# Red wine question



## gardenmom (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm not a big fan of wine, so that's the first part of my question - any suggestions for a good red wine for someone just becoming familiar with wine?

Also, my husband has been told that red wine should only be served at room temperature, not chilled. Is this true?


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## bbally (Jan 2, 2005)

Start with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon for playing with reds. Go on from there.

I would recommend you purchase Andrea Immers Book, great wine made simple. You will learn more then you ever thought and you and your spouse will have fun learning.

Click on the book it will get you to the ordering site.



To answer your red wine question. Many many red wines are server at room temperature. However, since you are paying you can enjoy it anyway you would like it.

But the nose and aromatics of most red wines show better at 57 F to 75 F than any other temperature range.


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## chef_matt (Mar 18, 2008)

Kendall-Jackson Merlot from California is a good starter for reds.

Matt


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## gardenmom (Jan 2, 2009)

Great - thanks for the tip!


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## benrias (May 2, 2003)

A very good, but not too expensive wine is a Louis Martini cab (also available in reserve for a touch more money). It was my first wine and loved it!

As for room temperature, each wine has its own character. I normally drink wine with a great meal. But when I am drinking a wine to taste/test it, is start tasting the wine after breathing for a few minutes just after being open (when it is still fairly chilled). Then I repeatedly taste it every few minutes or so as it warms. As the wine warms, you will personally be able to taste the flavor/aroma/bouquet become more intense. There will come a point where it reaches its heighth and further temperature increase won't make the flavor any better (and may make it worse). 

In my experience, I don't believe that solid room temperature has ever given me the best flavor...but letting it sneak away from 55F does increase enjoyment. Hope that helps.


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## rachael24 (Mar 31, 2008)

I think it is all about personal preference with the temperature...My mom drinks red wine with ice, which I think is terrible. But whatever works!


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## cookingangry (Mar 28, 2008)

Also important to note... room temperature 72 degrees f. is not really room temperature. Original room temperature was down in the high 50's so even the big reds deal well with a little chill. There is a restaurant in Vegas call 55degrees which is a play on the "perfect" temperature to store and serve wine. I still prefer white a little colder and reds around 60. It is indeed preference.

I would not go just merlot on your first time out. I would save up a little and get a few different ones to compare and figure out your tastes that way your second venture will be more enlightened. Maybe a cheap 05 Bordeaux ($13), they can get exorbinately expensive but if your drinking it right away as opposed to aging it the cheap one will taste plenty good enough particularily to a beginner, then maybe a Tannat ($20) which will be taste of berries and will give you an idea of how much you like those flavors. Cabernet Sav. is kinda looked at as big dog and you might run into tannins and they're all over the place in price but expect to pay at around 20 for something decent. Shiraz/Syrah is great from Australia and the Petit Syrah from California rocks but this wine is very peppery so I usually reserve it for when I make steak au poive or am eating something bold and flavorful.

Hope this helped. Cheers:beer:


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## jeff.alex23 (Jan 27, 2009)

A red wine to try - Bouwland Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - 2004... a nice powerful wine . bottlenotes(an online website) is a good place to learn more about wine if your just getting familiar with wines. Also a great place to share your tasting notes and reviews
To answer the second part of your question - Most red wine should be served at room temperature. The noteable exception being a French wine called Beaujolais which is to be served chilled.


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## kujirasan (Apr 8, 2008)

Try the Spanish produced RIOJA , this one exists in red white and rose(pink) , It is dry and excellent and usually very cheap, I was stationed in South East Asia, and as these countries don't have a tradition of Wine drinking, one can get excellent wines there for price of a song, Rioja was around $4 in Bangkok and Osaka, the French were slightly higher, so if you cant get it at that price go for it, other wise the locally produced ones, with Usual fictitious and grandiloquence Appellation, like Genuine Rhine Riesling from Wondiligong in Western Australia!


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## hippysandy (Jul 22, 2009)

zinfandel and cabernet are best served at room temperature. white wines are the ones to be served chilled. :beer:


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Shiraz from Australia would be a good starter, a McLaren Vale or a Margaret River. In some situations red is nice slightly chilled - if you are having dinner al fresco, or a bbq in the garden -a nice red with an hours chilling is great with bbq'd steak or lamb


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

You live in california so your picks of Merlot are many. Pick anyone of them, you can't go wrong..........Drink Merlot, try different wineries and then after a year move up to cabernet Sav. There are 1000's to choose from in Napa Valley..............Good luck...Bill


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

That may depend on what "room temperature" actually is, if it is in the 60s, OK, above 70°F. begins to get "tricky".


