General Rantings

[dananne]

Jumping in on the cellaring issue, that's one of the things I like about many Spanish producers, particularly in Rioja, where they release aged wines that are ready to go. Of course, one may still choose to sit on, say, a '94 Gran Reserva, but you have not had to store it while it's taken up valuable space in your cellar for the past 10 years.

Sometimes it's hard to bridge that "gap" in my cellar between bottles that need aging (for example, CdP from '98 - '00, etc.) and the "everyday drinkers" that you don't need to feel guilty popping just because it's Tuesday night and your significant other isn't drinking.

On terroir -- I don't look for it or really care when I'm popping a Three Thieves jug wine or Big House Red, but it's something I certainly like to see if I pop, say, an aged Beaucastel or even a good Willamette Pinot. That having been said, I think a wine can taste great to me without seeing a whole lot of terroir. A Numanthia doesn't express the essence of Toro the same way a Murrieta does Rioja, but I still find a lot to like in both.