forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

You people go support this Baylor owned winery. Napa fruit but they sell it from Dallas. Check 'Em out online. Can't remember the shop in Dallas that carries their wines

Punches above price.

---

Times Ten carries it.
https://timestencellars.com/

---

you watching any of the Stanly Tucci CNN series?

bularry said:

---

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

You people go support this Baylor owned winery. Napa fruit but they sell it from Dallas. Check 'Em out online. Can't remember the shop in Dallas that carries their wines

Punches above price.

---

Times Ten carries it.
https://timestencellars.com/

---

you watching any of the Stanly Tucci CNN series?

---

I saw several of them. That was the issue I mentioned above about Occhipinti wines. I've been ordering them for awhile online and Stanley featured Ariana Occhipinti and her wineries, and immediately you couldn't get the SP68 white anymore because everyone was sold out. I enjoyed several of the episodes but I thought he missed the mark on Sicily. He did dinner in a Michelin star restaurant and another in the palace of a 90 year old Sicilian princess with waiters in white gloves. I'm sure the food was great in both places, but Sicily has an amazing food culture and it's not about that kind of dining at all. Then it seemed like he spent way too much time talking about African refugees. Certainly there is a refugee issue, but if you're doing an hour show on Sicilian culture, spending 1/3 of it on refugees also means you miss even that much more of the culture. Overall he did a good with job on the series. Maybe I'm too picky because I know the island so well.

I have found the series to be very well done, but I was a bit puzzled by the Sicily one on two similar issues.... like all CNN gotta spend a lot of time talking about immigrants (he's done it in every episode, too, but much more time on the Sicily one) and I also didn't really get the palace scene, outside of the 3 versions of that one dish they discussed.


I would love to visit that area. No 2 on my Italy list.

bularry said:

---

I have found the series to be very well done, but I was a bit puzzled by the Sicily one on two similar issues.... like all CNN gotta spend a lot of time talking about immigrants (he's done it in every episode, too, but much more time on the Sicily one) and I also didn't really get the palace scene, outside of the 3 versions of that one dish they discussed.

I would love to visit that area. No 2 on my Italy list.

---

If you ever go to Sicily, let me know and I can help with info. Until COVID hit I was there multiple times per year. I know the western half of the island really well. I am familiar with the rest too, but have only been on the far eastern side of the island a few times. A follow story on Stanley in Sicily below. The photo is about a mile west of my house there.
https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/stanely-tuccis-best-sicilian-recipes

Got back from Napa. Great time. Ended up buying a few bottles of Capscady after a visit there. Some great wine. Also joined Seavey and I'll drop Groth since I see it in the store all the time.

so how were the crowds?

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

I have found the series to be very well done, but I was a bit puzzled by the Sicily one on two similar issues.... like all CNN gotta spend a lot of time talking about immigrants (he's done it in every episode, too, but much more time on the Sicily one) and I also didn't really get the palace scene, outside of the 3 versions of that one dish they discussed.

I would love to visit that area. No 2 on my Italy list.

---

If you ever go to Sicily, let me know and I can help with info. Until COVID hit I was there multiple times per year. I know the western half of the island really well. I am familiar with the rest too, but have only been on the far eastern side of the island a few times. A follow story on Stanley in Sicily below. The photo is about a mile west of my house there.
https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/stanely-tuccis-best-sicilian-recipes

---

that would be awesome. due to my limits of $ and time I doubt it ever happens, but we'll see....

bularry said:

---

so how were the crowds?

---

Not bad at all. It's opening more and more. I'm betting it gets crowded this summer.

bularry said:

---

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

I have found the series to be very well done, but I was a bit puzzled by the Sicily one on two similar issues.... like all CNN gotta spend a lot of time talking about immigrants (he's done it in every episode, too, but much more time on the Sicily one) and I also didn't really get the palace scene, outside of the 3 versions of that one dish they discussed.

I would love to visit that area. No 2 on my Italy list.

---

If you ever go to Sicily, let me know and I can help with info. Until COVID hit I was there multiple times per year. I know the western half of the island really well. I am familiar with the rest too, but have only been on the far eastern side of the island a few times. A follow story on Stanley in Sicily below. The photo is about a mile west of my house there.
https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/stanely-tuccis-best-sicilian-recipes

---

that would be awesome. due to my limits of $ and time I doubt it ever happens, but we'll see....

---

If you can find a deal on a flight, Sicily can be a really inexpensive place to be for a trip. If you stay away from Taormina you can get really good food and wine inexpensively, both in the restaurants and the grocery stores. You can find some nice deals on hotels and airbnb type places as long as you avoid July 15-September 15. Now if you're going to retrace Stanley's steps and go to a Michelin starred restaurant, you're going to pay, but there are so many good places to eat reasonably. We eat out about 1/2 the time and cook at home about 1/2. And most of the things you would want to see are inexpensive and many of them are free.

This was a pretty fun dinner last night

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

---

Which wineries?

GoBearsGo said:

---

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

---

Which wineries?

---

The only appointment we have set so far is Mending Wall. We have been trying to book one at Seavey, but haven't heard back from them.

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

---

nice!

We are trying to not "overbook" ourselves with wineries/visits/tastings. We have some fun stuff scheduled.

forza orsi said:

---

GoBearsGo said:

---

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

---

Which wineries?

