I know there has to be some casual and serious wine fans alike on this thread. But there isn't an active wine discussion thread.

So use this place to discuss different varietals, vintages, and accessories.


Personally I'm a red wine and usually go through about 2 bottles a week. Our old standby is Gnarley Head Authentic Red. Predominantly Zinfandel, but the blend includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. It's around $10 a bottle and we enjoy it much more than the popular Menage a Trois.

But if I had to pick a red wine style i'm probably enjoying Shiraz/Syrah the most right now with Pinot Noir a close second.


I by no means know a lot about wine, but i'm trying to learn more and more with each bottle and trying to pair styles with food a good bit as well. I haven't ventured much beyond the $15/bottle price range. So lets get this thing rolling.

1/6/2012 10:00:59 AM

K


I dont drink a whole lot of wine, but when I do I stick with the Shiraz and Pinot Noirs as well. Allie and her sisters/mom try all sorts of different stuff, I'm sure she could give you some good recommendations. Yellow Tail is always a good cheap standby

countdown to the wine snobs show up....



[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:29 AM. Reason : asdf]

1/6/2012 10:05:22 AM

I'm a big Spanish wine guy. I rarely find a Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, Carignan, or a blend of those that I don't like. Their Albarinos make a good white wine as well (and Cava for the champagne drinkers). Favorite regions being the Rioja and Priorat.

When venturing outside Spanish wines, I like Grenaches from the Cotes du Rhone (preferably a light Lirac) and Chilean Cabernets.

When going white, I like Pinot Gris, Reislings (not the sweet ones though), and the aforementioned Albarinos.



Also....I'll pretty much drink anything, but I've finally come to the point where it's tough to drink the really really cheap stuff. The lady and I tried to drink a yellow tail cabernet that someone left at the house after a party a few weeks back...and I could only get down a glass with dinner. Couldn't finish the rest by itself.

1/6/2012 10:15:54 AM

I have only recently learned to like wine. It resulted from a trip to Napa Valley where we obviously went on many wine tours. Learning about the differences, tastes, and styles of the grapes, processes, and ages - an appreciation for the product grew. If anyone gets the opportunity to head out west to Napa (or one of the surrounding valleys) and would like an excellent wine tour - shoot me a PM and I'll reference you to our tour guide. He did an excellent job. Otherwise, I'd highly suggest folks go to wine tours to learn more about particular grapes, processes, and definitely do a vertical tasting if possible.

My favorite wine was from Tedeschi Vineyards and was called Red Table Wine. I can't remember the name of the grape, but it is an Italian grape that is copyrighted much like Champagne, and he couldn't use the name of it and call the wine a cab franc or w/e. (I'll look at the bottle when I get home and report back.) Tedeschi has a very small Napa operation - only produces on average 1 case a day - although he does also own the only winery on Maui.

1/6/2012 10:16:58 AM

only cheap whites are worth drinking. i definitely prefer white wine though. my favorites are sauvignon blancs and albarinos

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 10:19 AM. Reason : as opposed to cheap reds, hah ]

1/6/2012 10:18:01 AM

^^^I'll have to try some Spanish wines

right now my go to is a Malbec (Argentina) when it comes to red....I like a Sauvignon Blanc for white

1/6/2012 10:21:32 AM

I can't say I know a lot about wine, but I do like it. Between my finacee and I, we go through probably 3 bottles a week, maybe 4 some weeks. She prefers white, I prefer red, so we tend to switch off. My favorite styles would probably be zinfandel, pinot noir, and valpolicella (a less common Italian type), hers would definitely be Sauvignon Blanc at the moment but pinot grigio is always good too. Neither of us are much on chardonnay.

While it's easier to find in the summer, vinho verde is a good white that isn't as well known. Comes from Portugal, it's light and slightly effervescent, and is usually pretty inexpensive. Trader Joe's has an absolutely fantastic vinho verde (Espiral) that is usually $4/bottle on special. Cheap and very good.

I haven't gotten into anything very expensive either. My favorite wine overall is the Coppola Diamond Claret, and that's usually $16-$20 depending on where you get it.

1/6/2012 10:21:41 AM

Quote :

"My favorite wine was from Tedeschi Vineyards and was called Red Table Wine."

