skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
 | | 09/06/2004 3:22 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Champagne there Al, Champagne!
Causes headaches.
-Al
And vodka doesn't | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:32
| | 09/20/2004 6:45 AM |
| cheap sparkling wine causes headaches, champagne improves your eyesight and jump starts the morning glory. and so does caviar.
not to mention that the amount of hemoglobin you get from one serving is enough to add a few months to your life. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 09/20/2004 6:57 AM |
| Quote:
the amount of hemoglobin you get from one serving is enough to add a few months to your life.
Great excuse to consume a lot: you get to live forever  | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts:10777
| | 10/14/2004 3:35 PM |
| | I tried some American Whitefish caviar last night. Thank goodness I only bought an ounce because it was yukky. The eggs were slimy and it tasted really fishy (in a bad way). Next time I'm going to try the one Jones recommended. | | | |
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S Frye
Grape Puncher
Posts:787
| | 10/14/2004 8:30 PM |
| | Anything from Mats over at Tsar Nicoulai is excellent - the West Coast Petrossian IMO (at slightly lower prices). | | | |
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travelrep
Northern Virginia
Barrel Filler
Posts:1105
| | 10/15/2004 1:28 PM |
| | Just returned from Kiev in the Ukraine this past Saturday with a 100 gram tin of osetra. I bought it at a market in downtown Kiev from my colleague's "caviar guy". He said that it wasn't frozen but was absolutely fresh. I paid $100 for the tin. I'm still a caviar novice but this stuff is just great. Had it on crackers with champagne with some friends last Sunday at a winery in Virginia. Great weather, great ambiance, great caviar and champagne! | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12485
| | 12/03/2004 9:36 PM |
| For those that care or are interested, the Wine Spectator has a very good article on the topic in the latest issue: the state of Russian caviar & alternative sources (producers, where to find, pricing, etc...).
WS article is absolutely correct thus my distributor friend no longer carries Russian caviar: prices are way high, quality is down, & too many regulations (basically a pain in the a$$, not worth to carry/sell anymore).
I kept the article for reference. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/04/2004 2:29 AM |
| | lcc, what are your opinions on American Sturgeon, Paddlefish, and Hackleback caviars? I've found the American Sturgeon to be a viable and much less expensive alternative. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12485
| | 12/04/2004 2:52 AM |
| Board_O: Honestly, I do not have much experience with caviar produced in other regions. Jones is a better person to chime in here as I've seen him talk about Caviar from North America in the past. I have tried salmon (red) caviar from Alaska & I liked it very much.
To me, it was Russian caviar or nothing else (you understand the reason why, I am sure...). It's like a guy from Cuba smoking cigars made in Dominican Republic. They are probably good cigars, but come on... I remember the days when we used to eat this stuff like peanuts (yes, there was a time...).
The way things are now, I will make an effort to try caviar from North America. Wine Spectator mentions USA, France, Uruguay, among others..., & Iran. If Iran was the last country producing caviar, I would not buy it, NEVER.
But, Caviar produced here (as you mention, American Sturgeon) is worth trying, & I will... | | | |
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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2870
| | 12/05/2004 4:18 AM |
| | I was at my local Costco today and they were selling a 2 ounce tin of imported beluga caviar for $65. I was tempted to pick up some... | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 12/05/2004 5:29 AM |
| | If it's good caviar, the price sounds fine. At Crown, it would be several times that. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 12/05/2004 6:03 AM |
| | That's a really good price if it is good caviar. Around here that is what an ounce of imported Beluga would go for would go for (top caspian sea caviar). Czar Nicoulai sells their Osetra estate caviar for $53/ounce. The Osetra estate reserve (supposedly a higher grade) goes for $65/ounce. I went by their tasting bar on Friday and preferred the regular Osetra Reserve. I didn't taste any of the imported caviar, just the U.S. produced caviar. | | | |
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MikeW
Fremont, CA
Grape Sorter
Posts:355
| | 12/06/2004 6:49 AM |
| My local Costco has the same deal that Rothko mentioned - the brand that my local store is currently selling isPlaza de Caviar.
I thought the price was pretty good, so I picked up a tin. I've seen this brand at a number of stores, so I think it's fairly common. I've tasted it before, and while I don't have much experience with caviar and thus can't compare, I thought it was fine. Any thoughts on this particular brand? | | | |
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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2870
| | 12/21/2004 7:55 PM |
| | I ordered some American paddlefish caviar from a place in Miami called Marky's for a Christmas pre-meal snack. At $16 an ounce it's a lot cheaper than imported caviar. We'll see how it stands up. | | | |
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Corkage
Grape Puncher
Posts:975
| | 12/21/2004 8:54 PM |
| | Rothko, I've ordered from Marky's with positive experience. I've used the American Paddlefish for caviar cream, garnish, etc. and thought it was great, esp. for the price. | | | |
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Corkage
Grape Puncher
Posts:975
| | 12/21/2004 8:57 PM |
| | This past weekend, I bought some "American Osetra" (I didn't know there was such a fish) from whole foods, but I don't recall the packer's name. It was regularly $50/oz but the fish manager sold it to me for $30 after I bought a bunch of fish. It was quite good. | | | |
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Chicago Wine Geek
Chicago Western Suburbs
Wine Labeler
Posts:3670
| | 12/24/2004 1:53 PM |
| Ok, got some Select California Estate Osetra from Tsar Nicoulai for New Years Eve.
How do I make bilinis? | | | |
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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2870
| | 12/24/2004 4:24 PM |
| Don't know how to make blinis. What I use is Pepperidge Farms "Very Thin" white bread, lightly toasted, with the crust cut off, sliced into triangles. It is very bland, which works well with the caviar.
Tomorrow is the paddlefish caviar. I am anxious to see how it compares with imported stuff. It is supposed to be similar to sevruga. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1273
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Rothko
Palm Beach
Wine Thief
Posts:2870
| | 12/27/2004 6:33 PM |
| Here's my report on the paddlefish caviar.
I got a 7 ounce tin for $112, which was split between 3 of us, served with creme fraiche and toast points (and Bollinger Special Cuvee). The caviar was dark grey, smallish eggs. They didn't "pop" on the tongue like some caviar I have had, but that was my only complaint. They were incredibly rich and buttery, with no fishy flavor or aroma at all. I was quite pleased with them, and would have no hesitation in ordering paddlefish again, especially since it is so cheap (relatively). | | | |
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