tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post7689907478412575311..comments2023-10-09T11:45:33.422-04:00Comments on McDuff's Food & Wine Trail: Exploring Burgundy: Bourgogne RougeDavid McDuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-22360411809323495902007-08-14T12:53:00.000-04:002007-08-14T12:53:00.000-04:00Bg,Both of your usual tests are important stand-by...Bg,<BR/>Both of your usual tests are important stand-bys. I add the sniff test: quite literally, I stick the capsule/top of the bottle under my nose and take a whiff. If I get a hint either of sweetness or vinegar, it's a good sign that the wine has at some point leaked and pooled up under the foil. The twist test will usually reveal the same thing; I just look at the sniff as being added insurance.<BR/><BR/>Anon,<BR/>Thanks for stopping in. You've asked the million dollar Burgundy question. The answers are really the same as for any other wine; they're just amplified in Burgundy where prices are high and damage is easily done. Know your producer. There's no better way to shop. Due to the incredible number of small producers in the region though, it's impossible to know them all. So, cultivate a good relationship with a knowledgeable sales person in a wine shop that cares about what it selects and how it cares for its wines. That will get you much closer to finding the holy grail -- ot at least to enjoying the search with fewer disasters along the way.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-4905208585671891562007-08-14T12:04:00.000-04:002007-08-14T12:04:00.000-04:00I always do two things before i buy a bottle: chec...I always do two things before i buy a bottle: check the capsule to make sure it can be moved, and check the level of the cork to make sure it is below or level with the end of the bottle. What is the sniff test???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-75517356392250529052007-08-14T09:44:00.000-04:002007-08-14T09:44:00.000-04:00Red Burgundy is a land mine for wine buyers. When ...Red Burgundy is a land mine for wine buyers. When it's done right, it is succulent.<BR/><BR/>When it's not right, it become a $50+ mistake.<BR/><BR/>How can a consumer know what to buy, when price is often not an indicator of quality?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-54420390380286931722007-08-13T14:17:00.000-04:002007-08-13T14:17:00.000-04:00Bg,Those pink stripes can be a sign of quirks on t...Bg,<BR/>Those pink stripes can be a sign of quirks on the bottling line. More often than not though, they are the result of heat exposure. A warm enough temperature, usually 80F or higher, will actually cause the juice to expand in the bottle, forcing its way up the sides of the cork. In extreme examples, you might find wine that's made its way all the way to the top of the cork, under the capsule and down the side of the bottle. I always give capsules the twist and sniff tests when shopping but a whacked bottle still sneaks past from time to time.David McDuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03274955351036700406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8017457764988110566.post-52002748809290008772007-08-13T13:02:00.000-04:002007-08-13T13:02:00.000-04:00Hi David,Thanks for the shoutout! I didn't know th...Hi David,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the shoutout! I didn't know the pink banding is a sign of hpossible heat damage. I have had a few wines this summer with such bands and I wish I had kept rtack in order to look back now and see if I found them dull and baked. Now i know. Too bad about the LeClerc. I heard that his 05 GC Clos Prieur is quite good, especially for the $35 price tag. Looking forward to reading about whatever you next tasted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com