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Table Wine


satori001
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In my book, table wine is a reasonably priced, but very palatable every day wine. I'm partial to reds, but it could be either.

I've gone the route of other Philistines, starting with Boone's Farm and other varieties of pop culture approximations. Mateus Rosé was the classy stuff back in college. In the 80's "white zinfandel" became the new gateway drug to better wines. In the 90's Merlot seemed to take over. Now, maybe it's Shiraz or Chianti or... something else? Seems like there's more awareness of variety than in the past.

What I'd like to know from you people out there, you wine-o-philes as it were, is NOT the finest, priciest, snootiest bottle of spoiled grape juice you've ever had, but the finest (commercially available) stuff you could drink (and afford to drink) every dang day.

This thread should appeal to anyone who likes wine. I'd love to learn more about it.

If you make your own wine, or collect it, or invest in it, that might make a good topic for a parallel thread. Let's keep to drinkin' wine on this one.

"To your health."

Edited by satori001
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Thanks David.

I tried Franzia once, about a year ago. Might have been a bad year (or month?), but it had a fairly harsh acidity to it. Now I'm no connoiseur, but that's how I'd describe it. It was sweet too, and I thought the sugar was added to improve an otherwise bad grape.

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Thanks David.

I tried Franzia once, about a year ago. Might have been a bad year (or month?), but it had a fairly harsh acidity to it. Now I'm no connoiseur, but that's how I'd describe it. It was sweet too, and I thought the sugar was added to improve an otherwise bad grape.

Franzia is jsut a brand name, among it's boxes are rose', whites, burgandys, etc.

Edited by Galen
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Hi, my name is Belle and I'm a wino - not to be confused with whine-o, but I'm guilty of that sometimes too. :who_me:

My cabinet is stocked with Yellow Tail - My favorite is the Shiraz~Grenache blend in the pink bottle, but I also love all their red wines - Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet and they have a couple of blends of those too that are really good. Big bottle is about $12 and the small bottle is about $8. Winn Dixie has sales on their wines sometimes for 25% off and I stock up when that's going on.

I'm also partial to my local winery - Lakeridge Winery. They make muscadine wine and it's only $7/bottle and you get 10 cents credit for every empty bottle you bring back. My favorites of those are the Southern Red and Southern White, but those are sweet wines and really more like dessert sipping wines. All the wines they make are excellent, though.

Black Swan also makes very good wine. They have a Merlot~Shiraz blend that I like - it's in a bottle with a purple label and I can't always find it.

Lindemanns Bin 50 or something like that is also good.

Now, if Oen hasn't had a heart attack reading about all these cheap wines, he'll be able to provide an expert opinion. :)

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I've gone the route of other Philistines, starting with Boone's Farm and other varieties of pop culture approximations. Mateus Rosé was the classy stuff back in college.

"Hey,hey, hey Mateus Rose" (recalling the commercial). And what about Annie Green Springs, Deuce-Juice, T.J. Swan ("Easy Nights" was my fave in the Swan line), Reunite ("on ice" of course. bad sign when the makers recommend consumption of "wine" over ice), and lets not forget the "street wines" Thunderbird, NightTrain, and MD 20/20. I once drank a bottle of Thunderbird, followed by a quart of Country Club Malt liquor (the things we do) and the next day I cursed all breweries, distilleries, wineries, and the fermentation process in general. I followed this up by making a pledge of sobriety and a promise of comprehensive service to humanity in exchange for the the removal of my hangover. Eventually the hangover left, I back-burnered my plans to serve humanity and backslid on my sobriety pledge later that night.

As for now I'm off the college diet and tend to stick with the cabernets. The Coppola line is somewhat well thought of but is becoming

something of a fad (not that that should deter you from sampling it). The Yellow Tail line is okay but something about it doesn't sit right (with me)

but I can manage.

Edited by diazbro
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Oh, now you've got my attention...

Under $10 a bottle reds, and I'm not fond of sweet:

Bonny Doon Big House Red (California)

Norton Malbec (Argentina)

Marquis Caceres Red (Spain)

One, sometimes two glasses an evening...life is good.

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Lindemann is pretty good.

I gotta heartily agree with Belle on the Yellow Tail.

for a few dollars more, Kendall Jackson Cabernet is excellent.

