Wine - which are your favourites?

[purves grundy]

A nice spicy, full-bodied fitou

 

[Vintage Paw]

I'm only just making a foray into the wine world (encurring the wrath of Mr VP who thinks a glass of wine a day does an alcoholic make ).

I started out, many moons ago, on sweet white. Now tastes like vinegar to me. Then I moved to dry white - but since tasting the wonders of a lovely red any white tastes a bit off to me.

At Christmas Mr VP won a bottle of rioja. It was lush. First time I've ever had any. Since then I've bought me own and am very happy with it. Not sure about all the different ones, but so far haven't spent over £6 on a bottle. Most recent one was some organic something or other from tesco. Was better a couple of days after opening (btw - how long can you have a bottle open for before it goes past its best?).

Being a poor old lubber who doesn't like spending more than £30-£40 on the weekly shop spending a lot on a bottle of wine seems anathema. Maybe once I'm rich eh?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Dollars, not pounds.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

that's dollars, that's about £3 a bottle

Not quite; two dollars to the pound.

 

[guinnessdrinker]

that's dollars, that's about £3 a bottle

canadian dollars, how much is that for a pound sterling?

anyway, a goodwine is a la chasse du pape, £5 a bottle usually, a cheaper version of chateuneuf du pape.

 

[Ms T]

We drink mostly French wine - I like burgundy, Languedoc-Roussillon for every day drinking and Cotes du Rhone. A good Rioja is also nice, and I like Ravenswood Zinfandel from California, which you can buy in Sainsbury's.

For white, I like Entre Deux Mers (there's one called Chateau Hortense which was recommended to me by a nice man in the LeClerc supermarche), Chablis, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume.

And in the summer, it has to be pink.

 

[guinnessdrinker]

And in the summer, it has to be pink.

I gather that rose de provence in a hot and sunny summer afternoon is a rather interesting experience. it goes down so well.....

 

[poster342002]

Red malbec or red merlot. Not keen on white white very much, unless it's sweet.

 

[EastEnder]

Red. Must be Red.

White is for girls and badly trained monkeys.

Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Australian/Californian, all good. Found some nice South American ones too.

France's reputation for wine excellence is shockingly exaggerated.

Had some seriously buon vino in Italia, sadly couldn't find it imported over here - if it ain't bulk bought by wholesalers, you can't get it.

 

[al]

France's reputation for wine excellence is shockingly exaggerated.

Had some seriously buon vino in Italia, sadly couldn't find it imported over here - if it ain't bulk bought by wholesalers, you can't get it.

would wholeheartedly agree - Italian wines are the mutt's nuts - unfortunately they generally only export the crap. Barbera d'Asti is a stonkingly good wine, and if you ever see a bottle of Carema - grab it and hold on to it, rare and pricey, even in italy, but one of the most sublime wines I've ever tried.

 

[mr steev]

Red.
Chillean Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fitou and occasionally Rioja or Shiraz. 3 for 2 from Threshers at the end of my street.

White's ok chilled in the summer... saying that, when we got back from the pub last night we drank a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon followed by a bottle of dessert wine... classy

 

[Herbsman.]

Red.
Chillean Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fitou and occasionally Rioja or Shiraz. 3 for 2 from Threshers at the end of my street.

White's ok chilled in the summer... saying that, when we got back from the pub last night we drank a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon followed by a bottle of dessert wine... classy

I thought Rastas weren't allowed to drink alcohol?

 

[Cheesypoof]

will drink any red wine. prefer nice rich berry merlot.

 

[mr steev]

I thought Rastas weren't allowed to drink alcohol?

They're not.
But I am not a Rasta... I just have a fine set of locks

 

[twistedAM]

Buckfast
Not only do you get the equivalent alcohol of a bottle of wine in it, you get 10 cans of Red Bull worth of caffeine in it

 

[cyberfairy]

Any red wine thats half price for four quid a bottle or two for price of one
I like that Diablo stuff cos sounds all satanic but am a snobby skint heathen who goes for anything on offer and normally likes it if it has a reek of'nondecheap'

 

[mauvais]

Cotes du Rhone's my favourite, cos it's always dependable.

I only really buy French cos (a) I don't know that much about wine, (b) carbon footprint and (c) I like em so I feel I should

I had a really nice cheap Spanish red a little while, but I'm not generally as keen - we suspect they keep the best stuff to themselves

 

[Vintage Paw]

Can anyone give me some pointers on red wine please?

I've only really tried rioja with any success, and even then being so new to it it's still hit and miss. I couldn't tell you what the differences between types of wine are, say merlot, burgandy, rioja ect.

I don't like the 'tang' you often get with wine, that almost sharpness, the aftertaste I suppose. Makes me shudder I want a nice reliable very smooth red. No tang. Juicy I suppose, more syrupy in texture than the lighter stuff. Watchwords: smooth = yay, tang =

So, pour forth your rec's dear urbs and help me on my way to connoisseur

 

[bigbry]

Don't drink a lot of wine but if I do it's red and usually Ernest and Julio Gallo - Cabernet Sauvignon if I can get it. Love the taste, and I've tried a few, and it's usually anything between 4 and 7 quid a bottle depending where from. Don't like French wines, nor Spanish which can be hit and miss. Californian, Australian and Chilean wines are usually good for the money.

