I get most of my wine from Seaboard now.

I love rose! It means I can start drinking at brunch and no one will look at me funny.

1/9/2012 5:43:38 PM

if its not Screaming Eagle, I'm probably not fucking with it

unless its champagne

1/9/2012 5:47:19 PM

Love dry rose. They go with damn near everything.

1/9/2012 6:21:22 PM

what are the prices of some of these bottles you people are recommending?

1/10/2012 9:14:30 AM

mine was 18-26

1/10/2012 9:18:48 AM

My fave rose (Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose) is about 10.99/bottle retail.

I rarely spend more than $15 for a bottle unless it's a special occasion or I just want to try something.

I go into Seaboard, tell them what I'm making for dinner, and that I want to pay $8-12. They usually have a few recommendations and I just pick one. I usually love the picks. And the ones I don't love are just fine but I don't buy them again.

I also love aglianico, syrah, and rioja. I'm much more into red than white and usually more of a dry than a sweet type. But my boyfriend loves sweet, white wines so I'm branching out.

I've never had Bordeaux but I want to get a bottle because it was Thomas Jefferson's favorite wine.

[Edited on January 11, 2012 at 6:00 PM. Reason : TJ]

1/11/2012 5:57:41 PM

Merlot ftmfw

1/12/2012 12:49:18 AM

Tonight was a San Simeon Chardonnay that I liked. I'm suprised I like white wine now.

[Edited on January 12, 2012 at 1:08 AM. Reason : a]

1/12/2012 1:05:51 AM

Quote :

"But my boyfriend loves sweet, white wines so I'm branching out."

Does he also like to be led around on a leash?

1/12/2012 1:07:18 AM

mixing franzia with a little ginger ale tastes good and will get you super fucked up.

that's about the extent of my wine drinking.

1/12/2012 7:34:10 AM

polished off a bottle of Biltmore Pinot Grigio last night. honestly i'm not too big on the sweeter white varietals but this paired well with the blackened chicken alfredo I had for dinner.


can anyone recommend a Wine book for learning more about wine?

1/12/2012 11:11:12 AM

I've gone through both of these:





Both were very informative, but I remember getting a little bit more from the 2nd one.

You really should start with either of those before you go on to something more in-depth.

1/12/2012 11:26:45 AM

thanks!

1/12/2012 1:39:52 PM

Quote :

" Does he also like to be led around on a leash?"

Nope. You've got the D/s backward!

Also, who'd been in the wine shop on Glenwood? I haven't tried it yet.

I also get cheap wine at Trader Joe's. I avoid the Charles Shaw but I don't turn my nose up at it.

Their "Josefina" rose isn't bad at all at $5.99.

[Edited on January 12, 2012 at 2:04 PM. Reason : TJ]

1/12/2012 1:58:31 PM

Quote :

"Tonight was a San Simeon Chardonnay that I liked. I'm suprised I like white wine now."

Chardonnay is the one white wine that I generally stay away from. I got hit in the face with so many buttery/oakey California Chardonnays when I first started drinking wine that it really left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended).

Probably time for me to give them another chance. But I'll still be cautious of the Cali Chards.

1/12/2012 2:09:18 PM

Quote :

"polished off a bottle of Biltmore Pinot Grigio last night. honestly i'm not too big on the sweeter white varietals but this paired well with the blackened chicken alfredo I had for dinner."

I have a vision of you wearing a pastel dress shirt and sweater tied around your neck while making that post



(pants optional)

1/12/2012 2:36:07 PM

it's probably a better visual than the reality

1/12/2012 2:37:25 PM

Malbec is my favorite and as such I buy a lot of wines from Argentina.

Otherwise, I gravitate to Italian and African wines.
I will also buy a bottle on label design alone.

If I like it, I will buy again. Otherwise I do try to get something new everytime I go. Exception 3 Buck Chuck bc it's cheap and gets the job done. I prefer the syrah 3 buck.

I do have a vacuvin and I love it. Husband doesn't really drink wine, so it's just me. It takes me 2-4 nights to finish a bottle since I'm breastfeeding. Vacuvin comesin handy for that for sure.

[Edited on January 12, 2012 at 2:53 PM. Reason : ]

1/12/2012 2:47:54 PM

LK, do you have any recommendations on a Malbec? something I could easily find at TW or HT perhaps?

