what wines would you recommend to someone who has never had wine before?
and plz include prices, because i have no idea what the price range is like on decent/good wine

1/14/2006 6:09:25 PM

it's all a matter of personal taste.

but start with a white wine, maybe a blush as those are easier on the tastebuds.

1/14/2006 6:10:30 PM

harris teeter has the better ones rated. i'd recommend the one's over 90%. i'd look for a cabernet sauvignon.

1/14/2006 6:13:35 PM

get a box of Franzia. $12.49 for 5L from most places

1/14/2006 6:28:50 PM

merlot?

1/14/2006 6:32:53 PM

1/14/2006 6:33:31 PM

^^Chalk Hill Merlot or Chiraz

about $60 a bottle


GOOD shit

^I got a bottle of that shit if someone wants it

NASTY

[Edited on January 14, 2006 at 6:34 PM. Reason : ///]

1/14/2006 6:33:56 PM

box of White Zinfundel

1/14/2006 6:40:49 PM

I wouldn't recommend white wine for a new drinker.... much too dry and bitter. More of an aquired taste


I'd say go after a Merlot or Zinfandel

1/14/2006 6:41:27 PM

white merlot... best of both worlds

1/14/2006 6:43:38 PM

^ I'm not a big wine drinker, and I profess to know nothing of this white merlot...

elaborate?

1/14/2006 6:50:09 PM

go to a wine tasting

1/14/2006 7:15:00 PM

white merlot is a darker blush... it's similar to a white zin, but made with the merlot grape... I prefer the taste of white merlot to white zin, hands down

[Edited on January 14, 2006 at 7:31 PM. Reason : .]

1/14/2006 7:31:09 PM

do they have any wine festivals in area, like the beer festival in durham?

1/14/2006 7:48:33 PM

white merlot is quite tastey. as far as price range, there are plenty of decent wines you can get for 10-20 bucks if you just do some research. not being a big wine-o you wont probably notice much difference for the extra cash.

and i dunno about white wine being bad for starters. just have a pinot grigio or something lighter like that, kinda sweet but not too much.

1/14/2006 7:54:07 PM

a riesling or a muscato (my two favorite types of dessert wines)...they're like sugar with alcohol in them

1/14/2006 7:57:51 PM

i second the riesling...it's sweet

1/14/2006 8:04:26 PM

Quote :

"i'd look for a cabernet sauvignon."

that's my fave

also white zinfandel with sprite, called a wine spritzer (or something) is really good, if the taste of the wine is too strong for ya

1/14/2006 8:05:35 PM

NC actually has quite a number of winery locations around the state. If you were up for a trip that'd be a good place to figure out what type you'd really like. Biltmore Estate Winery is VERY nice.

1/14/2006 8:12:20 PM

lambrosco is good for a sweet red. not too many varieties usually where i shop, but you can get one and it is good (almost like sangria...almost).

1/14/2006 8:58:10 PM

No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!

1/14/2006 9:09:14 PM

I like Twin Fin or Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir.

1/14/2006 9:18:49 PM

http://www.uncorkthefun.com/ggtri.htm

1/14/2006 9:20:54 PM

Quote :

"No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!"

GREAT movie!

1/14/2006 10:05:40 PM

everyone seemed to go crazy over cakebread wine where I used to work.

1/14/2006 10:37:32 PM

Sideways

1/14/2006 10:40:44 PM

ended up getting a white merlot.

Quote :

"go to a wine tasting"

plan to!

1/14/2006 10:56:38 PM

Duplin Bald Head Red, or any of their wines.

1/14/2006 11:26:44 PM

Here is an older thread with lots of recommendations:
http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=236424

Honestly, the best thing you can do is go to a wine ship when they have free tastings and be honest and upfront with the people who work there. Great Grapes in Cary was where I got started (I think they do tastings every Friday evening and Saturday). I went in and told him that we were new to wine but liked what we had out at dinner and such but being in college we were definitely on a budget. I told him that my girlfriend was still easing into wine and just a couple months prior the closest she would come to wine is Arbor Mist sparkling wine with fruit flavors. I got to try a couple and he had GREAT recommendations on "starter" wines that were both cheap and easy on the palate. You can do this at any shop and expect good results. They'll even have wines as cheap as $5 a bottle.

