All you wine heads out there.....

[KLD1019]

I need some help....some suggestions!! Im not a big wine drinker....never really drank it until here recently so i dont know much about flavors and what i really like. Maybe i know about 2 or 3 certain ones. But I've come to a desision today that im just going to have to go to a wine tasting to find my 'ideal' wine!

Im looking more for a sweet wine! Id rather a red wine. I know most are on the bitter tasting side. But i know there has to be a really good sweet red wine! I know i like Sangria. But i cant seem to find that in a small bottle....only the big jugs and i dont want to look like a wine-o!! :o Not to mention, i would have no where to store it! and it'd most likely go bad before being able to finish if even half of it! :rolleyes:

Today while at the store, the wine guy was there making inventory. I was glad to see him cause i needed some help. Told him what i was looking for. He pointed out a Texas wine, said it tasted more like Koolaid! (i forgot the name) So i told him something not so sweet assuming it would be too sweet. So then he pointed out Lambrusco. I got that one. It's good. But still not quite what im looking for! :confused: I dont know what im suppose to expect from wine! Maybe i'll go back (after finishing this bottle) and try the sweet koolaid tasting Texas wine....maybe that'll be my 'ideal' flavor!

So I'd love to hear some suggestions from everyone! Maybe i can find the little bottles of them and test them out without having to buy big bottles and wasting it! TIA!!

[KathyNC]

I've been trying to develop a taste for wine but it's so overwhelming in the stores. I don't know the terminology (sweet, dry, merlot, carbarnet, etc.). I've bought some that I like and some I didn't, but never think to make a note of them. I have had a Reisling that I like. I would love to learn more about wine and I've looked at some web sites but haven't seriously researched it. I guess it's all a matter of personal taste anyway.

[KLD1019]

I've been trying to develop a taste for wine but it's so overwhelming in the stores. I don't know the terminology (sweet, dry, merlot, carbarnet, etc.). I've bought some that I like and some I didn't, but never think to make a note of them. I have had a Reisling that I like. I would love to learn more about wine and I've looked at some web sites but haven't seriously researched it. I guess it's all a matter of personal taste anyway.

It IS overwhelming!! I too want to learn more about it. I have a friend who is a HUGE wine person!! I usually call and ask her for help! She likes Shiraz (sp?)....i've tasted that once....GAG!!! I couldnt begin to describe the taste of that!!

[callalily]

KLD and Kathy - As I sit here reading the posts, I am sipping on a glass of a Private Reserve Cabernet sauvignon. I will try my best to pass on some advice that I have learned over the years.

1st - if a wine costs $6 and you like it, then it is a good wine. If a wine costs $200 and you do not like it, then it is a bad wine... for you.

Wine is a personal preference, i.e. Budweiser vs. Miller, what makes one better than the other for a beer drinker... personal preference

2nd - when you are looking for a wine, the best reference, the person at the wine shop that knows wine. Tell them what you are looking for and what food you will be serving with the wine. Food can greatly change how wine tastes. Try the wine before eating and then with the meal and you will think you are drinking 2 different wines.

A few wines that might get you started are:

"Merlot is the name of the grape used to make merlot wine. This wine has been used as a blending wine for hundreds of years because its flavor is so gentle. The typical flavor for a merlot is plum. This goes well with just about any medium-body dish, like burgers or pork chops.

Chianti is a multi-grape wine made in Italy. You might remember the straw-basket bottles used for Chianti in the olden days, and from movies. This wine is fruity tasting and goes wonderfully with pizza and lasagna.

Shiraz is also known as Syrah and comes from the Syrah grape. The name shiraz is just what Australia chose to call their version of the wine, and the name has become very popular. Shiraz wines are spicy and peppery, and go wonderfully with steak and spicy dishes. "

Another sweet red wine which is perfect for dessert would be a red Port wine. This is a very sweet "dessert" wine.

3rd - as you start this process, keep a journal of the wines you try. What wines you like (Vineyard, grape type, year the wine was produced, etc) and write what it is you like about the wine and even what you do not like about it. This way, the next time you go to the wine shop you can share this with the owner and he can direct you to something similar if you liked it or something completely different if you did not.

4th - there is no clear cut answer to wine. I love some cabernets and dislike others. I love wines from certain regions of the world and other places I will completely pass by as they do not "do it for me". Never rule out a variety (KLD you said you do not like shiraz, but you may like other shiraz wine by other vineyards, just not the one you experienced - don't give up after one try)

And to make things more complicated, the year a wine is produced will make a difference too (but let's not get ahead of ourselves)

So finally, if you have read this far, the answer to choosing a wine, whether it be red or white comes down to this... whatever you enjoy drinking, that's what is perfect for you!

I love talking about good wine, if you would like to discuss further, please send me a PM.

I hope this helps get you started... see the wine store owner, tell him what you are looking for and go from there.

As a side note: sangria is not "real" wine... it is a wine punch made with red wine, fruit, a sweetener (often honey), brandy and seltzer water.

[KathyNC]

Thanks! This is helpful, but........wine store?.....Walmart is about as close to a wine store as we get here, and I doubt that they would have a wine expert there! About the prices, I have found that some of the ones I like best are the cheapest.

[callalily]

Kathy - Wine store, in New England we actually call them "Package Stores". Try using that phrase outside of New England and you will find yourself buying boxes or sending something by UPS. :D :eek:

Since wine cannot be sold in grocery stores here (or on Sundays and after 8 PM) we have to go to the package store... aka liquor store, which sells wine, beer and hard liquor. I am not sure if liquor stores in the south sell wine or just hard liquor...? If they sell wine that would probably be the best place to start.

