Wine Newbie
 

Hello,

I just started trying wine recently. I've tried some red wine, and
didn't like that too much. I bought some Riesling and liked that best so
far. I also tried some that started w/ a G, but the name eludes me. Can
anyone recommend some good wines to try for a newbie like myself?

I don't really know the lowdown on the differences between red and white
wines. I guess I like something sweet. I think I tried a brand called
L'De Lyeth. I'm probably wrong, but that was garbage. I told the wine
manager that I was a newbie, and asked what he would recommend. He
recommend the L'De Lyeth, and said it was one of his personal favs. He
said it tasted like some of the more spendier wines. If I find some
cheaper stuff I like, then I'll be more open to spending more. I just
don't want to spend alot for a bottle, and end up not liking it. I'm
open for recommendations, and in the summer I plan on going to a winery
w/ some friends. Any help would be appreciated.

Jay

Wine Newbie
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:55:55 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>I bought some Riesling and liked that best so far.

Riesling is a great grape.

> I also tried some that started w/ a G, but the name eludes me.

Gewurztraminer? It is very distinctive and likeable, though rarely
suited to food. If you like Gerwurt, keep an eye open for wines made
from Pinot Gris or Viognier.

>Can anyone recommend some good wines to try for a newbie like myself?

You seem to be doing the right sorts of things already. Make sure you
try lots of different wines. Not sure I can give general
recommendations here - there's a lot out there. The important thing
is what YOU like, but listen to what other people say too as learning
can help you appreciate things you hadn't noticed before. Try to get
to tastings if possible - maybe your local winemerchant runs some -
then you can get through different wines more cheaply and hear what
people say about them. If you are not so keen on reds, keep off
French reds for now, but don't give up on reds altogether - you may
suddenly discover you like them afterall.

Good luck!

--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

Wine Newbie
 

Thxs Steve. I won't give up on the reds. I think for the moment I'm just
a little reluctant to try another one, at least on my own dime lol. I'm
open minded though, and have good friends. So I'm sure they'll steer me
in the right direction. I'm gonna try a blackberry merlot next, and see
how that strikes me. Thxs again for your help!

Wine Newbie
 

>I don't really know the lowdown on the differences >between red and white
>wines.

Not sure how to read this; whether you mean you don't know the dirty details
or much at all - but the big difference between glasses of red or white;

White wine is usually best chilled. Chilled or cold red wine tastes foul
(alcoholic grape juice, ick) - try to serve at room temperature for reds.

Went to the states last summer and stayed with some friends... they took a
bottle of Blossom Hill Merlot and plunged it into the fridge for two hours
before dinner.... Those were the hardest smiles I've ever had to make...

Best of luck - and let us know how you get on. Will be great to hear from
ye.

Kim

Wine Newbie
 

On Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:15:22 +0100, "Silent Raven" > said:

[]
] White wine is usually best chilled. Chilled or cold red wine tastes foul
] (alcoholic grape juice, ick) - try to serve at room temperature for reds.
]
]
Kim, I beg to differ. Some red wines are excellent chilled. Beaujolais or
Saumur come to mind immediately.

To the OP, just have a sip of this or that as opportunity affords. Your local
outlets may sometimes offer tastings, that's a good way to try a lot of new
things for little or no money. Tell your wine manager you didn't like his
rec, perhaps why if you can, he may have something you like better.
Once you find a few you like, you'll soon find more and more!

Good luck.

-E


--
Emery Davis
You can reply to
by removing the well known companies

Wine Newbie
 

Jay: Rule #1 for wine... If it tastes good to you, it's a good wine. What
part of the world are you in? If you're in western Canada, I can reccomend
lots of reasonably priced, slightly sweet, yummy B.C. whites. Reislings are
lots of fun & range from cheap & cheerfull to expensive & subtle... Try
lots of stuff, keep some notes, enjoy the world of wine

En Vino Veritas
Mathew

Wine Newbie
 

> wrote in message
...
> Thxs Steve. I won't give up on the reds. I think for the moment I'm just
> a little reluctant to try another one, at least on my own dime lol. I'm
> open minded though, and have good friends. So I'm sure they'll steer me
> in the right direction. I'm gonna try a blackberry merlot next, and see
> how that strikes me. Thxs again for your help!
>
Blackberry merlot? Is that a wine?
Sounds to me like grape juice mixed with berry juice...
Steve gave good advice - drink your whites at 50F, your reds at 62F and time
and experience will lead you to what works best for you.
Anders

Wine Newbie
 

> Kim, I beg to differ. Some red wines are excellent chilled. Beaujolais
or
> Saumur come to mind immediately.

lol - Well, I've been told thus on two posts, so definately I'm inclined to
believe it! Thanks for the suggestions; I think a trip to the good ol' wine
warehouse is in order. :-)

Kim/Raven (will be constant with 'Kim' from now on, sorry)

Thxs to everyone...
 

