But did you squeeze the bag? You're not a true box wine conneseur (sp?) if you don't squeeze the bag to get the last glass of wine.
Llano puts out some good wine. I also like Bonny Doon, a Santa Cruz, CA wine. However, B-Bob will give me a hard time because they are now using screwtops instead of corks. http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/
Of course. First you tip the box, and when that stops working you squeeze the bag. Squeeze the bag.....another reference to my old girlfriend.
Oh yeah, I also want to take this opportunity to plug my new favorite spirit Tito's Handmade Vodka out of Austin Texas is the most amazing vodka I have ever tried. You must make it your very next vodka purchase if you haven't tried it. Amazingly smooth.
Interesting article... http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Daily/News/0,1145,2185,00.html Two new wine closures -- one from Australia, the other from the United States -- are hitting the market and generating a buzz among wine cognoscenti. Both closures eliminate the need for a corkscrew, yet neither can be called screw caps. And both hope to become the wine industry's seal of approval. "The big problem in the wine industry has always been, and still is, closing the bottle without spoiling the wine," said Australian Conor McKenna, inventor of the new ZORK closure. "We absorbed the best features from existing technologies -- cork, synthetic and screw cap -- and came up with a whole new category of alternative closure, one that seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork." The ZORK, which is still in the testing phase, is unlike other closures in that it doesn't need to be unscrewed in any way. But, according to McKenna, it is similar to a screw cap in the way that it seals and in that it is made of material that won't taint the wine. The ZORK snaps on to the glass band found on traditional wine bottles. Once the tamper-evident aluminum seal is broken (similar to opening a Champagne capsule), a plunger is pulled out by hand, making a satisfying, corklike "pop." The plunger, which is similar to the closures used on some less-expensive Ports, allows the bottle to be resealed after opening for storage or transportation. In contrast, the MetaCork, released this summer by Napa, Calif.-based Gardner Technologies, keeps the cork while still eliminating the need for a corkscrew. Cork anchors are screwed into a winery's existing corks (synthetic or natural) during the bottling process. Twisting MetaCork's entire plastic capsule removes the cork, which then, along with the anchor and the top cap, can be pushed out of the capsule unit. The plastic capsule can be returned to the bottle for drip-resistant pouring, or the cap can be screwed back on for a leak-proof seal. The process isn't entirely intuitive to the uninitiated, so a neck tag containing concise instructions is placed on each bottle. The company is also testing a product called MetaSeal, an all-in-one device that will eliminate the cork stopper, which is set for release next year. About 2 percent to 6 percent of all cork-sealed wines suffer from TCA taint, which can result in musty aromas and flavors. In the early 1990s, many wineries tried synthetic corks as a way to avoid cork taint. But some synthetics were criticized for leeching a plastic flavor into wines and for sealing too well, hindering wines from aging properly. Recently, screw caps have gained a following among fine winemakers, despite their former association with jug wines. Studies have shown that screw caps preserve wine well; they also allow bottles to be easily resealed. But the cap has yet to gain widespread acceptance among consumers -- largely for aesthetic reasons. "Even though it's a great closure, many people don't like the screw top because they think it looks cheap," said McKenna, who was formerly a national account manager for wine with ACI Glass Packaging Australia, which manufactures beverage bottles. "And they want the experience of pulling out the cork. [With the ZORK], we designed an aesthetically pleasing device that has solved the problem of cork taint. What's exciting is that we have done so in a way that retains what I think is the most important feature of the cork: the sense of tradition and celebration involved with opening a bottle of wine." Likewise, the goal of MetaCork is to give consumers a more functional, yet still familiar, closure, said Kerry Manahan-Ehlow, vice president of sales and marketing for Gardner Technologies. "A consistent, reliable experience without having to use a corkscrew takes away all intimidation from opening a bottle of wine," she said. MetaCork was invented by William Gardner, a retired engineering professor at the University of California, Davis, who already held 11 patents. In 1996, Gardner was hosting a dinner party for his colleagues. When he tried to open a bottle of wine, the cork pushed into the bottle and splashed wine onto his white shirt. A few minutes later, with a clean shirt and a fresh bottle of wine, Gardner's second cork crumbled and broke, and the wine had to be decanted and strained. On his third bottle, Gardner's corkscrew broke in half on a particularly stubborn cork. Inspired by this trio of failures, Gardner went into his garage the next morning and began designing what would ultimately become the MetaCork. "I knew there had to be a better solution and that I should be able to find that solution by bringing modern technology to bear on this age-old problem," said Gardner. "Because of my respect for the tradition of wine and the Old World craftsmanship that lives on in wine, I set my sights at finding the perfect marriage of technology and tradition." Two major wine companies are already trying out the MetaCork. Brown-Forman is using the closure on Fetzer Vineyard's Barrel Select Merlot Sonoma County 2001, and Allied Domecq is testing it on the Clos du Bois Chardonnay Sonoma County 2002. Plus the closure has been put on the entire production of Amusant, a small Napa Valley winery owned by Manahan-Ehlow. So far, a total of 5,000 cases from the three wineries carry the top. The MetaCork-sealed wines now can be found at dozens of independent and chain retailers in California and Texas. "I'm seeing really positive response," said Dan Norvine, who owns the Wine Exchange of Sonoma. "My customers like the way it looks and that they can