Is this the label for the one you're talking about? Because there is a category for "table wines".

Quote :

"While it's easier to find in the summer, vinho verde is a good white that isn't as well known."

Forgot about those. I like Vinho Verde as well...and they're popping up a lot more in the restaurants down here.

Also forgot to mention my favorite white win, Txakoli...also from the Spanish region (although I think Chile makes it as well now). For the "anti-sweet" white wine drinkers, this one is very dry and acidic. It's also a little different in that it's a little fizzy (it seems slightly carbonated). A very refreshing summer white.

1/6/2012 10:30:07 AM

http://www.freakonomics.com/2010/12/16/freakonomics-radio-do-more-expensive-wines-taste-better/

Quote :

"The latest Freakonomics Radio podcast is called “Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?” (You can download/subscribe at iTunes, get the RSS feed or listen live via the link in box at right.) When you take a sip of Cabernet, what are you tasting? The grape? The tannins? The oak barrel? Or the price? Believe it or not, the most dominant flavor may be the dollars. Thanks to the work of some intrepid and wine-obsessed economists (yes, there is an American Association of Wine Economists), we are starting to gain a new understanding of the relationship between wine, critics and consumers."

1/6/2012 10:32:51 AM

Whenever possible I like to plug the locals as much as possible:

Childress black label merlot is always in stock at my house. It's about $20/bottle, but it's a great balance between flavor and cost. Their checkered flag table wines are great; I just hate the chincy bottle they come in... I stick to the black label if I'm taking it somewhere as a guest. They also have a baller bistro perfect for a business outing or date. (I think it's being renovated?)

Biltmore has great stable of reds, but I've had some issues with consistency. I wouldn't hesitate to serve it at a dinner get together. Their Riesling is also $$ - love cooking with it.

For a true taste of NC (after dinner talk with family, etc.) I always keep some Duplin wine to serve. It's fantastically cheap, and offers up a true NC muscadine flavor. Cypress Bend also brings a great flavor to the table, but it's more difficult to find than the Duplin.

However, not everything is roses and peaches from local wineries. There's a TON of places that are just getting started and are ~ at best. One of these is Horizons out of Siler City. I cannot drink this stuff. I've had it twice and both times it was like drinking sandpaper it was so rough in my mouth. Give it a whirl to make your own choice, but it is not on my list. At all. As a reference point Sutterhome is slightly better. slightly

1/6/2012 10:35:33 AM

Yeah I don't know shit about wine but I enjoy it lol.

These days we're usually buying shiraz or chianti. The Bota Box shiraz is surprisingly good considering how cheap it is and the fact it's in a box. I've heard that box wine actually keeps longer but we usually go through it too quickly to notice if that's true.

In the summertime if you want an awesome drink, pick up two bottles of peach wine from that crappy winery by the airport, mix it with 1/2 cup peach nectar, 1/2 cup vodka, 1/4 cup ginger liquor, and cut fruit (I usually do peaches, strawberries, and raspberries). Let it sit for a couple of hours and voila! Peach "sangria." Had that at the NC Wine Festival last year and it was one of the only good things about that festival haha.

1/6/2012 10:47:21 AM

I just recently got into the wine game

I have been on a real kick of Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio

2 for $5 at wal-mart might be the reason for that

1/6/2012 10:52:02 AM

jbrick83 and the others who have recommended the less known grape varietals how did you discover these? jbrick, i assume from working in the bar/restaurant industry for the most part? but the rest, just from word of mouth or random picks at the wine shop?

i always get overwhelmed when i go to total wine or somewhere similar because there is just so much to choose from. a lot of times i'll seek out a style and then see what the store has posted like "our #1, 2, 3 of this style" and then grab one or two in order to kind of have a taste test.

i really want to sit in on a class or talk with a sommelier

1/6/2012 10:54:00 AM

Quote :

"I'm a big Spanish wine guy. I rarely find a Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, Carignan, or a blend of those that I don't like. Their Albarinos make a good white wine as well (and Cava for the champagne drinkers). Favorite regions being the Rioja and Priorat. When venturing outside Spanish wines, I like Grenaches from the Cotes du Rhone (preferably a light Lirac) and Chilean Cabernets. When going white, I like Pinot Gris, Reislings (not the sweet ones though), and the aforementioned Albarinos. Also....I'll pretty much drink anything, but I've finally come to the point where it's tough to drink the really really cheap stuff. The lady and I tried to drink a yellow tail cabernet that someone left at the house after a party a few weeks back...and I could only get down a glass with dinner. Couldn't finish the rest by itself."

