Wine advice?

[stantheman]

Taking a trip to the wine wholesaler tomorrow and looking for recommendations for a couple cheap (<$15) bottles of red - I've been enjoying some of the Zinfandel's I've tried lately, so maybe something along those lines? Suggestions?

Try Rutherford Hill merlot and anything by Rosemount from Australia. Rutherford Hill might be about $20 a bottle but the Rosemount is very inexpensive and is quite good.

[wacki]

Trader Joe's.

Go in there and ask the manager what are some good reds. They have a ton of good wine there for $5 a bottle. Little Bear is one of my favorites.

[stantheman]

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anything by Rosemount from Australia

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I've tried their Shiraz (I think that was the name, Rosemount Estate black label, right?) and enjoyed it. They make a Zinfandel also? If so, I will try it.

[stantheman]

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Trader Joe's.

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Can't say that I know it. I looked it up and it seems the closest locations to me (Scarsdale and Hartsdale) don't carry beer and wine. Some asinine NYS law or something.

[jakethebake]

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anything by Rosemount from Australia

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I've tried their Shiraz (I think that was the name, Rosemount Estate black label, right?) and enjoyed it. They make a Zinfandel also? If so, I will try it.

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Their Shiraz is well thought of, but I'm not a fan. I really like their CabSav.

Actually I thought they have a cab/shiraz blend that is quite good, but maybe I'm already drunk.

[jakethebake]

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Actually I thought they have a cab/shiraz blend that is quite good, but maybe I'm already drunk.

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They do, but you still may be.

[wacki]

Join a wine/vinyard club/group. This allows you to get around state laws. You can buy expensive wine by the case at a fraction of the cost. The downside is that a lot of them require you to purchase before they start making the wine. Still the barrel has your name on it and they can ship across state lines (even if it's normally illegal, got to love loop holes). It is worth it beyond a shadow of a doubt imo.

[PhatTBoll]

Tell the guy working there what you just posted here and he will probably come up with some good bottles for you. If you like zin, you'll probably like shiraz/syrah also, so ask for his recommendations on wines from Australia or the Rhone. The cool thing about Australia is that even the bargain basement wines are drinkable because they don't overload it with oak like many American and French wineries do. Have fun.

[theBruiser500]

I've only had really cheap wine, how does good/very good wine compare to this? Would someone not experienced in wine like me know the difference? Is it just a little better or differences in magnitude?

[Freakin]

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Tell the guy working there what you just posted here and he will probably come up with some good bottles for you.

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Agreed. He'll have a good idea on good buys in your price range for your taste.

Freakin

[stantheman]

I'd be interested to hear some thoughts here as well. I drink wine pretty regularly, but it's a *very* rare occasion when I spend more than $15 a bottle.

I have tried expensive wine before and couldn't tell the difference. Then again, I was unsure of what I should be looking for.

[wacki]

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I've only had really cheap wine, how does good/very good wine compare to this? Would someone not experienced in wine like me know the difference? Is it just a little better or differences in magnitude?

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Yes. Good wine is less likely to give you a hangover. It normally has a lot less of the nasty aftertaste and doesn't taste as sugary. Don't be fooled by price. When it comes to wine there are plenty of $5-$15 dollar wines that are as good if not better than many $80 wines. The Australians are masters at producing high quality wines for dirt cheap prices. Try and find out where a winery/vineyard is and go for a little taste test. Sometimes wine tasting exhibits will come to town. Even if your not a snob and are basically a lush you will be very glad you did. Plus, the ladies will be impressed with your knowledge of wine.

[wacki]

There are $20-40 a bottle wines that you can buy in bulk for dirt cheap that few, if any of the cheaper wines can tangle with. As I said before, price doesn't mean a whole lot when it comes to wine. The only thing money buys is the name. There are tons of very inconsistent wines out there that you can spen $200 a bottle on. I will post some info on this stuff later. I have buddies that buy cases of wine by the dozen. I'm about to join one of these clubs. It saves money and the wine is good. Much better than anything you can get at a grocery store. You just need space to store all the boxes. Then again, wine racks are cool.

[wacki]

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[stantheman]

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The Australians are masters at producing high quality wines for dirt cheap prices.

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I hear much the same about many Spanish wines nowadays. The only one I can recall drinking was Borsao de Borja (sp?). It was cheap (I'm talking like $6 a bottle) but surprisingly good, was recommended by an acquaintance in the business.

Any opinions/experiences/suggestions with Spanish reds? I found I really enjoyed the spicyness of it.

[Shajen]

If you like Shiras, try Erath. Decent price ~$22 a bottle, it's nice.

Are you a Sauvignon Blanc kinda guy? If so, and you can find it, Frog's Leap makes a damned good one for around $25.

Enjoy.

[Rhone]

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I've only had really cheap wine, how does good/very good wine compare to this? Would someone not experienced in wine like me know the difference? Is it just a little better or differences in magnitude?

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The answer, of course, is "it depends."

Many wines are expensive more because of their reputation than because of their quality. You may compare a glass of your favorite cheap wine to one of these and be very happy with what you're used to.

There are other wines where it's almost impossible to find a decent, inexpensive example. Sometimes this has to do with cost of production. You'll never see a cheap Amarone, for instance, so if you stick with inexpensive wines, you'll never get to taste this type of wine. Pinot Noir is expensive to produce well also, hence the difficulty of finding good, cheap examples.

In general, I'd say that every once in a while I'll taste a more expensive wine that really makes me think I'm drinking something special. That doesn't happen too often with $10 bottles.

As far as whether you'll be able to tell the difference yourself, well, just go to some tastings and see what you like.

[citanul]

the december (i think) wine spectator had both a list of the top 100 wines of 2004, but also a list of the top i think 50 wines under 15 bucks. i think it's probably worth the 4 bucks or whatever for the magazine just to get the latter list.

personal recommendations are:

red: columbia crest merlot columbia valley grand estates 2001. $11 release price.
white: l'ecole 41 semillion columbia valley 2002. $15 release price.

i like i think the chenin blanc also from l'ecole 41, and their reds are great but more expensive.

anything reisling is a good bet too. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

citanul

[stantheman]

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That rules.

[Pharity]

Maybe a Gato Negro (2003). It is a spanish wine that is somewhat fruity and fits well to red meat!

[Graham]

If you like Zin's, then try some shiraz or shiraz-cabernets.

For anyone looking for a good and very cheap red, I've been very happy with Lindeman's Cawarra shiraz-cab. Very cheap & straight off the supermarket shelf.

[Roy Munson]

Without reading all of the responses I and my wife love the 2001 Seghesio Red Zinfandel. It is $17 but for the price it is an extraordinary wine. For excellent cheap reds you usually can't go wrong with Columbia Crest. They go for about $10.

[stantheman]

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I've been very happy with Lindeman's Cawarra shiraz-cab.

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Nice, another Lindeman's fan. We use it regularly as the "already finished off one bottle and aren't done drinking yet" wine. It's especially good by the jug.

[HDPM]

Is that the blockheadius ringnosius one or a different one? The Blockhead one is a bit rustic for me. Ton of sediment, but a lot of flavor. HThat is the only seghesio one I have had.