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Originally posted by Red92784:
Wow NAPA makes wine now???  
I hope you weren't serious about that question. Yes, Napa Valley has been making wine for YEARS now. We used to live near there and would drive through constantly, checking out the vineyards and stuff. Napa, Sonoma, and Calistoga are the big wine areas in Nothern California, and are world wide famous for their wines.
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Well one thing you should know is what size bottles are wine is sold in.
So here you go
"In Bottle Sizes...Bigger is Better
There are 13 different bottle sizes available out there, for all you wine enthusiasts who love to show up at a party with a BIG bottle. Those larger format bottles do make a major impression when you clunk it down on the table during a get together, and ask, "who wants to open it". Usually no takers, and you get to perform the opening ceremony yourself.
The larger sized bottles are produced in less quantity than the standard size bottle, and are always worth more than just double the price of the regular size bottle. Champagne is one of the usual suspects when it comes to using a larger bottle.
Below is a list of the 13 sizes.
SPLIT- Made only for Sparkling Wine. The187 ml. Size is equal to a quarter of a standard bottle.
HALF-BOTTLE- Half a standard size bottle. 375 ml. This size lost it popularity for a while, but it looks like many wineries are bringing it back.
BOTTLE- You know this one. Standard sized bottle. 750 ml.
MAGNUM- Equal to 2 standard bottles. 1.5 liters. The magnum is a double sized bottle (1.5 liters) and is one of the best selling sized bottles for Champagne. Many California Cabernet Sauvignons, Red Bordeaux, and Red Burgundies are produced and highly collected in these larger formats. It is a great way to buy wine for the cellar, if you can find the bottles you want. Most fine wine stores will have a good selection of magnums and larger, sometimes much larger.
DOUBLE MAGNUM- Equal to 4 standard bottles. 3 liters.
JEROBOAM- This is what the folks of Champagne and Burgundy call their 3 liter bottles. Equal to 4 standard bottles, of course.
REHOBOAM- About 4.5 liters. Equal to 6 standard bottles.
IMPERIAL- Equal to 8 standard bottles. 6 liters.
METHUSALEM- This is what they call an "Imperial" in Champagne and Burgundy.
SALMANAZER- This one is a case of wine all shoved into one bottle. About 9 liters or 12 standard bottles.
BALTHAZAR- Equal to 16 standard bottles. 12 liters. (this is the name I wanted to name my son, but my wife wouldn't let me).
NEBUCHADNEZZAR- Depending on the country of origin this size will be from 16 to 20 standard bottles. 12 to 16 liters. SOVERIGN- Now this is a lot of juice. 67 standard bottles or 50 liters."
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Forgot a few things on storage:
Some sort of rack is a must, as you want the bottles stored just a few degrees below horizontal (so the corks stay wet).
Store out of direct sunlight.
Perhaps the most important aspect is TEMPERATURE CONTROL. Large temperature fluctuations on the hot side will ruin wine.
A cool and moderately dry place (like a basement) is where you want them, unless you've got rock steady temperature in your kitcken where you can place a small rack on the cabinet.
JaTo
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Smurfette
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Originally posted by Renee:
Originally posted by Red92784:
Wow NAPA makes wine now???
I hope you weren't serious about that question.
it was a joke
he was referring to NAPA the auto parts store.
don't drink red wine ice cold. It tastes horrible.
I've made the mistake of doing that to red wines because I'm so used to drinking chilled white zinfandel.
I still have a hard time with reds, but this thread has proven to be quite helpful. I am going to try to take some of the advice and expand my tastes.
Nothing can stop my lust for the Rosato wine at the Olive Garden though 
Kim
1995 Contour GL
Needs less "needs more"
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I have no life
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I have no life
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Originally posted by Renee:
Originally posted by Red92784:
Wow NAPA makes wine now???
I hope you weren't serious about that question. Yes, Napa Valley has been making wine for YEARS now. We used to live near there and would drive through constantly, checking out the vineyards and stuff. Napa, Sonoma, and Calistoga are the big wine areas in Nothern California, and are world wide famous for their wines.
Why most women don't belong on car forums.
-'96 SE MTX 3L
-'98 SVT 1,173 of 6,535
-'05 Mazda 6s, loaded, g/f's ride
-Need a 96-00 manual on CD? PM or email me
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Originally posted by JaTo:
Forgot a few things on storage:
Some sort of rack is a must, as you want the bottles stored just a few degrees below horizontal (so the corks stay wet).
