Welcome to the Wine Lovers Forum. We have several categories for discussion topics and you should select the most appropriate one if you choose to create a new discussion topic. This forum is hosted by Big Al; if you need assistance, please message him or send an e-mail to 'bigal01@gmail.com'. Enjoy yourself, and of course we recommend you have a glass of wine nearby.
Howdy, Stranger!
Comments
You may find it interesting that Kosta Browne is most likely коста браон, which is pronounced that same way as "Kosta Browne". So Serbo-Croatian is the most probable source of this name. It is highly respected in North American wine circles and was a favorite of a friend of ours who passed away about a year ago. I have actually never tasted their wines, which is a pity.
As a guy who likes Rhone whites, Tuscan whites, Bordeaux whites and Sonoma whites. I am seeing a lot of wines that I would enjoy.
As far as our wine goes:
Wine maker notes: Couldn't find anything.
Winery Info: Couldn't find anything except where it is. They also make a Sangiovese.
This wine is really good for sub $10 at Wegmans. Crisp, refreshing, notes of citrus, apple and pear, well balanced. A nice summer drinking wine. I'm going back for a cople of bottles more!
@SallieBob - Your bottle sounds like an excellent choice for the upcoming summer. Today was a lovely day weather wise.
@SteveZodiac - Interesting information about this wine. It's the first one we opened (we have 2 more from this vintage) and at first I was not impressed. It has really improved in the glass.
???
Kosta Browne is the concatenation of the surnames of the founders of the winery--Dan Kosta and Michael Browne.
Ignoring any fuss about the name, I do know that Kosta Browne is a very highly regarded Pinot Noir maker.
How about a Spanish white?
Of course I'm going to try to find something a bit different and here it is. This is a Spanish blend of 50% Verdejo, 30% Tempranillo Blanco and 20% Viura. The unusual item is the Tempranillo Blanco which is a mutation of the red Tempranillo grape variety and was discovered fairly recently in 1988.
This Rioja white pours out a very light pale yellow in the glass. The nose is a subtle lemon pith with a hint of honeysuckle. Very refreshing with a light lemon/lemonade flavor, a bit of tangerine and a good hit of acidity. This clocks in at 12% ABV and would go extremely well with that set of shrimp skewers bound for the grill.
The Sandlands White Table Wine is Quite enjoyable. I get some pear and melon aromas, and, surprise, surprise, those flavors are registered by my tongue. Very light bodied. Maybe not as light-bodied as Al’s Vinho Verde from the other day, but still. I do get a bit of citrus tang, but nothing like that “lemon rind” that was called out at the website. Bone dry. With that and the lightness make this is a good summer sipper. Interesting that this is 64%/36% Semillon/Chenin Blanc. I would have guessed that ratio to have been reversed. I seem to be getting more CB in my wine than Semillon.
Agree. Always a good choice.
We’ll, ignoring the sourcing of the name, it is a highly regarded wine. Very interesting too, with a bit of spiciness and forest floor on the palette.
Regarding Kosta Browne, I forgot this was not the "funny stuff" thread.
But seriously, Kosta is a Serbian name. BTW, I do not know the history of the winery, but was just having some fun with the name. браон (which is pronounced "brown") means "brown in Serbian. However, now you know that the winery name comes from some combination of names. Still, one wonders...
Also, Kosta Browne is very expensive.
However, having said this, when I next get to California, I will find one, even at 110 US, and will get the red pen out.
Lotsa fun, folks. I hope everybody enjoyed their wine. I'm going to go downstairs, now, and start helping with dinner.
I am helping with dinner too. Mostly by staying out of the way.
Good times. By the way, there is a story behind how we acquired the Kosta Browne bottles. Sandra was doing some research on a winery that was joining the Duckhorn family and she came up with this winery. It turns out that the correct winery was Calera. However we got on a mailing list for Kosta Browne and she ordered some bottles. They are expensive but interesting none the less.