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## kirstens (Jul 3, 2009)

If you have a Trader Joes out there, go get your wine there. Cheap, good wine all around. I prefer the dry Italians. Charles Shaw has had some great reviews, very inexpensive.


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## allanmcpherson (Apr 5, 2007)

Hello There,

In my opinion that's too broad a question to ask. The range and variety of wines, red or otherwise, is such that it is near impossible to suggest something only on the basis that they are a beginner. Its kind of like asking what sort of juice is good. Or what kind of meat is good. The answer is totally depended on you. What kind of tastes do you like? What can't you stand? Do drink alcohol at all? What do you like in texture of beverages? What sort of textures pluck at your gag reflex? This sort of information is important because I would hate the thought I might recommend a wine to somebody really interested in appreciating the stuff that might offend them. The whole experience could grind to a halt right there.

--Al


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## tangy (Aug 27, 2009)

I couldn't agree more with this. Basically, wine all comes down to personal preference and the only way you get to know it is by trial and error. This is where Trader Joes comes in. They offer Charles Shaw wine in many different varieties for $2. Yep. $2. In fact, my mom and I call it "2 buck chuck" for short.
It is delicious, seriously. I personally love their cab or pino. BUt try them all! It can't hurt and you can get to know what kind is best for you.
Same goes for temp. If you order red wine in a restaurant they would never give you it cold or iced, because thats not the way its served, but I know plenty who prefer it that way. So really, it's up to you.. Enjoy!


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I like the Fetzer wines, when I'm looking for a cheap fruity wine.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I have found that wines below $6 aren't worth drinking.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm in total agreeement with that. I've never heard any one say any thing good about two buck chuck. I won't even cook with that. 
A few bottles that I have tried lately from Costco if you can find them:
2003 Siderall, an imported blend but excellent at $16
2006 Savenelli, These were $16 a bottle and they rate an easy 90 points. If you find them in stock at Costco buy every bottle. It really is that good.
Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet runs around $13 a bottle and is a very good bottle.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Haven't had those two, I'll have to check my local Costco.

Costco surprisingly has really good wines. I was in there one time and two collectors came in wanted a few cases of one particular wine, and said they needed the boxes and everything.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

Last Holiday season Costco here sold Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot for around $70 a bottle. That's an absolute steal. One local store here has a few French wines up to $600 and they even stock a Louis XIII cognac at X-mas. ($1600)
This year I cleaned out a local store when they stocked a 2006 Trapiche Vina Adriana Venturin Malbecat $40 a bottle. This one was rated at 95 points. This is a great bottle to either hold a few years or drink now. It is with out question one of the best wines I have ever had in $40 price range.
Having said that the 2006 Savenelli Malbec can give it a serious run for the money. If I find that at Costco again I will buy every bottle I can get my hands on.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Perhaps my cooking isn't quite up to the level of some others', but I cook almost exclusively with Two Buck Chuck.

In the reds, I find the Shiraz is especially useful for many things because it's quite juicy and reduces well; and the Merlot is very useful too, especially for saucing or dishes calling for a drier, burgundy style red (even though Merlot isn't a Burgundy grape).

Among the whites, the Chardonnay has very little oak -- a good thing for a cooking white, but the Sauvignon Blanc is more useful. It has practically no varietal character at all -- the archtype of "generic white wine."

I also use Charles Shaw to make wine punches, such as Sangria, Kir, and wine coolers. Their Beaujolais Nouveau is very good for this, and the Shiraz is no slouch either. You can even use the Beaujolais Nouveau for a wine spritzer. Just make sure you use plenty of ice.

We go through a case of Two Buck Chuck every couple of months, easy.

In my limited experience cooking with and drinking wines, a mere forty years or so, I find that most of the characteristics which make a good wine good (as opposed to a simple table wine) cook off quickly or are completely masked when mixed as a punch. I mean which eno-subtleties will you notice coming through the 7 Up?

IMO, Two Buck Chuck is a completely reasonable and wonderfully thrifty choice for quite a few things. Of course that's just me. Your mileage may vary, and "a votre sante!" if it does. A gezundt on your kepeleh even.

