Wineries

[CGWildcat]

Living in wine country here in California has its advantages. When we moved here I had no taste for wine at all. That was 17 years ago. Now, I have really developed a palate for different flavors and such. We recently were able to join Skywalker Vineyards and went for a tasting today. It was exquisite! Was able to see one of the original AT-AT Walker's from the original Star Wars, plus Luke and Darth Vader's Light Sabers, both behind glass of course. The wines are outstanding and the biggest lesson from the day was that George Lucas does not drink wine at all, his drink is Diet Coke! Which they keep stocked next to the wines in the fridge in case he shows up.292061334_10219975849577124_1649100896250485397_n.jpg

[MickintheHam]

Lucas needs to switch drinks soon. We know what the ingredients in wine will do for your body. I can see a big difference in my health since I gave up soft drinks, particularly the diet varieties.

I will have to add Skywalkers to my wine country list.

[CitizenBBN]

I dropped all sodas about 10-12 years ago or so, and haven't looked back. They are awful for you, diet and non-diet. I tried drinking a diet Mt. Dew a few years ago, drank half of it and it made my head hurt, felt awful from it. Used to drink 8-9 a day.

As for wine, I like all wines. In fact anything I don't have to filter through a carbon fish tank filter is fine. When I get down to sterno that sucks.

[KSRBEvans]

I am transitioning from diet drinks to what I call "fizzy water": LaCroix and the like. I don't really miss it very much. It's just hard to get fizzy waters at fast food places, movie theaters, etc.

I'd like to visit California sometime (mainly for the national parks), but DW will only go if I commit to visiting wine country. Doesn't feel like it would be my thing (I can't tell a $10 bottle of wine from the "good stuff"), but it's on our list to do someday.

[Catfan73]

Haven’t had a soft drink in years but I do drink a lot of the “fizzy” water. It recently took a big jump in price at the grocery and it makes me wonder why. Did forcing air into water suddenly become more expensive?

As for wine, I like almost all of it. Just don’t give me anything sweet.

[Darrell KSR]

I enjoy wine, but I don't know anything about it. I can tell the difference between two buck chuck and something better, but not much more than that. Like Catfan73, just don't give me anything sweet.

Not sure if I "gave up" soft drinks years ago, but I just stopped drinking them. I'll drink them on occasion--e.g., I'll be driving Friday to Cincinnati. Good chance I'll have a soft drink with a fast food lunch. At home, I drink water, coffee and green tea, but I also drink water with a dash of the water flavoring in it. I don't like the Propel type drinks--taste too sweet, but I like a dash of that type of flavoring in it just so it's not plain water. I mean, I'll drink plain water, too, but just like some will put a lemon in their water, I'll do a dash of grape water flavor or something else just to give it some character.

[KentuckyWildcat]

I dropped all sodas about 10-12 years ago or so, and haven't looked back. They are awful for you, diet and non-diet. I tried drinking a diet Mt. Dew a few years ago, drank half of it and it made my head hurt, felt awful from it. Used to drink 8-9 a day.

As for wine, I like all wines. In fact anything I don't have to filter through a carbon fish tank filter is fine. When I get down to sterno that sucks.

I know a guy that drinks about a case of diet coke a day. He is in early to mid 60s. Pretty healthy as far as I know. Oh he drinks a lot of beer as well. I no longer work with him, but I'll be curious to see what impact that has sooner than later, if any.

As for wine, I've tried it. Can't do it. Maybe I just need to go all in and try it for a while.

[CitizenBBN]

I am transitioning from diet drinks to what I call "fizzy water": LaCroix and the like. I don't really miss it very much. It's just hard to get fizzy waters at fast food places, movie theaters, etc.

I'd like to visit California sometime (mainly for the national parks), but DW will only go if I commit to visiting wine country. Doesn't feel like it would be my thing (I can't tell a $10 bottle of wine from the "good stuff"), but it's on our list to do someday.

If anyone told me I'd drink basically nothing but water other than booze 15 years ago, I'd have hurt myself laughing. I rarely drank just straight water.

Now it's about all I drink, and for whatever reason I'm great with it. I did ween myself off the diet Mt. Dew over a few weeks I think, but now I have no desire at all. I never have liked sweets much, so I stopped drinking sweet tea probably in high school. Then I drank diet coke, then switched to Mt. Dew.

Now it's just water and booze, with an odd unsweet tea here and there.

I don't know if it will add a day of quality of life to me, but it has to be better than drinking as much of that malted battery acid as I once did. Wont' help if I get hit by a bus though, so I watch out for those too.

[CitizenBBN]

I know a guy that drinks about a case of diet coke a day. He is in early to mid 60s. Pretty healthy as far as I know. Oh he drinks a lot of beer as well. I no longer work with him, but I'll be curious to see what impact that has sooner than later, if any.

As for wine, I've tried it. Can't do it. Maybe I just need to go all in and try it for a while.

My GF only likes certain wines. She really dislikes tannins and the other aspects of a more barrel aged wine, which is hard to avoid in wines unless you get the really nasty ones. I'm on a multi-year mission finding wines she likes and so far I've got about 6-8 that are rock solid wines for her.