Damn, we have very similar tastes.
I'm predominately red and the majority of those are Spanish reds.
I do like a good Malbec and Pinot though.

I can't stomach any white zin and 99% of the chardonnays out there anymore

1/6/2012 10:54:13 AM

Quote :

"i always get overwhelmed when i go to total wine or somewhere similar because there is just so much to choose from. a lot of times i'll seek out a style and then see what the store has posted like "our #1, 2, 3 of this style" and then grab one or two in order to kind of have a taste test. i really want to sit in on a class or talk with a sommelier "

This is exactly how I feel. There's a independent wine shop in Cary that does wine classes regularly. I've been thinking about checking one of them out.

1/6/2012 10:57:06 AM

Easy/Quick/Tasty Sangria recipe:

Pitcher
Half a bottle of red wine (cheap)
1/3 cup OJ
1/3 cup cranberry juice
1/3 cup pineapple
2.5 oz brandy (brandy and benedictine, which I prefer)
top off with Sprite

Stir, and you're good to go. And I'm estimating the "1/3 cup", because I usually just do heavy splashes. Might be closer to 1/4 cup.


Quick/Simple/Tasty Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail:

Pitcher
Bottle of Champagne
2 cups Pomegranate Juice (POM)
1/2 cup ginger ale
1/4 cup of brandy

Mix in pitcher, pour in glasses. You can use crushed ice if you'd like too.

1/6/2012 10:59:32 AM

Quote :

"how did you discover these?"

I actually fell in love with the Malbec at a wine tasting at a local bar....you should check out your favorite places because they're usually free. The wine distributors like to do them when they're bringing in new selections for the menu

and wine stores of course

1/6/2012 11:02:11 AM

Anyone know of any tasty sulfite free white wines?

1/6/2012 11:02:48 AM

for those who drink a few bottles a week, do you decant your wine for a bit first or do you just take the cork out and pour a glass?

i've been told some wines are fine with just bottle decanting and much is not gained from a full decant and rest. I've been interested in picking up an expensive decanter as right now we just do hard pours in order to aerate.

1/6/2012 11:09:57 AM

Quote :

"jbrick83 and the others who have recommended the less known grape varietals how did you discover these? jbrick, i assume from working in the bar/restaurant industry for the most part? but the rest, just from word of mouth or random picks at the wine shop? "

Wine tasting events and tours. There's a new wine store in Morrisville that has had tastings every night for a few weeks now which has been nice.

jbrick83 - that label isn't the one. It comes from the folks at http://www.tedeschifamilywinery.com/. It's not even listed as available on their website as I think he only sells limited quantities of this wine to folks who stop by. Our tour guide also does a wine blog on Napa Valley and more info about Emil Tedeschi and his vineyard there can be found here: http://www.napawineproject.com/Napa-Wineries/index.asp?id=312

1/6/2012 11:10:42 AM

Jeepin get one of those decanter thingies that go in the spout of the bottle

that way you don't have to decant the whole bottle if you're not planning on drinking it all

1/6/2012 11:12:29 AM

Quote :

"jbrick83 and the others who have recommended the less known grape varietals how did you discover these? jbrick, i assume from working in the bar/restaurant industry for the most part? but the rest, just from word of mouth or random picks at the wine shop? i always get overwhelmed when i go to total wine or somewhere similar because there is just so much to choose from. a lot of times i'll seek out a style and then see what the store has posted like "our #1, 2, 3 of this style" and then grab one or two in order to kind of have a taste test. i really want to sit in on a class or talk with a sommelier"

Yeah...I worked at a Spanish wine and tapas bar for a couple years. So that's definitely how I fell in love with those. But we carried a variety of others, so that's how I got a taste for other varietals. Then after moving on and helping open up several other places, I got to taste about everything else from vendors and reps.