I'm with you on the Cabernet Sauvignon and the price but I much prefer French to the New World wines.

 

[Xanadu]

Current favs are tesco's 2005 sancerre and oak aged burgundy. I got several bottles for cheap from france.

Not drinking much red at the moment.

 

[Herbsman.]

They're not.
But I am not a Rasta... I just have a fine set of locks

Oh... so you're a plastic rasta?





(just kidding - At a reggae gig, I got called a plastic rasta by a white woman apparently she 'is more black than me' because I hadn't been to Jamaica recently enough, and because I didn't do her 'special handshake properly )

 

[mr steev]

Oh... so you're a plastic rasta?

Hardly.. more like an aging crusty

just kidding - At a reggae gig, I got called a plastic rasta by a white woman apparently she 'is more black than me' because I hadn't been to Jamaica recently enough, and because I didn't do her 'special handshake properly )

wtf... dunno if that's funny or just ridiculous.

 

[Herbsman.]

believe me, its both.

 

[al]

Can anyone give me some pointers on red wine please?

I've only really tried rioja with any success, and even then being so new to it it's still hit and miss. I couldn't tell you what the differences between types of wine are, say merlot, burgandy, rioja ect.

I don't like the 'tang' you often get with wine, that almost sharpness, the aftertaste I suppose. Makes me shudder I want a nice reliable very smooth red. No tang. Juicy I suppose, more syrupy in texture than the lighter stuff. Watchwords: smooth = yay, tang =

So, pour forth your rec's dear urbs and help me on my way to connoisseur

Cabernet Sauvignon is normally quite smooth, as is merlot. The 'tang' you don't like is normally described as tannins so ask your friendly off license person for one low in tannins. Chilean Carmenere is also quite mellow..

 

[ICB]

Can anyone give me some pointers on red wine please?

I've only really tried rioja with any success, and even then being so new to it it's still hit and miss. I couldn't tell you what the differences between types of wine are, say merlot, burgandy, rioja ect.

I don't like the 'tang' you often get with wine, that almost sharpness, the aftertaste I suppose. Makes me shudder I want a nice reliable very smooth red. No tang. Juicy I suppose, more syrupy in texture than the lighter stuff. Watchwords: smooth = yay, tang =

So, pour forth your rec's dear urbs and help me on my way to connoisseur

You have similar taste to mine. As far as grape (aka sépage, varietal) is concerned I like Shiraz, Tempranillo, Carmenere, etc. but tend to avoid Merlot and Cab Sauv unless they're blended.

For around £5 or under that would have to be Aussie or Chilean Shiraz, possibly a Californean Zinfandel (vary hugely, try a Fetzer) or a Cape Pinotage. These are what I mostly drink unless I'm feeling flash and can stretch to a good bordeaux, rioja or barolo.

The sharp tannins are more associated with European wines than new worlders, and the southern hemisphere on the whole produces fuller bodied pokier wines due to the hotter sunnier climes.

You may also want to try a chilled Beaujolais, low tannin, high fruit, easy quaffing.

Good vineyards to look out for: Peter Lehmann, Brown Bros, Penfolds, Concha y Toro (Casillero del Diablo), Erazuriz, Cono Sur (their Pinot Noir is very nice), Fetzer, Lindemans. Rarely had anything I didn't like from this lot.

Oddbins is great if you have one near, ask for advice they know their stuff. Co-op is a good place to buy cheaper wine, Tesco's finest range is usually safe.

As far as region (terroir) is concerned I'm a definite novice but I've rarely had a bad bottle of anything out of the Barossa Valley or Maclaren Vale in Australia and if you're feeling flush I find Chateauneuf (a Cotes du Rhone wine) rather overrated, would rather look at decent Bordeaux such as Margaux, Pauillac, St Emillion Grand Cru, etc. or a Burgundy like Gevrey-Chambertin.

There's some good info on Chilean wine here

Mmmmmm, weekend is wine time, I'm off to Co-op

 

[Herbsman.]

good grief, Gavi tastes like lemon juice!!! Might as well had a bloody shot of vodka with dilute lemon squeezings would have been cheaper

 

[Stanley Edwards]

Estola Reserva 2001.

Did I already say that? It's fucking tasty and ultra reliable for €3.09 at your local Spanish Spar.

Comes from La Mancha. No mention of grapes. Tastes mainly Crianza with a bit Cab Sav and possibly Cosecha. Very nice Euro plonk.

 

[Herbsman.]

This stuff is so acidic that I think I can feel my teeth dissolving

 

[tuesday's child]

I'm a terrible creature of habit, it's always Rioja, Barolo, Chianti, Dolcetto, Barbera, Montelpulciano D'Abruzzo or something very similar. Red with a bit of depth to it in other words.

I don't know how to describe wines, but I really dislike the taste of Chiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel and a few others I can't remember.

White - occasionally - usually a bog standard Pinot Grigio or Frascati - dryish.

 

[Herbsman.]

Ive been having a fair bit of frascati recently, I really liked it. Maybe it tad too sweet though. Whereas this Gavi is far too acidic. It's making my eyes water

It would be nice with risotto or pasta with olives and without tomatoes, but certainly no good for drinking on its own.