Wine..

Matt Marvel

So, I'm wanting to get a couple of good bottles of wine for a few occasions, but I have no clue what's good and what's bad. I know there's a few wine drinkers and connoisseurs here, so I was wondering if I could get some help in this area. I'd like to find something that is relatively inexpensive, but not dirt cheap either. Could anyone help me shed some light on the subject?

kuzi16

price range?

Matt Marvel

kuzi16:

price range?

I don't know really. I don't want to spend more than $100 if that helps.

kuzi16

$100 a bottle? or $100 a case? or a few bottles adding up to $100?


first off, if you have a Trader Joe's near you, go there and buy a case of Charles Shaw (two buck chuck) you can mix and match a case so they wont all be the same style wine. I find the sheraz and the cab very good
this brand's MSRP is $2.00 taxes in my state (ohio) make it $3.50ish. i get a case for about $35. this stuff is totally decent. when you take the price into account, its fantastic.
much like cigars, the price is not always indicative of quality.
one of my recent favorites is the Pinot Grisio from Voga.

barton & guestier make some good sweeter wines. the Vouvray and Beaujolais are quite good. they also make a good Sauvignon Blanc if you like a drier white.

those are someof my favorites... but im always willing to try different wines. all of those are in the $10- $15 / bottle range

im not as into wine as i am into cigars so i dont know how much help ill be.

phobicsquirrel

Sterling makes a good wine, all their reds are good. Also rodney strong are good too. These are usually my favorite red's. whites, I can't nail down anything other than oregon wines. i visit the vineyards on a regular bases. phesant valley have a great line up, if you can get them where you are at.

Renaissance_Man

Very good website: http://www.snooth.com/

Go there and you can search for something as simple as "good red wine"... registering for free opens up more things too.. it will tell u where u can buy from.. u can give price and quality ranges...

Matt Marvel

kuzi16:

$100 a bottle? or $100 a case? or a few bottles adding up to $100?


first off, if you have a Trader Joe's near you, go there and buy a case of Charles Shaw (two buck chuck) you can mix and match a case so they wont all be the same style wine. I find the sheraz and the cab very good
this brand's MSRP is $2.00 taxes in my state (ohio) make it $3.50ish. i get a case for about $35. this stuff is totally decent. when you take the price into account, its fantastic.
much like cigars, the price is not always indicative of quality.
one of my recent favorites is the Pinot Grisio from Voga.

barton & guestier make some good sweeter wines. the Vouvray and Beaujolais are quite good. they also make a good Sauvignon Blanc if you like a drier white.

those are someof my favorites... but im always willing to try different wines. all of those are in the $10- $15 / bottle range

im not as into wine as i am into cigars so i dont know how much help ill be.

This was actually a lot of help. I appreciate it. I know I didn't give a whole lot to go by, but this is pretty much what I was looking for. Basically just some brands that you enjoy. Sorry, I should've done a better job of wording my question.

@Renaissance Man- I'll definitely take a look at that site. It looks like it could be a big help.

Thanks for the help guys!

zoom6zoom

Like cigars, wine is very subjective. What I like you might hate. Reds? Whites? And you can definitely find some ten dollar bottles that blow some of the expensive stuff away. It's a lot like buying your cigars, too.... if you have a decent wine store near you, check them out, they love to educate customers and find what they like, many often have regularly scheduled free tastings (wish the cigar stores did!).

Bad Andy

Matt Marvel:

kuzi16:

$100 a bottle? or $100 a case? or a few bottles adding up to $100?


first off, if you have a Trader Joe's near you, go there and buy a case of Charles Shaw (two buck chuck) you can mix and match a case so they wont all be the same style wine. I find the sheraz and the cab very good
this brand's MSRP is $2.00 taxes in my state (ohio) make it $3.50ish. i get a case for about $35. this stuff is totally decent. when you take the price into account, its fantastic.
much like cigars, the price is not always indicative of quality.
one of my recent favorites is the Pinot Grisio from Voga.

barton & guestier make some good sweeter wines. the Vouvray and Beaujolais are quite good. they also make a good Sauvignon Blanc if you like a drier white.

those are someof my favorites... but im always willing to try different wines. all of those are in the $10- $15 / bottle range

im not as into wine as i am into cigars so i dont know how much help ill be.

This was actually a lot of help. I appreciate it. I know I didn't give a whole lot to go by, but this is pretty much what I was looking for. Basically just some brands that you enjoy. Sorry, I should've done a better job of wording my question.