To non-industry folk, I recommend going to wine bars that have good selections on their wines by-the-glass menu and just trying 2 or 3 at a time. Don't be afraid to try something you've never seen or heard of. Find the varietals you like and then head to the store and see if you can find those varietals in different wines. Check in the local paper for tastings or wine dinners that allow you to hit like 5 or 6 wines at a time for a decent price.

And before you sit in on the class or talk with a sommelier...buy a "Wine for Dummies" book, or something similar. It was required before I worked at my wine bar. Just so you can be familiar with the terms and what you're looking for when drinking wine. I finished that book...worked for a couple months at the wine bar...then went back and re-read it. It was like a completely different book the second time I read it (I actually want to go through it again since I've tried even more stuff).

I wouldn't sit down with a sommelier until I've gotten a good grasp of things. A majority of them tend to be quite pretentious and intentionally talk over your head.

Quote :

"for those who drink a few bottles a week, do you decant your wine for a bit first or do you just take the cork out and pour a glass? "

I personally think it's unnecessary unless you've got a bad-ass bottle of wine. The less-expensive wines don't need to be "aired-out".

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 11:16 AM. Reason : .]

1/6/2012 11:15:07 AM

ah yes, the Vinturi. I have seen that and thought about getting it. It might be a good alternative and space saver.

but honestly, i don't think we've ever opened a bottle and not finished it that night.

1/6/2012 11:15:49 AM

well its still good to get a lil air in there

at least for reds

1/6/2012 11:16:37 AM

Quote :

"Anyone know of any tasty sulfite free white wines?"

This would be extremely difficult to locate. Sulfites are produced as a natural byproduct of the fermentation process and act as a preservative. My elementary understanding is that white wines won't last more than a couple months in ideal conditions without sulfites.

If you were going to get any you'd have to (most likely) get it directly from the vineyard and consume it within 3-6 months of procurement before it spoils. And you can forget having it transported anywhere, you need controlled conditions to keep it fresh that long.

1/6/2012 11:21:47 AM

Well poop. Oh well. Thanks for the info!

1/6/2012 11:26:42 AM

I know someone that can't have sulfates and she found wine that was even made here in NC that's sulfate free

I'll have to stalk facebook to find out, but its out there

[Edited on January 6, 2012 at 11:33 AM. Reason : and she was known for her wine consumption before getting sick]

1/6/2012 11:33:24 AM

You can find "low-sulfite" or "no sulfites-added" wines...but like someone mentioned earlier, it's something that's naturally produced in the wine process. You can find a good number of the wines previously mentioned.

1/6/2012 11:37:03 AM

Franzia.

1/6/2012 11:45:35 AM

This is the 100% Zin shit right here!

http://www.sebastiani.com/2008-Zinfandel-DryCreek-Sebastiani

If you can find a 2007 vintage, it's done! You can get the 2008 vintage at Triangle Wine Co.

---

This is the best Syrah I've ever had. I'm still waiting to see it in stores around here ...

https://shop.peju.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=07131&DESC=Peju%20Province%20Winery%202007%20Estate%20Syrah

---

And these dudes have the wildest profiles. Their Cab is like no other Cab you've ever had ...

http://www.aowinery.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showlist&productcategoryid=24db0620-e348-6661-afdc-7af2a7f9cd79

---

If you dig Australian Shiraz, try to track down a bottle from these peeps ...

http://www.xanaduwines.com/index.php

Seriously though, good luck. I found it once at A Southern Season, but never again.

1/6/2012 2:35:50 PM

I finally toured Château Morrisette in Floyd, VA over this past weekend. Been up there many times but never did the tour and tasting. http://www.thedogs.com

I picked up several of their wines, but the one that I really liked (a dessert/ice wine) is Frosty Dog.


Now, I'm not big into wine at all, but the others that I picked up a bottle of are:
Petit Verdot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Blushing Dog
Dry Rosé

I've always liked Our Dog Blue, but didn't pick any up because it's cheaper in stores around here, even with the 20% discount we got. It's probably time that I read the rest of the thread now...

