Red Wine for Beginner

[Mr. Montecristo]

I'm not a drinker. But I'm thinking about starting to drink wine. I used to drink this pomegranite red wine from Trader Joe's which was pretty good....until they stopped carrying it.

So, what is a good red wine for a beginner wine drinker. I know Merlot is the best for beginner, but which brand do you guys recommend?

Thanks!

[bazookajoe]

Don't what you're budget is but The Prisoner by Orin Swift Cellars is excellent. For me though, it's more of a special occasion wine at $30 a bottle.





.

[nubbin_left]

If you're just jumping in with the reds, I'd suggest starting with a Beaujolais, which will probably taste similarly to the pomegranate wine, but it will have an aftertaste more typical of a real red.

It's lower in tannins than your typical red, which makes a difference for a beginning red wine drinker. Merlot is jumping right into the thick of things. If you've got the steel for this, then go for it!

Otherwise, ease into the red palette with a Beaujolais or Pinot Grigio. You won't be sorry.

[duhman]

You're in Calif. Go tasting. You will find out real fast what you like or not. Don't drink the wine, just taste a little and pour the rest out. If you find something you really like, ask the host about it and why it tastes that way. Watch out because the wine slope is at least as bad as the cigar slope.

[leasingthisspace]

My wife is a HUGE fan of red wine. She loves the stuff. She tries to push me toward it all the time. I am a fan of the sweeter girly whites. I do remember this red wine the name began with a G. They called it the german wine. I had it in Temecula (My spelling sucks.) at a winery.
Ask at a wine shop if they do tasting nights too if you don't feel like traveling to go to the wineries, but not really sure where in Cali you are at. See if you have a BevMo near you they were helpful when I was in San Diego. Matter of fact if your in SD check out a place called WineSteals. Google it all one word. They have 2 locations but I only have been to the one on College or University I can't remember. That place rocks. When there if you get there and don't want wine they have some great microbrews. Man I can hardly wait for leave to go back to SD.

[Deucer]

The best advice I can give is taste as much wine as possible before you just go out and start buying. Wine is a lot like cigars. At the beginning you can't tell an OpusX from a Cohibo (well maybe..). As you experience more, you develop a frame of reference through experience and gain the ability to differentiate between different styles and levels of quality. Don't break the bank with a $30 wine right off the bat. I really like The Prisoner too, but it will probably taste a lot like every $8-12 bottle out there to you if you're just starting out. Figure out what you like before you step up the price.

The great thing about wine is that tastings are widely availble and cheap. You can taste all sorts of stuff and just buy what you like. If you are near a wine producing area, go to some tastings at wineries. If you aren't find a shop that does tastings. Let people know you are new, and ask questions. Most wine people are more than happy to chat with you.

If you are interested in reading about wine, I can't recommend this book highly enough: http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-22250-20...ne-course.aspx

Good luck in your quest and watch out, my roommate fell down the wine slope hard, and it's just as steep as the cigar slope, if not more so.

BTW, where are you located exactly? If you are in SF I can give you some good local recommendations.

[cherrybomb]

Pinot Noir is an easy wine to get into. I also second the beujolais style which consist of the gamay grape. If you eber have any questions pm me

[trogdor | the burninator]

i don't know where in cali you are, but if you're in central or northern, i also suggest going tasting. central coast wineries have cheap tasting fees and you can try a number of wine. napa/sonoma winery tasting fees are not necessarily cheap, but there are a lot of winners wherever you go.

if you're just looking for something from bevmo:
- Earthquake Cabernet Sauvignon: $20. a really really rich acquaintance of my sister's said it reminded her of a $600 bottle she once had. that's not to say this wine is awesome, it's just to say it's well-regarded by a few wine shops i know as a good wine that won't break the bank.

the other thing to do would be to go to a local wine shop that has a clue and ask them. i know of a real good one down in costa mesa, but again, i have no clue where you are.

[Mark C]

I'll agree with the 'go tasting' suggestions.

If you're headed to the liquor store, look for Shiraz from Australia. You'll find Yellowtail easy enough, but there are plenty of others. Most people I know who don't like red wines, DO like Yellowtail Shiraz.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Mr. Montecristo

I'm not a drinker.

So, what is a good red wine for a beginner wine drinker. I know Merlot is the best for beginner, but which brand do you guys recommend?

Why do you know that Merlot is the best for a beginner? Personally, I wouldn't recommned a Merlot. Try a Burgundy (pinot noir). A good one is the 2005 Louis Jadot Burgundy (from France). It's about $9 and has some purity to the fruit up front, some cherry notes and not too tannic.

