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Crucial new discussions and the latest red hot Chianti pictures have been added to the FNCC facebook page. Hop over and check it out.

Friday April 2nd 2010

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Once more into the breach… We venture deep into the bowels of Critical Chianti Consumption, to offer up our humble opinions, emanating from the untrained taste buds (taste-icles if you will) of homosapious vino novicias.

We spend another Friday evening at Andrew’s kitchen table, again joined buy Jeff (from around the way) who “has some splainin to do”, as he has not become an official follower on either the Facebook or Blogspot pages. We will most likely consult our governing body, known only “The Order”. Consequences are usually quick and sever.

Dinner for this FNCC meeting was provided by momscasserole.com. Check out the website and order any or all of the offerings. We had the Lazy Lasagna, which was a culinary delight. It was enough to feed a family of four, a hearty and satisfying dinner, in about 30 minutes, without all the work. I’ve had several of the other dishes, on the menu, and I definitely suggest giving them a try, with special not to the Perogy (Midwest and east coast natives more likely to be familiar with that one).

Some of the evening conversation centered on the shows\cartoons we grew up watching. It’s pretty clear that many of these shows would no longer grace the airways. Some definitely lacked the tact and cultural complexity that many of us understand today. Take a moment and think about your childhood viewing. Characters such as; Fat Albert, Hong Kong Phooey, Speedy Gonzalez to name but a few (of course I’m aging myself) were after school and early Saturday morning viewing. It’s hard to believe but perhaps someday we’ll look back and feel bad about today’s assortment of cartoons. We’ve been making a mockery of sponges for at least ten years now. But the old theme song, you can’t beat’m.

To the wine cellar Robin…

San LeoninO
Chianti Classico 2006
$15.98 Bevmo

Initial Impressions:
"Rattles around in your mouth, then settles down nicely" -SP
“Warm, like the inside of a Tauntaun” and “easily imbibed and easily forgotten” -AP
“Tastes pretty good” and “It’s a funny looking girl” – JM

Descriptive terms:
Heavy, heavy handed, like a plastic umbrella, ludicrous, bunny rabbits, brown M & M’s

Character Comparisons:
Jack Sheppard (Lost)
Tori Spelling
Curious George
John Denver

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rates it with 3.27 corkscrew turns.
SP rates it with 2.91 corkscrew turns.
JM rates it with 3.5 corkscrew turns
OVER ALL RATING 3.22666666666666666667 corkscrew turns

Some closing thoughts on this Chianti: It seemed a “middle of the road” selection, yet evoked the “always something there to remind me” reaction to its consumption. If that doesn’t make any sense, don’t feel bad. I will just say that after going over the notes for this wine, the definite lack of cohesion made it impossible to have a strong recommendation one way or the other. I was struck by the utter lack of commitment, by any of the three of us. I know, shocking for a group of men to have an aversion to making some kind of commitment, but 2 out of 3 are very dedicated family men and the third does not have the level of influence on the others to create such ambiguity. So the old saying “it’s not you, it’s me” can be turned on its head. I definitely feel it was a problem with the Chianti and not the reviewers.
As always, we powered through the bottle, seeking any facet to sink our teeth into. What we came up with is; We did and would drink without trepidation, but would not make any decisive moves to consume again.

We will be taking a week sabbatical, to cleanse our pallets and free our minds. Be seeing you. Remember “any wine that does not kill you” clearly was not thrown directly at your head.




Gabbiano Reserva
Chianti Classico 2005
$16.99 Bevmo



Initial Impressions:
"A postal explosion of mediocre flavor" -SP
"The Parent Trap" – JM


Descriptive terms:
Open and honest, Dr. Evil’s head (smooth), a wool sweater worn on a foggy morning, cheese whiz and organic. (can’t say there’s much cohesion on this on either)


Character Comparisons:
Sade
Peter Parker
Jaime (from Get Smart) not the evenings conversation above.


Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rated it with 3.12 corkscrew turns.
SP rated it with 3.98 corkscrew turns.
JM rated it with 3.7 corkscrew turns.
OVER ALL RATING 3.00

In the final analysis, the Gabbiano Reserva Chianti Classico 2005 was labeled as “not a strong finisher”. It bursts onto your tongue, with a hint of enthusiasm, only to break your heart like so many before. Like the opening riff to Kenny Loggins song.

