of human refuse such as pop can tab... I never found them so gross to handle to be honest. Fish are much more gross to clean in my opinion. A million years ago when dinosaurs stilled roamed the earth I was a restaurant chef apprentice. I cleaned pounds and pounds of squid each day ( I even bought a special pair of gloves for the task since the squid juice can really irritate your skin). One of the marvels of cleaning squid was all the stuff you found inside their digestive system: minnows, little stones, the occasional bit of human refuse such as pop can tab…

I never found them so gross to handle to be honest. Fish are much more gross to clean in my opinion.

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part I: See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip by swirlingnotions http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/02/you-be-the-judge-part-i-see-swirl-sniff-sip/#comment-2237 swirlingnotions Tue, 13 May 2008 22:18:05 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/02/you-be-the-judge-part-i-see-swirl-sniff-sip/#comment-2237 Steve . . . And that is just fine that you're a red wine household. There is someone, somewhere, who only drinks white who balances you out. Maureen . . . I'm so glad you found this helpful! Not a bad "skill" to have to practice, eh? Steve . . . And that is just fine that you’re a red wine household. There is someone, somewhere, who only drinks white who balances you out.

Maureen . . . I’m so glad you found this helpful! Not a bad “skill” to have to practice, eh?

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part II: How do I Tell if it’s Good? by swirlingnotions http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2236 swirlingnotions Tue, 13 May 2008 22:16:32 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2236 Rosemary . . . I'm so curious how the Fetzer fared! We just had a "we have to get control of our wine spending" talk, so us Hubers are on the budget bandwagon too. As for your question--a good one, I might add--other fruits can indeed be fermented into their own "wine" of sorts. You may have had "hard" apple cider at some point, and that's exactly what's gone on. I suspect, though, that grapes have some special alchemy to them that makes them especially fermentation-friendly. I've posed the question to Erik, so I'll update wiht more when I hear back from him. Courtney . . . Glad to hear we share the same approach! Katie . . . OK, now YOU're making me want to go to Spain! ;-) Rosemary . . . I’m so curious how the Fetzer fared! We just had a “we have to get control of our wine spending” talk, so us Hubers are on the budget bandwagon too.

As for your question–a good one, I might add–other fruits can indeed be fermented into their own “wine” of sorts. You may have had “hard” apple cider at some point, and that’s exactly what’s gone on. I suspect, though, that grapes have some special alchemy to them that makes them especially fermentation-friendly. I’ve posed the question to Erik, so I’ll update wiht more when I hear back from him.

Courtney . . . Glad to hear we share the same approach!

Katie . . . OK, now YOU’re making me want to go to Spain! ;-)

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part II: How do I Tell if it’s Good? by katie http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2235 katie Tue, 13 May 2008 19:50:04 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2235 Okay, now you make me want to drive to Spain to get some Rosados.... For me, summer just cries for the Rosados from Somotamo... esp. Enate. They make me happy...sunsets, warm weather, lazy lunches...sigh. Well, that's what a photo does for me - you can imagine if I actually get a whiff! Okay, now you make me want to drive to Spain to get some Rosados….
For me, summer just cries for the Rosados from Somotamo… esp. Enate.
They make me happy…sunsets, warm weather, lazy lunches…sigh.
Well, that’s what a photo does for me - you can imagine if I actually get a whiff!

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part I: See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip by Maureen http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/02/you-be-the-judge-part-i-see-swirl-sniff-sip/#comment-2231 Maureen Mon, 12 May 2008 23:23:00 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/02/you-be-the-judge-part-i-see-swirl-sniff-sip/#comment-2231 Lia, Fantastic post - very helpful. I'm going to print it out for sure. It made me realize how much of a beginner I still am in the world of wine, and how much more I have to learn (practice.) :) Lia,
Fantastic post - very helpful. I’m going to print it out for sure. It made me realize how much of a beginner I still am in the world of wine, and how much more I have to learn (practice.) :)

]]> Comment on You be the Judge, Part II: How do I Tell if it’s Good? by Courtney Cochran http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2230 Courtney Cochran Sun, 11 May 2008 22:37:52 +0000 http://swirlingnotions.com/2008/05/06/you-be-the-judge-part-ii-how-do-i-tell-if-its-good/#comment-2230 Lisa, I really enjoyed your post. When I teach wine classes (through my SF based business, HIP TASTES Events), I also like to encourage folks to "think outside the box" and allow themselves to be transported by a wine's fabulous - and seemingly endless - collection of scents. This is when wine moves from being simply something you knock back during a meal to a real journey in and of itself - and that journey is different for every taster, which is so cool. To Steve from Winescorecard - this is absolutely worth encouraging people to do. As with anything, a little practice when it comes to wine tasting can go a long way towards enhancing your enjoyment of it. Just because most people won't follow Lisa's advice doesn't mean she shouldn't take the time to encourage those who will. The few who follow will reap the rewards. Courtney Lisa,

I really enjoyed your post. When I teach wine classes (through my SF based business, HIP TASTES Events), I also like to encourage folks to “think outside the box” and allow themselves to be transported by a wine’s fabulous - and seemingly endless - collection of scents. This is when wine moves from being simply something you knock back during a meal to a real journey in and of itself - and that journey is different for every taster, which is so cool.

To Steve from Winescorecard - this is absolutely worth encouraging people to do. As with anything, a little practice when it comes to wine tasting can go a long way towards enhancing your enjoyment of it. Just because most people won’t follow Lisa’s advice doesn’t mean she shouldn’t take the time to encourage those who will. The few who follow will reap the rewards.

Courtney

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