New WTN project: Open Mike!

[Robin Garr]

Okay, gang, lissen up: We've got an idea for a new forum tasting project, one that's quick, casual and easy, requires little or no preparation, and we hope it's going to be fun to play.

We're calling it Open Mike, because it works like this: On a Friday (just like the old Friday Trolls, but less contentious), we'll invite anyone who cares to do so to step up to the Open Mike and post a wine that they'll be trying over the weekend. You're encouraged to take a look, and if the wine looks like fun, grab the same wine, or even just something similar. Open that wine over the weekend, and everyone who participates, whether it's just the original poster or a horde, will post their comments in the thread, either over the weekend or, if you don't use the computer over the weekend, on Monday.

If a lot of us like this idea, we can also take advantage of the regular Sunday Chat session to kick around our impressions on any of the Open Mike wines in a "live online tasting."

This is a new idea, a work still in progress, so your suggestions are most welcome. I particularly hope Jenise will speak up, because it was really her idea.

My wine? Sometime over the weekend I plan to try a Marenco 2004 "Pineto" Brachetto d'Acqui. If anyone has or can get this wine (it's from VIAS Imports of NYC), or any Brachetto, or for that matter any similar red (even a Lambrusco), I hope you'll join the fun and post.

If you've got another wine lined up for tasting Friday, Saturday or Sunday and would like to issue your own Open Mike challenge, please pipe up with it, and we'll see how this thing goes.

Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. I gather that there can be several open mike wines and since I've never heard of yours, Robin, I'll wait for other suggestions, or post my own.
In our state, we are expecting 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity, so I hope someone will select a crisp white to go with that kind of stuff.

Now that looks like a load of fun and will be good for those wanting to learn if a newbie here.
Brachetto? Never come across it but will be out looking tomorrow. I think this will be enlightening, trying a wine one is not too familar with.
Will have to find more room on the kitchen countertop for Gamay, Veramonte, Kim Crawford, and now Branchetto!! "What are all these white wines doing here" I was asked this morning. "Thats not many, all new releases and not yet catalogued". "Yeah, but twelve bottles?"....." and theres sixteen bottles in the kitchen fridge". "Thats for immediate drinking, mi dear"

Wait till next week, forumites!!

Robin,
I reallly like the idea but even though I consider myself somewhat of a wine geek I am with OW, never heard of your wine. What the heck they serving down in Kentucky? I plan on opening a '03 Dom Tempier Bandol Rose. Anybody interested I will post a note on Monday.
Walt

Holy Mackerel! You mean I have to (gasp, choke) PLAN AHEAD??!!

I have to open a white tomorrow, probably a SB, either CA or NZ, depending on how I feel tomorrow afternoon. The weekend will by a Dry Creek Valley zin. No idea which one; I have half a dozen brands and half a dozen years to browse around with.........

Call me a butterfly!

A further thought. Perhaps we could post the wine we are tasting early in the week so we can get out and look around without a big last minute panic.
Everyone is talking Trimbach right now here, perhaps next weeks wine? That is one of the joys of this forum, I read notes on wines that I should have tried before. Bruce is good at mentioning wines that I have seen around but never tried. Makes me think "hey I should try that".

Holy Mackerel! You mean I have to (gasp, choke) PLAN AHEAD??!!

I have to open a white tomorrow, probably a SB, either CA or NZ, depending on how I feel tomorrow afternoon. The weekend will by a Dry Creek Valley zin. No idea which one; I have half a dozen brands and half a dozen years to browse around with.........

Call me a butterfly!

SB coming up on Netscape next month John!!

Did a google on Brachetto, see http://www.italianmade.com/wines/doc10001.cfm

[James Roscoe]

I'll be going to a wine festival this weekend. Hortan will be pouring there. I will definitely give their Norton a try and report back. Can anyone else get their hands on some Norton over the weekend?

Sounds like fun, Robin. How about announcing the wine on Wednesday, with notes to be posted Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Using Wine Searcher Pro, I see only two retailers with any Marenco in New Jersey. Only eight with any Brachetto d'Acqui by any maker.

Sounds like lots of fun, but finding a bottle similar to the Open Mike wine in two days is probably not practical. OFs like me could use a bit more time.

I've only had one Brachetto d'Acqui -- loved it actually -- and love the idea in concept. If I can't find the wine in time, I'll post the note just to play along. :-)

Regards, Bob

So what would be similar to this wine Bob? Sparkling Vixen!!!!!!
Actually there is one store near me that has some good Italian wines, will pop in tomorrow.
They always ask.."so what is on the tasting forum this month?". Have I got a good one for them tomorrow.

I'll be going to a wine festival this weekend. Hortan will be pouring there. I will definitely give their Norton a try and report back. Can anyone else get their hands on some Norton over the weekend?

That might be a tad tough for a few of us, James. Mind you, Paul B can give a heads up to those in the east!! Further thought, what about a hybrid one weekend. We have Sovereign Opal here from Calona, BC. Nice wine.

[James Roscoe]

Oh come on Bob, can't you smell a shameless troll for Paul B.? I actually will try the Norton. I don't expect anyone else to.

