Winers: recommendations wanted.

[JBLoudG20]

This forum sure helped me zone in on some key beers which I may not have had exposure to. I'd like to explore wine in the same fashion, and could use some pointers.

I tend to like Red more than White, but will gladly explore anything suggested. I'd prefer my exploratory bottles be on the cheaper side, so suggestions under $25 would be appreciated. I'm looking for a great bang for buck

[Augsburger]

A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

Of the sparkling wines, the most famous is Perth Pink. This is a bottle with a message in, and the message is 'beware'. This is not a wine for drinking, this is a wine for laying down and avoiding.

Another good fighting wine is Melbourne Old-and-Yellow, which is particularly heavy and should be used only for hand-to-hand combat.

Quite the reverse is true of Ch

[guzziguy]

I suggest looking around for a wine class that you can take. Many adult ed programs, community colleges and wine stores offer such classes. This will allow you to taste and learn about various kinds of wines. Soon, you'll also learn what does and doesn't do it for you. The other thing is to taste, taste, taste. Most wine stores offer tastings.

[JBLoudG20]

I suggest looking around for a wine class that you can take. Many adult ed programs, community colleges and wine stores offer such classes. This will allow you to taste and learn about various kinds of wines. Soon, you'll also learn what does and doesn't do it for you. The other thing is to taste, taste, taste. Most wine stores offer tastings.

As much as it miht not make sense, I get plenty of class. I won't be attending any extra classes for years to come. I was kinda hoping you'd be the one to answer the thread Mind throwing out a few bottles to keep my eyes out for? Anything is fine, I just want to try

[JBLoudG20]

A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.

Black Stump Bordeaux is rightly praised as a peppermint flavoured Burgundy, whilst a good Sydney Syrup can rank with any of the world's best sugary wines.

Ch

[Dusty Chalk]

We have a really classy local place called "Total Beverage", and there are recommendations throughout the store -- I really liked this style, because I was looking for Vouvrays, and no-one was available to help me, so I just grabbed one of the employee's personal favorites, and was quite pleased.

I also think Fray is worth trying, if you want something organic.

[guzziguy]

Monty Python is right for almost any occasion

my advice? go to the best wine/liquor store you can find and buy a whole bunch of wine. drink the wine. figure out what you like, and try to find more like it.

This is good advice. Furthermore, before buying I recommend that you talk to someone there and describe what you are trying to do. He/she can probably make good recommendations. It's really nice to find a wine seller that you like and can trust so that should be part of your task.

Good luck!

[Augsburger]

Ahh forget those places- I reco

Marques Casa Concha Merlot,

Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Merlot

Anything from Justin Vineyards that is in your price range, I think Justification or their basic Cabernet Sauvignon meets your price point.

Enjoy!

[grenert]

I think there are some really good values out of Languedoc. One of my favorites is St. Martin de la Garrigue reserve cuvee. It's probably about $15. Portugese table wines can also be good values (port is another topic altogether - expensive and worth every penny). Quinta de Bons-Ventos is a very nice wine from the Estremadura region, also about $15. I've had some great wines out of the Alentejo region of Portugal as well, but I can't suggest any off the top of my head. These two wines are blends. It's difficult to find single-varietal wines that reflect the character of the varietal for under $25. One notable exception, I think, is zinfandel. It's sort of the state grape in California, and you can get great zinfandels from the Sierra Foothills for very little money. The vines have been around forever and produce good fruit. A reliable one is Zin Man from Perry Creek.

Really, though, taste some, see what you like. A good wine shop can be very helpful in guiding selections. Have fun!

[JBLoudG20]

Ahh forget those places- I reco

Marques Casa Concha Merlot,

Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Merlot

Anything from Justin Vineyards that is in your price range, I think Justification or their basic Cabernet Sauvignon meets your price point.

Enjoy!

Thank you very much!

Jacob: you better go snark your face clean.

[The Monkey]

good advice so far. I, too, have been partial lately to Shiraz from Oz. You can get cheap stuff that's fun and tasty and from there the sky's the limit. To use a term from our other hobby, I think Shiraz scales nicely.

Other things to look out for that will be good bang-for-the-buck and nice examples of their kind: sauvignon blanc from New Zealand or South Africa; French chablis (though usually a bargain only compared to other white burgundies); Austrian white wines; Pinot Noir from Oregon or Washington.

Then splurge on a Kistler (chardonnay) from California.

The key is to taste as much as possible, preferably with friends so you can discuss it. And don't feel compelled to use winey words. If it tastes like an old shoe, say that. Or if it tastes "real fruity" well that's good too.

Enjoy and let us know what you find.