I'm about to go pick up a case of Bedord Road Sauvignon Blanc from Carolina Wine Company (http://carolinawine.biz) that is on clearance (Regular price: $14.99 per bottle, Sale: $8.99 per bottle by the case). Trust the people in these shops. It is in their best interest that they give you a wine you like and at a price you can afford so you become a regular and move on to bigger and better. The free tastings give you a chance to explore some different wines with no dent in your pocket (expecially good if you are not sure if you are ready for something a little more adventurous.

For someone who has never had wine...

A lot of new wine drinkers like Riesling for the sweetness but its too much for me usually. Gewürztraminer is not quite as sweet but more "perfumey." I'd go with a Pinot Grigio or even a Sauvignon Blanc (especially out of New Zealand) for a white.

As for a red, I'd probably go with Pinot Noir or a Merlot out of South America (Chile and Argentina). Shiraz is pretty popular and I've rarely had a bad one out of Australia (McLaren Vale and Coonawarra specifcally). I'd consider a red Zinfandel, too. They go well with just about any typical American meal (burgers, pizza, steak, you name it) and are pretty easy going wines most of the time (a tad on the peppery/spicey side though).

Good and Cheap Wines:
Concha Y Tora "Xplorador" Cabernet Sauvignon - This was one of Wine Enthusiast magazines picks in the "Budget" category. You can pick it up for about $6 at pretty much all the grocery stores. This past week it was on sale for $4.99 at Harris Teeter. Its not your typical Cab, much softer.
HMS Rex Goliath Pinot Noir, Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages, and Kris Pinot Grigio are some of the other wines that made the magazine's list. They are all available at Food Lion for under $9.

If you want ideas then look at the wine lists of decent restaurants. Any bottle priced about $20-$24 will run about $6-$10 in a store. They are good indicators of popular wines that should be decent at the very least (no one wants to offer a "bad" wine).

Oh, and don't let your wine get too warm. If it sits in the sun in your kitchen or next to the stove then it can quickly spoil it. Best off keeping it in your fridge and just letting it warm up a tad when you plan of drinking it.

1/14/2006 11:52:42 PM

i'd like to go to a wine tasting... i've had some red wines before, but i don't really care for them. i think it's mainly b/c they're served warm/room temp. i like white zinfandel, and some of the other white wines. but i also lean towards the sweeter alcohols.

1/15/2006 12:17:08 AM

how many of these damn threads are gonna pop up?

For those who always recommend $50+ bottles to the wine newbies: why? most newbies dont want to spend anywhere near that much, and could find things that are damn enjoyable for under 20 bucks.

Quote :

"I wouldn't recommend white wine for a new drinker.... much too dry and bitter. More of an aquired taste"

um... no offense, but are you an idiot? Red wine has more tannins, and is percieved to be drier than white.

[Edited on January 15, 2006 at 1:17 AM. Reason : quote]

1/15/2006 1:16:06 AM

take that someone to the chatham hill winery. its right off the morrisville aviation pkwy exit on 40:

http://www.chathamhillwine.com/visitus.html

fantastic, easy to drink whites that even i enjoy (and i dont like whites usually). fantastic dessert wines. some of the fruitiest wine i've ever had, which is usually appreciated by people new to wine.

1/15/2006 2:21:34 AM

Every year Wine Spectator puts out a list of the best 100 wines under 15$. Find the 2004/2005 issue and look them up.

Secondly, TALK to the people at the wine store. Go to Total Wine or the wine shop next to the whole foods and ask questions. The staff is normally very helpful.

The bottom line is: if you like it, drink it. Try different varieties. Try different regions. When you find something really good, you'll know it. You'll find a few that you like, but eventually, you'll find a wine that makes you go wow.

1/15/2006 5:12:46 AM

viu manet reserve merlot

$13. Very buttery and smooth, got an 87 in Wine Spectator.

1/15/2006 11:00:15 AM

Malbec is a good wine type if u want a red that isnt too much on the flavors..... I personally prefer it over merlot or pinot noirs... as for reds being drier... it depends on the varietal. chardonnay's tend to be drier reislings tend to be sweeter. If you have any questions about wine I will answer them for you in pm's. I wait tables in fine dining but I do have to learn as much as possible about wine and am relatively knowledgable about it.

1/15/2006 12:19:06 PM

http://www.bumwine.com/


I recommend any of those...very easy on your wallet

1/15/2006 12:23:07 PM

some good ones off the top of my head are Bella Sera good italian wine
Ravenswood
Beaujolais Nouveau
some others too i cant remember
but those are good to start

1/15/2006 1:40:37 PM

Boones Farm?

