What's a good wine to drink whenever?

[Fox Mulder]

I feel like sitting in this weekend, and I'm new with the whole wine drinking thing. So tell me...what's a good wine to drink while you're alone on a weekend?

Thanks! :hi:

[skygazer]

1. Whatever you like to drink

People tend to be so intimidated by wine - it's like anything else. Drink what you like. That's all there is to it.

[Fox Mulder]

3. I don't know what I like for wine.

That's why I'm asking what others like. :)

[KurtNYC]

44. Here are some to try

These represent an overview of wine so that perhaps you can sort out for yourself what style you like. These are all on the cheap side because you can always step up to something nicer once you figure out what you like.

Whites
St. Francis Chardonnay -- style: fat, buttery, noticeable oak
Zardetto Prosecco -- sparkling wine, light, a little toasty


Reds
Mirassou Pinot Noir -- jammy, blueberry, dark cherry
Faustino VII Rioja -- soft, juicy spanish wine
Copolla Claret -- a blend that is mostly cabernet but complex, vanilla and various flavors
Rawson's Creek Merlot -- a great value in a low end merlot, australian, give it a little air
Planeta's La Segretta (Rosso/Red) -- Nero d'avola and several other grapes, rich and juicy, Italian
Michelle Chiarlo Barbera -- the ultimate pizza/red sauce wine, Italian
Cline Old Vine Zinfandel -- and 2004 and 2005 zin's are excellent

[Omphaloskepsis]

2. Carlo Rossi

Loved the stuff when I was in school..

[benny05]

33. I disagree it is not

Grigios...white wine

If on a tight budget, suggest Sutter Home Chardonnay or S. Blanc. Do not resort to Carlo Rossi. It's rank.

[Karenca]

58. I'm agreeing to disagree

Carlos Rossi---------BAD

[many a good man]

4. Just remember to chill it to 60-65 degrees

I like Morasutti Cabernet by the jug. That's good purple tongue!

[UndertheOcean]

20. No No NO !!!!

Good wine should NEVER be chilled !

[pitohui]

27. it should tho

"room temperature" in 17th century france was about 60 degrees

then we serve "room temperature" wine at a picnic in 95 degree global warming summer weather and think we are sooo cool -- we think it's 72, 76, even in some cases 80 degrees!

we are just sooo clueless to how much the world has changed since the old rules were laid down

i'm serious, "room temperature" used to be 60 degrees, that's why they had different house plants in the victorian era than we do today

[Shakespeare]

31. absolutely not true

"Room temperature" varies wildly depending on where you live; that said, different wines taste best at different temperatures:

Sparkling wines should be served very cold.

Dry, tart wines like sauvignon blanc and pinot gris should be served well-chilled, between 35 and 40 degrees.

Oaked, complex whites like chardonnary should be served at around 55 degrees (classic cellar temp).

Almost all red wines are best served at around 65 degrees, so unless that's truly your "room temp," they should go into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes prior to uncorking.

[seemunkee]

37. Would that be cellar temperature?

[Shakespeare]

47. Would what be cellar temp?

I've been pretty specific....which one are you asking about?

[xchrom]

5. accacia pinot noir

i also love spanish reds -- hopefully you have a good wine store near -- there some FANTASTIC spanish reds for under $10.

but ask your wine store to taste.

i love heitz wines -- but check some of their prices.

grgch has some well priced white wines -- but their chardonay -- which is just great is pricey.

[many a good man]

34. Pen~asol at $5.99

is the best cheap Spanish wine IMO right now. I love Spanish wines but find that they vary from year to year - some years great, the next year so-so.

[NashVegas]

6. I Found a Decent (Very) Cheap Cabernet

Hardy's of Australia.

Plenty of body for a young (2004) cab, tannins aren't out of control. As long as you don't have to impress a wine twit who thinks a bottle has to be over $20 to be good, it'd be fine.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

7. Coppolla has some great wines out

well priced and really good. I like reds so i'd probably roll with a Coppolla Merlot.

[koneko]

25. Coppola is always a sure bet

Especially the reds. Pinot Noir, Merlot, even the California Red table wine, which is a lower price alternative to the P. Noir & Merlot.