Pinot Noir from America may not be to your liking right now.

[duhman]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Why do you know that Merlot is the best for a beginner? Personally, I wouldn't recommned a Merlot. Try a Burgundy (pinot noir). A good one is the 2005 Louis Jadot Burgundy (from France). It's about $9 and has some purity to the fruit up front, some cherry notes and not too tannic.

Pinot Noir from America may not be to your liking right now.

Pinot from the Carneros region south of Napa is very good. Sirah (Shiraz) from Paso Robles is almost always better than Yellowtail IMO. Blackstone Merlot from Monterey is a cheap wine they have at Costco that everybody seems to like. We usually serve it at large gatherings. Everyone has their own taste.

[zackly]

I like red wine a lot. I tend to drink it mostly in the cooler weather preferring beer & gin & tonic in the warmer months.
Like my cigar collection, I have everday red wine & special occasion bottles. A good inexpensive choice for novice is a nice Chilean red like a Concha Y Toro Merlot. These are low in tannin & very drinkable. Probably no more than 12 bucks for the big bottle, 1.5 ltr.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by duhman

Pinot from the Carneros region south of Napa is very good. Sirah (Shiraz) from Paso Robles is almost always better than Yellowtail IMO. Blackstone Merlot from Monterey is a cheap wine they have at Costco that everybody seems to like. We usually serve it at large gatherings. Everyone has their own taste.

Just about anything is better than Yellowtail . I think it is heresy to drink any Pinot Noir that is not from Burgundy, Alsace or Alto Adige. CA or WA pinot is usually over done and lacks terrior. Most of Merlot from CA is crap unless you want to pay over $20 a bottle.

I think Caneros' (as well as Russian River) best products are Chadonnnay.

[gvarsity]

If you like trader joes try the charles shaw syrah otherwise known as 2/3 buck chuck depending on whether you are in or out of CA. Cheap and drinkable. Very accessible to the new wine drinker. Otherwise find a small wine shop and tell them your experience and what you liked and they will find something that fits your taste.

[mrreindeer]

Originally Posted by leasingthisspace

I am a fan of the sweeter girly whites. I do remember this red wine the name began with a G. They called it the german wine.

Gewürztraminer - Usually a nice, light, somewhat sweet wine akin to Riesling, great in the summertime. Shoot, I just reread your post....you sure it was a Red wine you had? Maybe the Spanish or French Grenache?

Originally Posted by Mark C

I'll agree with the 'go tasting' suggestions.

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Why do you know that Merlot is the best for a beginner? Personally, I wouldn't recommned a Merlot. Try a Burgundy (pinot noir).

I'm not sure there's any red wine (or any wine) that's actually 'better' for a beginner. I think you just jump on in there and have a glass of one (if you can stop there) and then move to the next until you've got a winner. If wineries aren't close by where you can taste, go to a decent restaurant. There are tons of great places where you can order a slew of wines by the glass. You can even get 'flights' of wine at a lot of places where they give you smaller portions, three or four to try.

I think a few here are going to me for saying this, but there really is nothing wrong with 'Two Buck Chuck' (Charles Shaw @ Trader Joe's). I'd say the Chardonnay is the best of the lot but the Cabernet Sauvignon isn't terrible. This very intelligent winemaker buys up all the excess California grapes and makes wine out of them. What a great idea! These are sometimes the very same grapes that go into a much more expensive bottle of wine but the guy charges $2 a bottle because he does so much volume, and again, buys the leftovers in bulk for cheap. And it really is decent. It's not amazing, but it's decent and a great wine to 'begin' with.

I think Yellowtail, if you had to pick a 'beginner' wine, is also decent, sorry fellas. Again, it's not GREAT, but it's decent/okay and it's readily available in any California market.

'Menage a Trois' at Costco is also a very nice, drinkable red wine for about $9. We have bottles & bottles of this for our parties. It's a nice blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. Not to mention the stuff is a great conversation piece at parties.

In California, we have such tremendous access to great wines right outside our doors. I say stay close to home for starters, forget the French, the Italians & the South Americans (although they produce amazing wines, they do). It'll just confuse you. If you're starting out, go with what's around you, what people know. Go to a good wine store (I know several in the L.A. area if you're around here) and they'll be happy to recommend plenty to you.

What's coolest of all is that you can actually visit these local wines you enjoy. Much cheaper than a ticket to Europe!