1/15/2006 3:02:16 PM

moselland (sp) whitehouse addition riesling (girls)
fetzer cab sav (guys)

about $12 a bottle

[Edited on January 15, 2006 at 3:04 PM. Reason : dsf]

1/15/2006 3:04:13 PM

Bella Sera =

their pinot grigio is alright though.

1/15/2006 3:36:55 PM

that is kind of hard to say, bc wine is def an acquired taste. I hope you don't give up on one...try many different ones. I personally like white wines-not too dry, a little fruity, but not too sweet and chilled. I like the scuppernong grape wines.

1/15/2006 4:14:38 PM

Get a wine tasting journal, or look at one and make your own.

That way you can write out what you liked and didn't like about a particular wine and can use it as a reference for when you go shopping.

Prices? I don't drink anything VERY expensive, I think the most was a $30 bottle. But my brother and I get an EXCELLENT Italian wine : Carmignano Castelvecchio It's about $20 and we've only found it at Total Wine. However, when he took his girlfriend out for her bday it was $60 at the restaurant.

Find out what you like, if it's from a certain winery you can try other wines from that region or you can try different regions but the same wine.

1/15/2006 5:50:34 PM

Quote :

"NC actually has quite a number of winery locations around the state. If you were up for a trip that'd be a good place to figure out what type you'd really like. Biltmore Estate Winery is VERY nice."

Wine tasting is included in admission. You can purchase a few of the Biltmore Estate wines at your local grocery store. I'd try the Biltmore American Riesling first.

1/16/2006 2:13:49 AM

Quote :

"A lot of new wine drinkers like Riesling for the sweetness but its too much for me usually. Gewürztraminer is not quite as sweet but more "perfumey." I'd go with a Pinot Grigio or even a Sauvignon Blanc (especially out of New Zealand) for a white. "

I usually warn people who are new to wine away from Gewürztraminers. Any reasonably priced one you see in a grocery store is usually going to be pretty bad; Germany makes a lot of money putting out very cheap, low-quality wines, and it can be tough to sift through the bad ones and get lucky unless you know one to look for.

If you think you might like some sweeter wines, I like vouvrays. At most stores you might only find two or three, but they're usually pretty decent and easy to drink. If you find several, try one that's in the $12-15ish price range.

Some wineries that are in the $9-12 range that I like personally are Concha Y Toro (Chilean, they have a label called Casillero del Diablo which has very good merlots and cabernets), Bogle and Meridian (both have fairly smooth chardonnays).

1/16/2006 3:09:40 AM

a lot of people don't like dry wines right off the bat. i started with very sweet, grape juice-y types. also, believe it or not, nc produces some great wines.

suggest reislings (shelton vinyards is a local nc winery that makes a pretty tasty one.

also try a muscadine wine. muscadine grapes are nc native. old north state winery has a very sweet, light muscadine for about $11. i think it's name is "starlight" something. i swear i could drink a gallon of it.

1/16/2006 10:28:12 AM

blackstone merlot. that's all you need with a good dinner.

1/16/2006 10:33:05 AM

The Beringer Stone Cellers Wines are a good line. The best I have found for the $$.

They have a Chardonney, Merlot, and a Cab. (Probably more, but I haven't seen/tried them yet). They are all under $6 at the Total Wine. It would be good to try different styles and see what you like.

Biltmore Estate wines are all pretty good, but a little more expensive (Still under $10/bottle for most of them).

whoever suggested a person try a $60 bottle of wine for their first wine is a dumbass.

Wine tastings are great, just make sure to write down what you like and don't like. Figure out what your taste is and try a lot of differnt in that style. Also, your tastes will change over time, so be sure to branch out of the comfort zone every now and then.

1/16/2006 11:22:50 AM

The Duplin wines are a great way to break in new wine drinkers. Try the Scuppernong wines first and then maybe one of the muscadine wines. Then get some real wines that aren't so sweet.

1/16/2006 12:13:17 PM

I am also just getting into wines and I find Riesling to be a good starter for white wines. It's sweet, but not so sweet (like Spumante tends to be) and it's not very expensive (as in $12 for a nice-sided bottle at Harris Teeter). I am not a fan at all of red wines...they tend to have a buttery aftertaste that makes me gag.

1/16/2006 4:07:31 PM

set em up!

<3 West End in Chapel Hill

1/16/2006 4:44:20 PM