@Renaissance Man- I'll definitely take a look at that site. It looks like it could be a big help.

Thanks for the help guys!

I think Barefoot is better than 2 Buck Chuck but Chuck is still decent. Price is still decent for the Barefoot as well. Both are good starter wines to figure out what you like or prefer without spending a lot of money.

Matt Marvel

zoom6zoom:

Like cigars, wine is very subjective. What I like you might hate. Reds? Whites? And you can definitely find some ten dollar bottles that blow some of the expensive stuff away. It's a lot like buying your cigars, too.... if you have a decent wine store near you, check them out, they love to educate customers and find what they like, many often have regularly scheduled free tastings (wish the cigar stores did!).

I'm with you on free tastings at the cigar shop! I'm not saying I will like the suggestions I've gotten, but it's at least a starting point for me.

TheShaun

Here in Canada we get raped on alcohol just as we do on tobacco. One of my favourite bottles costs about $22-25, so I never buy it. But in the good ole USA you can buy it at Target for $9!!!!! And last time I was there it was on sale for $6!!!!!!!!!! Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon.

kingjk729

anything J winery or kendall jackson ...... thats where i proposed to my wife ...... great wine and great chateau , ravenswood is pretty sweet too they make my favorite wine its their muscot .... amazing

BTJR99

Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse is my favorite white. A little expensive at around $25.00.

TatuajeVI

TheShaun:

Here in Canada we get raped on alcohol just as we do on tobacco. One of my favourite bottles costs about $22-25, so I never buy it. But in the good ole USA you can buy it at Target for $9!!!!! And last time I was there it was on sale for $6!!!!!!!!!! Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon.

Yeah, lol. Ravenswood is definitely under $10 in Michigan. Decent stuff.

So I'm LOVING wine and cigars lately. It's pretty much all I've been drinking with most smokes. Some of my favs that are available at pretty much any typical grocery store with a good wine selection in Michigan:

Franciscan Merlot (appr. $20 a bottle, but I get it on sale for $13) Their Cabernet is also amazing, but more expensive
Coppola - ANY of their reds. Their Black Label Claret is probably my fav and the most complex, but it's about $20 a bottle. Fabulous, though, and SWEET Looking bottle. Their Merlot and Red Zin are great, and run around $15 or better if you can find a good sale.
Guenoc Petit Syrah (around $10-15 depending on where you find it) SMOOOTH red wine. Love Petit Syrahs in general.
I'll see if I can remember a few of my other favs.

jihiggs

on vacation several months ago I had a wine with some freinds. I dont know what brand it was, but it was a pinot blanc noir. I have tried to find a pinot blanc noir since then but I cant. any one got any idea what to look for? maybe a pinot noir is just like a blanc noir?

gmill880

Duplin Wine - reasonable price-excellent flavor

Lasabar

Thanks to the Recommendations on these boards I am already 3/4th the way through a Bottle of Barefoot Shiraz...

It's good and the robust flavor of the wine went somewhat well with my Rocky Patel Connecticut... I do think the wine overpowered the cigar... I may try a Rocky "Edge" and show this wine who's BOSS!

ejenne87

gmill880:

Duplin Wine - reasonable price-excellent flavor

^^^seconded! this stuff is GREAT and its only like $8 per bottle.

there is also a decent article in this months Maxim about wines. I think there are a couple I need to try when I get home.

Hays

So I picked up this months issue of Robb Report (GreAt magazine), and enclosed is their holiday guide to entertaining. In that is a list of their 100 favorite wines, along with a little tidbit about each one. Might be something to check out...

blustar4life

you should go up to Grapevine and go to Homestead Winery, I stop by there when i am down there during Thanksgiving. It's a nice place, plus down the street is another winery that has this italian courtyard design, not sure of the name but I got a good port there last year. they also have a nice B&M shop on the north end of main street.

Matt Marvel

blustar4life:

you should go up to Grapevine and go to Homestead Winery, I stop by there when i am down there during Thanksgiving. It's a nice place, plus down the street is another winery that has this italian courtyard design, not sure of the name but I got a good port there last year. they also have a nice B&M shop on the north end of main street.

I'll have to try and make it out there sometime. Thanks for the head up!

Larry68

I would fully agree that wine is very subjective. As an example, my wife and I had always wanted to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon. We finally bought one when we got engaged and both of us roundly hated it. Tasted like battery acid. Will never buy it again. Maybe we just don't know that much about champagne, but I'd take a $10 bottle of Asti over that any day.