I'm not as picky, but I mention it b/c a lot of people who don't like wine don't like the tannins, that feeling your tongue is going to curl up convulsively. If that's the case I can recommend a few she prefers.

The best part is wines like that are generally much cheaper, like $10 a bottle. So I'm happy as a clam b/c she prefers cheap wines to the expensive, more "complex" stuff. Works for me.

[Catfan73]

My wife will only drink Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio because she says it’s low in tannins. Of course it’s about $25 a bottle.

[CGWildcat]

We've lived out here since '05. When we first got here and for a few years later I had no interest or taste for wine. Now, the roommate says she's created a monster!

We spend a lot of our "winter months" trying out new (to us) wineries we haven't tried before. That way we know who/where to recommend any that are worth the time for anyone coming this way. We've been members of quite a few, then left for others we liked better. Our very first winery and the only one we have stayed w for about 11-12 years is https://www.stfranciswinery.com Great zins, and excellent wine and food pairings.

Skywalker, ya need to hit me up for that one. Invite only and still 50 bucks a person for members and no photography inside any building, plus each person has to sign an NDA before each visit!! On the plus side, aside from security we were the only ones there. Our hostess took us down to the "shop" to purchase all kinds of star wars merchandise, wines, mandalorian, Grogu, etc. Then she took us around the corner of a hallway and we were standing outside one of his "art galleries" that Lucas asked many artists to paint/sketch their favorite SW characters in the artist image. We weren't able to go inside but you could see, the art work was amazing. So much so, Lucas purchased every one of the images from each artist. Pretty cool stuff.

She then asked us to turn around and where we realized we were standing next to one of the original AT-AT walkers from Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Pretty cool, but then, she showed us Luke and Darth's light sabers, all of which were under glass of course.

Back to wine, Trader Joes sells a Honeymoon Viognier (Vee-ohn-yay) for $5.49 a bottle and it's great for summer hot days!!

Our most recent wine club is with Sangiocoma Vineyards, originally a pear farm in Sonoma Valley that the great grandad turned into a vineyard. Chardonnay's and Pinot Noir that will make your mouth melt w pleasure and no real tannins to speak of. https://www.sangiacomowines.com/

[Darrell KSR]

Very cool info, Coastie.

And thanks for the heads up on the Trader Joe's Wine. You are talking my price range now, friend. How would you describe that wine?

[CGWildcat]

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/prod...iognier-069653. crisp, floral, phenomenally fruity white wine but not super sweet. It's my daily go to during the summer heat.

Very cool info, Coastie.

And thanks for the heads up on the Trader Joe's Wine. You are talking my price range now, friend. How would you describe that wine?

[KentuckyWildcat]

Can we have wine shipped to Kentucky now?

[VirginiaCat]

My wife will only drink Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio because she says it’s low in tannins. Of course it’s about $25 a bottle.

There are a lot of good Pinot Gris much cheaper than that and are as good or better. Not sure if you have a costco near you but they have several in the $10-$12 range. My wife is a Sauv Blanc girl. Marlborough because she likes the acidity.

[CitizenBBN]

Can we have wine shipped to Kentucky now?

Yes. there are still some restrictions I haven't fully read through, but it is opening up to ship wine and spirits into the state again.

It used to be legal, then the distributors lobbied in Frankfort to shut it down so they still had the monopoly. They weren't worried as much about you and me (some obviously in the long run), but restaurants were starting to order direct, and that got them going.

The shipper has to have a Ky license, which is $100 annually, so I assume small wineries wont' ship direct. Bigger online stores will, but small individual wineries I doubt many will. Though I would think they may join some kind of online group to do so in bulk.

nakedwines.com is one I have seen on google, but haven't checked out. I know they don't have one I'm looking for, and then I stopped messing with them for now.

[Catfan73]

There are a lot of good Pinot Gris much cheaper than that and are as good or better. Not sure if you have a costco near you but they have several in the $10-$12 range. My wife is a Sauv Blanc girl. Marlborough because she likes the acidity.

She’s a hard sell but I might have to give it a shot.

[Darrell KSR]

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/prod...iognier-069653. crisp, floral, phenomenally fruity white wine but not super sweet. It's my daily go to during the summer heat.

Thanks, sir. Will give it a try.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Yes. there are still some restrictions I haven't fully read through, but it is opening up to ship wine and spirits into the state again.

It used to be legal, then the distributors lobbied in Frankfort to shut it down so they still had the monopoly. They weren't worried as much about you and me (some obviously in the long run), but restaurants were starting to order direct, and that got them going.

The shipper has to have a Ky license, which is $100 annually, so I assume small wineries wont' ship direct. Bigger online stores will, but small individual wineries I doubt many will. Though I would think they may join some kind of online group to do so in bulk.

nakedwines.com is one I have seen on google, but haven't checked out. I know they don't have one I'm looking for, and then I stopped messing with them for now.

1) I had no idea it was ever legal

2) If you (or anyone) find good places that ship, please post

3) It is a little easier now that Muhlenberg is wet. Christian County has always been wet, but it would involve me driving across town after work to get her something. And I don't always have time for that.