Friday March 26, 2010

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
The house that Andrew built, or that he at least pays rent for. Back to an old standby for dinner, couple Round Table Pizza pies. One was pepperoni and the other mushroom. Mmmm mmmm good! Our buddy Jeff from around the way came back to join us this time. He brought us a nice selection of Chianti, though he clearly hadn’t read our blog from the first night (see Friday January 8th 2010 Da Vinci 2007). We drank it anyway, because, why not?
A couple supporters joined early in the evening via the internets (a series of interconnected tubes that carries information around the planet). We also started a Facebook group page so please join that as well. Believe me, you will be missing out if you don’t.
Again, we were a bit relaxed on taking notes on these three wine, so if these entries feel a little thin. Please, contact the FNCC’s SWC office.
We would be criminally negligent in failing to mention the passing of an American icon and one of Simon’s all time heroes. RIP Corey Haim. Your work on ….. Will forever be…. Well rest in peace.

Oh wait; I really liked The Lost Boys, kinda.

On a more political note…
I will personally dedicate one class of wine to the passage of the health care reform bill.

Alright then, to the wines….



Nozzole
Reserva 2005
$23.70 Safeway


Initial Impressions:
"A bit like wet sawdust" -SP
“Nozzoletoff, I say” & “It feels like a solid left hook” -AP
“Flighty” – JM

Descriptive terms:
Ethiopia, cajone grande, Saturday morning pizza, the vultures are circling and bread with butter

Character Comparisons:
Manny Pacquiao
Sean Connery
Mickey Rourke (makes another appearance)



Ratings and Conclusions:
AP rates it with 3.00 corkscrew turns.
SP rates it with 3.25 corkscrew turns.
JM rates it with N\A
Overall rating - 3.125 corkscrew turns




Isole eOlena
Chianti Classico 2005
$18.99 Bevmo



Initial Impressions:
"Like swallowing a delicious silk scarf" -SP
"Not what I expected, especially the surprise ending" –AP


Descriptive terms:
Greasy but nice, wispy, round face with a flat bottom, elegant, melty and full figured


Character Comparisons:
Dean Martin
Sour Patch Kids
Brad Pitt
Corey Haim (it had to be done)


Ratings and Conclusions:
AP rated it with 4.75 corkscrew turns.
SP rated it with 4.5 corkscrew turns.
Overall rating - 4.625

Sooooo… yeah. There were three bottles this evening. Comments were minimal to non-existant. See you next time.

Friday March 12, 2010

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Casa de Pane with a random selection of music from a fairly well loaded Ipod (160 gig). Two bags of Kettle brand potato chips. Bag 1: A saucy little number infused with a taste of Asia. I give you: Spicy Thai flavor. Bag 2: A classic nod to the heyday of potato chips, with a little twist. Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.
We also had a special guest for the evening. He will be known as “Jeff, from around the way”. He is and intriguing fellow with strong ties to the San Jose area, a taste for wines of a more fruity nature (not meant as a personal description) and a vast knowledge of wine\music pairings. Not sure what his commitment to the FNCC will be. For now, he is a welcome guest and some of his thoughts and opinions will be included in our reviews.



Ecco Domani
Chianti 2007
$10.99 PW Market


Initial Impressions:
"Damit" -SP
"Thanks for the wine Simon (hear hint of sarcasm)” -AP
“Spit, don’t swallow” - JM

Descriptive terms:
Chemicals, what glue would taste like if it was decanted, rounded fat smell, real-bad, baseball glove leather and it suuuuuux….


Character Comparisons:
Carrot Top
George W. Bush
David Hasselhoff (drunk and eating a cheeseburger on the floor)
Simon Cowell



Ratings and Conclusions:
AP rates it with 1.00 corkscrew turns.
SP rates it with .50 corkscrew turns.
JM rates it with .52 corkscrew turns
OVER ALL RATING .6733333333333333333 corkscrew turns

One of our well trained staff walked away with the feeling that this wine was in some way surgically enhanced. It left the a bad taste in our mouths, like seeing a really bad hair plug job on someone you already don’t like or a botched collagen injection to the lips of a boss you don’t respect. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested that you keep this one away from children or any loved ones that you’d like to keep in your life.



Lamole Di Lamole
Chianti Classico 2006
$9.99 Trader Joe’s



Initial Impressions:
"A fine Nigerian Chianti" -SP
"I am at a loss for words after that swallow" –AP
“Here’s to swimmin with bow legged a woman” - JM

Descriptive terms:
Thin, flimsey, rusty, silly, candy, watered down, smooth with a bitter aftertaste and easily swallowed


Character Comparisons:
Pee-Wee Herman
O. J.’s alibi (yes it’s not true to form but don’t be so rigid)
Mickey Rourke


Ratings and Conclusions:
AP rated it with 2.75 corkscrew turns.
SP rated it with 2.75 corkscrew turns.
JM rated it with 3.10 corkscrew turns
OVER ALL RATING 2.86666666666666666667 (or something) corkscrew turns

We had very little to say about this one. It might have been because we were on our second bottle or the introduction of a new player at the table. The level of discourse both increases and devolves as you add glasses of wine and number of participants.