As to actually drinking Charles Shaw straight, well it's drinkable. But not exactly a first choice if you can afford even a little more. Trader Joe's (Charles Shaw's primary outlet) certainly sells much better wines in the still inexpensive $4 - $7 price range. For instance, Big House Red is a heck of a bargain, very suitable for barbecues, tippling while you cook, and filling a carafe for an informal meal.

There are a lot things to consider when pairing. Expensive wines tend to be "big" wines, and not always an appropriate pairing because many simple dishes will disappear in comparison, while dishes with their own big flavors might compete. For instance, I'd choose a big red to go with a steak, but not with smoked brisket sauced in a regular tomato-based barbecue sauce.

Inexpensive, simple table wines certainly have their place. While Shaw isn't my first choice for that purpose (table wine), I'm not going to look down on it or someone who likes it either.

_De gustibus non disputandum,_
BDL


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

All this talk about two buck chuck has me laughing. We, in this country, are such snobs. I have a friend who grew up in France and his story used to be that his parents used to buy wine from a guy who drove in with a water tanker truck (a small one) and would distribute wine that way. All the families brought their own liter bottles and just had them filled up, costing the equivalent of a few bucks. The average Frenchman doesn't drink AOC wines, he drinks what we would call table wine. If he is drinking a few glasses a day he can't afford to be spending the equivalent of $15-20 a bottle. We are so label coincse that we turn our noses up at any inexpensive wine without ever giving it a try.


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## kirstens (Jul 3, 2009)

I disagree with this. I don't know a whole lot about wine but I like what I like. I always buy a Sicilian dry red wine and a chianti, both between $5-$7. They are great in my opinion. I don't drink the two buck chuck but Charles Shaw won the International Eastern Wine competition. Can't be that bad........

'Two-Buck Chuck' Snags Top Wine Prize : NPR


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I've had those, are you talking about the ones in the wicker baskets?

The one's I have had support my earlier statement.


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## kirstens (Jul 3, 2009)

The wines I buy are under the Italian Reds sign on the shelf. No baskets.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Oh, the ones I have had, were with wicker baskets, to make them look fancy.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I can understand why the uber thrifty with a deaf palate cook with TBC based on the price point alone. I can't say I see the need for most to drink such poor quality when there are so many better choices for just a few dollars more. Even the cheapest Cru Bourgeois at Costco would be a nice step up. If I ever digress to drinking that so I can drink daily then I might have a bigger problem than my wine selection. Suggesting that many are simply label concise may be true to some degree, however that over looks a lot of factors. I worked with the airlines for a few years and part of what I managed was the duty free. A considerable portion of what alcohol and many wines cost is tax. The table wine you were getting from a truck in France was likely a LOT better than TBC. Charles Shaw still has to pay tax, TJ's still makes a profit. Now subtract the label, freight and bottle cost and what do you think a bottle of TBC actually costs?
There is a reason for that. All things considered you were likely paying a lot more for that wine off of a truck in France than what TBC costs. 
As a Chef I try to be a conscious consumer at work and at home. Consider the way Charles Shaw/Bronco wines has treated their immigrant workers. By some accounts they are the equivalent of a US based sweat shop. There's part of your cost factor. Then there is the fact that they were prosecuted for fraud after using inferior grapes in their varietals that can't be over looked. In short this is not a company I would ever opt to support. I rather doubt you had those issues with bulk table wine being delivered in France.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I still agree. Have you tried the Fetzer Gewurztraminer at TJ's? About $7. 
Another good find at Costco this weekend is a Washington wine:
2007 Chateau Ste Michelle, Indian Wells, Cab Sav- $13.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Duckfat,

I agree with you on those choices............

Speaking to a sommeliere helps alot.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Haven't had those, I'll check them out.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

And that's my point. Too many Americans are too willing to bash a wine due to its price point. They automatically assume if it is less than $15-20 then it has to be crap. That is not neccessarily the case. Sure, a $12 bottle of wine isn't going to be a life changing experience, but there is something to be said for easy to drink every day wines and that's what many of these inexpensive wines are. Sure there are plenty of crappy wines at that price point, but then again, there are some pretty crappy wines at higher price points also. Another story-the sommelier at City Grill, in Atlanta, turned me one to this great little port from South Africa. It was dirt cheap, but very drinkable. He turned me on to it because he loved it and thought I would to. Sure it was not a "great" port, but it was well balanced, had plenty of good flavors, and was affordable enough that I could drink it often and keep the Warres '83' for a special occasion.

