I've tried a few and I have a couple of observations. In my youth, I didn't care for red wine. I've tried several reds. From France to Argentina to Australia. I can't tell much difference.

I'm after bold flavors so if any red fans out there please suggest something. I'm really trying to like red wine.

The whites on the other hand I can tell minor differences in flavor. Two that really impressed me were a Sauvignon blanc from South Africa, and a German Riesling. Both wines the first glass were really good. The second glass a couple of days later was not the same, and lacked the schwing of the first glass after opening the bottle. What's causing this?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: goose5,

What temperature of the bottle do you start drinking it at?

La Crema Chardonnay, a very nice inexpensive wine.

Also, Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. Good stuff!!! Not cheap but not too expensive.
.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I'm after bold flavors so if any red fans out there please suggest something. I'm really trying to like red wine.

The whites on the other hand I can tell minor differences in flavor. Two that really impressed me were a Sauvignon blanc from South Africa, and a German Riesling. Both wines the first glass were really good. The second glass a couple of days later was not the same, and lacked the schwing of the first glass after opening the bottle. What's causing this?

I'm not an expert but I enjoy a nice wine, both red and white. I've tried a bunch (and used to frequently go wine tasting in wine country) but I no longer buy expensive bottle ($40-80+) and opt for wines that are priced for daily drinking (not that I drink wine daily) - $10-20 per bottle.

For red, I've settled on (CA - both wine country and sierra foothill appellations) zinfandel and pinot noir over cab, merlot, and other red varietals etc. Not that there is anything wrong with other varietals but I can more consistently pick a zin or pinot in the $10-20 range that I enjoy than with other varietals.

For white, there are many choices but I've come to really enjoy whites from Alsace. Haven't found one I haven't enjoyed.

On my budget, wines that are more expensive may taste better (sometime not) but I don't enjoy them nearly as much - the price takes away from the enjoyment.

Air is happening. All wines start to oxidize after exposure to air, changing the taste. Immediate recorking can minimize the effect, but it still occurs to some degree after the initial opening. The effect is less with red wines, as the tannins and various other compounds are anti-oxidants.

'Floral' varieties such as Rieslings and Sauvignon blancs are particularly prone to oxidation.

I'd seriously consider taking a wine tasting class. Places like "Total Wine" offer them.

I was fortunate enough to have a friend who always had an extensive cellar. There are some really good wines in the $12-$20 range.

Personally I like Zinfandels, Cabernets and some of the better red blends. For some reason, while I like the whites, they tend to give me acid reflux.

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:
I'd seriously consider taking a wine tasting class. Places like "Total Wine" offer them.

I was fortunate enough to have a friend who always had an extensive cellar. There are some really good wines in the $12-$20 range.

Personally I like Zinfandels, Cabernets and some of the better red blends. For some reason, while I like the whites, they tend to give me acid reflux.

I second the guided wine tastings. I regularly attend wine tastings that are held at the little shop where I buy most of my wine.

I probably buy 5 - 6 cases of wine a year plus a couple of bottles of stuff I’m interested in trying every other week or so. Most of what I buy is between $18 and $70 a bottle.

Try to find a wine tasting that : 1) is regularly scheduled.. rather than tasting that is meant to offload excess inventory from the seller. 2) Has a knowledgeable tasting leader… not just a salesman. 3) Has varied themes like “Napa Reds”, “Cabernets Around the World”, “Champagnes Versus Sparklers”, etc. These themed tastings indicate that the tasting is meant to educate, not just sell you wines the store CANNOT sell.

Side-by-side you’ll quickly learn that there are distinct differences among wine varietals and places of origin. (The fancy term is “terroir”…. Pronounced tear-wah… as in tear me off a piece of that, willya?)

If you’re interested in specific wines to try, these are the wines I bought for my daughter’s upcoming wedding dinner, each one is outstanding in my estimation. (Admittedly, the champagne is just good to very good. I chose it because it’s the traditional label in my family. Going on three generations of weddings now.)