Friday February 26, 2010

*The FNCC begs the forgiveness of our loyal and morally rooted followers. There is but one Chianti reviewed this week, as one of the members (Simon) accidentally purchased a non-Chianti wine. He has been made to pay for his transgression in the manner any secret society, cult or quilting club would. The details, of said punishment shall remain confidential, as they are too gruesome for the general public to stomach. It suffices to say that, the victim... I mean transgressor is "missing parts".

Peppoli Chianti Classico
2006
BevMo $21.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house: Whole wheat pasta, with bell peppers, baby bella mushrooms and Italian sausage. Freshly cleaned kitchen and table, Bill Withers: Lean on Me, the Best of Bill Withers followed by The Buena Vista Social Club bumpin through the Ipod-docked clock radio. I know y’all gettin’ jealous. The evening evolved to the viewing of “Idiocracy”.
If you have not seen this movie, put it in your Que, rent it, or pirate a copy (just kidding FBI). It’s an informative, prequel-docu-comedy with a sagacious (look it up) glimpse forward. It’s Nostradamus meets Darwin meets Beavis and Butthead. See where we are headed if FOX News, tea baggers (yes there are multiple meanings) and the intellectual hating nut bags continue to dumb the masses down. Ok sorry bout that. That’s a different blog. Just see the movie it’ll make you laugh and quite possibly wet your pants. On to the Chianti…

Initial Impressions:
"Shuck it Trebek, shuck it long and shuck it hard" or
“I wanna leave this in my mouth longer than usual” –SP

"Hey Rockeee, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat… See, nuthin up my sleeeeve" or
“It’s nice, from top to bottom, front to back and side to side” -AP

Descriptive terms:
fruity, leathery, un-hurried, confident without arrogance, cucumber cool, game-changer, buttery, pitch perfect, nicely done and of the earth.

Character Comparisons:
Billy D. Williams (as Lando)
JFK (pre Texas trip)
Michael Corleone
Natalie Portman (in The Professional)


Overall Rating and Conclusions:

AP rating 4.75 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
I’ve given this the highest rating of all the Chianti’s we’ve tried. I do this a tad reluctantly. “Why”? you ask. To that I say, because as good as it was, it posed not challenge to my taste buds. and let’s face it, Chianti is nothing if not a challenge to drink. So the fact that this one was so good, I had hard time keeping it in the class: Chianti.

SP rating 4.00 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
I really liked it. But it’s not worth leaving your wife for.

An Explanation

The following five posts are the result of one nights work. The first open house was held some weeks ago at Andrews house. Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned and jalapeno poppers were eaten. I must also say that this was the night that I may have developed a strange allergy to jalapeno poppers, as the next day I awoke with a mysterious headache and sensitivity to noise and light. Fortunately I was able to stave off the reaction some hours later with some Advill and coffee. But, back to the explanation....

I will be the first to admit that Andrew was remiss in his duties as a record keeper. You can see as the evening progresses that he slipped from our stringent scientific method of descriptive discovery, into the blunt fumblings of incoherent nonsense. Ultimately of course this lead to disgrace. We have failed you loyal and beloved readers. But let me nobly say, you cannot just blame Andrew, in my own way, I too am at least 15% to responsible. This blog recounts that nights fateful events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent - except for one girl whose name I can remember anyway.

As I look back now I can clearly see how that much Chianti is seldom a good idea. Tommy (name changed) and Sha'quilla (name changed) had already arrived. I added by bottle of Reserva to Tommys Messera, Andrews Aceno and Sha'quillas D'aquino. The wines were decanted as tradition called, glasses poured and a toast made. It was all going to be so perfect. We were so innocent.

Perhaps is was heady Campbell atmosphere, or the balmy february evening, but when Sasha (name changed) showed up with Tiffany (might be her name, I can't remember - but it probably was something like that) no-one spoke up when they brought a bottle that was not Chianti!

