I am a fan of Jancis Robinson.

An announcement today in sfgate.com/wine/

“The third edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine (815 pages, $65), edited by Chronicle contributor Jancis Robinson, has just been released.

The 6-pound, 8-ounce tome is heavier than many a healthy baby. Yet this wine encyclopedia is not a book that cries for constant attention — you don’t read the 3,900 entries cover to cover. Instead, turn to it for definitions of “riddling” (to lightly shake bottles of fermenting bubbly) and when wondering where the best vineyards are in Zimbabwe (25 miles east of Harare). ”

Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson

I hope someone gives me this for Christmas. on the other hand this release will drop the price on remainders and used copies of the 2d edition.

Chin chin

Great call on the Simon and Garfunkle Big B!

Matthew L – When you’re going to a friend’s house for dinner, bringing a bottle of wine for that friend is a gift. It’s up to your friend to decide whether it will be served with dinner. He or she may have already selected a wine. So the wine can be anything you choose. If, however, it was previously determined that you would be bringing the wine specifically for that dinner, then you should ask what’s on the menu so that you will be able to select an appropriate wine.

Matthew L – When you’re going to a friend’s house for dinner, bringing a bottle of wine for that friend is a gift. It’s up to your friend to decide whether it will be served with dinner. He or she may have already selected a wine. So the wine can be anything you choose. If, however, it was previously determined that you would be bringing the wine specifically for that dinner, then you should ask what’s on the menu so that you will be able to select an appropriate wine.

perfect explination Julius

Thanks Julius. That’s pretty much my M.O. If I’m expected to bring wine for dinner, I usually know what’s being served and pair it from there.

My M.O., now, is to bring a nice bottle of wine as a gift for the hosts; not expecting it to be consumed with dinner. I had to get over that because years ago I would bring a nice bottle of wine, the hosts wouldn’t open it and I was like WTF? 😀

My wife and I general don’t have a problem with restaurants having a good wine list, decanting the wine or having the proper glassware. Or enjoying really good food for that matter. We have it all at home. I’m not bragging when I say I’m a good cook, to which my wife can attest. In fact, being in New York City, where there is no lack of restaurants, there have been so many times that she has said the food at home is better than at the restaurant we where currently dining. And the wine list, along with its accoutrements, is usually far superior.

Brandon,
I disagree with you on Ouveture, they donâ??t represent Riedel at all.

You might as well get Ikea glasses for $2 each. The Vinum is the way to go. Just my opinion.

Eugene…explain further

Eugene…explain further

Julius,
I agree with you on the restaurant issue, except that sometime ambience makes it all.

As far as wine goes, it usually safe to bring a nice bottle of white. It can be served as an aperitif before dinner, even if the host serving red meat.

Some reds are very versatile. A good bottle of Rioja reserva would go with almost anything.

Sorry Everyone…Eugene is right…I was thinking the Ouverture (Just off of a small Internet picture) I did mean Vinum (Lynn…the price is actually correct for the Vinum…you can find them around 18 – 19 bones each) 4 Vinum Bordeaux and 4 Vinum Chardonnay / Chablis.

Geese…I’m losin it.

B

Brandon,
Ouverture is not made of crystal. It is the cheapest line of Riedel. The glasses for reds and for whites are much smaller than their respective cousins on Vinum line. The glass is thick and just not the same quality as other Riedel glasses.

Wine Enthusiast has a line of Riedel glasses called the “wine line.” They’re machine blown lead free crystal and they’re currently on sale at $41.95 for a set a four plus free shipping. They offer a Cab/Bordeaux/Merrlot, a Pinot Noir/Burgundy, a Chardonnay/Sauv Blanc/Pinot Grigio, a Zin/Chianti and a Champagne flute.

Brandon, RE: #137 . . . LMAO!!

