Jan 19 2014
15 Comments
Sunday read

Sunday Read: What your beer says about your politics

I am posting this for two reasons: it generated quite some commentary and banter on my Facebook wall, and I have not seen it pop up elsewhere on blogs.

Reid Wilson of the GovBeat blog on the Washington Post had some help crunching the numbers of a National Media Research Planning and Placement survey regarding consumers in the US. While Wilson’s article focuses on beer, the graphic attached to the article actually shows wine and spirits as well, and that is what piqued my interest. The premise is that people in the survey indicated their political views and whether they voted. Since it was a consumer survey, they also reported their favorite kind of booze…and that is where it got interesting:

What’s your booze and politics chart (click for larger version)

This is my personal analysis: My favorite hard liquor is Gin (=Democrat, high turnout), my second favorite is Bourbon (=Republican, slightly less high turnout). While I drink Miller High Life at times (low turnout Democrat), my usual is Miller Lite (middle turnout Republican) – my go to, PBR, does not appear. Some of my favorite reds are Pinot noir (=just a little Republican, high turnout), but I also like Sauvignon blanc (insanely high Democratic turnout). Riesling does NOT even appear in the list. Looks like I’m quite the split personality.

Most of all, I am not surprised that Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay drinkers are all Republicans…that might say more about Republicans than anything else…you know where I stand on those two grapes…

Happy Sunday, and where do you stand?

Reid Wilson: What your beer says about your politics 

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Jan 13 2014
27 Comments
2011, Oregon, USA

2011 Argyle Pinot Noir

2011 Argyle Pinot Noir

2011 Argyle Pinot Noir

I ordered the 2011 Argyle Pinot Noir, the Oregon winery’s entry-level Pinot, last spring, and finally got around to tasting it. It has gotten quite the bad rap on Cellartracker with an average rating of 85.3 points, and some pretty scathing reviews, calling it boring, tart, disjointed, unbalanced etc.

I don’t know. This was my first wine from Argyle, but I remembered when ordering the bottle that my Pinot-nut buddy Jeff The Drunken Cyclist has a thing for the winery, the price was right (around $15), and so I ordered the bottle. I bet I should have let it sit for much longer, but yesterday was the night I opened it.

When I poured the wine, I was delighted because it had the right color. Some of you may remember that I tend to open American Pinots with a tad trepidation because I often find it hit or miss. When I open a Pinot Noir, I am looking for a light, brickish red color, not a Cabernet Sauvignon dark. So this was had just the right color for me. Sniffing the first swirls, I couldn’t help but be struck by how much it smelled of freshly pureed raspberries. It was a combination of this berry and quite noticeable acidic aromas that made for a very fresh initial impression. Then, some metallic aromas (rust) crept in, which was a bit weird. I liked the first 2/3s of the wine when I tried it: it was light-bodied, nicely fruity but with a quite strong acidity, again aromas of raspberries. The metallic notes persisted, but not too prominent. The finish was a tad bitter, and disappointing. Not much length there. Over the next hour or so, aromas of dark chocolate started to come to life and there were some herbal aromas coming in.

What’s the take on it? Definitely not a complex or outstanding wine, but also not bad. We’re talking about an entry level wine after all! The $15 seemed a bit high, but then again we are moving in Pinot Noir territory from Oregon, so prices are higher in general.

It did seem somewhat unbalanced with its strong acidity, but then again I am not really averse to higher acidity if it does not turn into vinegar. And this one did not taste vinegary to me. The aromas were good (loved those pureed raspberries), except for the weird metallic note. I think this is a decent drinker, not sure what to pair it with. Definitely would give it some time in the bottle, and also let it air for a while before you drink it. It pulled itself together after a while.

Final verdict? Decent and I welcomed the old world style. Check out the video fellow blogger Jeff of Stay Rad posted when he tasted the wine (which he seemed to like quite a bit!).

@Jeff The Drunken Cyclist: I could have thrown in that it is a mystery to me why some reviews on Cellartracker were so harsh, but that would be trying to cheat my way into the MWWC. Sorry I didn’t make the cut this time around…

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Jan 12 2014
18 Comments
Sunday read

Sunday Read: Your 2014 Resolution: Drink Adventurously

YES, YES, YES, drink adventurously, best motto ever for 2014….Eric Asimov nailed it once more.

Nina and I embarked on the Wine Century Quest about 2 years ago, and have since been drinking quite adventurously: crazy grapes, crazy countries and regions. It is so much fun to step outside of our comfort zone and try a wine that I would usually never even consider, or that would have simply slipped my radar. Being conscious of what we buy and drink is a first step at expanding our palates, and have adventures in wine. The cool thing with the Wine Century Club is that the journey just keeps going and going…we’re on route to our double membership now (200 grapes)

So, why don’t you download your application for the Wine Century Club here, and go on a journey of discovery and adventure, just in line with Eric Asimov’s motto for 2014! And he even provides some ideas where to start…so what’s stopping you?

Cheers!!

Eric Asimov: Drink Adventurously

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