For Wine Drinkers

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  • marywanoKC
    marywanoKC Posts: 176
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    Try a muscat blanc. We've tried several different brands, but Barefoot makes a nice one that's easily accessible for most people. Also, Apothic's 2010 Red is just delicious.
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
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    I just found a new favorite called "once upon a vine" that I love LOVE...my standbys are:

    1.) Cupcake wines: Their Merlot and their Red Velvet (blend) are wonderful.
    2.) Menage e Trois (the red kind)

    Generally most blends are safe...and they're my usual. I also enjoy Chianti and Malbec
  • marywanoKC
    marywanoKC Posts: 176
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    i like naked grape moscato

    Sutter homes sells single serve four packs of moscato

    it is not the fanciest of wines but I hate to open a whole bottle for the one glass i enjoy every now and then.

    Are moscatos as good as people make them out to be?

    I think so, especially if you're wanting to delve deeper into reds, but can't enjoy the Sangiovese yet.
  • chrissiij
    chrissiij Posts: 47 Member
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    I love Barolo wines - my favourite grape is nebbiolo. I decant mine 24 hours in advance and leave to chill in a coldish room. I enjoy it with gammon roasted in honey. Yummy!
  • chrissiij
    chrissiij Posts: 47 Member
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    I love champagne and a red called Rioja, it's a Spanish wine but one of the best reds I've ever had. If I could make it I would save between $35-$50!

    Wines from the Rioja area are fantastic and very easy to drink, although some can be quite heavy on the oak. :)
  • perfectionisntme
    perfectionisntme Posts: 205 Member
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    You all are awesome! Thank you!
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
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    For someone who hasn't been exposed to drier red wines, Argentinian Malbecs are very approachable and easy to drink. They are also affordable, so you don't have to spend a lot of money only to discover that you don't like it much.

    The other thing you'll want to do with most reds is to open the bottle and let it sit to breathe, maybe 30 minutes. They tend to need some air time to open up, to take a bit of the edge off and bring out the aromatics (there are also aerators available to expedite this). Typically reds have more complexity than whites so they require a bit more patience to get the full experience. Pour a little (maybe a few ounces) in a glass, swirl it around, take a nice inhale and then a sip, rolling it around a bit in your mouth. Not as a wine snob, but to let all the taste buds in different areas of your palate a shot at it so you get all the complexity of flavors out of it. Cheers!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Ooooh, I love my wine! My mug in the office says

    "I'd rather be a) cleaning the house b) waiting for a train c) drinking a glass of wine" with a big TICK on option c.

    While red wine is lovely, it gives me a really bad headache, so I don't know enough to suggest any( Spanish Rioja is lovely though)

    I'll take my white as dry as I can get it! Chablis or Pouilly Fume if money allows, Pinot Grigio for general sipping, Chardonnay with food. I'm fussy about my Sauvignon Blancs - the NZ ones are fab, but cannot abide Chilean ones.

    And, having lived in Luxembourg I have to big up their wonderful Cremants, which rival champagne.
  • _chiaroscuro
    _chiaroscuro Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I usually go in for dry reds and whites, so I don't think I could recommend what I personally drink. But if you favor sweeter reds and want to branch out I'd say Malbec is a good place to start.

    ETA: gewurztraminer is a sweeter German white that I like.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I am a red wine drinker. Cabernet is my "go to" wine but I also like a nice Chianti, Bordeaux, Barolo, Zinfendel (and not that bastardized Barringer crap. I like the GOOD stuff). I prefer a dry, red wine. I do not like sweet wines at all.

    If I'm to go for a white it's usually a chardonnay or a nice muscatel. I drink whites more in the summer because they're lighter.

    I agree that most good red wines do need time to breathe. Once you get an idea of how it's supposed to taste you can definitely tell if it needs to "open up" before you drink it. You can buy an aerator to accelerate the process. We have one and it's amazing.

