Trip to Oz...suggestions?

[Gavin Trott]

Ian et al.,

Honestly, I am not hugely concerned about the venue (as long as the food is half-decent). I am much more interested in meeting some of the folks from the forum, hanging out and talking/tasting wine.

I am fairly certain I will be looked after well during the other nights of my trip, so it need not be anything fancy. If there are any U.S. wines (or otherwise) that you'd be interested in tasting, throw out a few suggestions and I'll see what I can dig up. Unfortunately, I can't offer Screaming Eagle, Harlan or the like, because I'm a writer not a banker or lawyer, but I should be able to come up with a few interesting bottles.

Joe

Love to try

Carlisle Estate wines (met Mike a few time here in his early days!)

a real quality Zin

Good US Cabernet, with some age on it.

Just throwing out a few feelers

.
.

[n4sir]

Ian et al.,

Honestly, I am not hugely concerned about the venue (as long as the food is half-decent). I am much more interested in meeting some of the folks from the forum, hanging out and talking/tasting wine.

I am fairly certain I will be looked after well during the other nights of my trip, so it need not be anything fancy. If there are any U.S. wines (or otherwise) that you'd be interested in tasting, throw out a few suggestions and I'll see what I can dig up. Unfortunately, I can't offer Screaming Eagle, Harlan or the like, because I'm a writer not a banker or lawyer, but I should be able to come up with a few interesting bottles.

Joe

T-Chow is an institution you have try at least once while you're here, but I think a few of the guys preferably wanted a change from Chinese for the next offline - mind you, if there's no other choice... By the way, when you said you were arriving in Adelaide Thursday, was that from the USA or Sydney? (ie. do you think jet-lag could be a factor to avoid the Thursday?)

On what I'd be interested in tasting from the USA, I wouldn't mind a quality Pinot Noir or (like Gavin) a Zinfandel. I just finished watching "Oz & James Big Wine Adventure Series Two" and they were both singing the praises of Californian Zin - I have to say I was really disappointed in James May this series: he's changed from an enthusiastic novice with an honest range of descriptors, to the same type of wine-wanker/bullshit artist he so openly despised in Series One.

Cheers,
Ian

[Joe Cz]

I'm leaving NY on the 17th, arriving Adelaide the 19th after about 27(?) hours of travel. Saving grace is that I'll be in business class over the Pacific, but yes, I might not be 100% that evening. Saturday is the better bet, I think.

Re the wines, it seems a Carlisle Zin would kill two birds with a single bottle. I think I have a few left from when I was on his mailing list. They'd be from the '99-'00 timeframe, I think. To quote Tom Hill (who posts on various U.S.-based fora), "I knew him back when..." First tried Mike's wine from the '95 vintage, before he went commercial with the '98s.

I have a bunch of mid-90s California cabs, if that's old enough. I've been wanting to try the '96 Ridge Montebello or Philip Togni. Older than that, I can offer Joseph Phelps Insignia or Etude in several vintages (but honestly, the Etudes from before '91 have been disapointing). Pahlmeyer '95 was drinking well last year (made by Helen Turley).

Pinot is a little tougher, but I have a few from Siduri and Williams Selyem, among others. Could bring a Beaux Freres from Oregon (the winery Bob Parker owns a piece of). Haven't tasted that recently.

I had Dan Standish's '06 The Relic and '05 The Standish tonight, left over from tasting yesterday. Killer stuff, but good thing I get them as samples. I can't afford to drink wines like this very often.

It's getting late here, and I have to get up early to coach my son's soccer practice, but I will check back in tomorrow.

Cheers,

Joe

[Gavin Trott]

Re the wines, it seems a Carlisle Zin would kill two birds with a single bottle. I think I have a few left from when I was on his mailing list. They'd be from the '99-'00 timeframe, I think. To quote Tom Hill (who posts on various U.S.-based fora), "I knew him back when..." First tried Mike's wine from the '95 vintage, before he went commercial with the '98s.

I had Dan Standish's '06 The Relic and '05 The Standish tonight, left over from tasting yesterday. Killer stuff, but good thing I get them as samples. I can't afford to drink wines like this very often.

It's getting late here, and I have to get up early to coach my son's soccer practice, but I will check back in tomorrow.

Cheers,

Joe

I met Mike a few times back when, he used to visit here to 'learn more' about making Shiraz/Syrah, and listed Charlie Melton et al. Had some nice dinners with him, helped with a few appointments and such! Be great to try the wines.

BTW I have the two new Standish Single Vineyard Shiraz from 2007, happy to bring one of those along if you wish to try also?

[TiggerK]

Give James May a break, when you've tasted some great wines, it's hard to still be the same old $10 wine person.

He must have had some pretty damn good wines on those tours.....

Cheers
TiggerK

[n4sir]

Give James May a break, when you've tasted some great wines, it's hard to still be the same old $10 wine person.

He must have had some pretty damn good wines on those tours.....

Cheers
TiggerK

Sorry, but I think James was an absolute twat in this series. One minute he's complaining they're only visiting Oz's friends with the expensive wines when James is driving (bravo - although it's only taken him one and a bit series to work this out), and then still goes on about wanting to find/try wines he "can buy back home for under a tenner".

The worst thing to me though was he stopped actually describing the wines he was trying, and started to talk absolute rubbish in an attempt to impress Oz & the winemakers/others present. You can see him going through the motions faking it while he's drinking the wine, then making up some guff based on the winemaker's looks/personality, or how the landscape looked while driving in or while they're walking around these places. It's bollocks, especially in comparison to his unusual (but honest) descriptors in series one. That's what I mean about his transformation into a wine-wanker/bullshit artist, and it has nothing to do with the types of wine he tries/prefers - pretty disappointing really.

My 2c,
Ian

[crusty2]

Ian, it is my birthday on the 21st Nov, I have already booked for 30 people at T-Chow for 7pm.

did i get in trouble for inviting "everybody". my wife had something planned. will share some wine with the off-liners

please book with Ian on another thread

cheers, phill

[n4sir]

I ended up booking two tables at T-Chow for 7pm, Saturday the 21st - while I know a few people wanted to try another venue for the last offline before the end of the year, the Saturday night & short lead up time proved too difficult. If people are really keen, maybe we can try something between Xmas & NYE?

Anyway, people interested in going should register their interest at the bookings thread:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10773

Cheers,
Ian

[griff]

If people are really keen, maybe we can try something between Xmas & NYE?

If you do something, could it possibly be Jan 2nd? Then I can come along!

cheers

Carl

[n4sir]

If people are really keen, maybe we can try something between Xmas & NYE?

If you do something, could it possibly be Jan 2nd? Then I can come along!

cheers

Carl

Sounds like a good reason - consider it on the drawing board.

[griff]

If people are really keen, maybe we can try something between Xmas & NYE?

If you do something, could it possibly be Jan 2nd? Then I can come along!

cheers

Carl

Sounds like a good reason - consider it on the drawing board.

Nice! Shall look forward to it

cheers

Carl