I was visiting a friend in California who has a sizable wine cellar (a few hundred bottles of wine). The couple took strong positions on wine--one says French Wine is the best and the other said California is the best. It was interesting as I had both. But, I realize there are different opinions on this. Any strong opinions on which is the best?

Some things cannot be answered, such as- "which is better Pat's or Geno's?"

I think we have the best whine right here in California.

Follow up thought....

Have your friend start pulling corks and see for yourselves!

Cheers!

If you like great wine, then Calif may be better. The wineries in Calif go to great lengths to ensure good grapes and good wine...which pisses off the French purists.

If you are a purist like the French, meaning make the best wine you can w/o irrigation...meaning with what God gives, you then French wines would be considered better.

guess what? Here are other areas that have good wine:
Colorado
Arizona
Michigan
New York
Oregon
Washington
Argentina
Chile
Australia



I am not a purist. Go out and enjoy..

We have some good ones here in New Mexico as well.

Good to know. I have never been to new Mexico, but will try the wine if I ever make there...along w/the chili verde

Plus a mild climate in some of these areas that contributes to wine production.


There's a local winery, Wines of the San Juan, that I'm awfully fond of and love their Sweet Cherry Pie variety. The Pistachio Blush from another winery south of the Corners is bizarre, though, and I can't imagine anyone who would like it.

Watch the movie Bottle Shock. It's based on the 1976 wine competition known as the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2016 12:42AM by wine country girl.

I remember Alan Rickman's line, when he said, "I'm not an ass. I'm just British."

Uhm, Italian.

The French got all caught up in being French (the best) that they forgot their roots.

Italians on the other hand relish their roots. For diversity there isn't a better place to be than in Italy. You can have different varieties just 20 kilometers apart. Italians have over 300 varieties of grapes. Compared to Italian, French is just boring. A delicious boring but still boring.

California just understands the market. They are trying to sell wine not art (French) or pride (Italian).

Italian wines are good. I am very much into those right now. Italian wines seem to have a very slight hint of sweetness w/o being being overly sweet. very good too

A wonderful book on the culture of wine is "Billionaire's Vinegar" the true story of the most expensive bottle of wine bought at auction (thought to be a Rothschild owned one time by Thomas Jefferson). The billionaire? Steve Forbes. The vinegar? The bottle had an air leak and was exposed to heat and light under a display lamp!

The debauchery that wine culture, vintners, and auctioneers practice will leave you speechless!

French and Italian all the way. Drink two bottles,then ask god--with real intent--if the wine is good.

Oh, sure -- but does the burning in your bosom afterwards come from god or the wine? And does it depend on what country the wine came from??? :)

I'm with csuprovograd -- open a few and decide for yourself. What YOU like might not conform to what any purist says...

I have actually had many glasses of each. I prefer California wine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2016 08:02PM by sam.

How about the wine I make in my kitchen?

I am rather fond of inexpensive Australian and New Zealand wine, myself. And right now I'm drinking a Washington merlot which is pretty tasty.

Drink what you like, I say, and enjoy.

I second wine from southern hemisphere, but of northern hemisphere wine, californian is best, imho.

I'm still working on that answer. In the meantime, I love to go to wine tastings. California, Oregon, Washington, and wherever else I may be. IMO, they all have some pretty amazing wine. I don't know why anyone would limit themselves to just one tiny spot on the world map.

Tonight it's a Washington wine from Dunham Cellar's Three Legged Red.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2016 08:29PM by madalice.

My experience with French wines is that they need to be aged longer before opening and drinking them. California wines can be enjoyed right when you buy it, although I do like to allow any red wine to breathe for a while before drinking. Other states that produce wines I like are Oregon, Washington, and New York.

I also like Australian, New Zealand, and Chilean wines as well, as wines aren't limited to Europe or North America where quality is concerned.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2016 08:30PM by adoylelb.

It very much depends on what you like in a wine. California wines tend to be fruitier. And there are only a few varietals that are generally used. There isn't the tradition of mixing them like there is in France, although that's changing. I think they're far pricier than European wines and so I don't believe they're a good value.

French wines tend to be quite different depending on the region. I have a preference for the Cabernet Franc grape and like it's woodsy, truffly taste you can't find in a California wine.

I also like Spanish wines and you can find them at bargain prices for very well made wines. They tend to be able to be drunk earlier too, which is a good thing. And they often will last on the counter opened for a few days.

I find Australian, Chilean and New Zealand wines to be too sweet and fruity for my taste.

Italian wines are likewise well priced and depend on the varietal.

Taste is where it's at. We drink wine from everywhere including Canada.

Both, but I prefer California. Lots of varieties here, and lots of opportunity for wine tasting and visiting vineyards.

But I don't limit myself, love all west coast wine, Chateau St Michelle in Washington is one of my favourites. Shiraz from Australia, deep reds from Portugal, and if I still was into Riesling, Germany is the best place in the world for it.

hmmm, this thread makes me want to look for something special for the weekend...

Have you tried the Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling? You just might like it, I know I do.

Of course I'm sure that we're all in agreement that mixing equal parts 7-up and any wine makes for perfection!!

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of course I'm sure that we're all in agreement
> that mixing equal parts 7-up and any wine makes
> for perfection!!

Don't forget to drop in a couple of sugar cubes!!!

That makes me want to say "Oh dear Jesus!"

Maybe that's how he turned water to wine. Some water and some 7up with a couple sugar cubes and there you have it. Vino!