1/13/2012 9:49:45 AM

lol jesse pinot NIOR is the way to go lol...

1/13/2012 9:54:01 AM

i don't get it.

1/13/2012 11:21:25 AM

1/13/2012 11:24:22 AM

For Malbecs, here's a few recommendaions:

Under $12: Entrada; Tilia
$12-$20: Viu Manent Reserva; Crios
Over $20: Catena (low $20's); Weinert (about $25); Cuvalier Los Andes Grand Malbec (About $45, and it's fucking GREAT)

1/13/2012 11:30:15 AM

mmmm I love Malbec

1/13/2012 11:46:00 AM

^^thanks for the recommendations, my store didn't have either in your $12 dollar range but the manager I was discussing wine with knew of them both and doubled your thought on the Tilia Malbec. He said if I ever see it anywhere I should pick it up.

but yesterday I picked up one he recommended, Gouguenheim Malbec, from Mendoza, Argentina. Looking forward to it.


also picked up a french Cabernet Sauvignon and the Childress merlot which was recommended ITT as well. and one bottle of Duplin Carolina Red just to have if the mood ever strikes.

1/14/2012 2:30:54 PM

that's a good Malbec

I wish I knew the name of the brand they used to serve at Sitti. It was the best Malbec I've ever had. (It's not the brand they have right now)

1/14/2012 2:33:37 PM

Gougenheim is another good one. I sell a bunch of that one too. Hell, that one, tilia, and entrada all come from the same distributor, fwiw.

1/14/2012 10:04:23 PM

This thread matches my interests.

Quote :

"ADD TO MY TOPICS"

1/14/2012 10:07:38 PM

after looking into reviews and recommendations on a beginners Wine guide i went with this one



jbrick, apparently the Idiot's Guide that you recommended is out of print and the newer version, along with the Dummies book have gotten less than stellar reviews.

a lot of the so called beginner books are heavy on the wine history and the wine regions themselves but less focused on what most new beginners are searching for and that's help picking wine styles at the store, differences between styles A B and C and various charts and graphs showing how they vary.

1/16/2012 10:43:31 AM

So here is some of the decent Spanish red wine I found at Trader Joes. There are two kinds of this...I think one is 5.99 and one is 6.99. I think the Monastrell is the more expensive and better tasting. The Tempranillo is good...but extremely light. I usually like my reds medium bodied to heavy. But again, for about $5, it's a nice light red.

2/24/2012 12:03:12 PM

a second on those Alberos

very nice table wine

2/24/2012 12:08:44 PM

Tempranillo can go anywhere from extremely light (the one you mentioned, and Protocolo are good examples) to huge, bold reds (Pago Florentino is one). I love a good full Tempranillo with steak.

2/24/2012 12:09:43 PM

excellent bump. enjoyed a pretty decent Cab last night. Huntington 2009 i believe it was.

the book i posted in this thread has been a big help. haven't made it all the way through but I am enjoying it.

i'll definitely keep a look out for ^^ when I am at TJ's.

2/24/2012 2:14:34 PM

the gf and i have a few sets of the Reidel O glassware. These are the stemless, dishwasher safe glasses and I love them. But she's been wanting to get some stemmed ware. Is there anything special to look for. While house sitting at my parents this weekend we used their glasses, they were Marquis by Waterford and really nice. I loved the weight, but they were so thin with incredibly thin stems.

2/29/2012 10:13:33 AM

Picked up a bottle of Steele Chardonnay from Lowes Foods the other night. My husband said it was the best chardonnay he's ever had.

Going to pick up more bottles soon

2/29/2012 10:18:12 AM

I was skeptical about "Cupcake Wine" but I bought a bottle of Red Velvet and really enjoyed it for the price.

3/1/2012 10:14:34 PM

^^ I'm def going to have to try that Chardonnay.

I started drinking wine in 2010 after a trip to Italy. I started with red (Chianti Classico) but I prefer white. Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio & Sauvignon Blanc are my faves.

I also enjoy a good bottle of Falanghina. Fraziers had an excellent selection recently.

I usually keep my restaurant bottles of wine less than $40 and my store purchases under $15.

Trader Joe's has some great cheap wines as has been mentioned and I've enjoyed a bottle of:



I got it at Total Wine. $8.99

[Edited on April 18, 2012 at 10:57 AM. Reason : I'm going to Wine Fest for the first time this weekend so excited about that. ]

4/18/2012 10:52:40 AM

I don't like Chardonnay, but I'll drink Steele.

