Comments on: How Do You Cook YOUR Steak? Or, Helping Alex Recover from the National Half-Marathon with Filet Mignon and the 2001 Arrowood “Le Beau Melange” Syrah

By: Shea

Shea — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:07:59 +0000

I actually think the best way to go about it is to get a sense of various regional styles, and then do a comparative tasting between regions. That way you understand the variation at the more local level before that of the global comparison. Otherwise, one can form false biases and misimpressions.

By: vinicultured

vinicultured — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:50:34 +0000

Indeed: I’ve not had much else in Australia outside of the Barossa. I was thinking that a good wine tasting idea would be a huge affair of syrah/shiraz from different regions. Perhaps another wine tasting, more focused, would be on the shiraz of Australia.

I’ll have to look out for “The Mentor”–I believe I’ve seen it around but haven’t had the chance yet to pick it up. Thanks for the recommendation!

By: Shea

Shea — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:31:26 +0000

I had the Mocha Latte, which was perfectly made – no sweet syrupy chocolate, just dusty bitterness that complemented the coffee perfectly.

I would be very curious to hear your take on a shiraz from Western Australia or Victoria – both of which are producing some pretty fantastic stuff. Yeringberg comes to mind as a fantastic producer in Victoria. And something from Margaret River or Great Southern for Western Australia. Cimicky is good, but I’d also recommend checking out Peter Lehmann’s “The Mentor” from Barossa (a Bordeaux style blend). I think it’s around $25, but well worth that price – tastes like a bottle worth $40.

By: vinicultured

vinicultured — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:41:03 +0000

Hey Shea,

Philosophical it makes me, wine. On Dagoba not good it is for wine.

I am not dissing Australian shiraz per se, sir. In fact, some of my favorite wines are Australian shiraz: the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge shiraz and the Charles Cimicky “Trumps” grenache/shiraz blend. Perhaps I should have been less partisan in this particular posting!

I am glad you went to La Note. It is hands down one of my favorite places in Berkeley. Their coffee and lattes are great, too. I have to write more about Berkeley on your behalf, but I have a suspicion you are doing more than well enough without my recommendations!

By: Shea

Shea — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:18:20 +0000

P.S. I went to La Note – awesome eggs there, they really know how to make an omelette. And their coffee is fantastic.

By: Shea

Shea — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:56:59 +0000

“powerful it was” – sounds like a yoda style wine tasting. And, don’t diss the Aussie shiraz – clearly you need to taste some stuff from Victoria. The big over-ripe jammy stuff is really only the big-media tip of the iceberg of what is available from there.