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Quote	Posted: 08/09/2004 6:51:04 PM GMT
In this period, mainly because of summertime, I prefer drinking white wines and, of course, sekt. Sekt can even be served at 6° C and it is a truly refreshing and quenching wine. I usually have red wine in winter, but you know, here in Germany the majority of wines are white so it is not always easy to find some good reds. Jörg - A passion for Italian wine!

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Posted: 08/10/2004 8:00:03 AM GMT

Talking about me, it is pretty hard to tell what I am exactly drinking in a particular period. Of course I taste a lot of wines both because of DiWineTaste and also because of my job, so it is pretty unpredictable to tell because this usually includes many styles.
In case we are talking about my personal preferences, well, in summertime I prefer drinking whites, sparkling wines (preferable classic methods), rosé wines and light red wines which can be chilled.

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Quote	Posted: 08/10/2004 6:14:21 PM GMT
In this period I am having white wines only. I know you guys will not agree on this, but I also like white zinfandel which I find to be ok in summertime. Cathy

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Quote	Posted: 08/11/2004 11:21:28 AM GMT
In this period I am drinking lots of Muscadet. It is fresh and crisp with the right zest to face summertime!

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Posted: 08/12/2004 5:50:05 AM GMT

Well, my personal favourites tend to be the rich, full-bodied and elegant style red wines which not many whites can match.
I also happen to be working in a region where it is summer as opposed to Australia (winter now) so I have drunk many white varieties as well. Or at least the lighter style reds which can be chilled.

If possible, I would pick my food and then see what matches the wine best. Obviously in the hot seasons, I like something that is cooling. Semillon, Chardonnay, Riesling are great whites. I certainly welcome some bubbles as well so, sparkling wines are on my list too.

Cathy, if you feel comfortable with whites during this season, nobody should argue with that.

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Posted: 08/12/2004 11:34:00 AM GMT

jc wrote:

Probably all of us in this very moment would have wintertime here! It is so hot now in Italy...

jc wrote:

If possible, I would pick my food and then see what matches the wine best. Obviously in the hot seasons, I like something that is cooling. Semillon, Chardonnay, Riesling are great whites. I certainly welcome some bubbles as well so, sparkling wines are on my list too.

I usually do the opposite, whenever I can, of course. I pick the wine first and then decide a food to be matched to it. Riesling is one of my favourite whites and I must admit I absolutely love have sparkling wines with my meals, in particular Franciacorta and Champagne. I think bubbles make an excellent companion to food and this is something which is not shared by many as they usually uncork sparkling wines during holidays, parties and such. Well, it's not my case!!

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Quote	Posted: 08/12/2004 5:50:40 PM GMT
In this period I am having Sauvignon Blanc from Loire, France. I probably mentioned the fact I like Sauvignon Blanc and I think Loire is the best source for this style of wine. I also like Champagne in summertime as well as Chablis. I must admit I love French wines. Richard Johnson

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Quote	Posted: 08/13/2004 7:58:34 AM GMT
In this period I am having Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (an Italian sparkling wine) which I consider to be perfect for summer. I particularly like the Cartizze version of Prosecco and in particular the one from Ruggeri. Michele Landolfi

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Posted: 08/13/2004 5:49:44 PM GMT

jc wrote:

Cathy, if you feel comfortable with whites during this season, nobody should argue with that.

Well the problem is that white zinfandel is not really considered a connoisseur's wine and most of the people think it is a "fun" wine or a wine for ladies. I personally like it because of its off-dry or sweet taste even though I must admit regular zinfandel is better and I certainly like it. Not in this period, though. I think white zinfandel is more adequate for summertime because you can chill it whereas red zins taste just harsh when chilled.

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Posted: 08/16/2004 7:48:41 AM GMT

cathy wrote:

Whether white Zinfandel is considered a connoisseur's wine or not, this is not the point and nobody should argue on that. If you like this wine there is nothing wrong about this. And of course I have never had white Zinfandel so I cannot tell you what i think about it!

