Good Red Wine - A Quest

gmill880

I'm looking for some input from some of our wine guys on here since the doc said red wine is good for the heart. The red wines I have drank I didn't really enjoy, tasted too woody and dry to me, and kinda left me feeling thirsty-does that make sense ? I would like to know if there are some red wines that are sweeter or fruitier or don't have that bitter after taste. I know really nothing about wine but would like to try something, and rather than just grabbing a bottle and taking a chance, I thought maybe I could use some of you guys expertise to at least point me in the right direction . Thanks in advance for any help ...much appreciated . Gene

madurofan

Try a blended red. Menage Trois is a good one. Not terribly expensive and available at most grocery stores.

xmacro

Wine, even more so than cigars, is purely taste. Whereas in cigars you have some debate about ratings, but on the whole many people agree with it, wine ratings can be completely irrelevant. I've enjoyed some wines under $10 and hated some 90+ rated wines. So wines are really pure preference.

That said, if you want a fruity red wine, just read the label - most wine labels will give you a good idea what to expect from them. If it's a dry wine, the label will probably say it's dry; ditto if it's fruity/sweet. If you don't like dry wines, then stay away from Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and probably Merlot too (though you may wanna try a few Merlot anyway, since they can be very smooth).

With that said, just wander in, read a few labels, and try whatever sounds good to you - ask the wine store manager for recommendations too.

Last thing to keep in mind - price really doesn't mean much when it comes to wine. A person who loves a $10 bottle over an $80bottle is fully justified in their taste, so don't be embarrassed if you find your tastes are towards less-expensive wines; it's not a sign of your palate/refinement, but rather of your personal tastes. Oftentimes, I find myself loving a $10 or $20 bottle far more than some $60 bottles I've tried.

Oh yeah, almost forgot - if the wine seems harsh to you - just leave the bottle uncorked for a few hours (1-3 hrs is good). Wine needs time to 'breath' or settle down once it's opened, so don't judge that bottle by the first glass!!

EDIT - Buy a little $5 vaccuum pump - the heart benefits of wine come from 1 glass per day, so you'll wanna seal that bottle back up. Air helps wine mellow out and taste better - too much turns it into vingar (literally, it'll turn into vinegar). Just buy the kind that comes in 2 parts - one part you stick on the bottle, and the other part is a little hand pump to suck out the air. This should keep the bottle good for a little less than a week I think (plenty of time if you drink a glass a day). There are some fancy contraptions that inject Argon gas into the bottle to keep the wine fresh for weeks on end, but if you're drinking a glass a day, you'll go through a bottle in about 4 days or so, so the little hand pump is all you need.

betasynn

Try barefoot red's or the blush. Very good wine for a decent price.

brc81

Couldn't you get the same benefits from a glass of concord grape juice?

alienmisprint

gmill880:

I would like to know if there are some red wines that are sweeter or fruitier or don't have that bitter after taste.

You need to try any red wine made with muscadine grapes. It produces a very sweet, fruity wine without much of an aftertaste. Luckily, muscadine grapes are grown primarily in the southeast, and IMO, the best red wine I've ever had is made in NC. Check out Duplin Winery, my suggestion would be the Carolina Red or the Uncorked (if they still have any Uncorked for sale). You can probably find it in some grocery stores around you, I know Food Lion carries it. Gene, if you get some of their wine and don't like it, I'll buy it off you.

madurofan

I'll have to look for it next time I'm in Food Lion. Did you spend some time in Norfolk Alien?

xmacro

brc81:

Couldn't you get the same benefits from a glass of concord grape juice?

No; the benefits are limited to red wine - even white wine doesn't give benefits

Jdorais

Try an "old vine zinfandel" or maybe a pinot noir. Bogle old vine is great for the money and i really like just about any pinot that comes from the caneros region of the napa valley.

gmill880

Thanks guys that gives me a starting point and I appreciate it. Any more suggestions are quite welcome ...

alienmisprint

madurofan:

I'll have to look for it next time I'm in Food Lion. Did you spend some time in Norfolk Alien?

No, no real time in Virginia, other than a few weekends in Colonial Heights. I am originally from NC though, actually about 7 miles from that winery I reccomended. The town it is in, Rose Hill, is so small that it and my hometown share the first three digits of our telephone numbers, lol.

gmill880

alienmisprint:

madurofan:

I'll have to look for it next time I'm in Food Lion. Did you spend some time in Norfolk Alien?

No, no real time in Virginia, other than a few weekends in Colonial Heights. I am originally from NC though, actually about 7 miles from that winery I reccomended. The town it is in, Rose Hill, is so small that it and my hometown share the first three digits of our telephone numbers, lol.

Tony just went on the duplin winery website - pretty impressive about the grapes and the benefits related to them --resveratrol--damn impressive

kuzi16

there is a red wine out there by (and im gunna butcher this) Barton and Gustier its a boujales
its a very fruity red wine that i like to serve after a hearty and salty dinner. I wouldnt call it a desert wine, bit it is sweeter than many reds.

gmill880

Thanks guys ---I have quite a list now to try !!!

zoom6zoom

if there are some red wines that are sweeter

Thunderbird.

vankleekkw

I enjoy Smoking Loon with a cigar. It is a little dry, but the flavors compliment each other very well (Especially a good Maduro). It is also a low cost wine at around $7.

