Anyone know much about wine?

[SpookyPistolero]

Howdy folks-

In an effort to try some new things, and to have something to drink when out with friends other than the one or two kinds of beer that I actually like, I'd like to learn a bit about the vino.

Is there a such thing as a good & inexpensive wine (who makes your fav?)? Strong preferences towards red or white, or just that each has it's time and place? Basics on what makes each kind different? How 'acquired' was the taste for you, a taste you suffered through for years or pretty much liked right away?

I'm trying to swim through the online info, but was hoping for some ground to walk on first.

Thanks much-

-Spooky, who's now going to go eat pork rinds so he doesn't feel like a pretentious goober.

[The Rabbi]

Rule #1: Dont be intidimated by wines.

I personally like both white and red.  And I like them dry.  Currently there is a glut of wine on the world wide market so it is pretty easy to get good stuff for relatively little money.  Check out the wines from Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and California.  My opinion is that the French wines are coasting on their reputation and are way over-rated.  Just a matter of sampling and finding what you like.  For a while the comedian Pat Paulsen made wines (he might still), including "Refrigerator White" with a "blend of grapes too important to be mentioned."  Enjoy.

[K Frame]

Your best bet?

Go to your local wine vendor and start trying bottles of wine that are in your perceived price range.

You'll very likely find something that you REALLY like for not a lot of money.

One of my favorite wines is a Sutter Home (?) white that's about $9.50 a bottle.

Is it a great wine?

Probably not.

But I'm not drinking wine that often, and I don't need to be told by Wine Con-o-sewer that I need to be drinking a 1995 Peanut Gringo Blumpkin Flumangu from Lower Thumbsuck Winery for $55 a bottle.

Yes, I DO drink expensive wines -- Canadian Ice Wines -- some of which go for between $80 and $100 a bottle in the US. But I have friends bring it back from Canada where it's half that price Canadian, and then there's the exchange discount.

Oh yeah, try some ice wines. Pretty spectacular.

[Perd Hapley]

 Currently there is a glut of wine on the world wide market so it is pretty easy to get good stuff for relatively little money.

Really?  I've heard that beer has become the universal beverage of Europe, even in France.  At the same time, beer's popularity is suffering here in the States.

[The Rabbi]

I dont know about that.  I do know that good wines are coming out of almost every country that can grow grapes.  I had one from Georgia (the ex-soviet republic) not too long ago.  And it was good.  And I am limited to kosher wines, so you can imagine how much else is out there.

[Iain]

Don't drink white at all, it gives me some strange colic type thing. That includes champagne. I do like red wine though, except for its tendency to stain my mouth black. Drank a young (2005) rioja the other night that was very easy to drink. There's a few odder things that I like, sparkling Shiraz can be really nice, and then there's the slightly effervescent Tarrango, of which I've only ever drunk the one from Brown Brothers.

I don't tend to worry about where it comes from, when at university I used to buy some odd stuff from Croatia that everyone who partook really liked, not seen it for years. I agree generally with the Rabbi about french wines, although some I've had were really good, perhaps Australian wine tends to be a little less of a crapshoot in that regard. Brand wise, again I'm not fussy, but can't remember ever drinking bad Wolf Blass.

There's masses of wine being produced, a good portion of that is EU subsidy related and lots of that is being turned into industrial alcohol.

[SpookyPistolero]

Thanks for the advice! It's an foolishly intimidating thing, it seems. Probably made that way by pretentious folks with uber-discriminating palates, the type  I try hard to avoid.

The kind of stuff I'll be looking at will fall in that sub $15 price range for sure, so we're not talking world class, just simple.. I hope.

Thanks, Rabbi, for the nod towards certain areas of production to be looking for. Dry means less sweet, right? I think I'll prefer that, too. I tend to enjoy more mild, non-aromatic tobacco blends out of my pipe.

Three recomended to me were the Falesco Vitiano, Beringer Zinfandel and Alice White Cabernet, all of which I know nothing about and can probably barely pronounce.

[K Frame]

I believe that Beringer is Califonian. They do good wines.

Alice is Australian, IIRC.

[charby]

I like semi sweet white wines, Rhine wines mostly. Usually drink them by themselves long after dinner or as an afternoon snack on the weekends.

Once in a white I'll dabble in a claret but not very often, usually when I am craving something tannin tasting.

I usually drink a chardonnay or pinot grigio if I feel like it for dinner.

Drink what you like not what someone tells you to drink.

-C

[Moondoggie]

Don't think you have to pay a lot to get a good bottle of wine.....if YOU enjoy drinking it, that's a good bottle of wine.

I prefer fruity reds (Beaujolais is my favorite) and fruity whites like Reislings or Pinot Grigio.  Nothing too dry.

Offering my neck to a fanging by wine snobs, but Sam's Club almost always has Reisling or Pinot Grigio at extremely low prices ($3 - $5  for a 750ml bottle) and my wife and I enjoy it a lot.  It's common for us to go back and buy a case of something that we've tried and liked.

[Greg Levy]

The wife and I are trying to become 'civilized' and 'grownup', so we have started tring to drink wine instead of beer or hard cider.