still experience the romance of a natural cork." The MetaCork is also receiving attention in tasting rooms and restaurants. "We see a lot of people struggle with corkscrews who like how easy it is," said DeAnn Vau, Fetzer's tasting room manager. "And a lot of people have said that it'd be perfect for a picnic or during vacation when you can't carry a corkscrew onto the airplane." The California Café in Los Gatos, Calif., is one of about 20 restaurants in California and Texas that are pouring the MetaCork-sealed wines. "It's great for bartenders pouring wines by the glass; it's easier for our staff to open; and it's nice to have the no-drip feature," said the restaurant's wine buyer, Tim Gray. "I think it'll be appealing to both cork and screw cap people." Although not yet available to consumers, the ZORK debuted at Australia's WineTech exposition in July, the country's largest wine trade show. McKenna said he has received a lot of encouragement and support from Australian winemakers. While the MetaCork was inspired by a dinner party gone awry, McKenna thanks his baby daughter for inspiring the ZORK. One evening in 2000, he was feeding medicine to Giordana, who was ill. She refused to be spoon-fed her dosage, so he used a needle-less syringe to squirt the medicine into her mouth. After putting Giordana to bed, McKenna pushed the syringe's plunger through the top of an empty wine bottle. It fit like a glove. He pulled the plunger, and it made a popping sound. Later that night, McKenna had a dream, and the ZORK was created. "It just came to me in my sleep," he said. "I woke up the next morning and drew up the original concept." McKenna let the idea ferment for a couple of years until he met John Books, an industrial designer. "I showed John my prototype, and within 24 hours, he came up with the refined design for what is now the ZORK." McKenna plans on launching an evaluation release of ZORK early next year, which will cap a line of ZORK wines produced especially for the closure. "We haven't closed the design yet," he said. "We think we have a good idea, we think we can revolutionize how wine is packaged and sold globally, but we certainly know that we can use feedback before we close the design and, hopefully, solve the problem of cork taint once and for all."
Sometimes I feel kind of strange walking through the wine section at Spec's..........only because the guys who work there always say, "Hi Robert"--like I'm some kind of regular in that place or something.
Well, if you just drink the whole bottle, you don't have to worry about re-closing the wine... "Soup for one, salad for one...wine for THREE"
Plumpjack has been putting their reserve cab in a screwtop for the past six or seven years. That stuff is tasty....and it should be....for about $150 a bottle. It's a pretty cool winery to visit as well.
I actully been buying ACCENT Merlot, CS & Char... It's about $5.99 and really good...Remember, you don't have to spend a lot to get a really good wine...Here are some others, enjoy: Wine: McGuigan Brother Chardonnay, 1998 Country of Origin: Australia Price: ??? Wine: Santa Rita Merlot Reserva, 2000 Country of Origin: Chile Price: $8.99 Wine: Salmon Harbor Merlot, 2000 Country of Origin: United States (Washington) Price: $9.99 Wine: Rosemount Estate Merlot, 2000 Country of Origin: Australia Price: $9.99 Wine: Divin Merlot, 2000 Country of Origin: France Price: $9.99 Wine: Geyser Peak Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2001 Country of Origin: b Price: $10.00 Comments: Fruity Wine: DeLorimier Vineyards and Winery Sangiovese 2000 Country of Origin: Alexander Valley Price: $20.00 Comments: cherry berry Fruit Wine: Alderbrook Vineyards and Winery Carignane 2000 Country of Origin: Dry Creek Valley Price: $18.00 Comments: Great w/ Spaqhetti and Ribs Wine: Darioush Winery Merlot 1999 Country of Origin: Napa Valley Price: $44 Comments: Dark and very intense Wine: F. Teldeschi Winery Petite Sirah 1997 Country of Origin: Dry Creek Valley Price: $26.00 Comments: Dark Purple oozing w/ blackberry juice Wine: Primas CS/Merlot blend (1998 - current) Price" $14 at Sam's Club Comments: Awesome
I've noticed that Australian shiraz's are underpriced for their quality right now. It's not much of a secret... but if you haven't tried an $8-15 Australian shiraz... do so now! . Really don't have a particular brand to recommend though...
Good call. Shiraz/Syrah is up there with cabs for me. And there's some great ones from Australia. I find Rosemount's Mudgee Hill of Gold all over the place, and it's consistently good....and only around 15 bucks a bottle. Another suggestion: If you find yourself in somewhat of a rut with regards as "what to do" in Houston, I'd highly recommend checking out one of Monsterville's wine classes. Hell, for that matter, I'd suggest one of his classes even if your dance card is always full. They're great fun, hugely entertaining, and not only do you learn a LOT about good wine (and food), you also get to enjoy some excellent wines as well as excellent food....all for about the price of going out to dinner. This guy (His name is actually Monsterville.....Monsterville Horton IV, to be exact) is one of only 130 certified wine educators. He REALLY knows his stuff, and he's lived in all of the major wine grape growing regions of the world. He speaks several languages (of course, Italian and French being among them), and he's quite worldly and he's got a good teaching style. All in all, he puts on a good show. Classes usually range in price from around $75 to $95 a person, although his beer class was only $55, and he's got some vintage wine classes coming up that will run $125 a person. Still, at $125 a person, this is a great bargain. You're ensured to get a good meal paired with seven or eight great wines. The glasses are "tasting" size, but everyone usually ends up with the equivilant of a bottle of wine per person, and the food is always excellent. The restaurants that he usually uses are Masraff's, Vizio, and the Warwick Hotel. You aren't expected to leave gratuity, so what you pay is "what you pay." You will come away with a better appreciation for wine, and unless you just "know it all," you will learn something. A definite bargain in my book. http://www.monstervillewine.com/
I enjoyed Masraff's, but I definitely liked Vizio's Osso Bucco better. (it might have even been better than my own )
