Waves his hand horizontally in front of Peter These are not your whites that I’m looking for. 
that SB is great. and see wht else is in it. lovely.
Well, alright. I just came off the fence and bought all four of the Wellington offerings. I am definitely a fan of the new woot.plus concept.
As long as there is a prominent discussion thread for each woot.plus deal, I am of the opinion that more is more. I come to woot to find wines that I otherwise wouldn’t know about, and to learn about those wines. The aggressive deals are a good thing, but they are not the primary draw for me. The discussion with knowledgable wooters, and with the winemakers, is the unique feature of the site, and that is definitely scalable to more deals.
One usability note, which I cross-posted in the beta feedback and in the first impressions thread:
I just bought all four of the Wellington woot.plus deals, and the workflow was extremely cumbersome. It took me about 25 clicks and back buttons, and I also had to keep track of which ones I had already bought to avoid buying the same thing again. Seems like some sort of shopping cart metaphor is necessary, now that the likelihood of multiple purchases in a day is greatly increased.
+1
I’m already in for the CF and Port. Yum.
Hey Cesare…howcome in CT there is an entry for “Wellington Vineyards Old vine Port Estate” and a separate one for “Wellington Vineyards Old Vines”, no port/fortified designation in the title? Are these dupes? Did Peter actually make two different wines of that sort?
[QUOTE=blakewoot, post:4, topic:355033]
I just bought all four of the Wellington woot.plus deals, and the workflow was extremely cumbersome. It took me about 25 clicks and back buttons, and I also had to keep track of which ones I had already bought to avoid buying the same thing again. Seems like some sort of shopping cart metaphor is necessary, now that the likelihood of multiple purchases in a day is greatly increased.
[/quote]
The same thing happened to me. I ended up putting in two orders of the Port somehow because I realized there wasn’t a “shopping cart” system in place and opened two tabs for each deal. The Woot servicefolk were great and quickly cancelled the extra set, though.
I went in for the Port and Cab Franc, and still have the Syrah “Mini-Vert” from a couple weeks ago in the mail too. And this in the middle of probably my driest spell of wine-buying for years (just three cases total in four months, according to CT).
I really ought to just join the Wellington wine club.
[QUOTE=k1avg, post:8, topic:355033]
…
I really ought to just join the Wellington wine club.
[/quote]
Yes, I highly recommended it!
So, about these wines? Particularly the whites? Can anyone who has tasted them give us a hint of what they tasted? (Preferably a non-cryptic hint so I can figure out if they are the droids I am looking for.)
And, not incidently, thank you for setting this up, Cesare.
[QUOTE=creekhounds, post:10, topic:355033]
So, about these wines? Particularly the whites? Can anyone who has tasted them give us a hint of what they tasted? (Preferably a non-cryptic hint so I can figure out if they are the droids I am looking for.)
And, not incidently, thank you for setting this up, Cesare.
[/quote]
The winemaker here, so the most experience with these wines, but not impartial.
The Chardonnay is dry with good acid and a very modest amount of oak. Partial stainless cold ferment for freshness, partial barrel ferment for richness and smoothness. This is the kind of droid that goes well with food (It’s NOT the slightly sweet, oaky, buttery style of America’s #1 selling Chardonnay). The SB is quite crisp, definitely a food wine rather than a sipper. Some folks leave residual sugar to soften the impact of cool climate SB’s typically bracing acid, but we don’t. Unmistakably SB, but not in the grassy, cat pee on a gooseberry bush way. Aromas and flavors are in the melon, grapefruit and peach-apricot range.
[QUOTE=SonomaBouliste, post:11, topic:355033]
The winemaker here, so the most experience with these wines, but not impartial.
The Chardonnay is dry with good acid and a very modest amount of oak. Partial stainless cold ferment for freshness, partial barrel ferment for richness and smoothness. This is the kind of droid that goes well with food (It’s NOT the slightly sweet, oaky, buttery style of America’s #1 selling Chardonnay). The SB is quite crisp, definitely a food wine rather than a sipper. Some folks leave residual sugar to soften the impact of cool climate SB’s typically bracing acid, but we don’t. Unmistakably SB, but not in the grassy, cat pee on a gooseberry bush way. Aromas and flavors are in the melon, grapefruit and peach-apricot range.
[/quote]
Ok I am not sure whether to laugh or be confused. Is droid some actual wine term that I have just never heard of, or is the woot-bots taking control again?
Also Peter, I’m not sure that I have seen a consistent answer on this (or maybe there isn’t one), but what exactly is it that makes a Chardonnay “buttery” and is this simply a mouthfeel thing or an actual taste profile.
To be honest I haven’t really ventured into Chardonnay since I have actually started drinking wine, but I think (really just guess) it is because previous ones I have tried were way too oakey and offputting. Without having really any experience with Chardonnay, buttery sounds like a quality I would enjoy and am just looking for some clarification on what it is and how it is created.