I wish I could say I put up more opposition, but Sasha and Tiffany were very persuasive. "try it" they said "no one will know" they said. I flashed back to the motto I tried to live by instilled in me by my father: "Just say No, if it's not at least 75% San Giovesse". But it seemed so new and exciting. I had heard all the other cool bloggers were doing it so, how much could one glass hurt? I didn't want to seem "uncool" so i tried it. The shame.

Well, I am hear to tell you avid and captivated readers that Andrew fell from grace that day. I slipped a bit too. But like a phoenix from the flames we are determined to get back on track. The FNCC will reconvene and reestablish its core beliefs and principles. We will have another open night with a strictly enforced code of conduct and ethics. We will develop a stronger "anti non Chianti" curriculum that will be taught in all k-12 schools in the bay area. We will have a new positive and more catchy motto: "Don't be lazy: make it 75% San Giovesse!"

But most of all, devoted and hapless readers, we will return to our initial format that you can trust to bring you the best in Chianti reviews. Your wine is in good hands; and those good hands belong to the arms of Simon and Andrew. They are our hands. Mine and Andrews. With wine in.

It started innocently enough....

Chianti Classico Riserva

2006
Nob Hill $16.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house: A warm and welcoming home filled with the treasures collected from an eccentric lifetime of adventure and curiosity. He has an xbox and a big TV.

Initial Impressions:
"I am initially impressed" -SP
"I am at a loss for a good reason not to like it" -AP

Descriptive terms:
Heavy, fuller than other, like a fat clown.

Character Comparisons:
Bobo (the fat clown), Some other fat clowns.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rating 3.75 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
SP rating 4.25 corkscrew turns. (CST's)

You gotta love this bad boy. It'll put a pie in your face, squirt you with water and then kick you in the nuts. Then you'll ask for another glass.

It all gets fuzzy at this point

Chianti Classico Aceno
2005
Bevmo $16.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house; A mysterious lair, dark and foreboding but not without it's charms. Many is the poor wretch that was drawn in by the smell of pizza, only to be cast out more miserable than before because it had glimpsed what could have been. We also ate jalapeno poppers.

Initial Impressions:
"Daddy likey" -SP
"This is hardcore Chianti" -AP
"I would prefer you did not write anything down I say. Stop writing that down" -TC

Descriptive terms:
It is a bit bitey, A tongue warmer,

Character Comparisons:
A werewolf - but a tame one.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rating - Unknown
SP rating - Unknown

I did not write anything down which means it was either really good or really bad.

It starts to unravel..

Chianti Messere
2007
Bevmo $9.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house: A joyous and happy home. A place were a thousend photographs echo back to the happiness of yesterday. A place to hang your hat, rest your feet, and use the bathroom if you absolutly must.

Initial Impressions:
"It is heavy on my tongue" - SP
"Richer" - AP

Descriptive terms:
Also like boobies (See Chianti Di Vinci 1/8/2010)

Character Comparisons:
Unknown.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
Unknown.

A Complete Fiasco

Chianti D'aquino
2008
Trader Joes $4.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house: A silky den of infamy, filled with shadowy and shameless characters. Each of them, guardians of a thousand mysteries, keepers of a million dreams and some of them, quite drunk.

Initial Impressions:
"Not as bigger fiasco as i thought" -SP
"Use it as a marinade" -AP
"I didn't say it wouldn't taste like garbage..." -TC

Descriptive terms:
Happy go lucky, blissful in its naivety,

Character Comparisons:
Sweet Willy; The happy hobo.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rating 2.0 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
SP rating 2.25 corkscrew turns. (CST's)

It tasted like weak grape juice. It should get an honorable mention for being the our first Chianti served in the the traditional "basket bottle" (called a fiasco - hence my hilarious pun). Other than that, it was shite. Thanks for bringing this little gem TC.

A radical splinter group is formed.....

Villa Antinor -something
2006
Bevmo $20.20

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrews house; A huge imposing structure in the center Campbell. This mighty erection dominates the skyline, the dreaming spires of which can be seen as far away as Nova Scotia to the north, and Cape Town to the south. And it has a brown door.

Initial Impressions:
"Like melted chocolate wine" -SP
"Quatro Formagio" -AP

Descriptive terms:
Unknown.

Character Comparisons:
Unknown.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rating -Unknown.
SP rating -Unknown.

Unknown.

Open Meeting Friday February 5th

8PM till decanters are empty. Stay tuned for more info.

The oldest Chianti to date

Le Cinciole
Chianti Classico
2007
Bevmo $17.99

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house; Musical backdrop random mix including Foo Fighters & Dire Straights. Tortellini with bell peppers and mushroom made by Simon( !)

