Wine Suggestions for a Newbie

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot. $10, highly rated, widely available.

I'M NOT DRINKING ANY F***ING MERLOT!!!

You can really screw this up, so go to a wine store and tell the guy you want a bottle of really good Pinot Noir or something, but want to spend less than 20 bucks...

They will hook you up.

Maybe figure out what you are having to eat and tell him as well.

Just bring red wine, or you'll look like a sissy.

That being said, there is a wine out right now, a Shiraz I believe that is called Molly Dooker. It is an Australian wine, and it is fantastic...

A Pinot Noir is the wine that best goes with any style of food. There are good, reasonably-priced ones from Oregon or from California (Sonoma, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Rita Hills). Good luck!

Get a whole bunch of Mums.

2 buck Chuck

English Major wrote:

You can really screw this up, so go to a wine store and tell the guy you want a bottle of really good Pinot Noir or something, but want to spend less than 20 bucks...

They will hook you up.

Maybe figure out what you are having to eat and tell him as well.

Just bring red wine, or you'll look like a sissy.

That being said, there is a wine out right now, a Shiraz I believe that is called Molly Dooker. It is an Australian wine, and it is fantastic...

Don't have a wine store locally. I think we are having salmon and pasta for supper. Would white wine be more preferable?

All of these will run less than $12. Listing reds only; don't know whites very well and you wouldn't bring a white to make a good impression unless you knew what they were serving.

Suggestions for a grocery store (Kroger, Publix, Schnuck's, whatever):

Forest Glen Cabernet Sauvignon (US)

Smoking Loon Cab, Syrah, or Pinot Noir (US)

Cycles Gladiator Merlot or Pinot Noir (US)

Whole Foods:

Campo Viejo Tempranillo (Spain)

Borsao red wine (Spain)

Decent wineshop:

Pillar Box Red, Henry Drive (Australia)

Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel

Manitoba wrote:

2 buck Chuck

Due to inflation, it is now 3 Buck Chuck, and while it is decent wine, I would never give it as a gift... It would be like bringing over a six of Miller Lite. Sure, it is good and in my fridge, but it isn't gift material. Every living person knows that Charles Shaw wine is $2.99.

As a side note, I was walking past a wine store the other night that featured a sign in the window that said, "If you are naughty, Santa will bring you a bottle of Charles Shaw."

I thought it was funny.

1st impressions wrote:

Don't have a wine store locally. I think we are having salmon and pasta for supper. Would white wine be more preferable?

It depends on the sauce, and actually, Salmon can be served with both, so I would go with red.

White wine has its place, but unless you know someone is a fan of a certain white, red is always the better gift.

I agree with the guy above this posts' recommendations.

Do you have a whole foods nearby? There wine people are pretty good for the most part.

It cannot hurt to ask, even if it is someone who does not work there.

I have often asked people's opinions that appeared to know what they were doing. You can learn a lot, and people LOVE acting like wine snobs for an audience.

I agree if you were to bring a bottle of Charles Shaw it would scream out cheapness. Good "plunk" though.

Some good suggestions already. The Molly Dooker is made by the Marquis family that makes the Marquis Phillips wines. Robert Parker went ape-sh!t on his ratings for these wines, and I enjoy them too. However, if you read tasting notes on eRobertParker.com's message board or on cellartracker.com for the Molly Dooker wines, people either love it or hate it. It's too much for some people. That being said, there are several different Molly Dooker wines. The highest rated is the Carnival of Love. It's about $60 and RP gave it a 99 score. Unbelievable. You're on a budget though, so if you can afford the Boxer (Shiraz 95pts), or the Two Left Feet (Shiraz blended with Merlot and Cab, 94pts), they are usually between $20 and $25.

The only problem with them is they are screw tops and people that don't keep up with wine regularly sometimes equate that with cheap or low quality. That's not the case, but I'm just saying there are still some misconceptions out there among ignorant people.

Food pairing, in my opinion, is overrated. Good wine is good wine. Some people are really into food pairing, so who knows, but I would focus on finding a quality wine first.

How much are you looking to spend? You want to bring a nice bottle to make a good impression. How nice?

Actually, you should go to erobertparker.com and go to their free message board and post this exact question. Give them a price range, what you're eating and you will get suggestions from people that actually know what they are talking about. It's the message board where real wine snobs hang out.

KnowItAll, the Boxer is the wine that I am referring to. I think it has like a 14+ alcohol % so it can be a bit hefty for some palates, and there are also those that are suspicious of a wine over 13%...

I had forgotten about the screw top, good point. Even those that are aware of the misconception often make jokes about it, which will be uncomfortable regardless.

I agree that pairing should take a back seat as well...

To the OP, thanks for the thread, I am going to go stop by the store on the way home and surprise my wife with a good bottle tonight!!!!

since when do people say newbie... its n00b.

That is extremely funny about the 2 buck chuck sign. I really like Bogle/Petite Syrah and also Wild Horse/Pinot, Cab & Merlot. All under $20.

La Crema Pinot Noir (even 2005) is very good and about $20 per bottle. They sometimes sell even it at Trader Joes

Yellowtail Shiraz is actually a good, popular wine and usually very cheap.

My simple suggestion -Banfi Centine-simple red -wide availability about 12 bucks

http://italianwinelabels.com/images/toscana/banfi/centine00.jpg

More complex answer Sparkling Wine Gruet from New Mexico 13 bucks

- good availability-goes with any occasion or meal.

http://www.gruetwinery.com/dbimages/2.jpg

Flowers for her Mom....simple bunch like most shops have pre wrapped are fine-4 bucks or so.

Often the host has picked a wine to go with the meal-knowing exactly what they will serve.... expect you wine to be a gift for "next visit" drinking. The Champage style sparkler can be before after or another time.

Banfi Rosa Regale a red sparkler would show some offbeat thought 13 bucks wide avavability ...... Hey it taste like a party in your mouth!!!.

http://www.viscountwines.com/images/maia%20dinner%20label%20photo%202.jpg

Stay out of the X buck bin!! Ask the wine seller using examples you get from this thread and you'll open a dialog with them..Remember the seller wants you back as a customer so they will not steer you wrong. Be sure to go back and tell them how the selection went over and your thoughts on it.

In most stores never accept a wine from a floor display/basket, or it's packing box- go for something that has proven it's worth to the owner. You can tell because he made room on the shelf and expects to reorder it.

After you get to know the seller take what ever he gives you and return and tell him pros and cons of you experience drinking it.

Good luck and rememer please and thankyou go a very long way. Be yourself even if it means being a dorky distance runner!! The daughter likes you-- you're going home for inspection!!.

Technically, bringing wine is bringing a gift. It isn't meant to be the wine served with dinner -- that is the host/hostesses job as part of their meal preparation.

You get em something, tell em it's great for next time they have steak, and leave it at that. Meeting your future in-laws aint a damn pot-luck. Pot-lucks are for steers and poor people, and since I don't see any horns on your future father-in-law....