Category Archives: Wine

Wine collecting and tasting

AMI Zoom Wine Group Graduation

An In-Person Tasting of Old and Rare Wines # Vintage Wine Locale Value Rating Bordeaux 1 2010 Château Pontet-Canet France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac $224 95 2 2005 Château Lascombes France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux $101 92 3 1995 Dominus Estate Napanook … Continue reading

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Zoom Wine Tasting Videos

(I only recorded sessions where someone couldn’t attend, so this is only about half of them.) 11/2/2020 Vistamar and Crown Point 11/16/2020 McManus and Roblar Petite Sirahs 11/18/2020 Evans Ranch Pinot Noir 2005 and Crozes-Hermitage 2/1/2021 Beckmen and Mollydooker 2/24/2021 … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Monday Part 6

Mondays, beginning September 20 (except October 11) at 6:30pm AaronAlanDaniHunter & KaylaJim & KathyLoren & LarryLorraineMartinMichael & AuroraMike & SusanMindy & NicSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become increasingly complex and full-bodied. Please put the week’s … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesday Part 6

AaronAlanAlex & LorettaDani & TrishHunter & KaylaLianaLoren & LarryMartinMike & SusanRachel & ChristinaScottSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become increasingly complex and full-bodied. Please put the week’s white in your fridge at least 24 hours in … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Monday Part 5

An eclectic selection of worldwide regions and varietals for the adventurous palate. AlanDani & TrishJim & KathyHunter & KaylaJoeLianaLoren & LarryMartinMindy & NickMike & SusanRachel & ChristinaSteve May 10 Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne 14.99 https://casemates.com/deals/stolpman-vineyards-roussanne May 17 Paolo Scavino Sorriso 13.04 … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesday Part 5

AaronAlanAlexDaniJimHunterJoeLianaLorenMikeScottSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become increasingly complex and full-bodied. Please put the week’s white in your fridge at least 24 hours in advance. I suggest opening the reds at noon and pouring a glass … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Monday Part 4 – Steele

This is a chance to try all the common (and some uncommon) varietals from a single producer who makes excellent wines with a light touch, so the varietal characteristics will come through very clearly. Retail on these wines was $238. … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesday Part 4

AaronAlanAlexDaniJimHunterJoeLianaLorenMikeScottSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become increasingly complex and full-bodied. Please put the week’s white in your fridge at least 24 hours in advance. I suggest opening the reds at noon and pouring a glass … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Monday Part 3

Since we can’t come to the wine, the wine will have to come to us. Starting November 23, every week we’ll meet on Zoom and chat about the wines. AlanGusHunterJimJoeMartinLianaLorenMikeSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesday Part 3

Since we can’t come to the wine, the wine will have to come to us. Starting October 7, every week we’ll meet on Zoom and chat about the wines. AaronAlanAlexDaniJimHunterJoeLianaLorenMikeScottSteve I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Monday Part 2

Alan Hunter Jim Joe Liana Loren Mike Steve August 31 Saladini Pilastri PecorinoSteve’s Selection$9.75  https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/pecorino/saladini-pilastri-pecorino/p/106929750-1 September 7 Hermes Moschofilero MantiniaLiana’s Selection$12.68  https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/moschofilero-fileri/hermes-moschofilero-mantinia/p/2216750 September 14 Le Pre Vaujour Sancerre, 2018Steve’s (and Mike’s) Selection$19.51  https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/sauvignon-blanc/le-pre-vaujour-sancerre/p/172964750?s=920&igrules=true September 21 Nora AlbarinoMike’s Selection$17.56  https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/albarino/nora-albarino/p/59981750 September … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesday Part 2

Since we can’t come to the wine, the wine will have to come to us. Starting July 29, every week we’ll meet on Zoom and chat about the wines. I’ve tried to arrange the wines so that they become increasingly … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Mondays

Since we can’t come to the wine, the wine will have to come to us. Starting June 8, We’ll meet on Zoom and chat about the wines. AlanDaniHunterJimJoeLianaLorenMartinMikeSteve Please put the week’s white in your fridge at least 24 hours … Continue reading

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Online Wine Tasting – Wednesdays