The point is, there are plenty of very drinkable inexpensive wines out there. Just because a wine is inexpensive doesn't automatically make it TBC. Not every wine has to be a culinary experience, just like every meal doesn't need to be.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I'm not saying that, I know there are a some out there that are good wines for cheap.

I'm saying the ones I have had that were really cheap are often terrible, and in several instances I poured the bottle out, or just used it for a marinade. If you go into the $7-15 range your a lot more likely to get something good or at the very least drinkable.

One cheap wine I had that was very good, was a Cuban white wine, I got it free (in Canada) but it probably costs less than $0.50 per bottle there. It was just labeled white wine, so I'm sure it was a mix but the predominant grape was Sav Blanc.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

There are indeed plenty of very good wines available for $16 and less. I've listed several on this thread alone that fall in to those perameters.
I don't drink much and when I do pop a cork I do want it to be an enjoyable experience. I have opened my share of wines in the $30-40+ price range that were disappointing so it's not just about the label or the price point but rather the quality of what's in the bottle.
I don't think any one here is using TBC as a generic descriptive for cheap wine. We are talking about the Charles Shaw wines sold at TJ's for $2.


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## rlp (Jun 25, 2007)

Since the OP is from California you are probably not too far from a vineyard or a wine store that offers wine tasting, I would suggest finding one and trying several and find out what matches your palate. 

As far as temperature goes, personally I like reds served in the high 50's range and whites in the low 50 range


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I tried that once but it was hard trying to match my pallet. I felt like I had splinters at the end of the day. I just couldn't find any thing with that pine nuance. Not to mention some of the more uppity tasting rooms wouldn't even let me in the door. 
I probably should have went to the service entrance. My pallet would have been a lot more welcome there. 
Of course I'm just joking. Now I better watch for my own twypos! :lol:


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## rlp (Jun 25, 2007)

You need to try the pine aged wine, thanks for the catch.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

In Greece pine aged wine, Retsina, is common. Very interesting taste.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Speaking of Greece, may I add that some excellent Bordeaux blends are produced in Krania.....

Greece makes a dessert wine which I really enjoy as well, it is not too expensive and tastes great.
My sister taught me a few things from there....


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## humphreydawson (Nov 21, 2009)

If you are familiar with the ordering and creation process, or want to review prices, click on *Pardonthatvine.com* to review all personalized wine selections. I recently came across while surfing the net. Hope it will help you.


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## shortstack (Aug 6, 2007)

If you really want personal advice you can visit Enjoy Bordeaux and ask the sommelier on-demand to help suggest a wine for you as well as answer any questions you might have.


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## chlychef (Jan 9, 2010)

I think a California Merlot is a good choice. Another good first would be Beaujolais. Light bodied, fruity and refreshing. Garnacha, a red wine of Spain would be another recommendation.


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## bjh65 (Sep 25, 2006)

I go from drinking Sterling cab in one of my gf's stemless glasses to pouring Vendange merlot into a fountain pop cup from a gas station with ice and diet coke and then back to sipping room temp or slightly lower Gnarly Head old vine zin. I never pay more than 25 bucks a bottle for wine. I can afford it but refuse. I get enough enjoyment from magic grape in my own way as everyone else should as well. :smiles:


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## fishnpickles (Jan 23, 2010)

I always suggest a nice blend such as a red zin. Right now my favorite which is nicely priced is called "Folie a Deux" it is a really good california blend.


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## voodoochyl (Feb 1, 2010)

My friend introduced us to an Old Vine Zinfandel called "Gnarly Head". It is a very good tasting red wine and it is a fair price. I get it at Albertsons for $9.00 with my shopper card discount, and it retails for anout $14.00. A good bottle of wine for the price.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I've had that! It wasn't great, I like the Toasted Head Merlot better.


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## voodoochyl (Feb 1, 2010)

I will have to try that...


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## tuscan chef (Jan 27, 2010)

My advice is to start with the best wine you can afford. I was never a wine enthusiast until I tried a real good wine, not even from my region, the AMARONE.
I will suggest to look for a 2004 Brunello, you can find them for $35 at this point on the internet if they are not sold out.


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## brianyjanell (Apr 8, 2010)

try a soft red wine (st chapelle's is a good one to try) it won't shock your taste buds as much, goes down much smoother.  it can usually be found with the dessert wines.


