Where does the best wine come from?

[DuctapeFatwa]

Poll question: Where does the best wine come from?

That is the question.

[gator_in_Ontario]

1. 7/11...right? n/t

[DBoon]

2. My 'fridge

Aged in the trunk of my car on the way home from the likker store.

[Zero Gravitas]

3. all over

I've had excellent wines from France, Italy, California & Australia. I'm sure there are great wines produced in other places. There is nothing majic about being within certain political boundaries for making a good wine. It takes the right soil, grapes and climate to make good wine, and no-where has a monoply on those factors.

I voted for France anyway :)

[Exultant Democracy]

4. A Cardboard Box

But usually I take it out of the box, and enjoy it as a bag-o-wine.

On a serious note, Cali has the best wine all that France has is a reputation. The fact is that a series of plagues wiped out most of Frances native vines and they had to replant using California vines, so in a way French wine is Californian wine.

[Zero Gravitas]

8. so what?

and the Californina vines originaly came from France, so that makes Cali wines French? Not.

French wines are not overrated, they are very good as are Californian wines. IMO the best value for money is the Aussie wines as they are just as good as Cali or French wines but are cheaper as they don't appeal to snobs who MUST have wines from France, or to snobs who MUST have wines from California.

I always get a kick of reading Dana's Two Years Before The Mast when he talks about how awful the wine in California was. :)

[Kellanved]

10. interesting

I guess it isn't exported to Europe. It's probably fair, as many good European wines never reach the US, at least not with a normal pricetag.

And the European wines were almost wiped out by the vine pest - that's true. However they were not reimported, but imported cuts were grafted on the existing plants.

[Padraig18]

5. Tough call.

I've had some excellent vintages from all over the world--- even Illinois. :)

[eyesroll]

24. I've had some vile wine from Illinois

My parents bought some port and some table wine from a winery in Long Grove. Let's hope your experience was better.

[Kellanved]

6. France

Cahor, Bourgogne, Bordeaux , ... no question.

[SiobhanClancy]

20. France...still

Although there are other places producing fine wines,French wine is the standard.

[Cleita]

7. Chile of course.

Back in the forties, after the war Chilean wine was exported to France to be re-bottled and labled as French wine. A little secret was that French wine couldn't meet the worldwide demand for their products after the war so this is how they did it. No I don't have any proof. It was so long ago but it was a well known secret from those in the know, kind of like everyone in Hollywood knew Rock Hudson was gay, while the rest of the world believed he was the lover he portrayed in all those romantic comedies with Doris Day.

[KCDem]

18. Chile has some very good wines.

I hadn't heard that story, but I sure dig their wine. Mmm-mm!

[Guaranteed]

40. I've been eating their grapes

and I must say- I'm very impressed. Best grapes I've ever had. Perfect sweetness and tartness. The smaller ones are the best.

[JVS]

9. I know it isn't Bulgaria!

I once had a bulgarian Merlot that tasted awful. It only cost a dollar for a bottle though.

I like that Avia wine from Slovenia.

[DuctapeFatwa]

13. Avia used to be from Bulgaria a long time ago

It was delicious! And very cheap. People bought it all, though, and the next few years were not as good. I didn't know they were doing Slovenia now, I will have to get some and try it.

[SOteric]

11. That's of course, quite a subjective question.

Those with the most impressive collection of gold medals at international tastings by persons with trained palettes tend to come most often from France, Spain, Italy, and the recent addition, California.

Of those, Spain and Italy have produced the best bargains in terms of excellence for little cost. Most French wines have been highly promoted and many are greatly over-rated simply because they are French. I do not suggest, however, that all French wine is over-rated, nor that the French do not deserve the considerable accolade they've accumulated over time.

The Australians and Chileans have been producing some remarkable product in the last decade or so. In fairness, most of their reds are still a little greenish. But their whites are exceptional, crisp and buttery, and the reds are decidedly improving.

Like Australia and Chile, Washington state has made a mark in the international wine community, and like Australia and Chile, the reds are a little greenish. Washington wines, however, do not seem to be making the same strides in eliminating that problem. The whites are superlative. One or two of the reds are exceptional.

California wines are quite honestly some of the best wines produced in the world. Well-produced Alexander Valley reds are like liquid heaven. The terroir is unbeatable.

[DuctapeFatwa]

16. Of course it is subjective! What is your palate trained to squeal at?

Forget all the oenological metaphysics, what do you keep going back and getting more of?

[BritishHuman]

55. I love chilean merlot.

Mmmm... Valdivieso... :)

[Renew Deal]

12. Long Island

Maybe. Funny either way

[MrSlayer]

14. South Philly.

The old Italian guys here make the best "Dago Red" you'll ever taste. Wicked strong too.

[Zomby Woof]

15. The Lounge

"Oh! I am lonely! I wanna die! No one loves me!!! Ask Me anything!" :eyes:

Oh, you meant WINE, not whine.

Never mind.

[Deja Q]

17. Hammondsport, NY!

Bully Hill. Their white wines in particular are awesome!

