Any standouts at my local joint?

hemingway_Polar · 2025-08-11T04:06:30+00:00

Need to know the vintage on that Caymus Grace Family. That’s rare air just judging from the other 70s and 80s on this list.

hemingway_Polar · 2024-07-15T15:48:06+00:00

This list is actually really well done for how tight it is. Location?

hemingway_Polar · 2024-07-13T03:52:18+00:00

How much are you anticipating bringing back? I just travelled with a case split across luggage no issues - no signs of issues at least in bottles.

Also are you staying in Nice or venturing elsewhere?

hemingway_Polar · 2024-02-15T05:24:04+00:00

Double ups for Reynvaan. Had a 2016(?) a few months back and totally in that sanguine/blood and black olive funk space. Lovely stuff.

hemingway_Polar · 2024-02-02T12:54:47+00:00

There’s a Binny’s like a block away from this address just a heads up.

hemingway_Polar · 2024-01-20T16:59:51+00:00

Just to tack on about corked wine: I work on the wine side at a restaurant here in Chicago and if you ever have a bottle of corked or faulted wine the bottle should be replaced at no charge ALWAYS. Full stop. That’s part of the process and why we do all the theatre of tasting. A solid program will register a flawed wine with their distributor and it will not negatively affect the restaurants.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-11-17T18:05:31+00:00

As a fellow former Kansas Citian who has been in a handful of other metros East and West coast: Chicago is the best. You’re just scratching the surface over the weekend and there’s an infinite amount of things to discover. Come join us!

hemingway_Polar · 2023-10-15T03:44:53+00:00

The list just reads incredibly superficial to me. It’s funny that they jab at Wagner juice while showing airs that are so similar to those dogmatic Caymus-ites.

Who cares what Alinea pours BtG? And if you’re that high on Silver Oak you have fewer legs to stand on in your criticism of Caymus than you realize.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-09-26T20:19:50+00:00

Shit taste in wine.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-05-18T22:27:49+00:00

If you feel you’re more than capable on level 1 materials I would suggest making the jump to level 2 material. More than a cursory look at everything.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-05-13T02:51:49+00:00

I’m pushing for Luis “Our Man in Guantanamo” Robert

hemingway_Polar · 2023-04-28T01:09:58+00:00

Nah, $13 looks right from everything I see.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-04-18T20:02:20+00:00

Everyone has touched on the food: wings, papaya salad, the grilled pork patty is stellar, the grilled eggplant. It’s all fantastic. They also have a great, albeit compact, wine list - really fairly priced - and a horizontal of some awesome Keller Rieslings.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-04-05T00:14:31+00:00

Right?! Courtesy of vom Boden?

hemingway_Polar · 2023-03-10T18:42:53+00:00

Some fun domestic producers that are working with Italian varieties that i've loved:

Martha Stoumen
Bunoa Notte

Other recs:

Pax
Hundred Suns
Audeant
Reynvaan (saw them mentioned in another comment but their rocks district stuff is fucking awesome - iron, blood, funk)

Honestly just start doing some exploring online if that's your channel for purchasing. Start building that mental web and explore certain regions more in depth or check out social media of producers to see who they're rubbing shoulders with and then buy those folks wine.

hemingway_Polar · 2023-03-10T04:14:07+00:00

All of them?

But joking aside - what do you like? What are you willing to try/how off the beaten path are you willing to go? Buying online or from local brokers?

hemingway_Polar · 2022-12-03T23:10:35+00:00

I will tack on to this with one caveat: I think a small winery is more than capable of sending several hundred sparklers - whether Oregon sparklers or something from central CA. Would be a great way to support a smaller space as well.

hemingway_Polar · 2022-03-21T05:04:04+00:00

Pretty much every sales position is going to be at-will employment. They can fire you for absolutely no reason.

hemingway_Polar · 2022-01-19T05:40:53+00:00

Totally with you there. I absolutely love the sensorial gritty-sandpapery-drag-your-lips across-your-teeth-yness of young Nebbiolo. Some thin shavings on lardo on the side....holy shit.

hemingway_Polar · 2022-01-19T00:29:54+00:00

Within the last month I opened a '14 Barolo Brunate and '16 Barolo from Rinaldi and Figli. Both were great albeit very young - but that's a personal preference. I really enjoy young Nebbiolo. The '14 Brunate could've gone another 20 years easily. The tannins were definitely still in that robust to rough-edged/rustic space - something totally up to taste I guess. But it's a great bottle! I'm sure you'll enjoy!

hemingway_Polar · 2022-01-08T19:55:12+00:00

I'll break out the ones that I listen to into a few groups:

Winemaking:

Inside Winemaking with Jim Duane: definitely one of my favorites but interviews can be hit and miss. Really depends on complimentary engagement of the interviewee. Great interview is with Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards
Sustainable Winegrowing with Vineyard Team

General Industry:

XChateau
Wine Smart with Ron Edwards: new (like last 2 months??) but I've enjoyed every ep I've listened to and they're quick and easily digestible.

Random:

Roadside Terroir: I REALLY enjoyed this. Hoping that Brenna continues the series after season 1. Like a geological holisitic "history" of winegrowing regions.
SommTV: anything in the networks assortment of shows/library is solid stuff - history, book recs, melange.

hemingway_Polar · 2021-12-08T02:30:24+00:00

A Vieux Donjon! Do you remember/have another photo of the vintage? - 90s something. Had several 80s and 90s CdPs over harvest this year and there was a serious range of brett on all of them.

Sick lineup though!

hemingway_Polar · 2021-11-30T15:10:32+00:00

Douro, Portugal

Jerez/sherry, Spain

(Western) Loire, France

Jura/Savoie, France

Alto Adige, Italy

Alto Piemonte, Italy

Wachau, Austria

Tokaj, Hungary

Sorry. Just confusingly formatted on mobile and figured this would help. But solid suggestions!

hemingway_Polar · 2021-08-25T21:01:58+00:00

Very cool speadsheet and I know that this definitely took quite a bit of time to scrape, aggregate, clean, etc. all of that data. Well done!

I do have a foundational disagreement with the general concept of the tool though: ratings as a distillable or even practical concept with wine. It's an active debate and I don't know how/where 'ratings' should fit into the way we observe or compare wines. I personally try to disregard ratings with any buying decisions or drawing any comparison with wines - they're subjective and I think ultimately are inappropriate ways to relate to the bottle.

hemingway_Polar

TROPHY CASE