Initial Impressions:
"Like a silky velvet fist" -SP
"Ok, I know why I'm feeling this way... 14% alcohol by volume" -AP

Descriptive terms:
smokey, fully developed, like an elder statesman, easy like sunday morning and refined ruffness.

Character Comparisons:
Obe Wan Kenobi, Winston Churchhill, JFK and Aretha Franklin.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:
AP rating 4.25 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
SP rating 4.0 corkscrew turns. (CST's)

It really is a good wine, either as a Chianti or otherwise. Being the oldest wine we've tasted, makes our untrained pallets wonder about the influence of age. Finally, we suggest this course of action. Buy it, drink it, enjoy it.

Slumming it in style...

Ruffino Chianti 2008 Chianti $9.98 Safeways

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house; Musical backdrop random mix including Foo Fighters & Dire Straights. Tortellini with bell peppers and mushroom made by Simon( !)

Initial Impressions:
"It tastes like red Windex, but a good year" -SP
"I am dangerously close to saying that this is not a Chianti" -AP

Descriptive terms:
Lightweight; vinegary gummy bears; salty; feathery; juvenile; still plays with barbies; .

Character Comparisons:
Reese Witherspoon (In Legally Blond) C-3P0 in the Phantom Menace

Overall Rating and Conclusions: AP rating 2.75 corkscrew turns. (CST's) (but give it a shot)
SP rating 3.5 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
This is an enjoyable wine, but you will need to excise some patience with it childish playfulness. Tastes the least like a Chianti than any of the Chiantis that we have tasted. Andrew enjoyed drinking this wine regardless of what it said on the label. If you drink Merlot, this could be a nice segue into the more alluring and grown up world of Chianti. It is not a great Chianti but there is nothing wrong with this wine.

Sir Anthony Hopkins on Chianti

Click on the picture to hear Dr Lecters classic pairing recommendation...

The Night of Classicos....

Castello D'Albola 2006 Chianti Classico $13.99 BevMo

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house; Musical backdrop Faith No More; Roundtable Pizza (large with pepperoni and olives - Just a couple more slices..)

Initial Impressions:
"Ooh, It's like a Snuggie for your tongue" -SP
"It's like being invited to a college keg party, just after you graduated" -AP

Descriptive terms:
No nonsense; curvy; subversive; like a mouth condom; healthy; lubricant; easy going.

Character Comparisons:
Marilyn Monroe; John Candy; (But not quite Chris Farley) Dom Delouis; Betty Boop.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:

AP rating 3.75 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
SP rating 4 corkscrew turns. (CST's)
OVER ALL RATING 4 CST's
This is hands down my favorite so far. Andrew spilled the last of this, I will probably stab him while he is asleep. You can see where the extra money went with this wine. And it went to a good place.
If I was going to buy another bottle of Chianti, I would buy this one.
In a week of stormy weather, lightening struck twice in the same place. That place was Simons House.

We broke our "Classico Cherries" this evening. It was gentle, but will I have its respect in the morning?

Castello Di Bossi Chianti Classico 2005 $19.95 Genes

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house, Mixed musical backdrop consisting of Ben Folds Five & Black Grape , Roundtable Pizza (large with pepperoni and olives)

Initial Impressions:
"This is the thinking mans Merlot" -SP
"I would never want to add water to this." -AP

Descriptive terms:
Woody, warm, playful, teasing, christmassy, bright, chameleon-like, esoteric

Character Comparisons:
Fletch; Chelsea Handler; A Circus clown.

Overall Rating and Conclusions:

AP rating 4 corkscrew turns.
SP rating 3.75 corkscrew turns.
OVER ALL RATING 4 corkscrew turns
Tastes different with every sip, but kind of tastes like grape juice.
Flat on my tongue but rounded in the back of my mouth.
This is Andrews favorite to date. The less light that shines through it, the more satisfied he feels.
This is the wine that first showed its strength and subtlety simultaneously. The result is a new level of satisfaction for Andrew.

It's Friday...

The Chianti Song

Please listen and enjoy the "Chianti Song". I think it has exactly the right energy for this endeavor.

Thanks to the Followers and the Rating System.

Just wanted to thank our 5 followers. You are truly the lucky ones getting in on the ground floor as you have.

We also wanted to take some time to explain our rating system (now that we have one). It is achingly simple and, at the same time, infinitely descriptive. As you begin to apply our ratings to your own Chianti selections, you will find your life enhanced to an immeasurable degree.
You're welcome.