Jetmech_63

Another good one for ease of drinkability and no hatshness(tannin or oak) is Dynamite Vineyards Cabernet. It's a Paso Robles wine, about an hour from me, i think you can get it in most major stores. Relativley cheap as well, aroun 8-10 bucks

Jdorais

zoom6zoom:

if there are some red wines that are sweeter

Thunderbird.

don't forget Night Train.

cholmes8310

I don't personally drink wine, but worked in a liqour store parttime for a while. Some of the ones that sold the most were Yellowtail, Barefoot, Three Penguins, and Robert Mondavi. They seemed to just fly off the shelves, so obviously people liked them. When we first got the Yellowtail in, we couldn't keep it in stock.

But from a personal experience, I can't be much help.

Garbandz

White wines offer the same benefits as red wines.One benefit is that you will want less salt,wine is a digestif,and it can be a calming influence.Another benefit is the social aspect of enjoying a glass with friends.

If you check the label,you will find the alcohol percentage listed. If the red wines you have tried are too dry,look for wines less than 13% alcohol.They will be less dry,and fruitier,also you may have more luck with merlot and syrah wines,zinfandel and Cab wines can be pretty strong.Almost all of the Australian wines are easy to drink,they are uniformly well made and most are very affordable.

German riesling wines are some of the best if you are new to wines,the majority are very fruity,and riesling wines are usually under 10% alcohol.I recommend going to a real wine shop for these,the grocery store brands are a pale ghost of the really good ones.Start at the spatlese level,plan to spend at least 18 to 25 bucks,and drink them slightly chilled.If the spatlese if too sweet,drop down to a kabinett,and save a few bucks.If you study a bit,you will learn about German wines,they make some extraordinary things.

While at the wine shop,ask about Rose D'anjou and the other  rose type wines,there are several that land in between red and white,some are excellent for hot weather drinking,some are bold enough to pair with grilled foods.Also ask about bubblies such as Prosecco,Asti,Cava,and a host of other wines similar to Champagne,but from other countries.Many of these are great to sip and far cheaper to enjoy.

I suggest you go to Amazon and look for books about wine ,you can learn the basics quickly,and if a wine shop nearby offers tastings,get yourself some good wine glasses and show up.I could spend an hour telling you stories about how my friends have been amazed at the effect the proper glass has on the taste of wine.Generally you will want a standard bordeaux glass,{straight sides}a standard round or burgundy glass,and a chimney glass.{smaller at the top}.These 3 will be sufficient 90% of the time,you will use the bordeaux glass the most,I bet.

Pour some wine into  these 3 glasses.Swish the wine around and smell. After you have "nosed" all 3 glasses,[and do this for a  few minutes], taste them,after taking a sip to "start" your palate.The wine will present differently from each one.You will probably like one the best,drink from that glass,and enjoy.Try this on your friends,you can have fun and really enjoy wine a lot more.

Most wines will be softer after being open for a while,generally a couple of hours with the cork out of a bottle will not show much blooming,and some of the really big wines need 2 days to soften.You can speed things up by using a decanter,pour the wine into a decanter and let it sit for half a day or more,or swish it around in the decanter vigorously for a couple of minutes,and let it sit for a few hours.This is more useful with big Italian reds and Zinfandel wines,but it works on all of them.

There is so much to tell about wine,but you can learn as you go,and enjoy the trip.

Bad Andy

Pinot Niors are your lighter reds. Then maybe a young red Zin or Syrah. Someone mentioned an 'old vine zin'...the older the vine the deeper and more complex it can get but a younger one is sweeter. Thats why they generally make white zin from younger vines. Don't bother with merlots...you are not there yet, some never get the taste for them either. If you want to try a good one cheap go for the Barefoot Pinot Nior or Zin. A little more expensive is the Hook&Ladder Pinot Nior or maybe a Rancho Zabaco Zin. The Rancho Zabaco goes great with an Oliva V. You may want to try a port also since it is of red wine. Graham's Six Grapes is very basic and good for daily drinking. A Graham's aged Tawny Port is the best...they can get a little expensive though. Like Gary V says just go buy a couple of bottles to see what you like and develop your palate...its the same a smoking cigars.

kuzi16

Garbandz:

,and drink them slightly chilled.

this was in reference to white wines...

try drinking one slightly chilled as you put it, then one at room temp.
i dont care what the "experts" say. the chill kills the flavor. whites are rounder, smoother, and generally more flavorful when not chilled at all.

Bad Andy

kuzi16:

Garbandz:

,and drink them slightly chilled.

this was in reference to white wines...

try drinking one slightly chilled as you put it, then one at room temp.
i dont care what the "experts" say. the chill kills the flavor. whites are rounder, smoother, and generally more flavorful when not chilled at all.

True...Room temp does allow for all the flavor to come thru. However, red wine is supposed to be drank at about 65 degrees, close enough to room temp.

kuzi16

i was speaking of whites. i never chill either red or white.

Bad Andy

Yeah, gotcha on that part too. Although there is a local winery in GA, Chatuea Elan, has a special red grape developed for south/east coast growth called Chamborcin (sp?). When it is warm it taste smoky, woody...I compared it to a good cigar but it would pair well with BBQ/Grilled meats. But...when it's cold it goes sweet, odd as it is, it still taste good.

kuzi16

i wanna try that stuff.

Bad Andy

I can try to get you a bottle the next time I get up that way. Its about an hour and half north of Atlanta. Their port is outstanding too, its not a true port since it is made here but its really good.

kuzi16

dont worry about it. just get me a number so i can call em up.

Bad Andy

Wine Market Products : 678-425-0900 Ext 6354