| Author | Message | ||
| echo008
Advanced Member Username: echo008 Post Number: 321 Registered: 2-2003 |
I know we have some Beer afficianados here, But what say the Wine Drinkers, not to say that I dont like beer ... I certainly do! My wife and I sometimes open up a bottle at meals and also on weekends when time permits. We actually just bought a small wine fridge that holds 12 bottles and we are digging it. Recommend me a good wine Here are my first three from $13-$20 seems to be a good base price, at least for me  Ridge 2004 - Sonoma California (Three Valleys) Hayman Hill - Chardonay Navarro Carrces - Cabernet (from Argetntina) - Tom | ||
| hifiguy
Junior Username: hifiguy Post Number: 35 Registered: 10-2006 |
Tom: Any Ridge Zinfandel - especially the Lytton Springs and Geyserville. That's the sort of wine that tastes you back. BIG and POWERFUL the ebony laminates of red wine. Chateau Gloria, a non-classified Bordeaux (St Julien) that would be a third growth if classified today. Simply stunning wine. About 40-50 a bottle but drinks 2-3 times as expensive Nobilo Marlboroough New Zealand sauvignon blanc is simply wonderful and a steal - I've seen it at Trader Joe's for $10. I've had some NZ pinots (sadly mostly in NZ) that hold their own against superb Burgundies. If you can find Te Karainga NZ pinot, it is mind-fogging and rivals some $100-200 per bottle Vosne-Romanees I have tasted. For $10-12 a bottle, nothing beats Rosemount Estates Diamond Label Shiraz. The Aussies have murdered California in that price range. Cheers! Paul | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1397 Registered: 3-2004 |
Tom, Price ranges are different for different varietals. You should find a lot of excellent table wine for about $15 per bottle. A lot of great wine comes from within a few miles of Santa Rosa as well. In general, you should find some really nice Zinfandel, Shiraz, and Bordeaux-varietals in your range. Australia and Argentina both produce well for the money with very few disappointments. There are, however. a couple types you'll have to pay a little more for. I haven't found a Pinot Noir below about $18 street price that is worth the money. I'd rather drink something like a Greg Norman Cab-Shiraz than any $15 Pinot. Some more obscure whites, like Viogner, also tend to hold a higher price tag. One problem area is that many 100% Cabernets in the teens tend to be quite tannic, but blends help to tame the acids. The movie Sideways has been responsible for an elevation of Pinot prices and a depression in Merlot. As such, there's a lot of good value Merlot floating around. It is quite funny that the movie had this impact. Locally, there's some good wine coming from the North Fork of Long Island. Places like Lenz, Paumanok, Pellegrini, and Osprey's Dominion produce some really nice Bordeaux-style wines. Lenz also makes a really nice Gewurztraminer. If you can make it to Niagara, there's some great Cabernet Franc up there. Along the way, you'll find some interesting wines, mostly white, through the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes regions. One other thing that I would say is that yo ushould occasionally step outside of your price range. There's a lot of very good wine to be had for $20 per bottle or less, but I can't think of any that knock your socks off. While I don't particularly recommend paying restaurant prices for a nice bottle, I also don't recommend racing home with a highly-rated 2003-2005 Cabernet with high expectations. Seek out some well respected wines in the 7-15 year old range at your local trusted wine shop or winery. A few of the wineries on Long Island still have older bottles available for $50-75. These are more worth paying for than the top rated 2005 Cabernet for the average wine drinker. The problem here is that few people are willing or able to properly store that 2005 Cabernet for 8-12 years until it is truely ready to drink. One final recommendation I will throw at you is the Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut. Generally under $20, it is one of the more interesting domestic sparkling wines for holiday celebration. Wine drinkers will like this bubbly better than the casual toaster, and you won't get the full taste sensation if you drink it too cold. At Chardonnay-type temperatures, though, it really shines. It's getting to be that time of year. I could go on all night, but I better take a break... | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 739 Registered: 11-2002 |