    If I were someone who didn't know anything about red wines I would honestly suggest going to whatever liquor store you frequent and explain to the person what you're looking for. If they have wine tastings all the better. My husband and I used to go to a local wine shop every Friday night for their tastings and we expanded our palette immensely based on the wines that we tasted. It is a good way to get a taste of different reds and whites out there and figure out what you like.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    When drinking wine alone my favorites for reds are red blends or a pino noir. For whites I like a light dry white like a pino grigio or savignon blanc. Malbec (red) is really nice too. I'm not terribly fond of very spicy reds like shiraz or syrah, or very "buttery" chardonnays, though I have had some I've enjoyed.

    If serving with food it really just depends on the food, and my mood. There are several internet sites that pair wines and food. I often use these when looking for a new wine or trying a new recipe.

    ETA: I was recently introduced to "hyper aerating" or "hyper-decanting" red wine. Basically, you put it in the blender for a few seconds, then serve in a decanter. It can vastly improve the taste of cheaper reds, and you don't have to wait for it to breathe.
  • Hab1978
    Hab1978 Posts: 57 Member
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    ETA: I was recently introduced to "hyper aerating" or "hyper-decanting" red wine. Basically, you put it in the blender for a few seconds, then serve in a decanter. It can vastly improve the taste of cheaper reds, and you don't have to wait for it to breathe.

    Wow!! Thanks for the tip!
  • perfectionisntme
    perfectionisntme Posts: 205 Member
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    ! My mug in the office says

    "I'd rather be a) cleaning the house b) waiting for a train c) drinking a glass of wine" with a big TICK on option c.

    I need to find me a mug like that.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    In order to appreciate wine, do the following -

    1) Go inter-railing round Europe, preferably in your early-mid 20s, spending a lot of that time in France

    2) Drink bucketloads of whatever the local wine is, promising yourself that you will remember what it is called

    3) Start to consider yourself mildly bohemian.

    4) Live on French bread and various cheeses/pate/etc

    5) Contemplate a goatee and then, consider the purchase of some kind of 'chic' chapeau.

    6) Arrive home, remembering the names of precisely none of the wines and realise that you have spent the best part of two months at the very least semi-drunk. Put the hat on a shelf (if you were stupid/drunk enough to actually buy one) never, ever to trouble your head with its presence again, because deep down (and sober) you know you look like a moron.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
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    I agree that Pinot Noir is a good choice for a white wine drinker who would like to transition to red as it is often smoother than other varietals. Another good one to try would be Chianti which is made with Sangiovese grapes. Gamay/Beaujolais wines would be a good option too because they tend to be light and fruitier than most reds. You might like Beaujolais Nouveaus too which is a light fruity red seasonal wine that comes out around Thanksgiving.

    Another good entry point to red wine would be Sparkling reds or even red Sangria.

    Have been drinking your white wines as an aperitif (before dinner)? You might try to drink your reds with food. I think reds are more accessible for the new wine drinker when consumed with food than when consumed alone.

    Also, I agree with the folks who are recommending to aerate your wine. Aerating softens and mellows the flavors, bringing out the aromas. Aerated wine will taste less harsh - which will bring out the fruit and make reds smoother and more accessible for a white wine drinker. You can buy a wine aerator or simply pour it in your glass and swirl it all around.

    Personally, for you, I would recommend staying away from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec and Syrah because they tend to be bigger, bolder, more tannic wines.

    Red wine has so more health benefits, so it's not surprising that a MFPer might want to acquire a taste for reds.
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
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    Everyone is talking about Pinot Noirs and they are lovely, but tempermental. A good "gateway red" is Merlot. It will be a dry but taste "sweet" due to the fruit forwardness of Merlot.

    I used to work for a wine distributor and when I consult about wine I generally tell people that they way you learn about wine is to drink it. Go wine tasting. I don't know where you live (I am in Cali so it's easy for me!) but if there are no wineries near you you can usually do tastings at places like BevMo and Total Wine. Or join a wine club where you get new wines in the mail every month or quarter. This is a great way to expand your tastes.

    One thing DH and I do is but a new wine every week that we have not tried. This helps us expand our horizons. I also host a wine and cheese party about 3 times a year where I pick a theme and we taste wines to serve at the party.

    You really can't go wrong with California wines, I may be biased, but I feel priveleged.

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