Store out of direct sunlight.
Perhaps the most important aspect is TEMPERATURE CONTROL. Large temperature fluctuations on the hot side will ruin wine.
A cool and moderately dry place (like a basement) is where you want them, unless you've got rock steady temperature in your kitcken where you can place a small rack on the cabinet.
I find if I leave my box of Wal-Mart "Sam's Blend" wine upside down in my Tour during the heat of the day it make it more palatable by increasing the sugar levels and giving it than cardboard aftertaste  It makes it pour easily throught the pop out spout when it is 120 degrees and has the floral bouquet of burnt violets  ......beer me!
"Eagles may soar high, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."
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Originally posted by frenchblueC2:
Originally posted by Renee:
Originally posted by Red92784:
Wow NAPA makes wine now???
I hope you weren't serious about that question.
it was a joke
he was referring to NAPA the auto parts store.
don't drink red wine ice cold. It tastes horrible.
I've made the mistake of doing that to red wines because I'm so used to drinking chilled white zinfandel.
I still have a hard time with reds, but this thread has proven to be quite helpful. I am going to try to take some of the advice and expand my tastes.
Nothing can stop my lust for the Rosato wine at the Olive Garden though
You should try a few German wines. Check out a nice Rhinehessen Spatlese about 4 years old for a super smooth, rich flavor. There are many nice ones like Oppenheimer Krotenbrunen available for a very good price. The alcohol content of the German wines is typically low - around 9%, and that can be a benefit too. German wines, IMHO, go much better with food than ANY other kind. This was proven in a huge wine tasting at Disney World back when I worked for the Olando Wine Exchange. The margin was something like 4 to 1 over any other type of wine. ENJOY!
This brings me to make a few comments on the subject. All these posts & I have not hear anybody talk about the age of the wine. That is probably the biggest influence on wine that there is! Take a 10 year old cheap $10 Cabernet & taste it next to a 2 year old $40 Cebernet & most people will prefer the cheap wine because it has had time to mature and become smooth & "drinkable". Drinking a wine too young just takes a lot from the enjoyment IMHO because the wine is still grassy or acidic.
So, you ask, "Who the hell are you to be shooting your mouth off?!!". I was a wine consultant here in Florida for over 10 years, I did some importing for the Olando Wine Exchange wholesalers/importers, and I am a Sommelier which is a certified, registered expert in wine.
Pick your dry white wines from those that are typically 4 to 6 years old & you should always be happy with it.
Pick your red wines from those that are at least 6 years old & they'll typically be nicely aged.
Cabernets are typically most stout of the popular varietals. They have bold, strong flavor & take longer to age. These are suggested only with the richest foods with powerful, concentrated sauces.
Merlot are a bit more subtle, but still have a rich flavor & will usually be a little smoother. This is a varietal that I would generally suggest for beef & lamb.
Pinot Noir is one I like to have all by itself. They will usually have a nice velvety smooth finish and many very subtle 'layers' of flavor. I generally don't drink it with food because the pinot noir just doesn't seem to mix well with foods.
If you start with a bottle of any of the reds chilled in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, you can pick up the many different flavers easier as the wine warms up in your glass. Each sip will be a little different by bringing in more oak or berries or a softer finish, and the smoothness of the aged wine will become more & more apparent as the minutes tick by.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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Neat! I'll pick up a Pinot Noir or two today and tell you all what I think.
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Be sure to wear your pink shirt in case you dribble Chile has produced some outstanding Cabs lately and they are pretty reasonable.Get a copy of The Wine Spectator and find out how the wines rate. (Leave a copy on your coffee table to impress the babes)
"Eagles may soar high, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."
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Originally posted by todras:
Originally posted by Renee:
Originally posted by Red92784:
Wow NAPA makes wine now???
I hope you weren't serious about that question. Yes, Napa Valley has been making wine for YEARS now. We used to live near there and would drive through constantly, checking out the vineyards and stuff. Napa, Sonoma, and Calistoga are the big wine areas in Nothern California, and are world wide famous for their wines.
Why most women don't belong on car forums.
for me, yes, I guess I should automatically think AUTO PARTS on a thread about wine. Guess that's why I am not a guy.
2004 Ford Freestar V6
Boogity Boogity Boogity, Let's go racin Boys!
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