---

The only appointment we have set so far is Mending Wall. We have been trying to book one at Seavey, but haven't heard back from them.

---

Julio Ferro is great there, email julio@seaveyvineyard.com or his cell is 305-282-3578

bularry said:

---

forza orsi said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

bularry said:

---

checked around yesterday and seems United flies to Santa Barbara, usually via LAX or LAS, so that's doable.

likely that will be the goal if we can make it fit the budget in '19

---

replying to myself!

Haven't done the Santa Barbara county wine trip in '19, but have booked flights for May 2020.

so, here we go!!

---

this time we are really doing it!

Leave in 14 days.......

English Bear, any updated recs?

---

Enjoy! We're headed for Napa in 10

---

nice!

We are trying to not "overbook" ourselves with wineries/visits/tastings. We have some fun stuff scheduled.

---

Going to do Rutherford Hill too now. My sister is a club member and gets 4 free tastings per year. She's going and using 2 this weekend, but letting us have the other two. Lucked into that since the tastings are normally $60/person.

If you need a driver let me know, I have the name of someone who drives your car. Insured on their own, they also can plan your day. It's about $45/hr with a 6 hour min I think.

GoBearsGo said:

---

If you need a driver let me know, I have the name of someone who drives your car. Insured on their own, they also can plan your day. It's about $45/hr with a 6 hour min I think.

---

that's a pretty good deal. $300-$400 for a day...

has anyone ever reached out to Wino on these trips? I know he works for a large distributor... might be able to facilitate something...

bularry said:

---

GoBearsGo said:

---

If you need a driver let me know, I have the name of someone who drives your car. Insured on their own, they also can plan your day. It's about $45/hr with a 6 hour min I think.

---

that's a pretty good deal. $300-$400 for a day...

---

We did 3 full days and it was about $850 and then I gave a tip. She set up everywhere we wanted to go and provided snacks, water, lunch reservations. It was great, won't go again without using her.

GoBearsGo said:

---

bularry said:

---

GoBearsGo said:

---

If you need a driver let me know, I have the name of someone who drives your car. Insured on their own, they also can plan your day. It's about $45/hr with a 6 hour min I think.

---

that's a pretty good deal. $300-$400 for a day...

---

We did 3 full days and it was about $850 and then I gave a tip. She set up everywhere we wanted to go and provided snacks, water, lunch reservations. It was great, won't go again without using her.

---

Did a similar deal last time with 2 other couples. Guy drove our suburban rental. Wonderful way to go. Also took us to a couple of his favorite off the beaten path spots when we had extra time which ended up being some of our favorites too.

RIP Jim Clendenen, great ambassador for SB county wines and the founder of Au Bon Climat

Big loss to the wine community

Au Bon Climat is one of my favorite wineries.... sad day.

CTCBear said:

---

Au Bon Climat is one of my favorite wineries.... sad day.

---

he has made an aligote under the Clendenen Family Wines brand the past few years that is just excellent. costs close to $40 so kinda pricey, but a really enjoyable wine.

New purchases from Texas winery Southold Farm! Final fruit from their Long Island days

I love Southold! I can find it usually at Montrose CW or DQ. Where did you pick that up? Also, if you are headed that direction again, I'd stop at Crowson in Johnson City. Another guy doing really cool natural wine.

CTCBear said:

---

I love Southold! I can find it usually at Montrose CW or DQ. Where did you pick that up? Also, if you are headed that direction again, I'd stop at Crowson in Johnson City. Another guy doing really cool natural wine.

---

I got an email about it from Regan on Monday and ordered it. Probably everyone on their mailing list got the message.

Pretty cool stuff. He hand disgorged all these bottles of these champagne method wines.

Never had it. How is it?

GoBearsGo said:

---

Never had it. How is it?

---

Haven't tried it yet and this is the only vintage....so all new. Plan to pop one in the next week or so.

bularry said:

---

CTCBear said:

---

Au Bon Climat is one of my favorite wineries.... sad day.

---

he has made an aligote under the Clendenen Family Wines brand the past few years that is just excellent. costs close to $40 so kinda pricey, but a really enjoyable wine.

---

Friday at Land & Sea they are having a winemaker takeover in his honor. Au Bon and Clendenen $9 glass in his honor.

GoBearsGo said:

---

bularry said:

---

CTCBear said:

---

Au Bon Climat is one of my favorite wineries.... sad day.

---

he has made an aligote under the Clendenen Family Wines brand the past few years that is just excellent. costs close to $40 so kinda pricey, but a really enjoyable wine.

---

Friday at Land & Sea they are having a winemaker takeover in his honor. Au Bon and Clendenen $9 glass in his honor.

---

saw that.... good deal on those wines BTG

Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.

nevadafoothill said:

---

Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.

---

Oddly enough, 90% of all wine is made to be consumed on release. Wine that have serious aging potential are:
Bordeaux Rouge, Red and White Burgundy, Riesling, Sauterns, Barolo, Port, Madera, Cru Champagne. In my experience, most wines produced in the US don't age well for the long haul. Thats just my experience as I'm a wine nerd and have an absurd amount of vino!

any of ya'll in Houston use any type of offsite storage? If so where and what do you look for?