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Honeytown · 06-07-2003, 08:39 PM,

Hi, I did an impulsive thing this evening...walked into a shop and looked around at the wines, saw one that looked interesting and bought it. I am sipping it now. I know nothing about wine and do not drink wine. I have spent the past half hour looking around online at wine sites and haven't found too much info on the wine I bought so thought I'd ask you. I will list what is on the label from top to bottom: 2001 Walnut Crest 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Rapel Valley". On the back it says it is a product of "B.V.S.E. Chile". Because I wouldn't know a good from a bad wine I am asking you what you think of this one? To me it tastes better after I swallow it, the taste hangs around awhile and tastes kind of woody or nutty. I kinda like it I think... even though at first it is harsh, kind of kicky or something but then mellows out after it's gone down. I was shocked it was from Chile. Oh and I paid $7.99 for it!(Didn't want to spend alot since I'm ignorant.) So was this a good or a bad wine??? I am curious about wines and want to learn. Thanks for your patience and any comments!

tandkvd · 06-07-2003, 10:07 PM,

Hi HT, and welcome to the board. I'm pretty new to wine as well, and this is the best site I have found for newbies. There is alot of good information here. I would sugest you use the search feature for topics of intrest.
That much said, I would sugest starting with some Spanish Temperillo based wines, if you like red wine.
I'm sure others have some more sugestions as well.

Thomas · 06-07-2003, 11:00 PM,

Honeytown, if you like a wine, what does it matter if someone else thinks it bad or good?

If your question has to do with how does the wine you have rate among the myriad other wines produced throughout the world, then you are forced to do some research and to learn a little more about the product. That research begins with tasting lots of different wines, reading some books about wine, discovering how wine pairs with food, and then determining what it is that you prefer.

No one (on this board or any other Web site) is in a position to tell you what is good or bad, only to opine on what our palates consider good or bad, and even then the words "good" and "bad" are weak.

The only really bad wine is one with technical flaws; the rest is a matter of opinion.

stevebody · 06-08-2003, 12:14 AM,

HT,

It feels as if what you're asking is if people here with more experience than you would say your Walnut Crest is "good" or not. Don't make that mistake right off the bat. As Foodie says, no one here is in a position to give you a definitive answer on that. But, more importantly, that answer is one that YOU'LL supply in time and THAT is a great deal of the fun of learning about wine.

As you go along, you'll find exploring wine is a really delicious and exhilirating succession of revelations. You will, if you keep trying new things, find a Cab you like more than the Walnut Crest. It will be an eye-opening experience and, if your journey is like mine and most people's with whom I've talked, you'll get fond of that sensation pretty quickly. Wine is completely about discovery. It is a hobby for the incurably curious and it offers a lot of short-term gratification that gradually evolves into lasting enjoyment. Sometimes, you'll find that you never have the urge to go back to one of your first wines and sometimes you'll revisit them eagerly, like visiting an old friend. I'm that way about Masciarelli Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, the first MD'A I ever drank and one that still offers a great deal of simple pleasure.

The best thing that ever happened to me was making friends with a guy at my local wine shop, very early in my learning curve. He zeroed in on my tastes quickly and learned to steer me to wines that I'd like, while stepping me up to better wines that offered a challenge to my tastes. Find a good local wine shop and be a steady customer. If it is a good shop, that sort of relationship will develop for you.

I envy you where you're at in your journey. It's a magical time. Enjoy it!

winoweenie · 06-08-2003, 07:30 AM,

Hi Honetrown and welcome to the board and the wide world of wine. The Chilean Cab you bought should be a nice red to break your palate and memory banks with. If you "think " you like the wine, mentally make notes about the particular components of the wine you like, and the ones you dislike. Then on your next 1000 bottles repeat the above. By then you'll have a vague idea of where to go in the wine shop. It's a marvelous journey. WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

Tyrrell · 06-09-2003, 09:58 AM,

I have a question

While I see the value in the posts that WW, Stevebody, and Foodie responded with, I am curious about why none of the three of you did not also give some information that pertained (albeit peripherally) to the question.

Would the descriptions of what other people tasted in this wine (such as descriptions of aromas, body, tannin, length, etc.) have been somehow harmful to the poster's development as a wine consumer? Or was it merely that none of you had the information on hand?

[This message has been edited by Tyrrell (edited 06-09-2003).]

Thomas · 06-09-2003, 10:14 AM,

Tyrell, this was the only question I read in Honeytown's post:
"So was this a good or a bad wine???"
It is the question I addressed.