I've continued to find some good reds at Trader Joes but have forgotten their names.

4/18/2012 11:10:55 AM

hehe I've started taking pictures of the bottles with my phone so that I can remember. I also have a book where I can write all the info down, fortunately it has columns for all the pertinent stuff.

4/18/2012 11:16:03 AM

The lady swears by Firestone Reisling. It's been going down like water at my house.


I'll check out the Steele Chardonnay, as that seems to be the white I prefer the most. I stocked up on several bottles of K.J. when it was on sale last week.

4/18/2012 11:18:40 AM

Steele makes some nice wines, but if I'm going to get one of their whites, it's gonna be their Pinot Blanc. It goes great with most seafood.

Also, it's nice to see I'm not the only one here who likes white wines from Southern Italy. ncsuGALxcPaC, if you like Falanghina, try some Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avelino, or Coda di Volpe. They're all from the same region (Campania) and can be damn good wines for around $15 (though Greco might be a bit more)

4/18/2012 11:20:34 AM

Thanks for the suggestion! I def will!

4/18/2012 1:45:07 PM

So I picked up a decent haul today... took a list of reasonably priced suggestions that were true representations of the style.. I got

Columbia Crest Merlot
Beringer Estate Pinot Noir
Firesteed Pinot Noir
Simi Sauvignon Blanc
Hess Select Chardonnay

6/3/2012 7:22:19 PM

Quote :

"I also love aglianico, syrah, and rioja. "

Not many people know what aglianico is but I, too, love it. For those who don't know, it comes from Southern Italy in a region that actually has tar roads still - and it sounds weird but it actually presents itself well in the flavor of the wine. It is extremely dry (which I love) and has notes of blackberries and blueberries. The only place I have seen it is at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill and I highly recommend Fontenavecchia's version of it - about $18.


As far as Bordeaux, that is probably my second favorite red. Very dry, and not overwhelmingly fruity and tart. It is a perfect table wine imo. There's a couple good ones at Harris Teeter for around $8-12

I like really dry wines so Chianti and Shiraz (I prefer the Australian grape over the French Syrah) are among my favorites. For whites, I really like Chardonnay and I think that the Yellowtail version is actually very good for the money. I stay away from the "tree-free" version that doesn't use Oak barrels for aging.

[Edited on June 3, 2012 at 7:40 PM. Reason : pic]

6/3/2012 7:39:39 PM

bump for monday.

6/4/2012 8:30:50 AM

this is the wine guide recommended to me most by chefs/sommeliers that i have worked with in the past, i found it to be very informative. it was written by the guy from the "windows on the world" restaurant on top of the world trade center.

6/4/2012 8:51:13 AM

Now is the time for buying 2009 bordeaux. Total wine has pretty good prices. Try to keep it just under $30 and then hold them for 3 years.

6/4/2012 12:55:06 PM

i hate when i really enjoy a bottle and forget to write down the name of it before it gets thrown out.

6/5/2012 11:42:21 AM

anyone have any personal buying tips when in a big box store like Total Wine? Like any store the people are knowledgeable, but they seem to steer their knowledge into the direction of their own brands. "You like dryer, full bodied reds? Well you'll love this one. It's our #1 selling of this style and made by Brand X that you've never heard of."

I take their recommendations with a grain of salt. I've been pleased with some of their recommendations, others have been awful. I've been trying to find out what their various "house brands" are so i know if they're pushing me toward a real find or just something they're overstocked with.

Coastline always seems to be one they push hard in the "affordable everyday category". and then I look and see cases upon cases of it.

6/11/2012 4:12:49 PM

I usually stick with region and grape varietals that I like. So I'll flock to the Spanish section and start looking at Tempranillos and Garnaches. Then I'll read the descriptions and see if it fits the bill. I might not always hit a homerun, but if I pick within my preferred region/grape, then I'm usually content and I never find a bottle that I can't drink (if you're buying cheap and get a below average wine, at least you can put it down fast and get a buzz ).

I won't put up big bucks for a bottle unless I've tried it at a restaurant or it comes highly recommended from a friend I respect. Since the only friends that recommend wine to me are either buyers or sellers in the industry...they usually bat 1.000.

[Edited on June 11, 2012 at 4:29 PM. Reason : .]

6/11/2012 4:29:04 PM