Well, this took off faster than I could reply, progress indeed! I'll drink beer, and enjoy it, but only if wine isn't available (specifically, red :-). If I'm not mistaken, the Ridge Three Valleys you mention is a zinfandel, which is the type I've sort of latched onto. I really enjoy good cabernets and merlots, but (a) I'm lousy with names and can't keep track of too many, (b) I tend to prefer spicier meals and zinfandels seem to hold up better, and (c) for a "buy it and drink it tonight" kind of guy, I can find something in a zinfandel at a more reasonable price that I may actually enjoy more. Back to the Ridge, one of my Thanksgiving bottles was a 2004 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel, and I prefer this to the Three Valleys. Not quite tart enough to stand up to the turkey meal, but nice for sipping before; though also maybe 4-5 bucks beyond your price range. Anyway, I'm not an expert by any means. I just enjoy wine with meals, much prefer red, have no interest in building (or populating) a wine celler, but would love to have more recommendations. And I like your price range, Tom. It seems you can get some decent stuff here, without breaking the bank, though it may be more of a challenge on the chardonnays (probably because I rarely like them, so they have to be really good). Anyway, thanks for starting this, hope it proves popular - especially given how many people we have here with impeccable taste. -Bob (Message edited by bob on November 25, 2006) | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1398 Registered: 3-2004 |
Ridge is good stuff. I have a '91 Lytton Springs in the cellar that's going to have to come out soon. There's an '01 Paso Robles as well and we'll probably open them on the same night for a comparison article. I may even run out and pick up a current vintage to make it an even three bottles. I should throw a plug for our website as well, www.WineIntro.com. | ||
| echo008
Advanced Member Username: echo008 Post Number: 322 Registered: 2-2003 |
Wow. thanks guys great info so far, Im going to read over this again tomorrow morning as its a little late here now and Im a bit groggy. Yes the Ridge is a blend mostly Zinfandel, the bottle says 68% Zin/ 11% Carignane/ 10% Syrah/ 7% Petite Syrah/and 4% Grenache... not that I really know what that is, but its very good I think we pay like $20 a bottle over here in NY I guess thats pretty standard. Im not stuck to that price range but in general thats what we have been trying to stick to. We have a few names now finally that we tend to pick up on a more consistent basis, mostly Merlots/Some Pinot noir. The Hayman Hill I mentioned earlier also makes a very nice Pinot for not too much. - Tom | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 974 Registered: 12-2002 |
As we speak I'm drinking some California chardonnay along with my bacon&eggs breakfast & some Fine Weeds Too & im Buzzing pretty hard right about now! (Message edited by keavin on November 26, 2006) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1801 Registered: 7-2004 |
Keavin: Is it white with sativa, red with indica? LOL Bill, tgo | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 975 Registered: 12-2002 |
Dude I'm soo f#KED-up I Caint Remember!!!!!...............But it's some Good shit!LOL!!! | ||
| echo008
Advanced Member Username: echo008 Post Number: 323 Registered: 2-2003 |
"I should throw a plug for our website as well, www.WineIntro.com." Hey Bob, This is your website? Looks great. Ill go through it when I have a chance. You know I do want to get into the local wines meaning Long Island wines,I have tried a couple of local wines and have not really liked them too much, In Union Square they sometimes have an outdoor market and some of local vineyards come down to sell bottles, so I've had a chance to try a few. If you know of a particularly good LI wine I would like to know. Thanks - Tom | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1399 Registered: 3-2004 |
It's actually Lisa's website. I take a lot of the pics and she does all of the writing. The tasting notes and other stuff is collaborative. It's a good excuse for a fair amount of travel and to drink some decent wines. By the way, how does that 12 bottle "cellar" work? Can you keep the temp in the mid 50s? We have tested a few of the 30-40 bottle versions and they often use a compressor that seems made for a dorm fridge. Temps in the 50s are at the very high end of the range for them. While I am not a "wine snob" in the traditional sense, I am very temperature conscious when it comes to storing and drinking wines. It is a truth in this country that people tend to drink their reds too warm and their whites too cold. "Room temperature" for most reds really means low to mid 60s, not 74. Whites should generally be served in the 50s rather than at the 38-40F temp of the fridge. Also, it is always better to serve a wine a few degrees too cold as they will come up to the best drinking temps in the glass. I recommend that everyone do some experimentation to find the serving temps they prefer for various wines, especially those that they like enough to buy more than one bottle. | ||
| echo008
Advanced Member Username: echo008 Post Number: 324 Registered: 2-2003 |
There looks to be alot of great info there.... here is the model we bought, it looks likle a Dorm fridge but there website gives alot of info on the units http://www.haieramerica.com/product.php?menuid=6&productid=20 The temp control is not very specific, theres a dial on the unit that simply points to either Red or White on opposite ends. I usually keep it set in the middle or maybe favor the "Red" Side of the dial more as we dont usually buy alot of White wines, the unit itself leaves a small footprint and is way better than just leaving the wine out in an ordinary rack. At least I like to think so. Heres some info from the website: "Ideal For Both Red and White Wine Available in both electronic touch or manual dial controls, all of our units are equipped with an adjustable thermostat. Electronic models can be set for red or white at the touch of a button. Two cooling zones are created by an approximate 8 degree variation in temperature from the top rack to the bottom making it simultaneously perfect for red and white wine." - Tom (Message edited by echo008 on November 26, 2006) | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1100 Registered: 11-2003 |