[Shakespeare]

8. Here's why some wines are better with foods, and some are fine to quaff.

The super-tannic reds like cabernet or syrah really need to be paired with food to balance their strong tannins, and don't go so well by themselves (unless you're just really fond of tannic wines).

Softer reds and aromatic whites--and lately, lots of high-quality roses--are excellent drunk by themselves. Here's a quick list of some varietals I'll drink by themselves:

Whites: viognier, gewurtztraminer, riesling, and unoaked chardonnays (which avoids the tannins that oak adds, and instead emphasizes the fruity components of a good chardonnay).

Reds: medium-bodied spanish and italian reds (like tempranillo), softer bordeaux varietals like malbec, and some of the super-fruity, super-spicy zinsfandels, which are so intense--and occasionally a little sweet--that they're great drunk alone (this is a fairly recent trend in zin production).

[Fox Mulder]

10. Ah, thanks for the info.

:) :hi:

[Left Is Write]

11. I love wines with strong tannins.

:)

[Shakespeare]

12. That's cool; but it's generally an acquired preference.

Most people with an inexperienced palate won't enjoy a really heavy cab or syrah all by itself. I'm speaking in general terms for anybody looking for a wine to quaff by itself, and thought it might be helpful to explain why some wines are better with food, and some are great by themselves.

[Left Is Write]

15. I understand that - I have no problem with your explanations.

I just wanted to say I'm one of those folks who like the tannins. :)

[supernova]

36. I'm w/ you LiW

The oakier and smokier, the better I looooove it! :-)

[cwydro]

51. yes...

and here's to you!...I'm actually enjoying a nice Shiraz right now:toast:

[Guava Jelly]

9. Almost any Malbec from argentina

Boudini is good (argentina)
Right now i have a glass of cellier des dauphins Cotes du rhone (france)
Both bottles i suggested are under 12 bucks yet I would serve to anyone with pride

[Shakespeare]

13. Look stateside, too.

California is producing some really outstanding malbecs right now.

[Guava Jelly]

14. I will

thanks

[BrotherBuzz]

16. Try a cold Sauvignon Blanc

It's natural high acidity makes it tangy, tart, and just plain refreshing to the palate.

[Callalily]

17. Here's a nice blend

that you just may like. No "shrink wrap" effect in the mouth, and price is very reasonable.

http://enotheque.blogspot.com/2006/01/luzn-verde-jumilla-2004.html

[Aristus]

18. I'm drinking it right now. It's an excellent Bordeaux.

Mouton Cadet 2003. I drank it right after opening, without giving it time to breath. At first, it had a bit of a bite, and an unsatisfactory finish. But now it is mellow and flavorful. I'm on my third glass now. Is everything spelled correctly? :-)

[lost-in-nj]

19. Stival

Pinot Grigio
Its very good
or Jack Daniels and water with ice :)

lost

[Scout1071]

21. Ravenswood Red Zinfandel.

I love the Red Zin's.

[Shakespeare]

22. It's just "zinfandel," no "red zinfandel."

And we won't talk about that abomination known as white zinfandel! ;-)

[Scout1071]

24. I was trying to be clear with the OP so that he/she didn't think

I was talking about the disgusting concoction known as white zin.

[Bridget Burke]

38. A bartender asked me if there was such a thing as "Red" Zinfandel....

I got a margarita. It came out of a machine, so there was no way she could damage it.

Edited to add: I love zins. There are some fine "pink" wines, too--especially for the summer. But none of them are White Zinfandels.

[Richard Steele]

23. The Georges Duboeuf beaujolais are consistently good 'anytime' wines...

His Beaujolais Nouveau is a personal favorite of mine.
Eminently drinkable!
Any of his offerings are a good place to start if you
are new to wine...

[Kali]

26. Lots of good drinkable wines from Agentina, Chile, Australia, Spain

Go to Trader Joe's, World Market and get a case of 8 to 10 dollar bottles and start trying them out. Or go to a good wine/liquor store and ask. If they act stuck up don't buy anything. Try somewhere else. Fun thing about doing the Trader Joes/World Market is you can be silly and buy just because the label is amusing or catches your eye. Sometimes you find a real treasure.

