red wine suggestion?

[Denine]

Keep the suggestions coming. I am writing them down.

To the person that doesn't like red wine, we used to feel that way too. But, our tastes have changed over the years and we like the reds now, used to hate merlot. Also, only used to like the sweeter wines but have gravitated to the dry wines.

 

[susan514]

DH and I love to eat blue cheese and the best, cheap wine is Hahn, which is $10 per bottle. Everyone that we have served this to loves it and it actually holds up well for 2-3 days. Here's some info:

http://www.wines.com/winepress/mead/mow6-23.html

Okay, I just saw the year this was written, a little outdated but the wine is still very much like the description in the article.

 

[Galahad]

That's very interesting that your eonophile friends liked the $10 bottle better.

IMO, unless it's a VERY special occassion, you never need to spend more that $10-$15 for a good bottle of wine. There are so many good wines out there that are inexpensive, label shopping really isn't necessary.

 

[pilikia97]

Don't know how our favorite wine will pair up with cheese (we don't do food pairing really, we just drink what tastes good to us with everything! ), but a red zin called 7 Deadly Zins is quite tasty, light and slightly fruity- very drinkable! It is also a very neat lable with a funny story line about the blend from 7 different families

 

[Denine]

We will usually try anything that is under $10, but I was thinking of something more expensive and more "special?" for Valentine's Day.

 

[RUDisney]

IMO, unless it's a VERY special occassion, you never need to spend more that $10-$15 for a good bottle of wine. There are so many good wines out there that are inexpensive, label shopping really isn't necessary.

I agree with what you are saying... although, my every day wines go up to about $20 per bottle. What is interesting, though, is that the cheap wine compared so well with the expensive bottle. Usually, the more expensive bottles are better... more complex, etc.

The major difference I have found between less expensive and more expensive is that I like the mid-range champagnes more than Dom Perignon and Crystal. Give me a mid-price Veuve Cliquot or Perrier Jouet any day over those expensive brands... but still, we're talking about a $40 bottle compared to a $100-$200 bottle.

 

[scubamouse]

we just hit our wine store's inventory sale

yes shafer is phenomenal but pricey

in your range we bought some of the following. IMO these all taste way pricier they are. they were all between $13-20

rabbit ridge primitivo
fransiscan merlot and cab
ferrari carano - sienna (italian varietals)
beringer knights valley cab
alexander vallet cab and merlot
st francis old vine zin

a steal is the castle rock pinot noir - usually under $10!

 

[scubamouse]

I agree with what you are saying... although, my every day wines go up to about $20 per bottle. What is interesting, though, is that the cheap wine compared so well with the expensive bottle. Usually, the more expensive bottles are better... more complex, etc.

The major difference I have found between less expensive and more expensive is that I like the mid-range champagnes more than Dom Perignon and Crystal. Give me a mid-price Veuve Cliquot or Perrier Jouet any day over those expensive brands... but still, we're talking about a $40 bottle compared to a $100-$200 bottle.

ITA on veuve and pj! I only drink Crystal when someone else is paying!

My goal is to find the best tasting wine for the money. for example, to me cuvaison chardonnay tastes 90% as good as chalk hill for less than half the price. I'm all about the value!

 

[imsorry]

Fabulous Merlot - Nelms Road (Washington State) - this is our favorite!

Also, William Hill Cabernet

Less expensive and still delicious - Concha Y Toro Merlot

Enjoy!!

 

[Denine]

Just got back from BJ's and bought a bottle of Sterling Cabernet 2001 for $23. It sounds good. They also had 2 or 3 others that were mentioned and I saw that World Market had another one mentioned. I will keep my list to remember in the future.

Thanks all!

 

[pilikia97]

ferrari carano - sienna (italian varietals)

I love Ferrari Carano's wines! We toured their place near Healdsburg and did not find a single one we did not like!

 

[goofy!]

.....

 

[CPM]

Just got back from BJ's and bought a bottle of Sterling Cabernet 2001 for $23. It sounds good. They also had 2 or 3 others that were mentioned and I saw that World Market had another one mentioned. I will keep my list to remember in the future.

Thanks all!

Very nice! I love it!!
We went to visit their vineyard last May. It was so beautiful up there, I cried when I saw it.
Enjoy your night.