Jörg - A passion for Italian wine!

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Posted: 08/16/2004 11:52:46 AM GMT

cathy wrote:

We all probably know why some wineries in California began producing white Zinfandel. The surplus of Zinfandel grapes and the lack of interest for wines during the 1970's were the main causes. They simply had to find a way to make use of the abundant harvests and thought of processing those grapes with white vinification. We should also remember that wine production in the US is also made with non vinifera species (in particular labrusca species) and the "traditional" custom there was to make wines as off-dry or sweet. That's why white Zinfandel is usually off-dry or sweet.
No matter of how it was, white Zinfandel was a success in the US and even today there are people who like this wine and, of course, there is nothing wrong with that.
After all no one has the right to criticize personal tastes and if you like white Zinfandel and are happy with that, no one should argue on that!

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Quote	Posted: 08/17/2004 6:09:06 PM GMT
Of course I know white Zinfandel but it is not one of my favourites. My girlfriend likes it but I prefer the "real" Zinfandel, full bodied and dark. It is however very common here in the US and I think many people drink it. Steve

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Posted: 08/18/2004 8:33:21 AM GMT

wineguy wrote:

Of course I know white Zinfandel but it is not one of my favourites. My girlfriend likes it but I prefer the "real" Zinfandel, full bodied and dark.
It is however very common here in the US and I think many people drink it.

I like white Zinfandel. It may be a simple wine and very different from red Zinfandel but however it is not that bad, at least in my opinion. Besides this, I think chilled white Zinfandel is delicious is summertime.

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Modified: 08/18/2004 6:29:14 PM GMT

antonello wrote:

Ciao Anton,

Well, choosing the wine first and then the food to match it is not quite a bad idea! I should try it sometime. Talk about thinking from a different angle! I think it makes sense because it is difficult to find the "right" wine at every restaurant. If I were to select a bottle first and then go to the restaurant, that would make things easier wouldn't it?

However, my usual practice is that when I dine at a restaurant and order wine, it's not going to be the top end wine. Unless it is a special occasion, an everyday mediocre wine is what I drink with food. I guess in that sense, I place more emphasis on the food than wine. Afterall, no matter what food I match it to, I cannot expect a mediocre wine to produce the great complexity or flavours that is missing in the first place.

On the other hand, for a well-prepared meal, even a mediocre red or white can greatly enhance the flavours of the food that a chef or cook has made (assuming the cook did a good job).

Ok, I am expecting to stir up some protests here.....

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Posted: 08/18/2004 6:31:08 PM GMT

jc wrote:

Ciao Anton,

Hello jc!

jc wrote:

Well, choosing the wine first and then the food to match it is not quite a bad idea! I should try it sometime. Talk about thinking from a different angle! I think it makes sense because it is difficult to find the "right" wine at every restaurant. If I were to select a bottle first and then go to the restaurant, that would make things easier wouldn't it?

It definitely would! That's why I think restaurants should offer the BYOB opportunity to their clients! Is BYOB allowed in Australia?

jc wrote:

However, my usual practice is that when I dine at a restaurant and order wine, it's not going to be the top end wine. Unless it is a special occasion, an everyday mediocre wine is what I drink with food. I guess in that sense, I place more emphasis on the food than wine. Afterall, no matter what food I match it to, I cannot expect a mediocre wine to produce the great complexity or flavours that is missing in the first place.

I do agree on this. A great wine cannot turn a mediocre food into something great. However you can benefit from the great wine and be happy anyway!

jc wrote:

On the other hand, for a well-prepared meal, even a mediocre red or white can greatly enhance the flavours of the food that a chef or cook has made (assuming the cook did a good job).

Ok, I am expecting to stir up some protests here.....