As to description of the wine, Honeytown seems to have hit mainly on what that wine is like--nutty, woody, and lingering. I have nothing to add to that.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 06-09-2003).]

Tyrrell · 06-09-2003, 11:10 AM,

Thanks

winoweenie · 06-09-2003, 05:38 PM,

I also Tyrell told the poster that the Chilean wine purchased was IMHO a great starting point for the wine journey and if the poster liked the wine to file it. Did I miss something? WW

Tyrrell · 06-10-2003, 07:42 AM,

I guess I was expecting something along the lines of. "That wine has a fairly large amount of oak" or "that wine is heavier in body than most reds that you'll taste" (I'm not at all familiar with the specific wine I'm just making those examples up.)

After reading the original post again I realize that I had misunderstood the question.

I've got a question of my own now. (I'll open a new thread rather than hijacking this one.)

JagFarlane · 06-10-2003, 02:19 PM,

Hmmm, well I will admit to being a complete novice in the area of wines, but I think I may be able to offer some advice in regards to the Cabernet Sauvignon. First off, I'd recommend keeping a notebook of all the wines that you try out, with notes as to what sort of taste it supplied, and how you liked it. The Cabernet Sauvignon was relatively new in regards to Cabernets. Traditionally, its not supposed to be drunk until its aged about 8yrs or so, but us Americans are usually impatient in regards to aging a wine. That doesn't mean it won't be good, its just not fully matured yet. Also keep in mind that different areas tend to produce different tastes, even going so far as to which valley the grapes are grown from. The oak taste that you got was from the oak barrels that the wine is stored in before being bottled. I'd also keep in mind, that certain years can produce a really good, or really bad vintage. A good example of this, is when I was reading over Cabernets, ironically today, in California, '97 is supposed to be a terrific vintage, while '98 wasn't a very good year. But enough of that, what matters the most is, did you enjoy it? If so, note it down in the notebook and enjoy!

winoweenie · 06-10-2003, 06:06 PM,

Hi JagF and welcome to the board. Someone along the way has really mis-informed you regarding the ageability of todays wines. 90% or possibly even more of the wine made today is meant for IMMEDIATE consumption to appease the very impatient consumers. The producers in Chile make their Cabernets, Merlots, Chards etc to be drunk on release. The same is true of most of the wine you see in the supermarkets and wine shops. The wine at 8 years that the poster described would be iffy at best at 8 years even given the unusual event the consumer had good storage. WW

JagFarlane · 06-10-2003, 08:13 PM,

Hi WW and thank you for the welcome to the board! Mmmm yes I understand that, it could have just been reading too much information designed for people whom have the proper storage as well as the desire to own wines for a long period of time. Generally, wine doesn't last longer than 6 months here [yes, I know, long period of time compared to the rest of you, but my father tends to drink more along the lines of scotch or beer, granted he enjoys a good wine.] I thank you for the advice and currently am reading over the posts everyone has made to increase my knowledge. Hehe advantage of being just shy of 22, much to learn, much time to learn as much as I can! Life is good! hehe

JagFarlane · 06-10-2003, 09:10 PM,

One question though, if you don't mind my inquiring...was the rest of the information correct? I presume so, since you didn't note it, but always good to double check, eh?

Honeytown · 06-11-2003, 02:33 PM,

Many thanks to all who responded to my post. I guess, to clear up any fogginess (I guess I was rambling there) I was asking just two things: 1. Is this a good or a bad wine? and 2. What do you think of it. I did have more curiosity about the second question and should have left out the first one. As Foodie pointed out, who cares if it's good or bad if I like it!
Anyway, all of your comments were welcome and I have made notes about this first bottle of wine and look forward to trying out something else in the near future.
Thank you!

lizardbrains · 06-11-2003, 11:12 PM,

Honeytown,

I'm learning about wines, too, and let me recommend what has really helped me! Start out with one type of wine (ie: Cab. Sauv.), and try all different brands of it. You will then be able to taste what a Cab. Sauv. tastes like, and how the different wineries differ. You'll get a strong idea of what Cab. Sauv. tastes like, so then when you move on to your next type (ie: Merlot), you'll be able to taste the differences between a Merlot and a Cab.

That really helped me. I started with White Zin. I tried Beringer, and then Sutter Home, and all the other cheaper kinds. That helped me realize "Aaahh, THAT's what a White Zin is all about." So, now, when I buy a more expensive White Zin, I already know what a White Zin tastes like, so I just have to decide if I like that winery's version of it! Then I don't feel like I've wasted my money by batting at a pinata while blindfolded! At least I've got my blindfold off!

-Elizabeth

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