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Once in a while, I like a nice, buttery chardonnay, and my BF's dad usually has decent pinot gris on hand (he and his GF drink nothing but); really, though, I overwhelmingly prefer reds.
I'm not opposed to a sweeter dessert wine now and then (no snob, here), but I do enjoy more spicy, complex reds.
I am no wine expert and I am still learning and trying to educate myself about them.
This I know: I do not like wines that are too 'tannic' ... the astringent taste causes my lips to pucker and I do not enjoy that. I also do not like wines that taste too much like earth, soil, dirt, or whatever. If I want to sip something with a 'peat' or 'smoke' flavor I'll stick to Single Malt Scotches.
I am not opposed to sweet wines. Certain dessert wines can be sweet yet complex and do not taste like Koolaid. They can be fruity and luscious; but don't have the sugary taste of Boone's Farms or the syrupy cloying taste of some of the Concord Grape wines like Mogen David.
The very crisp white wines are usually not my favorites - I avoid Chablis and Chardonnay - but they do go well with Spicy Oriental seafood dishes like some Thai dishes. Champagne - 'brut' - can be lovely like white toast! A great wine, chilled, for picnics!
Steak and beef is definitely enhanced by a fine red wine such as a Burgundy ... I really like St. Emilion, Chateau Neuf-du-Pape, a Pinot Noir, etc.
I've had a couple of great Italian Chiantis ... I know the 'wine-snobs' would not approve!
A decent everyday red I've recently discovered is Costco's $7 2009 Kirkland Cote du Rhone-Villages, blended for them in the south of France. It's tangy & sappy in a fruit-forward style but not cloying or artificially woody like cheap Yellowtail bottles or even more expensive Aussie Rhone blends.
For those who've got a sweet tooth and prefer soda or Martinelli over wine, I whole-heartedly recommend any vintage of Tintero's Moscato d'Asti. It's light, effervescent & affordable ($9~12). Perfect party wine.
and one last wine which is my go-to for parties/bbq's is an italian red called Lacrima d'Alba. It's very floral & fruity but doesn't have that hot alcoholic cocktail kick that you find from Cali pinots. Great balance & totally slurpable for $10~$14. I've had bottles from both Velenosi & Luchetti and wouldn't hesitate to pick up a Lacrima from any other winery that makes its way to our shelves.
btw if you're searching for cheap drinkable wines for parties/events, take a peek at the goodcheapvino wine blog. They taste through wines on sale to see which ones are palatable and worthy of your $.
I started out with white zinfandel, it was "my first wine"...funny story...I was 19 and went out trying to buy some white zinfandel for the first time. I asked the clerk for a bottle of pink zinfandel. He said "white"? I said "no, pink". That should have been his first clue that I was underage...LOL.
When I was 20something (well into legal age) my friends took me to dinner at a nice restaurant. We didn't like the first wine brought out, so I asked for something else. The manager came out and asked if I liked Zinfandel. All I could think of was the pink stuff so I told him that. The next thing you know, he's wheeling out a table with 5 bottles of wine and 15 wine glasses so he could educate us on nice red wines. It was a great birthday! The girl at the next table asked if we planned that in advance and we said no. It's the first time someone on a date was jealous of me out with the girls!!!
I love red wine. Strong, deep, but not too much tannin. My current favorite is Promiscuous. $9 in CA, $16 everywhere else I've seen it. Sterling Merlot is always a winner and Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin is usually great.
Summertime often calls for a nice, light Pinot Grigio. Santa Margharita of course!
Oh and I forgot, though I don't like most sweet wines, every now and then a good Ice Wine (not under $20) is good in front of the fireplace on a cold night. And Chocolate Port ($15ish from World Market) is a nice dessert in a bottle.
Anything from Molly Dooker has always been good, especially their several types of Shiraz. We've had just about every one they put out. Their lowest priced one is The Boxer (~$25/btl). They have a few others in the $30-$45 range that are very much worth the cost.
And the one bottle of their Velvet Glove that we did have (wife's birthday, so splurged on the $175 bottle)...I would have crawled inside the bottle to lick it clean if I could have done so.
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