Castello di Amorosa is quite the tourist attraction. I have not been in it yet, but I have seen a lot about it on the web. I just can't imagine having enough money to build a replica of a Scottish castle, complete with dungeon (not the barrel room). One of my favorite wineries to visit is Hall Winery. Kathryn Hall was ambassador to Austria and built a cave full of bricks from old Austrian castles, and at the end is a huge room with a chandelier festooned with 1,500 Swarovski crystals. And the wines are spectacular. Another favorite wine is Amuse Bouche, a Merlot made by Heidi Barrett. She was the winemaker responsible for Screaming Eagle, which sells for a few THOUSAND a bottle.......
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If you are in Texas (They can't ship to some states) a strong recommendation are the wines of Flat Creek Estate in Marble Falls, TX. They are a small winery owned by a couple who even put their names right on the back. They do white, rose, red and import a line of sparkling, most in an "Italian" style with fun twists like the "Super Texan". They have won all kinds of awards and you will impress your dinners with some great wines.
Many of the reds (from FCE or other folks) will need to open before they are ready to be enjoyed. This as simple as pouring them into a decanter or pitcher and swirling them for a few minutes. It will completely change the taste of the wines but may take as little as 30 min or as long as an hour so plan ahead.
Wine service temperature can get heated among folks who enjoy wine. Don't get scared but as a rule of thumb white/rose/all sparkling=cold or 40-50 degrees and red= cool or 55 to 65 degrees depending on the wine. Your thermopen will do a great job keeping you on track.
I grew up in the Napa Valley and the one big thing I learned from many of the winemakers or owners was "Drink what tastes good to YOU not what some one says you SHOULD drink." Like lighter reds with pork and sparkling wine with fish or pork. Pairing dinners are also a great way to try "types" or vineyards w/o committing to a whole bottle yourself. They are fun to do at home - pick a menu and have folks bring a wine for each course so you get a couple per person per course. Explore and enjoy.Comment
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You could always go with a nice demi-sec champagne. God great with the ham and festive enough for the prime rib.Comment
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Potkettleblack Regarding your post #11.2, Agreed! Since I've written that post above, I've learned a lot. I agree that there's a lot of substance to wine pairing from a pro, although I myself am not very good with it so I either leave it to the pros or ignore it altogether. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to enjoy your favorite wine with a food that it's good with, it is worlds different than a straight glass by itself. For instance, a big bold red is just stunning with smoked meat, tangy BBQ sauce, and the like. No comparison to that same wine by itself w/ no food.Comment
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FR8Dog
'Drink what tastes good to YOU not what some one says you SHOULD drink."
Those are words to live by.
Drink it, don't think it.
Certainly there are "good pairings." But just like everything else there are different ways to achieve the same goal. You can pair a wine to complement a dishes taste profile "similar to similar." But some of the best wine pairings are "point-counterpoint' eg. an a sweeter (off dry) style to a salty meat as expressed early in post.
I'm an italophile and I think Montepiciano d'Abbruzzo is a good bbq wine. Can find good ones, reasonably priced and if necessary just tell everyone it's a Merlot or Cab. Odds are they won't know the difference (jest).Comment
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Trust me when I say "where you went RIGHT" was avoiding the wine business.
Wine needs to be sold just like every other widget.
And once anything requires selling it transforms into a widget (might as well be encyclopedias or a vacuum cleaner. (jest - partially) -
gotta be better than employee discipline and labor relations.
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