The Auswine Forum

I used to use an Access database but now Excel is my friend.

Whatever you use the key is to enter or update as soon as you add wines or take wines out.

Chuck, that process only works if you are not in wine groups with monthly themes.

I love the concept of terroir personally, but I know a guy who imports Burgundy and his constant mantra is that the producer is the most important variable by far.

Gavin is in the trade and sells Passopisciaro. Hence the difference.

Fabulous write-up Liam, thanks for the effort. Great pictures too. Not surpised about Passopisciaro, you did well to get a visit. I don't think they are really interested or set up for casual visitors, and operate with a pretty small team. Planeta is a more commercial operation, hence the contrastin...

I might add I'm not open minded -I really like screw caps

Doesn't sound that open-minded to me. As Ian said most likely a barrel fault as it is impossible to get TCA from a screw cap.

You probably deserve a "nice indeed" rating.

I'm gagging already.

Forget points. Bring in the nice rating system as it avoids the points issues completely :

Almost nice
Reasonably nice
Nice
Nice indeed
Very nice
Splendidly nice
Phwoah

Didn't realise it was an Australian theme.

Thanks for that great evocative report Dave. And you clearly have an excellent eye for photography as well.

Great dinner thanks Con. My favourites were the least alcoholic and glossy wines - the three vintages of Usselglio Mon Aieul, and the 2010 Vieux Telegraphe was comparatively complex and elegant. Some, including the Usseglio Deux Freres tasted like ripe Barossa Shiraz which is why some of us have mov...

Picking the wines should be easy for you now Oz, armed with all that knowledge

Excellent insicive comments

I'll bring a fortified to finish us off

Not a chance. To be fair to Scopri I have let a big group go upstairs and moved us to near the bar where we have successfully been before. So current numbers locked in now.

Good man. Always good to start with a white. Will do re food.

Yep logical to move the whole thread to the Italian forum.

You may be in trouble Grant. The King only drinks in establishments that require tie and trousers

I am staying inside the boundary so great to know Ian.

Thanks Ian and Dennis. Been there a couple of times as a passenger, but driving later in the year from Malpensa. Staying in Alba first. Then a night or three in Barolo, Castiglione, Serralunga, Monforte and Barbaresco. Accomodation in town and walking distance from restaurants, so no night driving a...

Ian, any tips on driving around Piedmont and also walking through vineyards in cool and possibly wet autumn.

Wrote a reply and it disappeared ! Other makers can perhaps be more vintage dependent on early accessibility. Having said that, entry level wines including the standard Barolo/Barbaresco from makers who also make Crus, tend to be more approachable these days - shorter fermentations, less extraction,...

Oberto tends to make a fairly forward style so no surprise it was drinking now.

"Not gross fat things that you like from 2011"

Haha. You are obviously looking in the mirror.

I understood with all the rain and uneven weather it was an irregular vintage ?

Dalwhinnie would be at the top of the hyperbole tree. Every vintage the best and to compare a Pinot from not a cool region to De Vogue is absurd to the nth degree.

Quite understandable given the price. Prudence probably says wait and see after 2014 is opened in a few years.

Apparently moved to Diam from 2014 vintage onwards.

Yes another excellent night, thanks gents. A good variety of regions and styles, obviously a lot of thought had gone into the offerings. Whilst I tend to prefer the Rhone-like style of cool climate Victorian Shiraz, ironically my two favorite table wines were both South Australian. The 1991 Wendoure...