And, has anyone ever had any wine from Missouri? There are several excellent wineries south of St. Louis, Augusta is one, Hermanhoff, and Adam Puchta, all making very nice and not too expensive wines. There are many more than the 3 I've mentioned. Only problem is that they only ship to certain states. Still there are lovely B&B's in the area and it's nice rolling hill country, and you can drive, bicycle, or stagger around the different wineries tasting their fruits of the vine. We go every so often and bring back a couple cases to tide us over 'til the next time.

WG

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Friend Tom,

They use different varieties of grapes, for example, reisling wine is made from reisling grapes,( I'm pretty sure) for the most part. There is a late harvest reisling that is made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer, and therefore are sweeter. Ice wine, a delicacy, (an EXPENSIVE delicacy), is made from white grapes that have been left on the vine until the first hard frost, then hastily harvested and pressed into the best, but very sweetest wine, you ever tasted. Some wineries harvest at the regular time then freeze the grapes, but it's not the same. Ice wine comes in cute little half bottles and costs $40-80.

Shiraz is a blend of two grapes and I forget which ones they are. It is I think medium dry. Norton wine, a semi-dry red, is made from grapes from Germany. I don't really remember a lot of it. I think they use mechanical presses now instead of stomping them in a big wooden vat a la I Love Lucy. (But wouldn't that be fun?)

WG

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dmiller - we also like the stuff in the box - we call them "juice boxes" in our house... The Chablis isn't bad, the Zin is okay, but I think the House Blush is well... I'd give it a C-.

Satori--

Ah, a man after my heart!

For a good table wine, try Gabbiano Chianti - it's about $10-11 per bottle and is a good, crisp Chianti, with a little fruity/woody tone to it. It's usually in the Italian wine section of the store - it's an import. It was recommended to me from someone who has his own vinyard in Florance, Italy. It also gives a pot-like buzz. (Sorry, I've got few vices these days - if I can batch a cuzz off a couple of glasses of wine, what-the-hey!)

We also like anything by Laurel Glenn - especially if you're looking for a domestic wine.

If you're interested in beer, we highly recommend Sam Adams new Double Bock - excellent. I like wine and beer - usually prefer wine - but this is a beer that's just superb!

Since you like the sweet stuff - you mentioned Boon's Farm - pick up a bottle of Lambic sometime. It's a hops beverage, but sparkling like a chanpagne or brute, and mixed with a fruit wine - raspberry is my favorite - stay away from apricot or cherry (bitter). The raspberry lambic is good if you mix with (about a shot of it) with a tall glass of a double chocolate malt stout - dessert! But lambic can just be sipped from a chapagne flute - nice flavor.

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I must preface my remarks by stating for the record that any suggestions that I am about to make regarding wine are the products of what I have found pleasurable. You may or may not agree with me and that is just fine. I do not consider myself to be an expert (but I appreciate the kind remark that Belle made) on the subject but simply someone who finds great pleasure from learning about wine, discovering wines that I like and helping others have the same experience. There is no better wine expert your tastebuds, eyes and olfactory. There is no need to be nervous or ashamed for whatever style of wine that either pleases or displeases you around anyone.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my Cliff Notes on enjoying wine.

Wine offers pleasure to more than just our tastebuds. I find it rewarding to take the time to savor it fully. The time you take to appreciate it's color like the deep garnet of a cabernet, the delicate ruby color of a pinot noir or the opaque inky purple of a syrah (or shiraz, it's the same grape by the way). Savor the aroma, wines will often present aromas that are different from the way it tastes. Take your time. Good wine is like good sex, why on earth would you want to rush it?

When you sip think the wine, notice how it feels on your palate (body). Notice the flavors present (fruit). There will usually be one or maybe two dominant notes but pay attention to the more subtle ones. The more flavors a wine presents, the more complex is said to be. Finally, and this is really the climax (finish), when you swallow the wine, notice how the flavors play. Are they different from when the wine was in your mouth? Are they more intense? How long does that sensation last? The longer the better. Do you notice flavors changing from one moment to the next. Now maybe you can appreciate what all the fuss is about.

Where I look for good wine at a bargain price (circa $10)?

Reds

Jaboulet Paralell 45 Cotes du Rhone. Notice the blackberry flavor followed by an earthy black pepper finish. This is absolutely the perfect steak wine. Cotes du Rhones are typically a blend of Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz), Cinsault varietals. I find that this wine puts a lot of it's pricier Chateauneuf du Pape neighbors to shame. Expect to pay $9.99 to $12.99. You should be able to find it in supermarkets with a larger wine inventory or most certainly in your local wine store.