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## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Their merlot or cab?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Quote:


Pete said:


> All this talk about two buck chuck has me laughing. We, in this country, are such snobs. I have a friend who grew up in France and his story used to be that his parents used to buy wine from a guy who drove in with a water tanker truck (a small one) and would distribute wine that way. All the families brought their own liter bottles and just had them filled up, costing the equivalent of a few bucks. The average Frenchman doesn't drink AOC wines, he drinks what we would call table wine. If he is drinking a few glasses a day he can't afford to be spending the equivalent of $15-20 a bottle. We are so label coincse that we turn our noses up at any inexpensive wine without ever giving it a try.


Having grown up in France, I can confirm. As a kid we'd take big gallon plastic jars, drive to the cooperative and have them fill it up with their wine. Then go home and bottle it ourselves. It wasn't the best wine in the world, but it was good.

As for two buck chuck, a big reason for the small price is that the wine is very inconsistent. Most winemakers spend a lot of time making sure that every single bottle they produce tastes the same as the last one and the next one. You're paying for that. Not with Charles Shaw (two buck chuck). So on some days you can get a really good one, and other days you'll get a not-so-good one.

To get started with pretty good red wine in California, I would try Castoro or Boggle. Both in the $10/bottle range. Try merlot, cabernet, or even Petite Syrah. Or better yet, try them all, see which one you prefer.


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## onei (Jun 14, 2010)

I find it can be worth while checking the alcohol % on the bottles, particuarly reds, mainly because some are very high percentage (14% up) these can be off putting as they are very strong and can have quite strong fumes.


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## jongoro (Jun 24, 2010)

Fortified wine is my favourite


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## homemadecook (Jan 27, 2010)

Gardenmom said:


> Also, my husband has been told that red wine should only be served at room temperature, not chilled. Is this true?


For me, I prefer serving it to me and to my family cold.


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## philosophos (Jun 22, 2010)

Cab sauv and shiraz/syrah are great wines, two of my favorites, but starting with them can be rough. The tannins and pepper can be pretty overkill for a lot of new wine drinkers. Eerily enough, I've found those without a taste for wine (many around here) tend to do better with the lower quality red blends that qualify as boozy grape juice. For pure varietals, try sangria or maybe a lighter pinot noir. Merlot is fairly easy going most of the time, though a little heavier.


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## jmama (May 31, 2010)

Ok like most everyone else said it is all about your taste. What I love is different from what my boyfriend loves. However what I did was just went and took what I know I like out of a white and found it in a red. Also it depends on what you are eating with it or just drinking it by itself RH Phillips has a really nice Cab that is called Night Harvest...Super good and I can find it at my Grocery store for 5 bucks! You can buy it from the winery for  about 15 with shipping i think...Go figure... Another great one is called Paso Creek also a cab really good and priced around 15..My best advice go wine tasting! That way you can learn what you like and what you don't. My favorite area is Paso Robles. However California has great places all over this state to go wine tasting. Personally I hated Merlot's when I first started in with Reds and loved Cabs.. I now like Zin's and Merlots however our taste buds may be different. If you get the chance to got to Paso hit up Eberle they have a great selection of wines and they are so good not to mention their staff is wonderful!  

Can't make it to someplace for tasting.. have a wine tasting party with your friends. Ask them to bring a snack and a favorite bottle of wine. Wine lovers will always share what their favorites are Enjoy the exploration...I was a white fan only when I first started drinking wine...Now I loooovvveee reds


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## philosophos (Jun 22, 2010)

Jmama, my fiance and I picked up a bottle of that wine you were mentioning because of your recommendation here. For the price, it's a great find; perfect for greasier BBQ. It opens quite pleasantly; I'd say acidic plumb perhaps? Either way it cuts through fat, and while it's not overly complex you don't feel cheated. The weakness that I think dropped the price out is when it opens up; the acidity and tannins fade a little, the plumb comes out, and then it quite suddenly falls to flab. Still, definitely on my summer table wine list.


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## deltadoc (Aug 15, 2004)

I've drunk a lot of red wine, mostly cabernets, sometimes blends especially from Australia (I know a guy there who really REALLY is into red wine).

But the most important thing I've learned over the years is no matter what you think you like, it rarely is gonna be the same the next time around.

One of the things most often overlooked is the shipping of the wine.   A great wine from Napa Valley, can turn into crap by the time it reaches Minnesota, if it isn't handled right.