I`d try it too but I am in the prairies!!

[Robin Garr]

Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. I gather that there can be several open mike wines and since I've never heard of yours, Robin, I'll wait for other suggestions, or post my own.
In our state, we are expecting 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity, so I hope someone will select a crisp white to go with that kind of stuff.

Correct, OW - as stated, this is a new idea and a work in progress, but the idea is that anyone can step up to the Open Mike and name the wine they're tasting, and anyone who reads it is welcome to join that sub-thread by opening the same or a similar wine.

This is a very quick, casual thing, no obligations, but we thought it might be an effective way to set up some interesting encounters if the idea takes hold and we can inspire some same-wine tastings. Sort of like our WT101/WineFocus/Wine of the Month topics, but more casual.

[Robin Garr]

I really like the idea but even though I consider myself somewhat of a wine geek I am with OW, never heard of your wine. What the heck they serving down in Kentucky?

I'm really surprised, Walt. I'd have thought St. Louis, with The Hill and all, would have all things Italian. Betcha you could find a Brachetto at Brown Derby and other places ... maybe you just haven't been looking for it? It's an offbeat wine for sure - Piemontese, sweet and soft and slightly fizzy, low-alcohol and RED. Not really a Piemontese version of Lambrusco, though; it might be better described as a red Moscato d'Asti, but it's not Muscat.

Anyway, as I told OW, this work-in-progress is an Open Mike, so if you don't have Brachetto d'Acqui and don't want to get it, step up and announce <i>your</i> wine. I'd LOVE to join you in that '03 Tempier Rosé, but my usual source hasn't seen any of the Tempier pink this year.

[Robin Garr]

A further thought. Perhaps we could post the wine we are tasting early in the week so we can get out and look around without a big last minute panic.

That's a real good idea, Bob. This time, we just came up with the idea and thought we'd throw it out and see what people think. If it flies, we can definitely start it earlier in the week. It's an Open Mike, after all ... that means anyone can line up, grab the mike, and speak!

So that I can get back to work, I must make a selection NOW. So, unless I see something else mentioned by the end of the day that grabs me enough to stop off at Russo's on the way home, or otherwise change my mind, I will be opening a bottle of Bourillon Dorleans Vouvray sec.

[Robin Garr]

Sounds like fun, Robin. How about announcing the wine on Wednesday, with notes to be posted Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Absolutely, Bob. As I just told one of the other Bobs, we just dreamed up this idea and threw it out, but more notice is fine. We can either make it a weekend thing, or maybe better yet, just keep the Open Mike open all the time. The whole point to Open Mike is that it's casual and simple, no rules, much less organized than WineFocus or WotM. We don't want to bog it down in details.

Using Wine Searcher Pro, I see only two retailers with any Marenco in New Jersey. Only eight with any Brachetto d'Acqui by any maker.

I understand that Brachetto isn't made in huge quantities, but I'm surprised it's not any more widely available. Marenco is a VIAS import, and they're NYC-based and nationally distributed, and Brachetto is a splendid summer sipping wine. I guess demand must exceed supply.

Again, though, I'll be delighted if anyone joins me in a Brachetto, but the other side of the Open Mike is that anyone can pipe up and propose another wine at any time.

There is at least one reasonably widely distributed brachetto, "Rosa de Regale" from Banfi. Although $23 seems like a lot of money for a little sweet red sparkler...

After posting on the Alsace thread, I have a sudden hankering for some of Hubert Hartmann's pinot blanc. Think I'll go downstairs later and see if there's a bottle hiding somewhere...

I understand that Brachetto isn't made in huge quantities, but I'm surprised it's not any more widely available.

I see the Banfi/Vigna Regale brachetto everywhere I go.

Yeah, I think Mike is a termendous idea. We discuss/critique/wow a certain wine most days here so it is logical to follow up on a wine that creates a lot of discussion. As I said earlier, say the Trimbach.
Dr L created a fair amount of comment last month and Netscape picked up on it. Great stuff!! Don`t know if sales went up LOL>

Dr L created a fair amount of comment last month and Netscape picked up on it. Great stuff!! Don`t know if sales went up LOL>

Yes, they did. I got my six bottles earlier this week! Matter of fact, maybe that's what I'll open this weekend.

[Robin Garr]

I see the Banfi/Vigna Regale brachetto everywhere I go.

Maybe I'm too much of a cynic, but I've been wary of Banfi ever since I visited their Montalcino site in 1982, before it was fully open. Nice folks, but most of their line (it seems to me) suffers from the same challenge as Gallo faces: You can't (and probably shouldn't) get artisanal quality from industrial production.

Rosa Regale also seems a bit spendy - it's generally close to the middle $20s here. My Pineto from VIAS isn't a cheapie at $19.99, and I'll be thinking long and hard about how it stacks up for QPR, but at least it's under $20.

You're right, Robin, it isnt the best qpr and isn't at all serious but it is pretty fun.
The price just came down somewhat around here to about $17, plus it comes in 375's and 187's if you want to try it for relatively cheap.