Antinori Santa Cristina. This Italian red is from Tuscany and is made 100% of Sangiovese grapes, which is the varietal of Chianti Classico. ($8.99 to $11.99)

Goats do Roam. Notice the wordplay with Cotes du Rhone. This is a South African wine. I would highly recommend trying a few other reds from South African before the rest of the world finds out how good they are. Goats do Roam like all good South African reds exhibit very ripe fruit because of the hot days and the cool nights. Around $8.99 usually. If you want to splurge a bit for a knock them dead South African Red, look for Rozendal Farm. ($29-$35) This wine impressed Napoleon enough that he took it with him in exile on St. Helena. It is fabulous. Better than many wines that I have had the privilege of tasting over $100.

Argentine Malbecs. Especially Alamos. Malbec is one of the five red varietals of Bordeaux, where it is used to add more structure to Cabernet Sauvignon. Argentina is the only place that I have found that Malbec can stand on its own and there does it ever! ($10-$13)

Crane Creek Cabernet Sauvignon This California cab delivers a powerful punch for your tastebuds for way under $10. I find it here in Michigan for...get this...3 bottles for $10. Not really that complex...but hey, look at the price.

Huia New Zealand Pinot Noir Nice cherry, blackberry flavor. $13-$16

Whites

Monkey Bay New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I love NZ Sauvignon Blanc. It has a wonderful gooseberry like flavor with ripe melon notes. NZ Sauvignons are a steal (for now). Stock up for the summer. The perfect patio wine. ($8.99 to $10.99).

White wines from the Loire Valley. Styles to look for Vouvray (Chenin Blanc varietal), Pouilly Fume (Sauvignon Blanc), Muscadet Sur Lie (Melon du Bourgogne). This is an excellent seafood wine.

Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay. Because of the warmer climate in Australia, this wine has butterscotch, vanilla and apricot flavors. ($10-12)

White Burgundies from the Macon area. This may be a surprise to many but there are actually white burgundies. White burgundies are 100% Chardonnay by French law. You will find these wines to be perhaps more minerally and not as glowingly fruity as Aussie or California Chards for that matter. Look for quality producers like Jadot or Louis Latour. ($10-$13).

A votre sante...to your health

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forget all that foreign stuff .. support your local winery ... or make your own

and the california grapes are no better than midwest grapes, though some wineries need to perfect their process ...

the wine tastes much better if you make it yourself ... even better if you grow your own grapes ... never pay more than $15 for a bottle of wine ... :dance:

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forget all that foreign stuff

Good. More of it will be around for the rest of us who enjoy wines across national borders. Nothing brings people together like good food and good wine. Perhaps few less wars would be waged if people would just get to know what their neighbors in the world brought to the table. Perhaps.

There is nothing wrong with making your own wine or getting out to visit your local winery. (Please do because my living in part depends on it. ) :rolleyes: There are wineries in every state and some very good wines are coming from places other than the West Coast. But let's not become xenophobes and thumb our noses at what other cultures can contribute.

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Hey, Oen, what are some of your favorite small, local wineries?

I LOVE Lakeridge Winery here in Clermont, FL. I take people there for their first time every chance I get. If you go at the right times, you can visit with the folks giving out samples and get A LOT of samples. ;)

Other times they have awesome jazz festivals, art festivals and the annual STOMPING OF THE GRAPES. Now, that's a blast!!! But don't wear shoes you're extremely protective of. ;) There's lots of kids who get into it, but lots of adults, too!

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There is nothing wrong with making your own wine or getting out to visit your local winery. (Please do because my living in part depends on it. ) :rolleyes: There are wineries in every state and some very good wines are coming from places other than the West Coast. But let's not become xenophobes and thumb our noses at what other cultures can contribute.
LOL xenophobes? local wines offer a lot, and the money gets recirculated to educate your kids ... why buy from the snobby french? or from chile?

There are many new hybrids of grapes coming out. Favoring support for a local economy doesn't make someone a xenophobe. And choosing what country you want to support with your trade doesn't mean you are thumbing your nose at others. Enough of the name calling oeno.

Perhaps fewer wars wold be fought if we didn't enrich those that want to destroy us. (France isn't in that category at the moment) edited part in color

Edited by rhino
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