 

[MAKmom]

Just got back from BJ's and bought a bottle of Sterling Cabernet 2001 for $23. It sounds good. They also had 2 or 3 others that were mentioned and I saw that World Market had another one mentioned. I will keep my list to remember in the future.

Thanks all!

Denine & CPM: By accident last year we ended up with both of the Sterling Cabernets Sauvignon ...both price levels one is Vintners's Collection. Anyway we were entertaining so Dh opens the more expensive on first...which is the $20.00 range. Then later we opened the less expensive one & we could not tell the difference. The one you bought Denine is better hands down alone.

 

[Denine]

This is fun. So, do you have any special suggestions for serving it? Do I let it breathe for a certain amount of time before drinking? We do not generally bother to do that, we just open a bottle and serve.

We did have a nice bottle of Smoking Loon Merlot 2003 last night. It was very good, smooth.

 

[Denine]

I was just curious if any of you belong to a wine club? I have looked into a few, but haven't joined any yet.

 

[RUDisney]

I used to be a member of Gold Medal Wine Club. It was a good start for me into the world of wine. It taught me a lot about CA wines. After a while, I knew what I liked and I buy based on recommendations of trusted sources, past experience and things I'd like to try. They have various levels of the club. I got a white and a red each month for just under $40. I'd buy half or full cases sometimes of the wine I really liked. My next door neighbor is currently a member because of my recommendation.

Last night, I bought a Louis Latour white wine that would have been $28, but was on sale for $12.99. I also bought an Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine.... 1/2 bottle for $56.99. The first was because it was on sale and sounded good. The latter was because I had tasted it 2-years ago at the F&W Festival and loved it! I've been too cheap to buy it until now. I consider it my Valentine's Day gift to myself... DH can share if he wants.

Scubamouse, the Beringer Knights Valley Cab is good. We had some of the private reserve that they only sell at the winery. For $25, it blew Knights Valley out of the water. Because they won't ship, and we haven't known of anyone going there, we have settled for the KV brand... happily, but their reserve is better.

 

[CPM]

This is fun. So, do you have any special suggestions for serving it? Do I let it breathe for a certain amount of time before drinking? We do not generally bother to do that, we just open a bottle and serve.
.

You should let it breath for a while. At least 20 minutes or so.
I can tell the difference between the Vintners and the regular Sterling. I do buy the less expensive Vintners for every day drinking. It's a great wine for the price. I can get it at Publix for $10.99. Once ina while I will buy it by the case through work when they have a special.
The regular Sterling is a bit more flavorful, I can taste the berries and cedar more. But, don't buy it all the time.
My special wine we buy on occasion is "J" Pinot Noir, it's around $29.00 a bottle, I hate paying that much for a wine but love the taste of it.

I work in food and beverage, so we get to taste good wines a lot. Fun!!
I have never belonged to a wine club, you can't order wine through the mail in Florida

 

[Denine]

Thanks for the tips.

I know the ice wine you are talking about. It is good!

There is a winery in Amish Country that we go to often and buy a case of wine. They have a reasonably priced ($38) ice wine. It is good, but I haven't actually sprung for a bottle. They have a lot of good wines and have won a lot of awards for their wines.

We have 2 more wineries very close by that we haven't been to yet, but plan on going, maybe this summer. Being close to Lake Erie, the region is good for growing grapes.

 

[RUDisney]

Thanks for the tips.

I know the ice wine you are talking about. It is good!

There is a winery in Amish Country that we go to often and buy a case of wine. They have a reasonably priced ($38) ice wine. It is good, but I haven't actually sprung for a bottle. They have a lot of good wines and have won a lot of awards for their wines.

We have 2 more wineries very close by that we haven't been to yet, but plan on going, maybe this summer. Being close to Lake Erie, the region is good for growing grapes.

Is it Blue Mountain Vineyards that you're talking about? I have a bottle of their ice wine in my wine cellar. I talked to one of the vintners one day in a local liquor store. He told me about their process and promised me that I'd like it. I almost pulled it out yesterday to serve to my friends, but the blizzard was calling them home early. They had to drive 2-hours to get home. If they didn't have to go so soon, and drive so far, we'd have popped the cork.