Since we can’t come to the wine, the wine will have to come to us. Starting May 6, every week I’ll do an online tasting with bottles of wine in cases I’ve distributed to eleven friends: AlanAlexHunterJimJoeJustinLianaLorenMartinMikeScottSteve We’ll meet on … Continue reading

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Hong Kong’s Cat Cafe and Amber

Guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 4 We started our day with a leisurely breakfast upstairs and debated what we should do for the day. Yvonne warned us Sunday would be very crowded. Despite that, we briefly … Continue reading

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Not Corn

We’ve had the pleasure of dining at Oriole several times this year, and each time they knock it out of the park. Last night was no exception, with several new things including a wonderful kimchi and pork belly bite. But the … Continue reading

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Comprehensive Bordeaux Tasting: 1989/1990

Every year, in preparation for their annual Bordeaux auction, Hart Davis Hart hosts a comprehensive Bordeaux tasting that offers an opportunity to taste two different vintages of nearly all the first and second growth Bordeaux, side by side. This year’s vintages were particularly … Continue reading

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Dominus Dominates at V&A

  It had been quite a while since we’d been to the Chef’s Table at Victoria and Albert’s, because Disney changed the reservation process to favor hotel guests, so it was fun join Ron and Bev there for dinner and … Continue reading

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Summer Champagne Crush

This trip to Chicago was organized around two events, the first of which was the Hart David Hart Annual Summer Champagne Tasting. It was held at The Ivy, a popular wedding venue in River North. I guess the original intent was … Continue reading

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Delicious Disney at Golden Oak

For the first time in a long time we attended a Disney dining event, and it far surpassed our expectations. Usually these events tend to be rather corporate, and it’s been a long time since we felt like they were worth … Continue reading

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Another Kabooki Sushi Stunner

“I can’t believe we’re in Orlando.” That’s what Ron, Bev, Linda and I kept repeating throughout the ten-course omakase prepared last night by Chef Henry Moso. Yelp informed me it was my 30th visit. Out of perhaps 200 courses spread over … Continue reading

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Alcorn Tours Guide to Chicago

Refer to this map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OuwGVQUX3rFKMRJi_Vx3DWp_OKE&usp=sharing Geography Chicago is on the west shore of Lake Michigan. Much of the area along the lake is various parks, from Lincoln Park on the North to Millennium and Grant Parks on the south. The … Continue reading

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Burgs at Berns

Thanks to Ron for setting up a nice weekend including dinner at Berns and lunch at Restaurant BT. Ron worked with sommelier Brad Dixon to come up with some great wines at great prices. They were mostly selected from vintages … Continue reading

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Riedel Stemware Seminar

A few years ago Linda and I attended a Riedel stemware seminar while on a Celebrity cruise. The premise of the seminar was that different shaped glasses make wines taste different. We went in very skeptical but came out completely believers. … Continue reading

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Florida International Wine Competition 2016

This was my 25th year judging wines at the Florida State Fair International Wine Competition. It was a strange event this year. Now held before the fair begins, it’s always a bit creepy going to the abandoned fairground. Various factors, mostly … Continue reading

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Steve’s Birthday Food and Wine Festival

For my 60th birthday, everyone at Alcorn McBride got together and secretly planned a spectacular progressive lunch. Each person decorated their office to match one of my interests, and prepared one of my favorite foods. And Martin matched them all … Continue reading

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Sommelier Recommendations

Ron has received many recommendations of “off the radar” wines from Sommeliers, mostly in the New York restaurant scene, and decided to organize an event to try them out. He had the wines shipped in and organized a wonderful tasting … Continue reading

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Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando – Linda’s Road Trip Blog

I flew up to Chicago on Friday to spend some time with Steve and Dani. The weather is very strange this time of year – we had lunch outside yesterday and it went from very sunny to threatening to rain … Continue reading

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Linda’s Birthday at V&A

For Linda’s birthday we invited Ron and Bev to join us at Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian. We’ve been going to this restaurant every Christmas Eve for twenty years, and we should really try to get there more often, … Continue reading

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Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical

Ron organized this four decade tasting of one of California’s first great flagship wines. We met at Eddie V’s and began with three flights representing the 70s, 80s and the 90s/2000s. I was struck by the distinct stylistic difference between … Continue reading

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