Hey Chris,

Actually I do work there….how’d you know? I asked where you got it because maybe you too work at NBC and we would not only have been WLTV blog buddies, but also colleagues…how funny would that have been? It wouldn’t be unusual because I saw a colleague at the super tasting and never knew he was a WLTV fan as I was……so as they say “You never know”…..PS: I use spieglau glasses and they work great. I have the Spieglau bordeaux glasses…..exactly the same as the riedel, just a little heavier..

-Stallion

Ok, just got back from Williams-Sonoma 200 bones poorer but 8 Ridel glasses richer.

Italian Stallion, Riedel recently bought out Spiegelau. I use the Spiegelau when I have wine tastings at my house.

Brandon, I have found that I am doing a lot more cooking at home. I have a hard time paying 3 times the price for a bottle at a restaurant when I can enjoy it the “right” way at home for 1/3 the price.

TampaSteve – Your comment #138 is right on. I felt like I was reading my own thoughts.

Susan – GV answered my question of how he washes wine glasses and mentioned how others wash glases on a previous episode, I’m guessing it was somewhere in the 70s. To paraphrase, he uses hot water and just gives it a rinse. I have found this works pretty well if you can wash your glasses fairly soon after using them; in addition, to get marks off the lip, i just hold the glass in one hand (on the base, not the stem, which is weak) and “pinch” my fingers together on the lip while i rotate the glass. I use water as hot as I can stand. Then I use a hand towel to dry. No streaks. I’ve never broken a glass this way, and after a while it gets pretty easy.

GOL-
Thanks for the good tip.
The last thing I would want to do is get some of my first wines glasses
and then break them the first time they are washed!

Gary: Great Show!!!

Will wine taste different if you drink from the other side of the glass? If you try it use Yellow Tail.

Target sells Riedel glasses don’t they? I assume there are different “levels” of quality for these glasses, just as there are different levels of quality from vineyards. Meaning, perhaps the Riedel sold at Target is at the low end of the quality spectrum, whereas Riedel sold at Wine Library or Williams & Sonoma are higher quality.

Does anyone know?

Target sells Riedel glasses don’t they? I assume there are different “levels” of quality for these glasses, just as there are different levels of quality from vineyards. Meaning, perhaps the Riedel sold at Target is at the low end of the quality spectrum, whereas Riedel sold at Wine Library or Williams & Sonoma are higher quality.

Does anyone know?

TampaSteve, Brandon, Julius- I agree with your comments regarding eating at home. I, too, enjoy cooking, but as with wine, still have a lot to learn. However, instead of going out and spending $100 on two nice dinners, you can throw caution to the wind and buy some great ingredients. You can go to a good butcher for your meat, instead of the supermarket. You can buy items that will last for future meals, i.e. good olive oil, vinegar, newly purchased spices, etc. Use fresh herbs instead of dried. All, still less than you would have paid in the restarant. Then, there is the wine. No 2.5-3x markups. Use your stemware. Decant if you like, for as long as you like. Whatever your price point, think about having two bottles of wine with dinner, PLUS one to save for later, all for the same price as the one bottle in the restaurant. Finally, if you have children, the cost of the babysitter can be saved (and invested in more wine, or Brandon’s Sommelier toilet water bowl, etc). We love you, Brandon!

GeneV- I understand and respect your (and Robert Parker’s) comments, but it seems to me the bigger the better. I understand to a point, you may not get as concentrated of a nose in a big bowl, but if the greater surface area exposed to air, while swirling, should aerate and open the wine more. For some reason, I enjoy a 5 oz pour in a 22 oz glass- I know the glass looks nearly empty, but I love putting my big shnoz in the glass and inhaling deeply! However, I freely admit if the bigger is better was the rule, there would be no 13 oz chianti glass, etc.

Ready for the new episode!

Julius, I also saw the “wine” series on Riedel’s web site. Does anyone have any experience with these, specifically how they compare with the similarly priced Vinum series, how sturdy they are, etc?

175!!!