Wifey and I spent a week sampling in the Appelgate region years ago. Beautiful country but I met a strange fellow in a bar who wanted to go camping.

Quinta Das Carvalhas 20 year tawny

Fattoria Di Basciano Rosato di Toscana 2017

100% sangiovese grapes from chianti area...absolutely delicious.
Hope I remember where I bought it, need a case!

Ice Wine Time!

Henry of Pelham Vidal 2017
Special Select Late Harvest
10%abv
Ontario

this 375ml is gonna vanish tonight.

1999, Tyrell's HVD single vineyard Semillon, Hunter Valley, Australia.

2005, St Damian Ville Vines Gigondas, Gigondas, Rhone Valley, France.

1982, Domaine Mas Blanc Banyuls, Banyuls, Rhone Valley, France.

Cheese plate, English farmhouse cheddar, aged parmesan, and balsamic bellavitiano.
Grilled medium rare ribeye with saute morel mushrooms and Vidalia onions.
Grilled asparagus with drizzled brown butter.
Steamed wild rice with lemon herb sauce.
Wilted spinach and kale salad with unfiltered Spanish olive oil and unfiltered apple cider vinegar dressing.
Poached honey crisp apples drizzled with 20 year old basalmic vinegar.
Fromage blanc.

2015, Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, Oregon.

$22 of WOW, if you can find this it is one to try.

2016. August West 2010 Russian River Syrah =d>

1994 Castoro Cellers Late Harvest Zinfandel Paso Robles

Bought this at the winery in 1995. Wonderful! Like drinking a fine port. 9.1% residual sugar

1995~ Steamworks Holiday spiced mead
1996~ Steamworks Orange Blossom mead

Brand new mead place that just opened....very tasty low abv for what I’m used to but incredibly balanced.

2014 Domaine LaFarge Bastide Milfors, Roussillon, Languedoc, France.

1998~ Steamworks Orange Blosson mead, grandpa HATED it 🤣

2016, Joel Gott Shatter Grenache, Maury, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, France.

Interesting history. 60 year old vines, originally a joint venture between Joel Gott and Dave Phinney so it drinks very much like Orrin Swift Trigger Finger but still very French in style.

with chicken parm the other night...
2014 Torraiolo Toscana
85% sagiovese 10% cab sauv 5% merlot. 12 month oak aged.
from Wegman's Supermarket. Maybe an "exclusive"?
Cheap "super Tuscan".
Not bad for short money.

We carry the IGT you are talking about, and their Chianti. Both good value oriented wines.

really not bad at all.

Will I tried COOPER & THIEF RED WINE BLEND the other day and it was referred by a friend very good with a good smoke

Hey!
your anniversary is coming up...

4 years.
4 years and you never wrote, you never called...
your mother and I were worried sick!

but even harder to believe is...4 years and this bottle of red blend is what stimulated you to end your forum virginity?

HA!

Frank, you try to raise em right, and this is what happens.

yeah...thanks Trump!

I have a question for you certified wino's.

This past weekend the wife and I were at a restaurant and ordered a bottle of wine. The server presented the bottle and proceeded to open the bottle without removing any of the foil from the bottle opening. Once he opened the bottle he set it on the table and left without removing the foil or pouring a sample pour. Not wanting to create an issue, I removed the volcanic foil and served the wife and self.

After getting home, I went on line and goggled opening a bottle of wine. In addition to opening a bottle with a wine key and cork screw, I also learned how to open a bottle with a shoe and a hammer and nails. In all four cases the foil is removed prior to opening.

The next day, I called the restaurant and spoke with the on duty manager and advised what had occurred. My efforts were to just to give them a heads up and not to create a problem. This is an establishment that we enjoy and will continue to frequent as long as the food and overall service remains good. Anyway the manager advised that the way the server served us is the way they are currently instructing their servers because some of the bottles do not have a lip that allows for trimming the foil. OK, then I asked about the lack of a sample pour and his response was that maybe the server did not want to touch the bottle opening in front of us. I felt the managers answers were "BS" and to the point that I may have been speaking to the guilty server. Either way the individual indicated they would coach up their servers.

Have any of you wino's ever had a bottle of wine served to you in a restaurant without any of the foil being removed?