In the meantime, I will get in touch with my aunt and uncle who live in Charleston, SC and ask them where they purchase wine and who they are able to talk to about different wines. They are into wine and would be able to give you better direction on where to go for advice.

[luv2cook]

If you are looking for a really sweet wine then I would suggest Manischewitz. It is a Kosher wine and really sweet-- like more of a dessert wine. My favorite is the Cream Peach but the Cream White is really good too. If you are looking for something to cook with I buy a label called Foxhorn and love the Chardonnay. Foxhorn also has some VERY good red wines as well. Walmart sells these here in the south and also the Manischewitz. Both are very reasonably priced but of a higher quality than the old Boone's Farm wine:D I use both red and white wine quite a bit to deglaze the pan after sautéing veggies and some meats--like beef tips. As you can tell, I am more of a white vino person but also love Rose' and Merlot---just not for cooking :) A lot just depends on what your taste buds like, so try a few inexpensive to moderate priced brands and see where your taste buds go!

[eHelen]

Kathy - Wine store, in New England we actually call them "Package Stores". Try using that phrase outside of New England and you will find yourself buying boxes or sending something by UPS. :D :eek:........

calla, we have had "package stores" in about 3 of the Southern states we have lived in. :D Don't ask me which ones as I can't remember and DH is almost asleep!

[TB Hawks]

Here is what I have learned over the past year...Some wines (White / Red) (Sweet / Dry)...after pulling the cork, let it sit for a few minutes...

I have a BIL who is a Chef...he and his wife know a lot about wines...they gave me a list to try and so far.. I like everything on the list...

Some wines are better at room temp, others are better chilled at 42 degrees etc..

I have found that the taste will change with different types of food / sweets..

Good Luck with finding some that you like...:)

[KLD1019]

Thanks for the info Callalily! I was hoping you would see and comment this post!!

Im not looking for a wine to cook or have dinner with......just want something to drink to relax with! :o

And your right Callalily.....it is like drinking 2 different wines when eating!! Since i dont know much about wine, i tried a Riesling at Red Lobster....didnt think to ask what it went good with. Then when my meal came, i gagged on the drink i took after eating!! It was FAR from what it tasted like before i ate!! On the bottle of Lambrusco that i got, it has suggestions on the label on what it goes good with. I found that after my 2nd glass....i really liked it!

[ilovethesouth]

Calla and E, my dad has always reffered to the liquor store as the package store here in Illinois. His family is Italian, I don't know if that has anything to do with it? I think I've seen "Package Liquor" added on the end of some names of stores around here.

[soozeecooks]

KDL..wine is something you develop a taste for. You can't force it, it sort evolves. It's not something that quenches a thirst really, it's more a choice you make rather than something you need, while you relax. That's a good time to try different wines. Start with one bottle that you share with DH. Both of you drink the whole thing together and talk about what you taste..after a while, you will get past the sharpness or tartness of it and start to taste the flavors in the wine. That's how you get familiar with wine. After a you do this for a while (weeks, months years..everyone's different here) you won't get put off by that initial alcohol burn..but start to immediately search for the flavors in the wine. It just takes time.

[happytobehere]

I like wine and use to drink it socially or with a meal. Because of some medications I take now, I cannot drink any form of alcohol. :( I use to enjoy these white wines; Beringers White Zinfendel (sp?) - not a true white wine, Pinot Grigio, and Kendell Jackson's Vinters Reserve Chardonnay.

Texas has some wonderful wineries such as Delaney Vineyards, Fall Creek, La Buena Vida, and Messina Hof just to name a few. You might look for these wines and try them. Also, if there's a winery near where you live they usually offer tastings which is a good way to try different kinds of wine.

Like other posters have said, it's a matter of finding the taste you like. Good luck and have a glass for me! :D

[Ozark Moon]

luv2cook raises a great point in that many German wines are sweet. Look for German wines at your local store. Some friends I know like Blue Nun which comes in a lovely blue bottle.

You also might look for a regional muscadine wine. Very sweet and fruity. Chances are you will like the muscadines.

We have wines made from Catawba grapes and Niagra grapes here in our Arkansas wineries. Both are sweet American grape wines. Not sure if they are something you have in your region.

I started out with the sweet wines, but found that over the years my tastes changed to a drier wine. I can't stand the sweets now, but prefer an good earthy dry wine. It really is amazing how tastes change.

One that I am in love with right now (but it isn't sweet) is the Seven Sinners Syrah. Oh my. So good.

[brdgebldr]

We have 'package stores' here as well!

Ernest and Julio Gallo makes what they call a Cafe Zinfandel. Before I ever developed a taste for wine, this is what I drank. I no longer like it because I know prefer a less sweet taste, but this is the only wine DH will drink.

[KLD1019]

There is rundown looking building near the house called Hitch and Post Package Store. Has a drive thru window and everything. When we first moved here, i thought "how convenient! Drive thru to mail your packages!!" :rolleyes: Then about a week after living here, i passed by one day and seen a Bud Light delivery truck. When i passed by it again on the way home.....i had a closer look and i could see inside there were the beer neon signs!! LOL :o:rolleyes: Then i got it!! And i had always wondered where the people were getting their beer cause since we live outside city limits, everyone can drive golf carts/gators/4wheelers on the roads and i would see some come back from that direction with brown paper bags and i knew they werent going to the big store cause they couldnt drive them there!! But it made sense after i realized what the Hitch and Post really was!!

[luckydog]

In NC, you can buy wine & beer in any grocery or convenience store. There are specialty shops, just like any retail business, for those into wine. The liquor store is...for liquor! You can only buy it there. Some people call it the package store here...but the vast majority refer to it as "The ABC store". ABC=Alcoholic Beverage Control...they govern these stores.