All we have achieved so far is ridicule at the hands of the 'Wine Snobs' we know.  

$25 bottle of Syrah or Chardonay?  Ick.  

$7 bottle of Reisling from Safeway or Target?  YUM!!!  Put some of that in the fridge and it's pretty tasty.  

So now, we drink what we like.  Sometimes, it's beer, sometimes it's Mikes, sometimes it's even a glass of wine.

greg

[Sindawe]

Wine?  That's just spoiled grape juice. :neener:

I don't care for the stuff all that much, so most of what I know about wines comes from the text "Red Wine for Dummies".  Knowing that reds are high in flavonoid phenolics, I drink four fluid ounces of the stuff volumed up to 32 ounces with cold bottled water on a daily basis.  I've tried a bunch vineyards over the past few years and the one I find most palatable is Almaden's Cabernet Sauvignon.  I pick that up for ~$15.00/5L box.

Now, if we were talking about mead....

[Northwoods]

Being somewhat of a wine aficionado, I can tell you one thing.  It doesn't matter what anyone else likes, or claims is a "great" wine.  It only matters what you like, and that is only something that can be obtained by experimentation.

I've got a cubic meter crate of wine inbound from New Zealand (yes, I'm fully aware of the duties I'll have to pay upon arrival).  Most of it is white wine, though that is a product of wine coming from the Waipara and Marlborough wine regions.  The only consistently good reds from those areas are Pinot Noir's, but there's not nearly as many of those as white's like Sauv. Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, and such.  

In general my tastes run towards dry reds like Cab Sauv, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel (not to be confused with the syrupy White Zin), and particularly the aforementioned Pinot Noir.  The New Zealand whites that I have coming are all much dryer in style than most people are used to with white's, but that is a big part of why I like those white wines so much.

But for you, I'd recommend starting with white wines that are somewhere between off-dry and sweet.  Most people new to wine just can't enjoy the dry, tannic nature most reds.  Then again, try some as you just might really like it.  If not just stick to the somewhat sweeter wines and gradually over several years start trying progressively dryer wines and you'll find that you'll come to enjoy the heavy reds over time.

I'd stay away from the White Zin and similar type super-sweet wines (e.g. Arbor Mist) unless you like the idea of drinking an alcoholic liquid Jolly Rancher.  If you do what a liquid Jolly Rancher, then go for those, and enjoy.  They'll be completely safe from me, though.

Yes, there is such a things as good and inexpensive wine.  However that depends on your definition of good, and your definition of inexpensive.  What my MIL considers good and inexpensive wine is what I consider cooking wine.  What I consider good and inexpensive she considered to be a special treat.  Some examples I've found to be good and inexpensive are the Petite Sirah from Bogle Vineyards.  Their Old Vine Zinfandel is also quite good, but I don't care at all for their Merlot, Cab Sauv, or Chardonnay (too sweet for me, but you may really like them).  All are usually under $14 where I shop (some varietals from Bogle are under $10).  Concannon is another vineyard that is on par with Bogle for price and quality.

Yes, there is a time and place for red and white.  Generally now.  

As far as the basic differences between reds and whites?  Other than color, reds tend to be dryer and more tannic, while white will tend to be sweeter, and more acidic.  Reds will tend to have flavors described as being like plums, tobacco, black pepper, currants, and such.  Whites will tend towards flavors reminiscent of flowers, citrus, butter, and herbs.  Reds tend to go better with red meat or tomato sauce type dishes, while whites tend to work better with chicken, fish, or cream sauce type dishes.  However, none of that is gospel and I could rattle off countless exceptions to the rest of this paragraph.  

Where do you live?  If it's anywhere near Phoenix I'd be happy to introduce to a number of different wines.

[Stickjockey]

For a good basic wine edumacashun, check out "Wine Without An Attitude," from Glen Ellen Wineries. It's available on Amazon.com. Then go out and try some.

[SpookyPistolero]

Cool, thanks for all the info. I have some actual ideas of what to go shopping for now. I think I'll head out tonight and pick up a couple of bottles and see if I happen to find a keeper.

Thanks too for the offer, sumpnz! If I were near pheonix, I'd take you up on it.

I think that for tonight I'd like to get a not-too-sweet white and midrange red, then I'll have some gauge to judge things by later.

[Brad Johnson]

Wine? Ick.

About the only one I've found that I can even tolerate is a reisling by our local Llano Estacado winery. To me, red wine - any red wine - task like sewer water filtered through a well-used jockstrap. Bitter, sharp, and absolutely undrinkable. The over-hopped designer beers currently in fashion are also on my "can't stand" list for the same reason.

Brad

[Stickjockey]

...I'd like to get a not-too-sweet white and midrange red...

Might I suggest a Chardonnay for the white and a Merlot for the red? Chill the white, but serve the red at just under room temperature.

[J.J.]

One of my favorite websites sells Wine now.  

http://wine.woot.com/

I am trying to convince my wife that we should try good wine.  The prices they have sometimes may make it worthwhile...