Take it with a grain of salt. Many studies over the years show that even "experienced wine tasters" can't tell the difference between expensive and cheap wines, even grading samples from the same bottle of wine very differently during the same testing session. This whole wine tasting / reviewing industry looks to be no more based in reality than homeopathy is-- regardless of what the regional partisans on this board tell you.

This guardian article will start you out:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/23/wine-tasting-junk-science-analysis

the wine snobs hate me because I drink wine that comes in cardboard boxes.

I find the box stops the wine reacting with air and the wine lasts longer (I did not ever finish off the box in one go) without souring.

I like soda water in my wine - helps replace electrolytes lost throught alcohol consumption and helps prevent hangover.

How about Liberal Whine. That seems to get a lot of action.

define liberal

Define "define."

I live in California, and I love California wine.
I lived in France as a missionary, so I never tasted French (or any other) wine then. But I went back many times and DID drink French wine, and I love French wine, too.

Help!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2016 12:58AM by PapaKen.

I am a backyard vintner in Northern California and the advantage that California wineries have is that Northern California has cold winters (cold enough to make the vines hibernate) while having an extremely long growing season during the summer. Wine-makers like to give the grapes a long hang time (on the vine) because the longer they hang the more sugar they make. Grape sugar amount is measured in a unit called "Brix" and it is possible to get brix in the 30's in Northern California (normal is 25) so when the wine ferments it will create more alcohol. To estimate the final alcohol percentage after fermentation simply divide the brix reading by 2.

California wines are known for being bigger and bolder than the European wines for this reason. This is almost always the case. If you want a huge wine that will pair well with your rich steak then pick a California wine. If you want something lighter then go for the European wines.

You may think that an alcohol of 12% would not be that much different than an alcohol of 14% but there is a HUGE difference between the two. Look carefully at the bottle and find the percent of alcohol. if it is higher than 13.5% then it will be a big, jammy, fruit-forward wine. If it is less than 12.5% it will be much lighter and more subtle.

Go forth and drink wine!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2016 01:08AM by praydude.

Italian.

Although I haven't drunk any wine since 2002, I did a lot of over-enthusiastic tasting in the years preceding that, including Australian, Chilean, Californian, Italian, Spanish and, of course, lots of French.

All wines are (and should be) different. There's enough room in the universe for all tastes. Some like strong wine (praydude), some like it less alcoholic (my wife).

Why should there be a "One True Wine"? The variety of wine is what makes it fascinating in this world of standardization and mass production.

Tom in Paris



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2016 07:12AM by Soft Machine.

Not French wine. Not California wine. Especially not South African wine (Pfui! Disgusting stuff.)

Red wines from Yakima, Washington, are the ticket, especially Malbec from Gilbert Winery.

Or, if you insist, Italian wines, especially nero d'avola from Sicily. Man, that stuff's good.

If you're truly a wine connoisseur and can therefore actually tell the difference between French and California wines, then you were either born with the innate ability to tell the difference, or you learned to do so through a structured learning process. Neither situation is likely.

So go to Trader Joe's and buy a case of relatively inexpensive wines from just about everywhere. Forget the about the wine wars, decide for yourself what you really like, shed your Mormon guilt, and enjoy the amazing table spread before you!

"Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death." --Auntie Mame

Best wine deal at Trader Joe's (IMHO)...the "La Finca" Tempranillo. It is in the Spanish wine section. Usually around $6/bottle. Great goto table wine.

An interesting irony is that perhaps there would be no French wine if it were not for American grape vines. Some time in the past French vineyards were devastated by disease and only saved by the huge importation of disease free American vines and grafts.

The New World gave many, many gifts to the Old World!

As to the question: French Wine or California Wine?

My answer: A resounding YES!

Umm...the disease was Phylloxera and it originated in the U.S.

This parasite was the reason why it was very hard to initially establish European vines on American soil. Only a few varietals survived of the hundreds that were tested. Zinfandel was one of the first major wine varietals that survived in the U.S. Once phylloxera-resistant rootstocks were developed hundreds of other vine species were grafted enabling the wine industry to flourish in the U.S.

Unfortunately for Europe, the parasite migrated across the pond and wiped out an entire continent's wine industry. During this time in Europe other products were produced to fill the void of no wine, most notably Absinthe and Scotch.

Wine makes me nauseous and I'd much rather drink vodka or beer, but my friends that drink wine frequently tell me that Californian wine is pretty good (they're all Californians too, though, so I assume they're a bit biased).

I used to like wine coolers a lot. They're wine mixed with something like ginger ale or 7 up or something. You can get them in different flavors. Of course, true wine lovers hate wine coolers. They also hate my favorite wine, which is Sangria. I don't know nor do I care where it is made, so long as it is red and fruity. It's the best when you have been skinny dipping in a friend's pool in Florida, and it's midnight and you climb out of the pool and there's a breeze from the Gulf, chilling your wet skin, so you wrap up in a big warm towel or bath sheet and break open the Sangria and cheese and crackers and put on some slow jazz music or maybe some opera arias or any music you love that has the power to make you weep. (sigh) Just saying.

I love making sangria! I find that starting out with a Huge red wine helps. Go to Trader Joes and find a super big and jammy Zin and go from there. By the time you add all of the fruit and juices that water the wine down, you will be glad you started off with a big red to balance the whole thing out. It takes less Brandy in the end.

Regardless of which wine we choose we should share it with friends and family.

Except tawny port, of course. If I have a bottle of tawny port it's MINE.

I sincerely believe that it is a sin to drink port without having a square of chocolate.