[baldguy]

21. Dr Konstantin Frank

[HuckleB]

19. Best wine for the money is Spain.

As for California, it doesn't even produce the best wine in the states. Washington and Oregon produce a much higher quality product.

[DoctorBombay]

22. Sonoma county, California

But, I am purely biased, my honeymoon was there.

[Guaranteed]

39. Hell yeah.

I grew up there. REPRESENT!

[LynneSin]

23. WHERE'S THE OTHER???!!!! - NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!!

I swear the Gods from Heaven above came down and blessed the Marlborough region with some of the best wines ever produced. I'm a big fan of the Sauvignon Blancs (I'm drinking 2002 Brancott Savignon Blanc right now).

Fools - all of you are fools to think any other region has better wine.

BTW - if I ever come to your home please do NOT make me drink anything red from California - unless you want to see my face turn BEET RED!!! And not from embarassment - my face really does turn red

Edit Note: I gave my vote to South Africa - I had a great Savignon Blanc from that country, but I can't remember the name of it. It had a hint of apples & pears - yummy!!!

[DuctapeFatwa]

25. I'm sorry, I should have put an "other"

the poll doesn't give you but 10 spaces.

[Shakespeare]

26. hmmmm....you might try one of the organic reds from CA, Lynne

Sonoma County produces some absolutely fabulous pinto noirs, and the organic reds (mostly cabs) are very, very good. I wonder what your body dislikes about them--you can drink reds from other places?

[no_arbusto]

50. That's funny you mentioned an allergy to California reds.

I also have an allergy to some red wines. Most recently, I had a reaction to Opus One which is far from being a cheap wine. I've also had a similar reaction to Yellowtail (Australian) Shiraz but if you give me a bottle of Charles Shaw (2 buck Chuck) Merlot, I'm fine. Go figure. I know it has something to do with tannins.

[Whitacre D_WI]

27. Well, there are three "best wines."

(at least in the best vintages)

La Landonne, La Mouline, and La Turque; E. Guigal's single-vineyard Cote Roties. They are from France.

Therefore, the best wine comes from France.



If you're going for generalities, there are none. Depends on my mood. The best Syrah comes from France (though Australia and Cali are making strides), the best Cabernet comes from France (Bordeaux). The best Pinot Noir, however, is NOT Burgundy, at least not with any consistency (I've never had a great red Burgundy -- the best are way out of my league in price) it is from Oregon... with New Zealand closing in.

The best Sangiovese is Italian, the ONLY Nebbiolo worth drinking is Italian. The best Temperanillo is from Rioja, in Spain. The best Malbec is Argentinian. The best Zinfandel is, of course, Californian.

The best Riesling is from Germany and France (Alsace). The best Chardonnay is Burgundian (more consistent than their Pinot, especially at lower prices), although I also admire New Zealand's recent strides here. I do not like the Californian style of Chardonnay.

New Zealand has eclipsed the Loire Valley in consistent quality for their Sauvignon Blancs.



Look out for NZ over the coming decade. Their Sauvignon Blanc is world-class, and I expect their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs to make everyone forget about that overpriced and inconsistent parcel of land called Burgundy. Oddly enough, the Marlborough climate is quite similar to the Medoc -- watch out for those Cabs!

Seriously, once those vines get a few years on them, EVERYBODY is going to be clamoring for New Zealand wines.

[DuctapeFatwa]

29. get some Clos de Vougeot 72

And you will never again say "I've never had a great red Burgundy"

[Whitacre D_WI]

47. Give me the money to do so, and I'll be happy to comply!

:)

[DuctapeFatwa]

51. LOL now that is a subject for a different thread

Why DOES really good wine cost so much? I don't expect it to be $10 a bottle, I want the people who make it to get paid fairly for their work and their art, but as several people have noted, the prices for some stuff is just silly.

[Shakespeare]

30. If you like those NZ varietals...

Then I strongly encourage you (if you haven't already discovered them) to try the same three from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.

Until very recently, you couldn't pay me to take a bottle of chardonnary, because I detest the overly oaky taste. And then I stumbled into a tiny little tasting room of the tiny little Rochioli winery, and had a revelatory experience. Rochioli and the other RRV wineries are producing the best pinots, sauvignon blancs and chardonnays I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Rochioli's wines are very hard to find outside of California (hell, they're hard to find INSIDE California), but they are absolutely worth the hunt--they'll run you $28-32 per bottle.

Rochioli's 2000 chardonnay remains the single best wine I've ever tasted--their subsequent releases have been very good, but not quite as good as that year. Nice tropical fruit flavors, with a blow-your-mind vanilla aftertaste that hits the palate about 10 seconds after you swallow.

The RRV is getting a lot of notice lately for those three varietals, and for very good reason. Another runner-up from that area is Rochioli's next-door neighbor, Hop Kiln--they produce one of the nicest gewurtztraminers I've ever had.

Mmmmm...aren't wines fun? :-)

[DuctapeFatwa]

31. gewurtztraminer tastes like grapefruit juice

and the only good chardonnays are really expensive ones (from France) that taste like sandalwood, not oak.

As a general rule, white wine is best served to guests who don't know any better, while you drink the good red stuff.

