I completely despise North Berkeley Imports' Cuvee Uniques.

B

BJ

BJ
What presumptive Americans. They manage to bring for the most part some great producers under their wing, and then have the gall to think they know how to make wine better than the winemakers themselves, specifying elevage details, generally driving toward oak and modernism.

This isn't new news, but it all came to a head last night with a bottle of 07 NBI Buissiere Vacqueyras, and I exploded. I didn't buy the bottle, it was a gift, but we were heading over to some non-wine friends and I thought it would be a good all rounder. One whiff and it sat opened and undrunk all night long. Oaky garbage, not even identifiable as from the southern Rhone or as grenache.

A case in point: Mt. Olivet. NBI bottlings are awful, and the non-NBI bottlings a purists delight.

NBI: GO AWAY!
 
their version of 93 serpentieres ecard did not seem to work out as well as the regular version, after a few years
 
It's worth pointing out a few blocks to the south that Kermit Lynch often gives input into how the wine he imports is made.
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
It's worth pointing out a few blocks to the south that Kermit Lynch often gives input into how the wine he imports is made.
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Yes, but he gives better advice.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
their version of 93 serpentieres ecard did not seem to work out as well as the regular version, after a few years
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I really like that wine! They had a seemingly endless supply at Tahn Dihn for cheap. Freddy loved selling it, says he got to pick his barrel.
 
Why such violence? Presumption is part of the process of buying. Were that American's business proposition so disagreeable to the grower, the sale would be refused or an alternate label discussed. But here the buyer shares the billing on the label and you're given the opportunity to consider whether you want to open or to buy the product of that collaboration. Why should a store go away because there are people who don't like what they sell?

When I went to North Berkeley, I walked out with nothing. I'm glad other people in the store seemed to be happy talking with the staff and picking out things they wanted. I went to Panisse later and haven't given the store much thought in the many years since. Good for them that they still exist at NB. I don't enjoy their woody respins of wines either, but it appears someone does. Why deprive them?
 
originally posted by Mr. Doghead:
Why such violence? Presumption is part of the process of buying. Were that American's business proposition so disagreeable to the grower, the sale would be refused or an alternate label discussed. But here the buyer shares the billing on the label and you're given the opportunity to consider whether you want to open or to buy the product of that collaboration. Why should a store go away because there are people who don't like what they sell?

When I went to North Berkeley, I walked out with nothing. I'm glad other people in the store seemed to be happy talking with the staff and picking out things they wanted. I went to Panisse later and haven't given the store much thought in the many years since. Good for them that they still exist at NB. I don't enjoy their woody respins of wines either, but it appears someone does. Why deprive them?
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You've been away too long, Robert. Sweet reason and the acceptance of diversity is so last Tuesday on Wine Boreds these days.
 
Fuck diversity. We've evolved to the point where we only like wines hyped by the LDM/CSW military-industrial complex. Everything else sucks.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Fuck diversity. We've evolved to the point where we only like wines hyped by the LDM/CSW military-industrial complex. Everything else sucks.
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This is correct. I have been told I should let a couple of other contractors bid for my cellar, but they don't send samples to my favourite wine reviewer.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Fuck diversity. We've evolved to the point where we only like wines hyped by the LDM/CSW military-industrial complex. Everything else sucks.
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It is the mistake of philosophers and social scientists to think that evolution leads to focus and truth. Evolution leads to diversity and richness. Lack of diversity in a gene pool is a recipe for evolutionary disaster.

Taste, however, is jake with me.
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
Is there room for Rombauer?Can we acknowledge that some people like Rombauer while still maintaining it sucks?
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We like Rombauer Chard at our store, probably sell 20 or 30 cases just over the Thanksgiving, Xmas holidays. We do like to pay our rent, light bill, etc, and especially ourselves and our employees. Now if certain denizens would like to contribute to a fund to cover our overhead we'll sell only wines that please the contributing group.
 
originally posted by SteveTimko:
Is there room for Rombauer?Can we acknowledge that some people like Rombauer while still maintaining it sucks?
Click to expand...
We like Rombauer Chard at our store, probably sell 20 or 30 cases just over the Thanksgiving, Xmas holidays. We do like to pay our rent, light bill, etc, and especially ourselves and our employees. Now if certain denizens would like to contribute to a fund to cover our overhead we'll sell only wines that please the contributing group.
 
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