Ok, here I do not completely agree on this. A mediocre wine can compromise the flavours of a food and viceversa. I am not telling you should follow the French school on wine-food matching (they say a great food must always be matched to a great wine and a bad food with a bad wine), infact I believe wine/food pairing is a sort of science. Of course no one can argue on personal tastes, but I believe the wine should be carefully picked according to the organoleptic qualities of the food.
For example if you are having a lasagna (I am sure you know this Italian food) with a vegetables sauce - and supposing the chef was impeccable in making it - and you decide to match it with a mediocre red full bodied wine, you are going to ruin both the lasagna and the wine.

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Quote	Posted: 08/23/2004 7:54:17 AM GMT
Last Sunday I had a white Australian wine which I found very good. It was a Vat 1 Semillon from Hunter Valley and made by Tyrrel's winery. I liked it very much and I did not know Semillon was also cultivated in Australia! Is this something occasional or is Semillon common in Australia? And, by the way, in what area is Hunter Valley located? Jörg - A passion for Italian wine!

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Posted: 08/26/2004 2:43:02 AM GMT

Hey Anton! Firstly about the wine school food-pairing, you have made me change my opinion!! I do think if a bad wine will also spoil nice food for sure. Just reminded me once I just left the glass of wine on the table because I just couldn't bear to take another sip. Definitely spoils my palate plus my nice mood for the night!!

No bad wine with good lasagna!!

Yes, Anton. Most restaurants in Australia have BYO service at a fee.

Jorg, Tyrell's Semillon is quite famous and in Australia, Semillon is almost all produced in lower Hunter Valley region, New South Wales. It is about 4 hours drive from Sydney. Tyrells is established for a long time now although I am not sure when the Semillon started. My guess is within the last 40 years.

The Vat 1 Semillon is their top ranking Semillon, so it must be expensive there! I don't think I have been tasted this wine before (but I will) but if you like Semillon like me, Tyrell has another one called Reserve HVD Semillon which has won many medals. It is yellow-green, aromatic and good structure and balanced acidity.

Now that you know Australia produces Semillon, here are a few good ones you may wish to try.

McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Mount Horrocks
Rothbury Ridge Stanley Park Reserve

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Posted: 08/26/2004 11:10:30 AM GMT

jc wrote:

I think the food-pairing issue is pretty serious. I personally get very disappointed when a food is not served with the right wine. I do not mean I always want to drink excellent wine, I think it would be appropriate and this could mean cheap as less.
And yes, i agree with you, bad wine spoils the mood...

jc wrote:

Now that you know Australia produces Semillon, here are a few good ones you may wish to try.

How is that Australia has Semillon??? I thought I was just used in France for Sauternes wines!!

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Modified: 08/26/2004 6:23:00 PM GMT

jc wrote:

No bad wine with any good food!

Well, I'd better say: no bad wine and that'all!

After all, if this would spoil your mood for the night, it is better to have a glass of fresh water instead!

jc wrote:

The Vat 1 Semillon is their top ranking Semillon, so it must be expensive there! I don't think I have been tasted this wine before (but I will) but if you like Semillon like me, Tyrell has another one called Reserve HVD Semillon which has won many medals. It is yellow-green, aromatic and good structure and balanced acidity.

This is a great wine from Tyrrel's!!! I definitely love Australian Sémillon! The Lower Hunter Valley is a wonderful area for Sémillon!! I probably had about twenty different Sémillons from Hunter Valley and I have always been happy with them.

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Posted: 08/27/2004 7:41:27 AM GMT

jc wrote:

Jorg, Tyrell's Semillon is quite famous and in Australia, Semillon is almost all produced in lower Hunter Valley region, New South Wales. It is about 4 hours drive from Sydney. Tyrells is established for a long time now although I am not sure when the Semillon started. My guess is within the last 40 years.

The Vat 1 Semillon is their top ranking Semillon, so it must be expensive there! I don't think I have been tasted this wine before (but I will) but if you like Semillon like me, Tyrell has another one called Reserve HVD Semillon which has won many medals. It is yellow-green, aromatic and good structure and balanced acidity.

Now that you know Australia produces Semillon, here are a few good ones you may wish to try.

McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon
Mount Horrocks
Rothbury Ridge Stanley Park Reserve

Hello jc and thank you very much indeed for your reply. So it seems I had the best Australian Semillon!

I do not know about the cost of that wine because the bottle was brought by a friend of mine. I must tell I liked that wine very much and I thought Semillon was only produced in France. Also according to antonello's comments as well as yours, I must end up believing Australia is a great place for this grape.
Also thank you for the other wines you are suggesting. Do you think they can be found in Germany? Can you suggest us other great Australian white wines?

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Posted: 08/27/2004 9:33:31 AM GMT

Hi Anton!! Judging from this positive response, I must ask if DiWineTaste has plans to introduce Australian Semillon??

Hmmm....maybe I should think about exporting some Australian Semillon to Germany? What do you guys think? Do you thnk there is enough demand there?

(Ok, just plain curious, I m not even in the export business)

Jorg, about your question I think McWilliam does export to Germany but probably not for Mt Horrocks and Rothbury. You can check their websites though, sometimes they have details like that. Otherwise, it is good opportunity to make a trip down South!

As for other good Australian whites, here are some:

Crabtree Watervale Riesling
St. Hallett Eden Valley Riesling
Evans and Tate Margaret River Semillon
Orlando Jacobs Creek Chardonnay
Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay
Penfolds reserve Chardonnay

Not sure which are available in Germany though. Big brands like Orlando and Penfolds will stand a better chance.

Cheers,

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Posted: 08/30/2004 7:43:31 AM GMT

jc wrote:

Hi Anton!! Judging from this positive response, I must ask if DiWineTaste has plans to introduce Australian Semillon??

Hello jc!
DiWineTaste is always interested in introducing wines to its readers. We have plans to introduce Australian Sémillon, either in form of a report or in form of wine reviews, and this is a future plan. We are trying to review some Australian wines in our Guide, but it is not easy for Australian producers to ship a case of wine from there to Italy as this would be very expensive. We are not giving up, though....

jc wrote:

Hmmm....maybe I should think about exporting some Australian Semillon to Germany? What do you guys think? Do you thnk there is enough demand there?

(Ok, just plain curious, I m not even in the export business)

I do not know exactly whether exporting Sémillon in Germany could be profitable, what I can say is that here in Italy most of wine lovers do not know about Australian Sémillon because this grape is not very popular here. (Although it is cultivated in small extents in a tiny area in Tuscany west from Florence)

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Posted: 09/02/2004 5:50:18 PM GMT

I have never had Australian Semillon and I did not know that grape was cultivated there. By reading your comments I get Australian Semillon is a good wine and I wonder whether it can be found here in Italy. However I have never seen it on the shelves of wine shops, or at least I do not remember having seen it.
I Know Semillon is common in France (mainly for Sauternes) and I also know it is found in Italy as well, although I have never tried any Italian Semillon.
I have always thought Australia was good for red wines and in particular for Syrah (or Shiraz) which I like very much. Probably I missed something in the Australian wine world...

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Posted: 09/09/2004 6:58:36 AM GMT

miclan wrote:

I have always thought Australia was good for red wines and in particular for Syrah (or Shiraz) which I like very much. Probably I missed something in the Australian wine world...

Australia is a very interesting wine country. They are mainly known for their full bodied red wines, however the production of whites is interesting as well. We should also remember Australia, having a pretty recent history in the wine making, is not tied to particular issues about respecting wine traditions - as opposed to France, Italy and Spain, for example - therefore they invested time and money on the most advanced wine technologies and the results were qualitatively very high.

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Quote	Posted: 09/09/2004 6:06:00 PM GMT
I think I had a couple of times Australian Shiraz amd I liked it. If I am not wrong it was Penfold's Bin "something" but I do not remember the number. I too have always imagined the best Australian wines were Shirazes, or at least this seems to be the most common Australian wine here in the US. I have never tried Australian Semillon and it seems, by reading your comments, I have to! Steve