Favorite Wine(s)/Recommendations?

[downshift_me]

I'm not really a drinker and when I do it's typically liquor. I picked up a bottle of wine one day and decided I want to start trying different kinds and keep a few in the wine rack.

My favorite so far is Moscato D' Asti. If judging by that wine you can recommend some others that would be great and if you just wanna throw some good ones out there that is cool, too. Also, I am not pairing any of them with a meal (I can't drink alcohol/anything sweet with food, yuck.) I know the Moscato D' Asti goes well with fruit so maybe a wine to go with chocolate or specific sweets/fruits?

[bcoop]

white wines suck

[downshift_me]

white wines suck

Well, I asked for recommendations.....

[Geor!]

If you HAVE to do a white, do good chardonnay.

Otherwise stick with a good Cabernet. My preference is a Malbec though. Seems to be growing in popularity here judging by the selection of the past couple of years compared to years past. Not too dry and rich like a Cabernet and not overly sweet either. The best bottle i have had was a 2006 of some winery that i would only remember if i saw the label again (haven't seen it around since then). Had a chocolate raspberry taste to it, but definetly not a dessert wine. Very subtle, somewhat dry, just the most drinkable bottle of wine i've had.

[bcoop]

Well, I asked for recommendations.....

You can't recommend a red (there are hundreds of thousands), based on your like of a white wine. Whites and reds aren't even in the same universe.

[Geor!]

I think central market has a wine classroom (aka: tasting fest) every month or two. Might not hurt you to go to one. If you've already found a certain type that you like though, i say stick with it. While it wouldn't hurt to try others, there's that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[bcoop]

If
Otherwise stick with a good Cabernet. My preference is a Malbec though.

I like Cabs, tried Malbec recently (from Argentina, can't recall the name), and it was great as well. More full bodied than a Cab IMO. A lot of new to wine people like blends as well, you just have to figure out what you like to know what blends will work for you. Also like most red Zins.

[AdamLX]

Way too broad of a spectrum to try and fill.

Remember, you get what you pay for. The only cheap bottle that I have found that *I* like was Merdian's merlot and pinot noir and that can be bought for under $9.

These are the current table wines (under $30) that I have in the cabinet:
Pinot Noir: La Crema, Estancia, A by Acacia, Duckhorn Decoy
Merlot: Sterling, Whitehall Lane, Stags Leap, Duckhorn Decoy
Cabs: Stags Leap, Duckhorn Decoy, Sterling

Moscato d'Asti is a sweet wine so Zinfandels will be the most similar from California.
Other types along that line will be Prosecco and Gewurtztraminer

[downshift_me]

I picked up 6 bottles yesterday. 3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chocovine (All the ladies recommended it even though it looks pretty gross), Raza Dolce and Menage A Trois California Red.

I desperately need to go to a wine tasting event soon, because the ladies who recommended a lot of different wines think $20 is expensive for a bottle and told me to not buy anything above $70 ever....I have a list compiled for some more bottles to buy after I try these 6 out.

Adam- I saw La Crema yesterday and started to grab it before I was told it wasn't very good. I will add it to list, though.

[AdamLX]

I picked up 6 bottles yesterday. 3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chocovine (All the ladies recommended it even though it looks pretty gross), Raza Dolce and Menage A Trois California Red.

I desperately need to go to a wine tasting event soon, because the ladies who recommended a lot of different wines think $20 is expensive for a bottle and told me to not buy anything above $70 ever....I have a list compiled for some more bottles to buy after I try these 6 out.

Adam- I saw La Crema yesterday and started to grab it before I was told it wasn't very good. I will add it to list, though.

The La Crema pinot noir is the only one I've tasted, but I like it. A good wine is a wine that YOU like, that's it.

Menage a Trois is decent and cheap. I stopped in there and did a quick tasting in Napa and was surprised that some of their other stuff was good as well. (I'm not a fan of zinfandels). You can find some extremely good wines in the $50 range just for that special occasion thing.

When you're at a nice place that has a good wine list just look through it and find some names etc. When a lot of people think "XXX" is too expensive, they are thinking of the prices they've seen at restaurants which will throw you off. IE: La Crema was $17/btl at Goody Goody today, but on a wine list it will average around $40. They also had Stags Leap '08 Merlot for $19 which is normally $27.

Do a blind taste for fun. Get a few bottles between $8-30 and see what actually tastes better to you. You'll find it's harder to find a cheap wine that is really smooth.

[Trick Pony]

I you like Moscato D'Asti then you should be looking at sweet Rieslings and Gewurztraminers.

[unkoricky]

i drinks the under 10$ bottles that my gf always buys..

cause we're ballllllllllllinnnnnnnnnnn

[VaderTT]

Anything by V.Sattui.

http://www.vsattui.com/

[downshift_me]

So far, I opened a bottle of Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon and it sucked cold, but was decent room temp.

[bcoop]

So far, I opened a bottle of Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon and it sucked cold, but was decent room temp.

Reds are not supposed to be served cold. No cooler than 65 degrees.