Wayfarer Pinot Noir (Yes, expensive… but damn good stuff.)

Clos de Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc

Ramey Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Piper Heidsieck Champagne Non Vintage

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Air is happening. All wines start to oxidize after exposure to air, changing the taste. Immediate recorking can minimize the effect, but it still occurs to some degree after the initial opening. The effect is less with red wines, as the tannins and various other compounds are anti-oxidants.

'Floral' varieties such as Rieslings and Sauvignon blancs are particularly prone to oxidation.

This is your answer, there is a reason bottles are corked to keep air out.

My wife drinks wine almost exclusively. She likes both whites and reds (rosé too, on occasion). I don’t drink wine as often, but much prefer bold reds. We’ve both enjoyed wine long enough that our taste in reds has evolved, and that means a $15 - $20/bottle red doesn’t suffice any longer. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean it’s necessary to spend a great deal more than $20.

The same is apparently not true of whites, my wife often buys herself white wines for about $20 that she’s happy with.

We don’t really delve into French wines, pretty much sticking to wines from the west coast of the U.S. Try a Cab from King’s Estate called NxNW (North by NW), they make great Pinots as well and maybe my favorite varietal of all—Cabernet Franc.

Austin Hope out of Paso Robles is really good. Someone mentioned Silver Oak, a great special occasion wine (in our house anyway).

quote:

I'm after bold flavors

Old vine zinfandel.

Some of my first introduction to wines was when I was younger and a friend who was sold wines through tasting parties.
It was all German Wines.
If you want to learn something interesting, learn about German Wines.
They are predominantly white.

For Reds I prefer Italy and most noted the Brunello di Montalcino .
Tuscany is the region for this fine product.
Not the cheapest an Renieri is one brand that I regularly get.

https://winefolly.com/deep-div...-its-worth-the-wait/

If you're looking for a very bold, every day wine then try Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon by Michael David Winery out of Lodi, CA. It's very bold and I've only drank it paired with a steak. I believe it'd also pair well with lamb too. Wine Enthusiast rates between an 89 and 91 depending on year. It'll cost $14 to $20.

These days, I'm more into smooth (aka well balanced) wines in the $15 to $25 range. Bordeaux, Cab, and Pinot Noir are the reds in my pantry.

The following taste amazing and are incredibly smooth, but way too expensive to be an everyday wine:

Have you tried a Bordeaux? Justin Isosceles from Paso Robles is delicious. I save it for special occasions.

Other exceptional cabs for special occasions are Silver Oak and Duckhorn.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by mttaylor1066:
2) Has a knowledgeable tasting leader… not just a salesman.

This.

A couple of years ago we were invited to a wine tasting at a friend's house. I don't consider myself a connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I knew way more than the guy running the tasting. He couldn't answer any questions beyond "how much?". I left without buying a single bottle.

My favorites are:

Reds: Oregon and French Pinot Noirs. California Pinots are too tannic IMO because of the warmer climate. The region where France grows Pinot Noir and Oregon grows theirs are very similar climate-wise.

White: French (Alsace) Riesling. German and American Rieslings are WAY too sweet. Alsace makes much drier whites.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:


For white, there are many choices but I've come to really enjoy whites from Alsace. Haven't found one I haven't enjoyed.

Can't go wrong with a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer from Trimbach

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
My favorites are:

White: German and American Rieslings are WAY too sweet.

One thing I alluded to above about German wines is the differenences:
Reisling is just an area like Rhine wines, used to be differentiated by the color of the bottle (green vs brown)

Further delineation can tell much about the sweetness:




I tasted and enjoyed them all.
If I needed a light dry > Kabinet, or a sweet desert wine > Trokenbeerenauslese or an Eiswein.
VDP stamped ones were the best of the best and are all spectacular.

Like I said ~ it is an interesting story if so inclined to learn.

If you want a good German wine ~ look for the appropriate sweetness level as noted in the Pradikatswein not the generic Riesling nomenclature.