[Jamisjockey]

Check and see if you have a local winery, or a local distributor that does tours, sampling, and more importantly, classes.  
I'm not much of a wine drinker, and am currently trying my first Apricot Hefeweizen....not bad, but I won't buy it again.

[jefnvk]

The wife and I are trying to become 'civilized' and 'grownup', so we have started tring to drink wine instead of beer or hard cider.

One word: Scotch.

[SpookyPistolero]

Alrighty, that was a pretty stressful event! Talk about a myriad of choices. I was so busy looking for labels that I didn't even catch the signs at the ceilings telling me where to find each kind.

I ended up with a Stone Cellars (by Beringer?) chardonnay and an Alice White merlot. At that point I was about ready to pick up the first red liquid and head for the door. I got em home and put the chardonnay in the fridge and opened up the merlot. Heated up some old pizza, and gave it a whirl.

I've had a red once before, but didn't know what it was and didnt enjoy it. This is very similar (it was probably a merlot the first time) but a little smoother. It feels like there's less 'bite' to this one. I'm not in love with it, but it's not bad and I can tell this would be a very acquired taste.

I've yet to open up the other, and probably wont until a couple of days, after I've killed the merlot.

Next time, a pinot noir and whatever else catches my fancy. Or more of my Blue Moon, if utter dissapointment ensues. Speaking of, I found a merlot called Blue Moon, made in Oregon of all places. I thought it was a sign that I should buy it, since the wheat ale of the same name is a fav, but I decided against it as I hadn't heard of Oregon as a well known wine producer.

[grampster]

Spooky,

Most wines today are pretty good and you don't have to pay much to get a tasty variety.  I started drinking wine a couple years ago because a new found friend was making it in his basement and I got hooked.

Fortunately I live in Michigan and we have many fine whites and reds that are fermented here.  We even have good apple and cherry wines, as well as all sorts of comibinations.  I like wines from Germany, Australia, S. America, Kali, and other places.  It really doesn't matter.  Try them all.

The best thing for you to do is to start purchasing some wines, both red and white at the low end of the cost spectrum, $4.00 or $6.00 a bottle and try them out.  You'll find some good ones.  Then you play around with spending a bit more money and try some of those too.  That's the fun part of wine.  There are so many varieties of the same thing at various prices   The enjoyment comes from playing around with and tasting them all.  Sometimes you'll have a bottle of swill with a large price, and sometimes a great bottle for a little money.

Drinking wine is a great pastime.  You can drink a whole bottle over an nice evening or late afternoon and not get crapfaced, but have a good time with it.  4 glasses of wine, usually, to bottle.  If you drank 4 glasses of Irish whiskey you'd be down for the count.  With the wine, you'll have a nice gentle buzz and a great time.  Have fun.  That's what it's all about.

[Silver Bullet]

I kinda got "into" it eleven years ago, and tried various wines.  I went from Pinot Noir to Cabernet to Zinfandel.  I really like $18 Rodney Strong cabernets, but I don't like to spend that much any more.  I'm doing fine with $10 Clos du Bois zinfandel.

Nine years ago I discovered Rocking Horse zinfandel ('92 or '94, I think), and it was only about $20 or so per bottle, but it had a terrific flavor, great full body, and a sensational peppery aftertaste.  Sadly, no longer available.  

I favor full bodied reds.  Lighter reds like Chianti don't do it for me.  Had a glass of rioja in a Spanish (not Mexican) restaurant once that was excellent.

I don't like white wines much, except for the occasional pinot grigio (very dry) and German wines like rieslings and gewürztraminer.  

For an okay cheap wine, I like Beringer white zinfandel (really a rose:  a red with the skins removed).  I think these are about $4 per bottle, but its been quite a few years since I bought one; different girl friend back then.

[The Rabbi]

Wine? Ick.

About the only one I've found that I can even tolerate is a reisling by our local Llano Estacado winery. To me, red wine - any red wine - task like sewer water filtered through a well-used jockstrap. Bitter, sharp, and absolutely undrinkable. The over-hopped designer beers currently in fashion are also on my "can't stand" list for the same reason.

Brad

It's OK.  You are a realtor after all.

[Chuck Dye]

De gustibus non est disputandum&

Explore, experiment, be prepared to ignore the opinions of others.

Buy a cheap note book.  Try it.  if you like it add it to the repeat list.  If you do not like it, add it to the avoid list.

Try the discounters.  In the west, Grocery Outlet is good.

If you like it, buy it now, you may never see it again!

If you like it, buy it now, it will probably never be that cheap again.  As an example, Rombauer Vinyards produces some absolutely HUGE zinfandels.  Rich, complex, strong, when I discovered them they were $6-$8/bottle.  $25/bottle is cheap now.  I wish I had maxed the credit card!

Drink what you like with what you like it with.  (SAT, Mrs. McAfee!)  I find that I am unwilling to spend the money required to buy white wines I like for other than for cooking and wine-and-soda coolers (cheap jug wine 50:50 with club soda or seltzer:  a must in the summer!)  As a result I horrify many when I order a rich, rough, chewy red to go with fish or chicken.  So what?  They will get over it!