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Snob
vs. Slob
Q.What
kind of wine would you serve with corned beef and cabbage?
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Hello!
Can I first add some sarcasm and suggest that corned beef
is not worthy of wine? Simply pour a Guinness so you can at
least get some great flavor and nutrition! OK…. If I
were to eat the stuff…. And if I were to drink wine…
I could go a number of ways. Since the dish is on the sour
side, something with nice fruit will deliver good contrast….On
the red side I would recommend a lighter style zin like BV
or rosenblum. Also, Grenache or a light and fruity Beaujolais
would work well too. What you want to stay away from is tannins
as the corned beef will leave a tannin like feel in your mouth
as well and the two together could promote premature palate
fatigue! As far as the cabbage… well hmmm…. Don’t
eat it! I actually think a white might be better suited like
a Pinot Gris from Alsace or a Gewürztraminer (also from
Alsace). The thing is though… Nice whites from Alsace
are $15 to $25…. Which is a lot of money to pair with
peasant food! In order to temper my snobism, I will copy the
slob to see if he has any words of wisdom!
Steve
Mancuso THE WINE SNOB |
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A.
Hello,
Thanks you for your inquiry. I think the Irish meal needs
an update. Stop the suffering. The Irish ate that crap because
they were poor and couldn't afford real food. So the theme
is inexpensive food and drink which clearly falls into the
Slob area and not the Snob. Okay, pasta is cheap but already
taken by another ethnic group. How about a nice rib steak
that you can get for $3.99 per pound on sale. Cooks on the
grill very nicely in about 15 minutes (2" thick). Add
some baked potatoes in keeping with the Irish theme. Cabbage
is replaced with a salad (they kind of look alike). Add some
grilled vidalia onions and couple of portabella mushrooms
that were on the top rack of the grill while cooking the steak
and you have a
modern day St Pat.s dinner. I would top that meal with the
BV Zin from Napa Valley for $11. Because it is St Pat's day,
buy a case and drink as much of it as possible. Don't hold
back because St Pat's day only comes
once a year. Thanks for your email!
Chris
Connors, THE WINE SLOB |
Q.Vaccuum
Wine Savers
Excuse me, but why would anyone
want this thing? If it's good wine, you'll drink it. It can't be
so good that you would thimble it out for three months. Once she
is open, she is no longer a virgin. Take her, drink her deep. What's
wrong with a cork?
Amused,
Spencer
A. Dear Spencer,
First allow me to commend you for associating the elite gender of
the human race with god's natural gift to all man-kind!
Now... as to your inquiry. I have several vacuum-type accessories
that I use on a regular basis and perhaps I am being remiss or even
reckless for not finishing her (the wine) after exposing her to
the ruthless earthy elements of nature. Personally I have never
had a virgin and potentially this has resulted in a psychological
insecurity that has manifested itself in my abusive tendencies toward
virgin wines...
Accepting the aforementioned as a character flaw, let's dismiss
my inadequacies and delve deeper into taking her, drinking her deep
and finishing her off. It has been often said that the victory is
seldom as sweet as the road of battle and the challenge is more
enticing than the ultimate conquer. Such wise anecdotes beg the
questions, why take her and dismiss her as if to suggest a one night
stand... why rush through the greater pleasure to achieve climax
only one time... rather, why not slowly savor her again and again
and then prolong the tease for another night or two as she is coupled
with other savory delights. Hence if the latter is the chosen road,
one must take serious measures to preserve her during the still
times and make her feel cared for with a tender embrace of the vacu-vin.
I hope I have addressed your question adequately!
Steve
The Wine Snob
Q.What
wines are best suited to Malaysian Food?
I would lean towards sweeter white as an overall favorite, but I assume a heavy
Chardonnay would be the recommendation to go against the Asian spice. Do you
recommend a compromise?
Rick
A. Yes I do... I recommend a good Gewurztraminer as my first choice
and then a dry yet complex Riesling. The latter is certainly
a challenge to find as good Rieslings don't make it to most of
the US. Only your big city markets receive adequate allocations.
I haven't bought a Gewurztraminer in a while so I would have
to do some homework for you if you would like. Let me know if
you want me to pursue and it may prove helpful to know what state
you live in so I can find out what makes it out your way!