Thxs to everyone here for your suggestions. I'll definitely make notes
of the suggestions, and of course of the wines I try. It's a new and
exciting experience, and I look fwd to doing some tasting hopefully in
the near future. Thxs again!

Jay

Wine Newbie
 

I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
not hard and fast advice.

The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
enjoyed both of these wines.


Alan

Wine Newbie
 

On 29 Mar 2004 13:54:04 -0800, (Alan) wrote:

>I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
>I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
>not hard and fast advice.
>
>The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
>be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
>Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
>Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
>enjoyed both of these wines.

You're quite right! After having warned Jay off French wines, I very
nearly returned to suggest that Beaujolais would be worth trying.

IN addition to your recs, a good Fleurie might fit the bill ( it says
Apellation Fleurie Controllee on the label - but comes from
Beaujolais)

--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

Wine Newbie
 

In article >,
says...
>
>>I don't really know the lowdown on the differences >between red and white
>>wines.
>
>Not sure how to read this; whether you mean you don't know the dirty details
>or much at all - but the big difference between glasses of red or white;
>
>White wine is usually best chilled. Chilled or cold red wine tastes foul
>(alcoholic grape juice, ick) - try to serve at room temperature for reds.
>
>Went to the states last summer and stayed with some friends... they took a
>bottle of Blossom Hill Merlot and plunged it into the fridge for two hours
>before dinner.... Those were the hardest smiles I've ever had to make...
>
>Best of luck - and let us know how you get on. Will be great to hear from
>ye.
>
>Kim

Ah Raven, you didn't mention Blossom Hill in your earlier post /US red wine
serving temps. You may have been lucky regarding that wine. The cooler temp
probably softened a lot of flaws. By the time you tasted it later, some
"aging" had taken place, and you found that favorable. Too bad that they
didn't serve a Merlot from Duckhorn in Napa.

Hunt

Wine Newbie
 

In article >,
says...
>
>On Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:15:22 +0100, "Silent Raven"
.
>com> said:
>
>[]
>] White wine is usually best chilled. Chilled or cold red wine tastes foul
>] (alcoholic grape juice, ick) - try to serve at room temperature for reds.
>]
>]
>Kim, I beg to differ. Some red wines are excellent chilled. Beaujolais or
>Saumur come to mind immediately.

The concept of "room temp" comes from Europe, where the rooms are likely to be
about cellar temp, or a little above. In the US, room-temp is upwards to 85F.
>
>To the OP, just have a sip of this or that as opportunity affords. Your
local
>outlets may sometimes offer tastings, that's a good way to try a lot of new
>things for little or no money. Tell your wine manager you didn't like his
>rec, perhaps why if you can, he may have something you like better.
>Once you find a few you like, you'll soon find more and more!
>
>Good luck.

On telling the retail manager about the wine, I'd urge the poster to be as
specific as is possible. You needn't know "wine-speak" to communicate your
thoughts. Just saying, "I didn't like it... " doesn't tell the clerk anything
helpful, except that that was NOT the wine for the consumer. Give details: too
spirity, too bitter, too sweet, too sour, etc. will help define one's personal
tastes and help the clerk find better wines in the future.

Hunt

Wine Newbie
 

In article >,
says...
>
>
> wrote in message
...
>> Thxs Steve. I won't give up on the reds. I think for the moment I'm just
>> a little reluctant to try another one, at least on my own dime lol. I'm
>> open minded though, and have good friends. So I'm sure they'll steer me
>> in the right direction. I'm gonna try a blackberry merlot next, and see
>> how that strikes me. Thxs again for your help!
>>
>Blackberry merlot? Is that a wine?
>Sounds to me like grape juice mixed with berry juice...
>Steve gave good advice - drink your whites at 50F, your reds at 62F and time
>and experience will lead you to what works best for you.
>Anders

Good temps for general white/red consumption. As for the blackberry Merlot, I
believe you are correct about the makeup. Some producer(s) is blending berry
juice with Merlot (what percentage, heritage, etc. I have not a clue), and
selling it packaged. This is kinda' like the "wine coolers" of some decades
ago. Though, never having tried one, I should not be too critical, as it might
just be a wonderful concoction - I just have my doubts.