[nerddem]

54. the label could be quite telling

i forget where i heard that, but if the vineyard puts a lot of effort into their label, such as using local artists, etc, that may very well tell you that they put effort into making their wine.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

28. Anything but Mad Dog.

That stuff will truly strip your gears.

[speedoo]

29. Try this site:

http://wine.woot.com/

Different offering each week. This week they have a nice assortment from Jepson.. couple of Syrahs (reds), a summer white and a rose. $41.00 shipped.

Always excellent wine at phenomenal prices. $5 shipping, but only to certain states.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

30. Menage a Trois! Seriously it's a Zin/Cab/Merlot blend from California

by Folie a Deaux Vineyards in St. Helena.. they carry it at Cost Plus and it goes on sale from time

to time. We bought a bottle of it because we were intrigued by the name, but it's a really nice wine

for the price ($7.99 when it's on sale).

[Floogeldy]

32. Wine blows. Whiskey. Drink whiskey.

[LaurenG]

35. Try some of the organic wines

The varieties are plentiful. Reds are supposed to have some good stuff in them healthwise.

[anarch]

39. Night Train

Oh, I'm sorry, you said "sitting in", not "lying in the gutter".

For realz, though, I personally have enjoying this Ravenswood red zinfandel:



they make a bunch of different non-blended zins, and other pretty decent wines as well, but this one is probably my favorite inexpensive wine right now.

This is also a recent favorite:

[Midlodemocrat]

40. Barefoot chardonnay, cheap and delicious.

[Floogeldy]

41. No wine. Whiskey only!

;)

[In_The_Wind]

42. I like Beringer's 2004 White Merlot.

:hi:

[malta blue]

43. Here are some suggestions....

If it is nice and warm outside and you want it sip a refreshing wine out on your deck/porch, etc....try this http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/wine.php?id=318
And yes, I know it has a screw-cap and sells for about $17.

For a nice white wine, try a Reisling (I am a fan of Nikki 2004 (about $12).

For a nice red try Panarroz Jumilla (90+ rating at a very good price, less than $10 a bottle....our local shop sells it and has a nice write-up http://www.capitalwine.net/Wine/Panarroz-Jumilla-2004/

[bif]

45. Concha Y Toro

$6.40 for a 1.5L bottle at Costco Good stuff.

[plcdude]

46. my favorite is

Redwood Creek Sauvignon Blanc check it out http://redwoodcreek.com/

[Xithras]

48. Ever tried a viognier?

No, that's not a winery, it's a type of wine. I'd never heard of it until a friend brought over a bottle a few weeks ago (A 2004 Beringer IIRC). Very light, with a uniquely sweet flavor. I liked it a lot, and my wife (who is not a wine drinker) made me order a half-case for the cellar. You should definitely give it a try.

[zonkers]

49. I like a reasonably priced bottle of pino grigio. Real smooth.

[cwydro]

50. I love Shiraz

if you like red...also Pinot Noir....you can buy both at all ranges of price....yum

[pauliedangerously]

57. Ditto on the Shiraz

I got a little bored with Caberbets and tried some at a wine bar last Spring...I wish I could remember the names of some of them...

[yellowdogintexas]

52. I adore Moselle Whites, from Germany, lighty and tasty

fruity and good to just drink. About this time of year you can buy Swarchz Katz in a cute bottle shaped like a black cat. They are cheap too.

I found a Spanish red which I adore..the label has a flamenco dancer in a ruffly red dress; quite lovely

I have bought many nice wines from my favorite grocery when they have tastings in the wine dept, and I enjoy checking out new things that way.


Now lots of people put down white zinfandel. I like it. So THERE. And white Merlot is smooth and lovely.

[Karenca]

53. For a wine newbie I'de suggest

Prosecco

It's dry, gentle, fizzy and inexpensive.

Just be sure it's ITALIAN Prosecco, and not DALMATIAN,
which is a totally different species.

[hippywife]

55. The kind

in a bottle. Ooooh, or in a box!

(Stay away from the canned stuff tho!)

:hi:

[XemaSab]

56. 2buck chuck

it's cheap, so you don't have to feel like you should save it.