I've drunk some Beringer Reserve at $120 a bottle in a 5 star restaurant, and gone the next day and bought the same vintage at a liquor or wine store for 1/2 as much, and it tastes 1/4 as good, sometimes even worse.

Cork is something of a trap too.  Cork is getting harder and harder to find. The controversy of using screw caps is hot and widely debated.

I knew a guy who took a wine tour of a vintner in CA, had two cases shipped to him and they were so bad he sent them back for a full refund.  But they were sure good at the vintner's.

So, Hannah cabernet can be good, but half the time the bottom of the cork is rotted and breaks off into the bottle.  But a good bottle is hard to beat for the price.

Cakebread Reserve is a great wine but pricey.

One thing you might want to consider is joining a reputable wine club where they send you samples each month.  My friend in the Quad Cities swears by the wines.  Even ones he wouldn't ordinarily choose for whatever reason turn out to be fairly good. He's gotten me to expand from my fav cabernet and tried some Merlots (which generally I think lack body compared to cabernets).  I like the tannins.  But watch out for the sulfites.  My wife haS a genuine choking fit when served a sulfite ridden wine in a restaurant.  Especially the Black Stallion approximately half way between Minneapolis and Rochester.

15 year old Dry Zack from Spain is impossible for me to drink, but cooking with it the taste it delivers is unbelievable.  Another myth about not using wine you wouldn't drink, although it seems to be an exception.

If you can find a good Maltec, and they are very hard to find and grow.  The conditions have to be just so.  But a local merchant had one bottle left and talked me into it and I couldn't believe how good it was.  But other local merchants won't carry maltec grape wines because of their unpredicability.

So, hope this helps.  Just figure out how much you're willing to spend, find a trustworthy merchant, and see if his tastes match yours.  They generally will take back a wine if they recommended it and you found it to be unpleasant.

At least that has been my experience with wine since about 2002 when I really started to get into red wines.  I had a Chateau Margot once for about $44 served in the 510 restaurant near the old Guthrie theatre.  THey used a candle to decant it into another glass jar.  I had seen recently at the time a story about how they were one of the last French vintners that did things the old fashioned way.  That experience is what made me think "Ah Ha, so this is what everybody is so excited about red wines", because previously I couldn't drink 'em.

I stuck with German Saar/Ruwer valley whites preferring the much over Rhine wines.  (Rhine wines come in dark brown bottles (or at least they used to) and Saar/ruwer wines came in green bottles.  I like the delicate sweetness of them.  But once I got into Reds, I never looked back.

doc


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## jmama (May 31, 2010)

Try it with Mexican food..I love it with my turkey tortilla soup soooo good


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## waynus (May 29, 2010)

The bottom line is if you can't taste the difference don't pay anymore. Every now and again just go up a few dollars. Ask friends and remember what you have liked. Italian, French, US, greek, SA, Chile, Aussie wines are all different, even with the same variety. Drink what you can afford and tastes good. Then challenge your pallet every now and then. In the end it comes down to what you like and what you can afford. I have been excited by a $5 bottle and by a $700 bottle, it depends on so much that is subjective.


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## philpbvc3232 (Jul 31, 2010)

Is red wine really  good for our skin ?And make us look young？


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Ask a Dermatoligist not cooks and chefs.


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## jmama (May 31, 2010)

LOL one day the answer will be yes and the next no..Drink anyway


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

deltadoc said:


> If you can find a good Maltec, and they are very hard to find and grow. The conditions have to be just so. But a local merchant had one bottle left and talked me into it and I couldn't believe how good it was. But other local merchants won't carry maltec grape wines because of their unpredicability.


I assume you're referring to malbec. Not sure why things are different in Louisiana, but malbec is not that hard to come by at a decent wine store. Granted, they won't have it at Walmart, but then again Walmart should be the last place you go to buy wine...

Malbec is a great wine for those who are just getting into red wine. Generally speaking, it's a bit sweeter than merlot, not as stout and tannic as cab, and a bit more robust than pinot. Even after tasting practically every varietal and most blends out there, malbec is still one of my favorites. The great thing about it is the consistency. 99% of malbec now will be from South America, which is much more predictable and stable from year to year than say France. 2005-2007 were all great years.

A good malbec that's fairly easy to find is Bodega Norton Reserva. Try it from the 2006 vintage. Shouldn't cost much more than about $13 or so.

TM


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