Tom I'll have to try the Ridge as I like Zinfandel a lot and my favorite single varietal is Petit Sirah. I'm also in the under $20 range and the wine that I like the best is a Petit Sirah/Zinfandel/Mouvredre blend by Bogle Winery called Phantom. It gets a Good Stuff rating from me. Sam | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1101 Registered: 11-2003 |
Bob I've had that website in my favorites for a long time now. I didn't know of your connection. There's a lot of good info there. Sam | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1400 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sam- Thanks for the kind words, Lisa will be pleased. Lisa was the "Wine Host" for About.com from the start of their website (originally TheMiningCo.com) until a couple years ago when she split from them and put it all up on her own site. We paid a visit to David Bruce in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 2003. Lisa wanted to do an article about a famous wine tasting/contest that was held in Paris in 1976. A dozen California wines were tasted against French wines by French experts and California was voted to have both the best red and the best white. We chatted with David about his participation in the event and he was very animated. In any case, the 2001 Petite Sirah we tasted there was extraordinarily saturated. The stuff looked like ink, but fortunately didn't taste like it at all. I thought it was a great wine at a reasonable price. He has a few different Petite Sirahs and they still start at or under $20. | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1102 Registered: 11-2003 |
I'm very fond of David Bruce Petite Sirah. I have a bottle in my rack now, 2003 I think. I don't want to sound like I'm promoting Bogle but their Petite Sirah is good also, within my budget. | ||
| georgie_boy
Intermediate Member Username: georgie_boy Post Number: 143 Registered: 8-2005 |
FWIW I used to be an importer of French wines to the U.K. when I lived in Paris, so if anyone wants my opinion/advice on French wines, then give me shout George | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Junior Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 23 Registered: 10-2006 |
I don't really have any label loyalty on wines, but I do pretty much stick to Italy for reds and Germany for whites - though my nextdoor neighbor makes wine that's as good as my beer. Peter | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1147 Registered: 6-2002 |
For US wines, I have good memories of a Fetzer red, probably cabernet sauvignon, which was pure velvet on the tongue (but went great with venison anyway) and a Benziger chardonnay. I would love to drink expensive wine rather than the affordable varieties, but the other stuff isn't called "affordable" for nothing. | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 742 Registered: 11-2002 |
Interesting to see a couple comments on Bogle so soon. Whenever I can find their Old Vines Zinfandel for $10 or less, I consider it a real steal. I should at least give the Phantom a try, thanks. Going even more affordable, in zinfandels I think it's very hard to do better than Ravenswood Vintner's Blend, which I can often pick up for $8. Not great, but seems to be more consistently drinkable, than much of what I can find in the $10-12 range. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1401 Registered: 3-2004 |
I know people with 10,000 bottle cellars who think of $80 wine as an every day thing. I am not one of them. On the other hand, it's nice to have a special bottle on occasion as budget and circumstances allow. Six or eight years ago, we visited a friend on Long Island who was wine buyer for a Hamptons restaurant. He opened a 1982 Chateau LaTour that I still remember as one of the best wine experiences I have ever had. It's something that I wish everyone could experience at least once. The $15 vicinity is the recommended price range if you are looking to become a student of wine. It is not uncommon for wines under $10 to be quite drinkable, though they often have technical flaws, lack complexity, or have been made in a way that doesn't show varietal character well. You also find a lot of blending in this price range. As with any generalization, there are plenty of exceptions. For example, accurate Sauvignon Blancs in the $10 price range are common, and Pinot Noirs start to be right at around $20 or so. Some of it is marketing, some of it is the cost/difficulty of growing good fruit. In the end, it comes down to one thing. Drink what you like and can afford. I often pick up wine from the local warehouse store (BJs or Costco) and get some great deals. It's not much risk to try new labels in the $10 price range, and finding a $30 bottle for $18 is always a treat. On the other hand, I also have a wine shop the size of a small supermarket about 20 minutes down the road where I chat with the buyer on at least a monthly basis. His guidance means that when we look for something new in the $20-40 price range, we're more likely to avoid the bad ones. Lisa hates to write bad reviews and I hate to spend $30 for $10 wine. | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1103 Registered: 11-2003 |