Oh I know all about German wines and their classifications. I was stationed in Franconia (Franken) in northern Bavaria, a huge producer of dry white wines. I wish I could get them here, they were mostly Silvaner or Müller-Thurgau wines and quite good.

It just seems to me that the Germans ship a lot of their sweeter stuff to the US

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:
What temperature of the bottle do you start drinking it at?

I don't have a dedicated cooler. My basement runs at about 65 degrees.

I will write down all the suggestions and see if I can find them. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Air is happening. All wines start to oxidize after exposure to air, changing the taste. Immediate recorking can minimize the effect, but it still occurs to some degree after the initial opening. The effect is less with red wines, as the tannins and various other compounds are anti-oxidants.

'Floral' varieties such as Rieslings and Sauvignon blancs are particularly prone to oxidation.

Very true, the purpose behind allowing a bottle to "breathe" is to adjust the flavor profile slightly, usually to make it less robust. This is done mostly with red wines, I don't know anyone who thinks allowing a typical white to breathe is a beneficial practice. Full disclosure: I think a wine can breathe at least as well in my glass as in the bottle, why wait?

Also note that there exist a multitude of "flavor saver" corkage products that, among other techniques, vacuum the air out of a partially-depleted bottle, or replace it with CO2.

WRT the original question, "what reds might I like?" I would suggest something on the "lighter" and "sweeter" end of the spectrum, perhaps a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Many like Chianti, most of which are on the lighter side, but not so sweet. The "big reds," Cabernets, Malbecs, Pinot Noirs, etc. are likely to be too robust for those who find whites palatable.

ETA: a paragraph addressing the original question.

You can find some really nice reds from the Rioja district in Spain, at very decent prices.

I don't have a Total Wine or such nearby. There's a wine store over in the town next door, but I don't get to go over there often. The go-to resource, in my case, is the lady who runs the wine section at my nearby grocery store. Rebecca knows her stuff! She's always helpful, and now that I've talked to her a number of times she's better able to predict things I'll like.

V-Tail is right: the Rioja wines I've tried are good (and they came at Rebecca's recommendation). I noticed you're up for a bold red, goose. My tastes are similar, and I often head to the Chianti section. I'm usually shopping in the sub-$20 range -- on those shelves I can find Dellatori (Chianti, and Chianti Classico), Da Vinci, and an RS Chianti Classico -- for a few bucks more there's a Ruffino Riserva Ducale.

Switching direction just a bit, look at the Portuguese reds. I'm new to those, but Rebecca pointed me to a Silk & Spice Red Blend (2020) (link). Mighty good! I like it well enough to keep one or two bottles on hand.

I liked the Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon, too, for what that's worth. And something called Troublemaker -- that's a good one as well.

If you're up for some phone-scrolling, there's an app called Vivino. The feature I like best about that one is that it allows you to take and submit a pic of a bottle's label, and it'll bring you back some reviews on that wine. That's way handy when "judging a book by its cover," so to speak.

I keep a folder in the Gallery on my phone, holding pics of wines I've liked (and a few I've disliked). Scrolling that right now, I find Ciconia's The Reserve Blend (2016, also a Portuguese red), and Bold Vine Pinot Noir (California, 2017).

Definitely don't overlook J. Lohr's Merlot and Cabernet (both 2017, in my pics). That Cab is a stock item in my house as well.

(Holy smokes, I didn't think I really knew anything about wine until writing this.)

I'm looking forward to hearing what wines you end up liking.

- - - - - - - - -

ETA:
White wines in the collection:
- Williamsburg Winery Viognier (2017/2019, $20-25 and good with a bit of chill.)
- Chateau Ste Michele Sweet Riesling (Generally around $8-10, and danged good when chilled just a bit.). I enjoyed their Pinot Gris, too.

Back to the reds, I'll also mention Santa Julia Reserva Malbec (2021), an Argentinian.