1/6/2012 3:17:26 PM

Anyone used one of those Vacuvin wine saver pumps? I was thinking of buying one as a gift.

1/6/2012 3:44:02 PM

We have some vacuum savers, but I'm not 100% sold on them.

That being said, I usually polish a bottle in a sitting, so the vacuum saver is reserved for those big ass bottles of shit wine.

1/6/2012 8:04:24 PM

I prefer rieslings. Washington hills aka washington peak is my favorite. I am partaking in it tonight as i pretend to unpack

1/6/2012 8:12:41 PM

Quote :

"Anyone used one of those Vacuvin wine saver pumps? I was thinking of buying one as a gift. "

I have them and like 'em. At the very least they're cheap and it's satisfying knowing the bottle was well sealed when you open it the second time. Especially if you store them on their side.

I think it more of a preserver for when you need a bottle to keep for another week or two, not just until the next night. It's a poor mans replacement for nitrogen cans that works fine when stored on it's side.

1/7/2012 12:43:15 PM

1/7/2012 1:14:14 PM

I like bolder, drier reds. Cabs, merlots, maybe a malbec or blend thereof.

Tabernero Gran Tinto Malbec Merlot is one that I had at a wine bar in Peru that I thought was awesome. It wasn't terribly expensive, either. Of course, maybe the tray of stuff it was paired with was just really well chosen, but I definitely want to get another bottle and try it again.

1/7/2012 4:03:24 PM

Quote :

"I'm a big Spanish wine guy. I rarely find a Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, Carignan, or a blend of those that I don't like. Their Albarinos make a good white wine as well (and Cava for the champagne drinkers). Favorite regions being the Rioja and Priorat."

Yes. I agree wholeheartedly.

Favorite bottle: Museum Real Reserva 2001 (tempranillo)

Recent favorite: Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Best sparkling under $10: Segura Viudas Brut Reserva

1/7/2012 4:57:35 PM

Quote :

"Childress black label merlot is always in stock at my house. It's about $20/bottle, but it's a great balance between flavor and cost. Their checkered flag table wines are great; I just hate the chincy bottle they come in..."

are the black label versions what they call the "Barrel Select"?

1/9/2012 1:10:47 PM

I used to drink wine fairly often.

Now when I drink wine, I get an AWFUL headache before I can finish a glass

WTF

1/9/2012 1:12:32 PM

^my mom is the same way. growing up there would always be a bottle around and during holidays my family would go through quite a few during gatherings. Now, if she has a glass it has to be something extremely light, like a Riesling, and she can very rarely have more than one.

1/9/2012 1:16:34 PM

I've found some good Spanish reds at Trader Joes. I'm pumped. The lady and I usually put down a bottle of wine every night for dinner, and its nice to find some cheap reds to keep my drinking habit going.

1/9/2012 1:27:13 PM

cool, let us know what you recommend from there.

1/9/2012 1:38:50 PM

dunno how this tastes but it made me giggle

1/9/2012 1:42:59 PM

3 buck southern point merlot (from walgreens)

1/9/2012 1:47:49 PM

Quote :

"Now when I drink wine, I get an AWFUL headache before I can finish a glass "

It may sound crazy, but try an organic wine. My mother in law has the same problem, but organic wines don't bother her.

1/9/2012 1:54:08 PM

For everyday table wines, we buy Charles Shaw (Trader Joe's 3 Buck Chuck) by the case.

1/9/2012 2:06:08 PM

Two of my go-to every day wines:

1/9/2012 2:06:13 PM

to this day my favorite is the biltmore's pinot nior, its pretty sad since i've had wines that cost over 10x as much and been like .... mehhh... tastes old (lol it was but i mean spoiled)
there are also a few chiantis that i like but i can't remember them

1/9/2012 2:11:05 PM

great call on this thread. If you like Southern Rhone wines (and if you're not sure, try some, they're some of the best values in France) be sure to scoop up 2009 and 2010 vintages. The 2009's are great, and supposedly '10 is at least as good, but smaller production.

Also, if you want to learn more about wine, go to tastings, and do so at independent shops. Most independent stores have staff that know more than the folks at Total or a grocery and have hand picked the selection in their shops.

1/9/2012 5:11:06 PM