Hunt

Thxs to everyone...
 

In article >,
says...
>
>Thxs to everyone here for your suggestions. I'll definitely make notes
>of the suggestions, and of course of the wines I try. It's a new and
>exciting experience, and I look fwd to doing some tasting hopefully in
>the near future. Thxs again!
>
>Jay

Jay,

Another bit of advice is to hang around this NG for a bit. A lot of the TN's
on wines posted will be beyond where you are now, and may even ever want to
be, BUT there are a ton of great wines discussed here. Don't hesitate to chime
in and ask a TN (oops, sorry tasting note) poster to help you decipher his/her
TN's. Also, do NOT hesitate to ask for suggestions. When you have tasted more,
you will be able to more clearly state what you do and do not like. The more
you sample, the better you can define what is pleasent to you, and that is
what is important. The folk here are good, and helpful and will try their best
to point you to good wines for you.

Hunt

Wine Newbie
 

In article >,
says...
>
>I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
>I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
>not hard and fast advice.
>
>The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
>be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
>Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
>Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
>enjoyed both of these wines.
>
>
>Alan

Yes, fun, fruit driven light reds with low tannins and a ton of berries. These
benefit from a touch of refrigeration - cool, not COLD. Try some more of
these, besides the Duboeuf. Then, for grins, move up from the village wines
to, say a Morgon with a couple of years on it. Same grape, similar vineyards,
a bit more elegant - no, a lot more elegant, but without some of the Villages'
fruit. This will give you a comparison up the scale, so to speak.

A few CA Carneros Pinot Noirs would be interesting reds to look at next. They
are more fruity than say OR, or WA, or actually most of CA (all US, as I
assume you are US. If not, sorry). These offer a lot in a relatively
inexpensive package. They are more subtle, than Beaujolais (except some of the
truly serious ones), and are fun, relatively light, and offer more fruit, than
many reds. They are also quite food friendly.

I'd also point you toward Sangiovese in the form of many Chianti Classicos.
These are good food reds, and are not too expensive. The Riservas are a bit
more pricey, but are usually a bit smoother. You're still not spending too
much cash, and getting some nice reds.

Take note of the ones you like and do not like. Write down the producer, the
vineyard, the varietal, everything, as that will only help you later.

Hunt

Wine Newbie
 

"Hunt" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,

> says...
> >
> >I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
> >I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
> >not hard and fast advice.
> >
> >The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
> >be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
> >Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
> >Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
> >enjoyed both of these wines.

If you like Beaujolais and want to keep heading in the red wine direction
(i.e. away from white zinfandel :-) try a Beaujolais Moulin a Vent next.

Wine Newbie
 

In article >, (Hunt)
wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
> >
> >I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
> >I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
> >not hard and fast advice.
> >
> >The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
> >be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
> >Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
> >Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
> >enjoyed both of these wines.
> >
> >
> >Alan

*
Greetings!

I would recommend to any new wine drinker that they become familiar
with a few (three or four) wines -- total.

Let's pick two reds and two whites:

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir
White: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (also called Fume Blanc)

Steer clear of any Rosé, any sweet wine, any meritage, any German
wine, merlot, reisling, zinfandel -- you can learn about those later.

Use the Cabernets with full bodied red-meat meals: Beef, etc.
Use the Pinot Noirs with lighter meats: Salmon, Duck, pasta, etc.

Use the Chardonnay with the more flavorful chicken and fish dishes.
Use the Sauvignon Blanc with very light dishes: Sole, shrimp, etc.

Price range:

Cabernet: About $8.00 to $200.00 -- that's a helluva range!
Decent California cabernets range from $8 to $20. French Bordeaux
(they are mostly cabernets or cabernet blends) can go from $12 to
$200.

Pinot Noir: California -- from $8 to $20. Oregon pinot noirs are
good. Also the pinots from the Russian River area and Alexander
Valley in California.

The french red Burgundies (all pinot noir) are horribly expensive.
BTW, champagne (the real stuff from Champagne in France) is made
from Pinot Noir -- a red grape with a white meat -- only the skins
are red. Some of them have a small bit of pink (eye of the
partridge) color from the skins.

Chardonnay is where California excels. They go from $8 up to $40.
Napa and Sonoma chardonnays are very good. Australian chards are
also good and at good prices. In France, white Bordeaux are
chardonnay. Very nice wines, a bit more delicate and refined than
the big oaky California equivalents. And more expensive.

Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc) wines are really good with light fish
dishes. There's nothing like a delicate filet of sole with
Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a light, crisp almost grassy flavor
-- serve it very cold. Both California and New Zealand sauvignon
blancs are good. The French sauvignon blancs are the white Bordeaux
wines -- very nice but expensive.

I like to serve Chardonnays not quite so cold. Just like beer, it
is difficult to really taste a wine right out of the refrigerator.

Tip: Don't buy those cheapie wines -- "Two-buck Chuck" Charles Shaw
and the like. They are all right for a picnic with someone who
knows nothing about wine. Avoid jug wines. I would advise you to
drink less and get better quality wines.

Surprise: Gallo, the largest winemaker in the world, has, during
the past few years begun to make some very nice varietal wines.
Their Sonoma County Caberenets are *very* nice and the price is
right.

The latest trend in California is the screw-cap bottle wine.
Someone (I think it's Sebastiani) is making a "Screw-Kappa Napa",
which is not too bad -- I had their chardonnay tonight with Chinese
food.

Good luck -- and enjoy your wines!

earle
*

--
__
__/\_\
/\_\/_/
\/_/\_\ earle
\/_/ jones

Wine Newbie
 

In article >, (Hunt)
wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
> >
> >I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
> >I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
> >not hard and fast advice.
> >
> >The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
> >be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
> >Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
> >Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
> >enjoyed both of these wines.
> >
> >
> >Alan

*
Greetings!

I would recommend to any new wine drinker that they become familiar
with a few (three or four) wines -- total.

Let's pick two reds and two whites:

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir
White: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (also called Fume Blanc)

Steer clear of any Rosé, any sweet wine, any meritage, any German
wine, merlot, reisling, zinfandel -- you can learn about those later.

Use the Cabernets with full bodied red-meat meals: Beef, etc.
Use the Pinot Noirs with lighter meats: Salmon, Duck, pasta, etc.

Use the Chardonnay with the more flavorful chicken and fish dishes.
Use the Sauvignon Blanc with very light dishes: Sole, shrimp, etc.

Price range:

Cabernet: About $8.00 to $200.00 -- that's a helluva range!
Decent California cabernets range from $8 to $20. French Bordeaux
(they are mostly cabernets or cabernet blends) can go from $12 to
$200.

Pinot Noir: California -- from $8 to $20. Oregon pinot noirs are
good. Also the pinots from the Russian River area and Alexander
Valley in California.

The french red Burgundies (all pinot noir) are horribly expensive.
BTW, champagne (the real stuff from Champagne in France) is made
from Pinot Noir -- a red grape with a white meat -- only the skins
are red. Some of them have a small bit of pink (eye of the
partridge) color from the skins.

Chardonnay is where California excels. They go from $8 up to $40.
Napa and Sonoma chardonnays are very good. Australian chards are
also good and at good prices. In France, white Bordeaux are
chardonnay. Very nice wines, a bit more delicate and refined than
the big oaky California equivalents. And more expensive.

Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc) wines are really good with light fish
dishes. There's nothing like a delicate filet of sole with
Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a light, crisp almost grassy flavor
-- serve it very cold. Both California and New Zealand sauvignon
blancs are good. The French sauvignon blancs are the white Bordeaux
wines -- very nice but expensive.

I like to serve Chardonnays not quite so cold. Just like beer, it
is difficult to really taste a wine right out of the refrigerator.

Tip: Don't buy those cheapie wines -- "Two-buck Chuck" Charles Shaw
and the like. They are all right for a picnic with someone who
knows nothing about wine. Avoid jug wines. I would advise you to
drink less and get better quality wines.

Surprise: Gallo, the largest winemaker in the world, has, during
the past few years begun to make some very nice varietal wines.
Their Sonoma County Caberenets are *very* nice and the price is
right.

The latest trend in California is the screw-cap bottle wine.
Someone (I think it's Sebastiani) is making a "Screw-Kappa Napa",
which is not too bad -- I had their chardonnay tonight with Chinese
food.

Good luck -- and enjoy your wines!

earle
*

--
__
__/\_\
/\_\/_/
\/_/\_\ earle
\/_/ jones

Wine Newbie
 

"Earle Jones" > wrote in message
...
> I would recommend to any new wine drinker that they become familiar
> with a few (three or four) wines -- total.
>
> Let's pick two reds and two whites:

Isn't this the exact same post as in the other thread? With the exact same
flaws?