Cheers!
Steve
The Wine Snob
Q. Storing
Wine in Bali
I am thinking about buying Chilean Merlot available in Bali (Indonesia) and
storing it in my house for 2-3 years. They have only wet and dry seasons, temp
stays around 85F or 30C. Would the wine store OK or would I damage it at those
temps?
A.
85F is quite warm and I think any extended time at that temperature
will make the wine vulnerable to spoiling. Ideal temp for storage
is below 60F.
I hope this information helps. Feel free to write back.
Cheers,
Steve
The Wine Snob
Q. French
Wine
Hi, a
friend of mine told me that the French wines are "bad travelers" so
they don't taste the same on France than here ( same brand, same
year ) it's it true and why ?
A.
I don't believe this to be true as a general rule. There are
certainly wines from all regions that travel better than others,
but I would not say that applies to all wines from a particular
region. The French have had a couple of poor growing seasons
and perhaps someone is trying twist the cause for some other
benefit. I included an article below that you find of interest
that speaks to the frustration the French are having due to sub-optimal
growing seasons.
I hope this helps. Feel free to carry on the banter... I love to learn more
from everyone!
Cheers,
Steve
The Wine Snob
Q. What
do you think about Corbett Canyon or Glen Ellen merlots?
Dear Wine
Snob and Wine Snob:
What do you think
about Corbett Canyon or Glen Ellen merlots?
John Hubbell
Snob
vs. Slob
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John,
Thanks
for the question! Of the many questions I have received,
this is the first time the true snob in me takes over!
And I also believe my partner, the Slob, will concur!
Glenn
Ellen never passes through these lips, and Corbett Canyon
has slithered in to my kitchen only as a Chardonnay for
the exclusive purpose of cooking! The reds (if they are
ever worthy of such designation), are poor excuses for
oaky grape juice and are the result of a mass merchandising
effort to capitalize on the current "posh" popularity of
Merlot. Before I get off of my soap box, true Merlot is
a complex wine and on many occasions more full body than
Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately, the big producers needed
to pawn off inferior Merlot grapes and subsequently delivered
to the market this watered down version of so-called wine!
As a result there is a great misconception out there as
to what "REAL" Merlot is and tastes like. Don't get me
wrong, there are many soft Merlots worthy of the snob palate
and there are also affordable ones. For instance, Columbia
Crest always makes a decent Merlot as does Hahn, Hanna,
Chateau St. Michelle. Hedges produces a great value (<$10)
Cab/Merlot blend that is soft yet often yummy.
If you
want to spend a little more, Casa Lapostelle, a Chilean
producer, makes a yummy Merlot called Alexander Cuve Ž.
It retails for about $17, but it is worth it. Hopefully
you gleaned some value from my pompous soapbox spewing!
I just have a passion for good Merlot and I hate what the
mass marketers have done to it. I have copied the Slob
and perhaps he can provide additional and less pretentious
advice!
Steve
Mancuso THE WINE SNOB
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Hi John,
I'm not a big
fan of Corbett Canyon. Nice square bottle but I have to
admit that I bought a couple of bottle on a friend's recommendation
and the second bottle is in my cellar aging until it is
worthy of becoming a marinate ( red - use the blender).
I have since encountered this wine at hotel receptions
but it never shows up on their wine list, not even as a
house wine.
I disagree with
the Snob regarding Glen Ellen. For the price it makes a
good wine mixer for pool side. I agree that for close to
the same price you can obtain a much better wine that doesn't
require a mixer. Columbia Crest has come a long way and
the lower priced Chilean wines are great for pool side.
Also try Casa Lapostelle's Sav. Blanc at $6/bottle - I
love it. Forget the Snob's recommendation of Casa Lapostelle
Merlot called Alexander Cuve Ž. It is a great wine but
try their Cab for $9 and give it 45 minutes to breathe.
This is a great little wine.
Another wonderful
wine that is a Merlot is Santa Rita from Chile. At $6 a
bottle this is in my cellar every day. This is smooth and
rich and goes great with a grilled steak. You can serve
this everyday. Please try these wines and let us know how
you liked them. Give us your review so we can better help
you select wines that match your palate.
Thanks for your
email!
Chris Connors,
THE WINE SLOB
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