OK, so I worked a dinner tonight for someone with too much $

I did a Sommelier gig for a local resto (Opera Bistro - excellent food) and the host was paying for everything, being VERY generous for a reunuion of old friends

Caymus Conundrum for his plonk white for anyone who wanted white (it ain't cheap here - $30)
2 bottles of Solaia 2003
2 bottles of Sassicaia 2002
2 bottles of Caymust Special Selection 2004

He offered me a taste of each and I happily complied

the Solaia was pretty nice & smooth for a young wine that is supposed to age a long time, I quite liked it but would never pay that, as i'm pretty satisfied with a good Chianti like Nippozano, or similar
Sassicaia was excellent -- reminded me of top Bordeaux I have had, but again, too young to be drinking, really - and well out of my snack bracket - it really reminded me of classed growth Brdx
the Caymus was everything that is wrong with Napa Cab in my opinion - hot, super jammy, no Cab varietal character, big tannins, but sappy - hot on the finish , almost like Port - not interesting to me at all, maybe with 10 years it would be interesting, but is it stable enough to last 10, pH wise?

anyway, it was kind of fun

but after I popped by my favourite bar for a beer! i always crave a hoppy beer after drinking wine like that...

Caymus Conundrum for his plonk white for anyone who wanted white (it ain't cheap here - $30)

I think it's the same price on this side of the border.

I sometimes find myself wishing I had an unlimited wine budget, particularly when I see the prices of some of my favourite wines creep steadily upward with each vintage, until it reaches the stage where I have to stop buying them.

Having said that, the real fun and excitement of wine collecting for me is the hunt for inexpensive, well-made wines that drink above their price point or taste expensive. As an added bonus, I find my hunt of inexpensive wine also leads me to try grapes that are a bit off the beaten path, from places such as Sicily, so I am being exposed to tastes and sensations other than the "same old same old" Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz.

BTW: My latest kick is well made Italian Pinot Grigio. It seems, in Ontario at least, there is a sea of well priced PG to be had. Very rich, silky, spicy, with intense pear flavours. Yum.

what about the local pinot grigio's. most of the ones i've had have for surpassed the italian plonk. most particularly the 2006 mike weir - spelling this correctly? - the canadian golfer guy.

what about the local pinot grigio's. most of the ones i've had have for surpassed the italian plonk. most particularly the 2006 mike weir - spelling this correctly? - the canadian golfer guy.

Have tried a few Ontario PGs, although not the Mike Weir, and they are pretty good. Just seem to be on an Italian kick of late. Most months the LCBO has a few in the $12-$15 range, which is my latest everyday drinking range.