I want to be able to chose and enjoy a good bottle of wine w/o spending a fortune, but usually when I randomly pick one its bitter or just plain nasty. How do you know good wine for minimal dollars?
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orf1943 // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
I don’t know where you live, but NorCal has a small chain of liquor stores named Beverages and More. One really nice feature of each store is that all wines they sell are rated and the rating is posted on the wine display. Not all wines are highly rated, and the trick is to select wines rated 90 or higher. If you don’t have a BevMo near you, don’t despair. You can go to their web site and look for 90 point wines, then look for that brand/variety in your area. Here’s BevMo’s web site:
http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?area=home
I used to fall for deceptive ads from stores that promised an exceptional wine at a low price, and was always disappointed. BevMo is different. You can trust them.
Janyell J // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Go to a wine tasting event. It gives you free wine and now you may prob find your new favorite wine. Also go when there is a sale.
chefgrille // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
If you have a good wine shop/liquor store, ask the sommelier. It’s free advice, they’re not as scary as they’re made out to be. Tell them what you’ve tried, how much you want to spend (it’s not shameful), white or red, what you didn’t like about the last ones you’ve tried. They really are there to help and share information.
India // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Mostly trail and error or a recommendation from a wine store or friend. Personally I like several wines that aren’t very pricey but I live in California so wine made here is less expensive here. Try Barefoot, Redwood Creek, Talus and Trinchero stick to the Merlot and Syrah and occasional Pinot Noir (rich and fruity) the Cabernet are nice but are better matched with a rich meat dish than just enjoying with a casual meal or alone.
Since it is the Holidays you can always host a wine tasting have everyone bring an appetizer, 1 bottle of wine under $10 and you provide glasses, plates and cold still water with fresh slices of cucumber or berry sliced in it (refreshing after all that wine). It is a great mixer and fun education for everyone. Good Luck!
TrofyWife // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
For really cheap wine "Yellow Tail" is pretty good. Not bitter like Beringer or Sutter home. Its good.
C // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Get 5 or 6 friends together and each buy a diffrent bottle of wine, set a max. price tag for everyone like $20. Then when you are together you have your own wine tasting. You get to 6 or 7 diffrent bottles of wine for under $20 and you learn about what makes a wine good. You do that twwice in a month and you have tried 14 diffrent wines for under $30 or $40.
Barb // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
I ask friends and relatives. If you want to try a wine that is tasty and inexpensive, allow me to suggest Moscato. Sutter Homes makes it along with other companies. It is not dry nor can it be considered sweet. It has a tart aftertaste. Yum! Cost is around $5-$8 per bottle depending on the size.
Droptine s // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
THUNDERBIRD OR NIGHTRAIN is cheap and good , a million winos cant be wrong
doe_eyedgirl7 // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
try looking for the points posted next to the bottle in any liquor store.
social_creation // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
make your own? its easy to do and your friends will love you for it lol
Jeffrey M // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Get together with friends and have everyone bring a bottle of wine. The wine should all be red or white, sweet or dry, and each bottle should be the same price. The important thing will be to "taste" each wine. This means slowly sipping one wine at a time. Then talk about what you like or don’t like about that wine. Then try the next one, and talk about what you like or don’t like about it. Then go for the third wine, and compare it to the others. This is learning to use words to describe what goes on with your taste buds. Everyone tastes things differently, and we all have different likes and dislikes. The thing with wine is that you usually don’t drink the whole bottle alone, so you should be able to pick something that other people will enjoy with you. If you continue these friendly wine tastings for a month, you will have a great deal of knowledge about wine. Especially good for cheap wine.
bradschuman // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
I’d sample a few of the more reasonably priced ones until I found one I enjoy a lot. Whoever said "trial and error"…I’m with them.
Jimbo Ketan // Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Going to a wine tasting is a good idea, also try to recall the qualities of wine you liked better – do you like dry or sweet, white or red? There is a lot of snobbery among wine drinkers and sellers, so more expensive is not always better. Once you find the taste you like, you can experiment among different brands and growing areas for that type of wine.
Wine – where do you start? :: Uncategorized :: How to make a perfect wine tasting party // Apr 19, 2010 at 5:28 pm
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