Hell yes, with fish and poultry, too.

[Shakespeare]

32. Well, actually, no, it doesn't taste like grapefruit juice.

:eyes:

The Sonoma chardonnays are very UN-oaky, which was my point, and which you obviously missed. While reds are my preferred wine, there are some very nice California whites out there. Tasting that Rochioli chardonnay a couple of years ago was an object lesson for me not to automatically turn my nose up at something that I assume I won't like, because it surprised the hell out of me in a very good way. Since then I've continued to try California whites, and found some I disliked and some that are quite good. All part of the fun of drinking wine, after all.

Not that I expect you to overcome your snobbery and actually find out, of course....

[DuctapeFatwa]

33. the sandalwood chardonnays are the only white wines that taste good

that is NOT snobbery, I just have very discerning taste buds.

If you would like to see snobbery, start a thread about chocolate and invite me to it.

[HuckleB]

35. There are plenty of wonderful Spanish and French whites...

that make your beloved chardonnays look like soda water by comparison.

Yeah, that's snobbery. I fully admit it.

:evilgrin:

[Shakespeare]

38. Yeah, it's snobbery.

Sorry--I don't care how well-developed your palate is, you simply are not the exhaustive, definitive authority on wine. Hope that doesn't come as an earth-shattering surprise to you.

And I must say I'm so delighted to know that you're also a chocolate snob. :eyes:

After finding out that I can still be surprised by wines that I'd previously written off, I've become a much more adventurous--and humble--fan of the fruit of the vine. Frankly, the attitude that "only so-and-so wine is good," or the idea that only varietals from certain regions are worth drinking, is exactly the kind of attitude that intimidates so many people into thinking that wine is simply too complex and too high-falutin' a thing for them to explore. And that, dear Ductape, is just sad.

[DuctapeFatwa]

45. I am the exhaustive, definitive authority on what I like

How could I have attained and maintained this lofty position without continuous (and often daring*) exploration?

How would I ever have learned that gewurtztraminer tastes like grapefruit juice if I had not carefully explored both it and grapefruit juice?

*it is possible to find cheap Sangre de Toro from Hungary that is better than expensive ones from Spain. However neither is as good as cheap St Emillion from France.

[Cassandra]

53. I had a 1990 Guigal Cote-Rotie last year

So much bacon I was looking for the eggs. Sorry I don't remember the vineyard. It was an auction wine a friend shared with a bunch of us. I've had some good Burgundies; don't know about great, though.

[lpbk2713]

28. I have a taste for sherry.

So I voted for Spain.

[ironflange]

34. I tasted some wines in Oregon last summer

And they absolutely blew me away. They were fabulous, especially the Pinot Noirs.

[HuckleB]

37. Yup.

Like I wrote earlier, the best wine produced the states is from the northwest. Washington and Oregon vintners are producing remarkable stuff.

[EstimatedProphet]

36. I make the best wine

Didn't you know?
You didn't have that as an option...
Anyone homebrewing wine will usually prefer theirs, so I'm being twerpy.

[BrotherBuzz]

43. I make wine, too...

but I've never had to 'brew' it as our wonderful California wine grapes are naturally tender and picked at the peak of freshness.

[Dirk39]

41. Depends on the money...

if you're buying wine between 5 and 10 Euro, Spain is the best. France is sucking lately. If you're willing to pay more, France and Italy are interesting again. Forget about the rest, although german wines have become interesting during the last years. O.K. I'm a nice guy: buy Dornfelder, dry (trocken) from the Pfalz. It might be a better investment than buying dollars, in case there's any bottle left,after you tried the first.
Advertising german wine (there must be anything to advertise besides cars and beers),
Dirk

[Whitacre D_WI]

48. 2001 and 2002 in the Rhine and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Remarkable wines, and you can get some Kabinetts and QbAs at remarkable prices.

And France can still be great at the lower prices (though usually a bit above 10 Euro) -- La Vielle Ferme (by the Perrin brothers) should be under 10 Euro, and there are plenty of Cotes-du-Rhones and Cru Beaujolais for just a little bit more.

[Impeach_Bush]

42. Australia, Chile, Italy

Of course I'm partial to good reds!

Woohoo my first post!
Cheers!

[Syrinx]

44. We got some fine muscadine wine in Alabama!

;)

[Good Fences]

46. From

South Africa, Australia, Chile and California.

[Whitacre D_WI]

49. The best wine comes from Real Grapes!

n/t

[Cassandra]

52. I LOVE Riesling (and Sheurebe)!

so I voted for Germany, but I also like Alsatian Pinot Gris, Burgundy, American Pinot Noir and Gris, Vouvray, Zin (red), Dr. Frank's Rkatsitelli, Greek Santorini, and Champagne, preferably Blancs de Noir. I like high acid wines with as little oak as possible. If I want the taste of oak, I'll lick a 2x4.

[trogdor]

54. New York State, naturally!

Finger Lakes region.

[Flightful]

56. Pelee Island

I remember nothing of my weekend there after we reached the winery :D

[Piperay]

57. California...

of course I would say that since I'm a Californian. :-)