[Torpedo]

Any experience with Spanish wines? They used to be a great bang for the buck. However once we joined the EU, prices started to climb, but still at 12-20 euros (here) you can find great wines. Some brands and areas are quite consistent across different vintage years, others not that much and you need to know the good years to get the best ones.

Some regions like La Rioja have a very recognizable and personal flavor due to the type of grapes used, which is mostly the "tempranillo" variety, with some "garnacha". Have a look at the La Rioja wine website, they have a promotion running on: Vibrant Rioja

Were you able to find some Rioja Alta (the area) crianza (the most affordable vintage) from 2001, 2004 or 2005, or even if the price were right for you reserva or gran reserva of any brand, you'd get an idea of its taste and if it appeals to you. I can specially recommend the Muga Crianza 2004. It should be into your price range and it's a good wine to try the Rioja taste.

[Hopstretch]

Other things to look out for that will be good bang-for-the-buck and nice examples of their kind: sauvignon blanc from New Zealand or South Africa; French chablis (though usually a bargain only compared to other white burgundies); Austrian white wines; Pinot Noir from Oregon or Washington.

South African Chenin can be good, too. Ken Forrester is a reliable producer with good US distribution. Kim Crawford is a good name to look for on bottles from New Zealand.

This has already been mentioned, but there's good value in South American reds, particularly Malbec. Try Kaiken Ultra (their cabernet under the same label is also good), Santa Ema's higher-end Amplus bottlings, Catena Alta, La Posta. Most in the $15-$20 range. Clos de los Siete is an excellent Argentinian blend that seems to be quite widely available.

Cheers!

[The Monkey]

I thought my fellow winos would be interested in the following site: www.cellartracker.com

It is an excellent inventory/database/information site.

[909]

BANG

BANG

[Blackmore]

Fucking Pomerol, yeah, Merlot rules...

[Dusty Chalk]

On another site I frequent, Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck (which, admittedly, is more like 3 bucks) is getting a lot of recommendations. Especially the Shiraz. So it'd probably be worth trying, at least.

[guzziguy]

On another site I frequent, Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck (which, admittedly, is more like 3 bucks) is getting a lot of recommendations. Especially the Shiraz. So it'd probably be worth trying, at least.

My wife bought me a t-shirt that says it all about TBC:

"Friends don't let friends drink Two Buck Chuck"

Please note that there is no smiley in my post.

[shellylh]

I would pass on the 2 buck chuck if I were you. It is ok if you haven't had anything except "box wines."

My favorite type of red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. That should tell you something about what kind of wines I like: bold reds!

I just had a fantastic excellent Cabernet Sauvignon that I would wholeheartedly recommend: Monticello Vineyards, Jefferson Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005. I found it for about $24.

If you are looking for "budget" wines, here are a few of my favorites:

Avalon, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $16; this wine is really excellent and competes with much more expensive wines. Note: Avalon also has a "California" version which has an orangish label. Do not get this wine, it is cheaper than the Napa version but far inferior!

Felipe Rutini Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Argentina) ~ $14; an excellent Malbec, very smooth.

Jean Bousquet Malbec (Argentina) ~ $11; another excellent Malbec, it is also organic. I buy it often.

Last and cheapest: Veo Grande Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) ~ $7 at Sam's Club (maybe more other places); this is the best $7 wine I have tried in a long time. We buy it often for an every day table wine. Of course, it is not as good as the wines listed above but you can't beat the price!

[Old Pa]

This forum sure helped me zone in on some key beers which I may not have had exposure to. I'd like to explore wine in the same fashion, and could use some pointers.

I tend to like Red more than White, but will gladly explore anything suggested. I'd prefer my exploratory bottles be on the cheaper side, so suggestions under $25 would be appreciated. I'm looking for a great bang for buck

I'll let everybody else go erudite and demonstrate their fine tastes, finer knowledge and big bankrolls. I like wine with dinner and also incorporate wines I would drink in my cooking. It is my contention that wines should start out as really outstanding fruit juices and then get improved by the reset of the wine making process.

I decided several years ago that there was nothing wrong with a high-end plastic bag with a valve in a box as a delivery system, just with the cheap plonk that started out being associated with it. Indeed, it's nice to be able to get one glass of wine without opening a new bottle. I have tried most of the TJ's TBC line and have not gone back for another bottle of any, but that's just me.

After looking around and sampling several Californian, French and Italian wines now presented in boxes, I found several I thought were pretty good. Black Box in a line of good California wines presented in high-tech box delivery systems. I have made their Pinot Grigo or Chardonney my every day white and their Cabernet Sauvignon my regular red. They are about $22 for a three liter box locally, or $15 at Sam's Club. I would recommend them for your consideration.

[The Monkey]

I like the direction of this thread. Shows you don't have to spend a ton to enjoy wine. And not just any wine, but good wine.