Bob, let me know what you think of the Phantom. I have about 9 or 10 bottles of wine at home right now and 8 of them are 2003 Phantom. There hasn't been an '04 release yet. I think they age it for 20 months. I think it's about time to leave work and go open one. Sam | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1402 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sam- I'll look for it and let you know. We will be focussing on wine a lot next week, but I will try to get it before then. Afterwards, we'll be doing a Champagne/sparkling wine tasting or two to get some holiday recommendations out and probably won't think about reds again until January. We'll drink them, just won't think about it much. -Bob | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 745 Registered: 11-2002 |
Just in case "Bob" was ambiguous... I looked for Phantom today while I was in one of my grocery stores, but no luck. I will also look further and let you know (though my assessment will be strictly amateurish). I'm right there with "...just won't think about it much". -Bob | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 891 Registered: 10-2003 |
I like good dark beer and Alembic instruments. Also, my wife is truly the finest of the fine of humanity. Now for where my discerning taste would seem to fall short: I LIKE 2-buck Chuck (Charles Shaw, I believe?). It tastes just fine to me, and is only slightly more than $2 a bottle. I'm not a big drinker by any means or anything more than a amateur, usually only having either a beer or two at a gig or a small glass of wine with cheese before bed a few nights a week. So, is 2-buck Chuck garbage and likely to kill me quicker than Thunderbird, or is it a decent low-rent wine? John | ||
| emjay
Junior Username: emjay Post Number: 44 Registered: 3-2005 |
Don't forget that Beaujolais Nouveau just got released for '06; and IMHO it's pretty much always a bargain, especially at places like Costco - $9 for Duboeuf. For a luscious red, my wife and I have found that the 2005 Edmeads Zin is really versatile for our style of cooking. With a medium weight for a Zin, 15+% alcohol, and fresh, pure fruit, it goes with just about any meat, fish, pasta, cheese, even asparagus and chocolate. Expect to pay about $18. For a white, we lucked upon a few bottles of Domaine des Baumards Savennieres, 2002; a fantastic year in France for Chenin Blanc whites. Very crisp and minerally, with richness from the few years of bottle age it had. If you even come across the Coteaux du Layon, which is a sweet white, get it as well. This is a solidly good Loire domaine in just about everything they make. There's so much good wine out there, but the best bargains may be from Spain and Australia, although the quality of low-priced California cabs seem to have come up, from what I remember about five years ago. I suggest that anyone who is going to spend any serious money on wine subscribe to at least one wine puiblication. My favorites are the International Wince Cellar (Tanzer, et. al.), and the Wine Advocate (Parker, et. al.), and back issues of The Vine (defunct since 2005, Clive Coates). You may want also to look at British publications also, like Decanter (various contributers). I think the Wine Spectator is questionable with their recommendations, though I like the variety of articles. Tanzer, Parker and Coates all do not accept advertizing in their publications from any wine estates, as they do not want to show any bias. Here are their links: Parker: http://dat.erobertparker.com/WAStore/ Tanzer: http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/index.html? -- Jeff | ||
| emjay
Junior Username: emjay Post Number: 45 Registered: 3-2005 |
Wine Cellar, not Wince Cellar (see above). That was a Duhhhh - not a Freudian Slip Jeff | ||
| inthelows
Member Username: inthelows Post Number: 76 Registered: 11-2006 |
Thunderbird and Ripple, basement wines for the below ground wine drinkers! Love the humility! I've never heard of Phantom, I'll have to look around for it. I prefer red over white or blush, Pinot Noir,Cabernet Sauvignon maybe? Not too sweet. NLP | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1405 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hey Jeff- I just can't drink the Nouveau. We do every year so Lisa can write it up, but it tastes too much like a Chianti we home-made from a kit a few years ago. That said, it is fine when you drink it with food (like you're supposed to!) rather than trying to sip it by itself. I also used some last night to flavor some chicken and mushrooms and it worked quite well. Another reasonable French white is the Free Range White Bordeaux. This is available in a three liter box for convenience and I find it quite pleasant. I was, however, disappointed with some of their other offerings. Their Merlot was okay, though very French in style, and the Red Bordeaux just doesn't work for me at all. |