I cast no aspersions toward Mr Kosta nor even Mr. Browne. I know their wines by reputation only, but hope to both avoid COVID and visit soon. It may only be possible to obtain their wine via subscription, so be prepared to share one in such a case. No pun intended.
We will have an RdV, a Barboursville Octagon and a Kosta Browne waiting for you to taste the moment you arrive, @SteveZodiac.
Ok, we need some ideas for the next Deep Thoughts event, which will be on 31 May 2022. Any presenters?
Not sure about presenting as yet. But appreciate @BigAl & Sandra holding some of the good stuff back just in case (again, no pun intended, at least initially).
I just thought I'd remark on the less expensive whites discussed here. I am totally in favor of looking at these products. Lynn and I rarely spend more than 30 $US unless inveigled by our merchants or some such thing, and when I was much younger, I'd travel the border states and sample whatever was available in the grocery stores (we have very few grocers with wine or beer in BC although it is now legal - unless, of course, they are operating in very small towns as agents of the Provincial Liquor Board).
Many of these inexpensive wines were absolutely spot on at the time. My only difficulty today is that I have developed a sensitivity to alcohol and certain additives so must be careful about over-imbibing. I suppose that is just as well. Even the nice white we had last night bothered both of us somewhat during the night. Ah, perhaps just creeping decrepitude!
But regarding inexpensive wines, there are many bargains out there, and if you are not sitting around quoting poetry and writing pompous reviews (like me, for example), you just need a tasty, quaffable wine. Here on the Island (Vancouver Island) we have many "house wines" made from a blend of white, red, pink and golden grapes. Many are as good as the pure varietal examples - better in some cases, since you can mix and match. So, there is usually no need to spend more.
In fact, the cheaper products often reflect the real capabilities of the winemaker in certain respects - that is, they are able to mass produce a wine for everyone that can be shared with virtually anyone who likes wine.
These white blends from last night show how white wines can shine. Another plus is that white wines are generally much cheaper, with the obvious exceptions in the obvious places.
I do find the inexpensive white wines to be interesting, and I enjoy most of the ones I taste. It's a different story for the red wines though. There the quality of the grapes and the fermentation / maturation process speaks loads of what ends up in the glass. I rarely go cheap on red wines anymore.
Cheap reds mean headache city for me, even if the wine does not end up in somebody's planter.
Pouring red wine out into a planter comes from where? A movie perhaps? I've often wondered about that.
I remember it in a lot of shows, but especially an episode of "Rumpole of the Bailey" one of my favorite British legal comedies staring the Australian-born actor Leo McKern. Rumpole (McKern) who drank plonk at home and similarly cheap fare at Pomeroy's Wine Bar near Lincoln's Inn, was serving a friend some of his "Chateau Thames" who next tasted it, looked suspiciously back into the glass and then surreptitiously poured the contents into a nearby planter. Hilarious scene. I have had to do this as well when people offer their home-made plonk (often undrinkable).
I've never seen that show, much less heard of it. Sounds funny though.
Easy to obtain. On the IMDb, it usually rates 8 to 9 out of 10, and you can easily find it on the various streaming services. I recommend it. Sandra would love it, and of course an Anglophile like me is a great fan. But you have to like British humor to really appreciate it.
Last call for someone to make a presentation on the 31st of May 2022. Think about all your adoring fans that will come out to support you!
Well, no presentation for the 31st of May 2022 then. Everyone will therefore be asked to post a bit of their own research on a bottle of.....wait for it.....Cabernet Sauvignon (or a left-bank Bordeaux). So cab-heavy blends are acceptable here. Perhaps it's time to open that Napa Valley cab you squirreled away in your wine cellar a few years ago?
Hey, after we suffer through the Cabernet Sauvignon night (yes, I'm kidding), how about something totally different, like the region of Jura, in France for the next Deep Thoughts night? This region is in the northern part of France, between Burgundy and the Swiss border. Total Wine & Beverage has a rose from the region and it's under $20 USD: Tissot Maire Cremant Du Jura Rose.
There is also some nice Pinot made in the Jura but it's price point is similiar to Burgundy.