We work on a standard 6 point scale, with .25 increments between. The units of scale are "Turns of the Corkscrew". Six full turns of the corkscrew is enough to completely remove a cork from a bottle of wine. A "Six Turn" score indicates that the wine is so sublime that you would want to bathe in its warm comforts and tell it your most intimate secrets while it strokes your hair. A "Six Turn" (6 CST's) wine is so magnificent, so captivating, you may consider embezzling company funds and leaving your wife for it.

By contrast, a "One Turn" (or less) denotes that the cork should NEVER be removed from the bottle. The bottle should then be sealed in concrete and buried underground. A "One Turner" (1 CST) will make you want to scrape off and disinfect your taste buds. You will very likely want to get treatment and intensive counseling for your month after this most heinous violation.

As you can see, everything else fits in between quite nicely. We are happy to continue sampling wines on your behalf and will relate the results using this scale. It is our hope that the service that we provide equips you with a degree of direction in the otherwise treacherous minefield of Chiantis.

"Let the Corkscrew be your guide"

Contadino 2007

$5.99 @ Bevmo

January 15, 2010

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrew's house, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in the PS3, Last few slices of round table pizza

Initial Impressions:
"This wine made me burp" - AP
"That is some sharp tangy shit" - SP

Descriptive terms:
Acidic, burned jelly babies, like licking a basketball, Alien acid blood, wirey and like sandpaper

Character Comparisons:
Randy "macho man" Savage, Pip (from Great Expectations)

Overall Ratings and Conclusions:
Initially rated at a flat 1.0 turns of a corkscrew, but with a little time and air it reached the peak of 1.75 turns...

I might use it to flavor my favorite "red sauce". It's the type of vinegar that gives a headache. It is important to note that this Chianti aged well in the full 60 minutes of consumption. This puppy needs to breath. As a matter of fact you might consider "mouth to mouth" to afford it the opportunity to do something just less then impress.

Gabbiano 2008 Chianti

$9.98 @ Safeway

January 15 2010

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Andrew's place, Blue Ray version of District 9 on TV, two office\desk chairs for comfort.

Initial Impressions:
"I'm pretty well convinced this will be a better wine in a year" - AP
"This wine tastes bitchy. I feel like I wanna get on it's good side." - SP

Descriptive terms:
nylon, misses the tongue and hits the back of the throat, tinny (but not in a completely bad way), hallow, bitter, kind of aggressive, infantile, metallic, jam.

Character Comparisons:
Kelly Osborn, Violet Beauregard (of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Overall Rating and Conclusions:

2.75 turns of the corkscrew

disappointing and feel like it let itself down.

this wine should go back to "mommas house" finish school reach the age of consent and call me then.

It's nearly friday. Can I open a new bottle now?

After thoughts...

Was expecting to have "a bit of a headache" this morning, but so far, nothing. This bodes well for the future of the FNCC.

Please note: Recently there has been a lot of interest in joining the FNCC. Founding members of the FNCC will consider any requests, but i will say this, those with good spelling and punctuation skills will be looked on more favorably.

Da Vinci 2oo7 $11.99 BevMo

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house, Modest Mouse musical backdrop, Last few slices of round table pizza

Initial Impressions:
"Pour me another glass" - AP
"Tastes like wine mayonnaise - but in a good way" - SP

Descriptive terms:
Soft, confident, round, combed, boobies, soft scented, primal, stern, solid.

Character Comparisons:
Orson Wells, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, B.B. King

Overall Rating and Conclusions:

3.5 corkscrew turns
Would skip a matinee to get this.
I'll bet this would taste good with some cheese. I will get another bottle, and drink it with some cheese.
I can dig it. Have enjoyed every swallow.

Primo Vino

Poggio Basso 2008 $5.99 Safeway

Environment and Extraneous Variables:
Simon's house, Godfather Theme musical backdrop, Roundtable Pizza (large with pepperoni and olives)

Initial Impressions:
"I gotta tell ya,so far, its not my favorite of the one that, we've tried." SP
"I'd like to be quoted as saying" "I gotta have a quote as well." AP

Descriptive terms:
thin, watery, bitey, cheap, subservient, spineless, vinegary, abrasive

Character Comparisons:
Burke (from Aliens), Fredo (from Godfather)

Overall Rating and Conclusions:

1.5 corkscrew turns
the best part of the wine is that we won't drink it next time.
this wine does not taste like bad bacon, unlike the worst tasting wine i've ever had the displeasure of drinking.
I'm ready for a new wine.