[QUOTE=North316, post:12, topic:355033]
Ok I am not sure whether to laugh or be confused. Is droid some actual wine term that I have just never heard of, or is the woot-bots taking control again?
Also Peter, I’m not sure that I have seen a consistent answer on this (or maybe there isn’t one), but what exactly is it that makes a Chardonnay “buttery” and is this simply a mouthfeel thing or an actual taste profile.
To be honest I haven’t really ventured into Chardonnay since I have actually started drinking wine, but I think (really just guess) it is because previous ones I have tried were way too oakey and offputting. Without having really any experience with Chardonnay, buttery sounds like a quality I would enjoy and am just looking for some clarification on what it is and how it is created.
[/quote]
Answer key:
[QUOTE=mother, post:2, topic:355033]
Waves his hand horizontally in front of Peter These are not your whites that I’m looking for.
[/quote]
This inspired Peter’s “droid” response. Gotta follow along in your program!
re: “buttery”, here’s a place to start: Wiki on MLF
[QUOTE=North316, post:12, topic:355033]
Ok I am not sure whether to laugh or be confused. Is droid some actual wine term that I have just never heard of, or is the woot-bots taking control again?
Also Peter, I’m not sure that I have seen a consistent answer on this (or maybe there isn’t one), but what exactly is it that makes a Chardonnay “buttery” and is this simply a mouthfeel thing or an actual taste profile.
To be honest I haven’t really ventured into Chardonnay since I have actually started drinking wine, but I think (really just guess) it is because previous ones I have tried were way too oakey and offputting. Without having really any experience with Chardonnay, buttery sounds like a quality I would enjoy and am just looking for some clarification on what it is and how it is created.
[/quote]
There are people who use “buttery” to describe mouthfeel, but in winespeak it refers to buttery aromas (2,3 butandione, aka diacetyl) produced by malolactic fermentation (MLF). If a wine is left with yeast cells post MLF, the diacetyl is degraded, but if the wine is racked (removed from the yeast sediment) right after MLF it can retain significant amounts of diacetyl. Some wineries do this intentionally.
[QUOTE=InFrom, post:13, topic:355033]
This inspired Peter’s “droid” response. Gotta follow along in your program!
re: “buttery”, here’s a place to start: Wiki on MLF
[/quote]
Thanks. I didn’t see your post prior to responding to the above questions. I read the wiki entry and must say I don’t agree with their categorization of malic and lactic acids.
[QUOTE=North316, post:12, topic:355033]
Ok I am not sure whether to laugh or be confused. Is droid some actual wine term that I have just never heard of, or is the woot-bots taking control again?.
[/quote]
Sorry, nerdy Star Wars reference. The real important technical wine language in the piece is the reference to cat pee on gooseberry.
[QUOTE=creekhounds, post:16, topic:355033]
Sorry, nerdy Star Wars reference. The real important technical wine language in the piece is the reference to cat pee on gooseberry.
[/quote]
Sauvignon blanc has some sulfur containing compounds that are responsible for aromas reminiscent of grass (the kind that grows in lawns), asparagus, cantaloupe melon, gooseberries, and even tomcat pee. These terms are all actually used by winemakers in describing SBs.
[QUOTE=SonomaBouliste, post:15, topic:355033]
Thanks. I didn’t see your post prior to responding to the above questions. I read the wiki entry and must say I don’t agree with their categorization of malic and lactic acids.
[/quote]
What??? I thought Wiki was the world’s second-greatest authority (after Professor Irwin Corey, that is!)
[QUOTE=SonomaBouliste, post:17, topic:355033]
Sauvignon blanc has some sulfur containing compounds that are responsible for aromas reminiscent of grass (the kind that grows in lawns), asparagus, cantaloupe melon, gooseberries, and even tomcat pee. These terms are all actually used by winemakers in describing SBs.
[/quote]
There has been something about most SB’s I try that I dislike and just not have been able to pinpoint it. I think in my mind I was likening it the Petrol characteristic some people note in aged Rieslings, but “sulfur” or “cat pee” might just be the golden ticket.
[QUOTE=SonomaBouliste, post:14, topic:355033]
There are people who use “buttery” to describe mouthfeel, but in winespeak it refers to buttery aromas (2,3 butandione, aka diacetyl) produced by malolactic fermentation (MLF). If a wine is left with yeast cells post MLF, the diacetyl is degraded, but if the wine is racked (removed from the yeast sediment) right after MLF it can retain significant amounts of diacetyl. Some wineries do this intentionally.
[/quote]
Peter, if you didn’t give such detailed (and great) answers I wouldn’t ask you so many questions.
You note it as being an aroma, but this also translate into a flavor profile on the palate?
“If a wine is left with yeast cells post MLF, the diacetyl is degraded”
This is what is referred to as “on the lees”, correct?
Is it strictly the yeast that effects the diacetyl after fermentation or does barrel aging v. stainless also have an effect on it?