Wine recommendations

[Chasing Amy]

"Formal" description:  "Tait has been establishing a track record for hedonistically rendered wines at consumer friendly prices for several years. Previous vintages of this wine have been smash hits and the 2006 The Ball Buster is a lock to continue the trend. It is a 15,000 case cuvee, all of which was basket-pressed, a labor-intensive process not commonly associated with a wine in this price category. The wine is composed of 78% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot aged for 12 months in used French and American oak. Purple-colored, it exhibits a classy bouquet of cedar, earth, tar, espresso, blueberry, black currants, and licorice. Supple, ripe and soft on the palate, this seamless, crowd-pleaser of a wine can be enjoyed now and over the next several years. It is an awesome value."

Amy's description: "Great wine to share with a girlfriend who just went through a nasty break up."

[cgraz]

Cheap but tasty. Embrace the screw top.

Friday Monkey Shiraz

[pffftt]

Can I just add my reco's here?

My favorite right now is Menage A Trois red by Folie A Deux. I was *thrilled* when they started carrying it at Safeway. I think it retails for $12 but Safeway is a bit cheaper. It's a blend of Zin, Cab, and Merlot.

I like this one too. It's nice and smooth and kind of light. I found it to be great for lunch, because it doesn't hit you hard. It's the kind of wine that has a really nice balance despite coming from three different grapes. It isn't anything profound, but it's one that is consistently good. Great for the price, for sure. I have a few wine reviews that I will pull out later, some that really stand out for a great price. I'm not big into wine, but I can tell you all about chocolate! Now if anyone wants to start a chocolate thread....  

[survivor]

Hmmm...lots of great suggestions here. Hard to pick just one. I just might buy all that I could find in our wine/liquor store.

[wombleatwimbledon]

Not sure how much I can contribute to this thread as I usually only drink NZ wine (and occassionally Italian)however, I did think that I could recommend some so that if you do happen to spot it in the Wine store you might recognise it.

I am going to break trend in this thread though and recommend a white I had a wedding on Saturday.  It was a Pinot Gris (I am not normally a white kind of person either) and I really enjoyed it with some Kingfish that I had.

http://www.mtdifficulty.co.nz/wines/P1476-Mt-Difficulty-Pinot-Gris-2009.html?ShowExtendedInfo=1

[survivor]

If there were only one wine left in the entire world and this was it, I'd be a happy, happy girl.   It pairs well with pasta, meats, fish, salads, cheese and chocolate. I find it to be the perfect (cheap) wine. It's mellow, buttery and feels like a warm hug on your insides. 

I am having their shiraz. Wonderful stuff!

[caribougrrl]

I've never tried Ravenswood wines because they are very expensive here.

My best recent find:


as an added bonus, there's a cat on the label

[radial]

How about an ongoing wine recommendation thread, or review that is sticky? I'm always looking for a good, cheap wine. My recent find was Castilla Castillo de Molina sauvignon blanc. I think it was 2006. It was under $12 I believe.I wish I had taken the pic of the label so I could remember which one I tasted. So how about taking the pic of the bottle as well?

Hess Cabernet is a pretty good choice for a relatively cheap but not too awful cab.  They have a couple of different grades, but get the cheapest one because the most expensive isn't that much better.  But honestly, it's hard to find a good red at bargain basement prices.  On the other hand cheap whites abound.  And it's almost summertime anyway, so buy a 1.5 liter bottle of Fontina Candida Frascati and enjoy those Delaware sunsets. 

[radial]

How about an ongoing wine recommendation thread, or review that is sticky? I'm always looking for a good, cheap wine. My recent find was Castilla Castillo de Molina sauvignon blanc. I think it was 2006. It was under $12 I believe.I wish I had taken the pic of the label so I could remember which one I tasted. So how about taking the pic of the bottle as well?

Oh, for a decent but inexpensive sauvignon blanc, try Ferrari.  Actually, it's labeled as fume blanc, but no real difference there.  How close are you to Beach Liquor in Bethany Beach?  Nice shop.  And if you get there, try their Hendry unoaked chardonnay.  Very nice, dry, crisp white.  If you want to spend a few more bucks for a special occasion, keep an eye out for Chehalem INOX unoaked chardonnay.  It's from Oregon and you can't do better for a clean, dry white. 

[radial]

my SO likes pinot noir, but I dare not pick out anything for her...any suggestions?

Chehalem Three-Vinyards Pinot Noir is very nice.  They also carry some more expensive single vinyard versions (e.g., Ridgecrest), but probably not worth the extra cost unless your SO really knows her stuff.  Either way, this isn't really cheapo wine.  But I don't think you can go low-end on pinot noir and get anything worth drinking. 

[radial]

I second the Menage a Trois red.  The white is a bit sweet, but good with jambalaya and Thai food.

Windmill Old Vine Zindfandel is AWESOME.

Recently tried a red called Layer Cake that was really good.

We also tried a $4 malbec (Lucky Duck) that we picked up at WalMart.  The first night it sucked.  The next night I talked my neighbor into trying it (because it was open) and she said it was ok.  Sure enough, it was ok.  Not super good, but ok.   Which is pretty good for $4.  Just let it breathe.

Now that's a really good point about "breathing".  I didn't really believe that made a difference until I tried decanting and aerating some cheapo S. American wine that I was just about ready to throw out.  OMG, what a difference it made.  Between completely undrinkable and not so bad.  If you find yourself drinking something that tastes way to sharp and tannic, get some air in it.  Makes a huge difference.  Picking a decent cheap wine is only half the battle.  Knowing what to do to make it taste pretty good is the other half. 

[survivor]

My new find: Spanish Quarter Chard/Albarino blend



"Formal" description: The Spanish Quarter wines capture this spirit of mañana – giving time-honored traditions a modern twist by combining native Spanish grapes with international varietals. The resulting blends are both exotic and familiar – the perfect introduction to modern Spanish wine. The Spanish Quarter white grapes are harvested by night to keep the fruit cool and to keep preserve their aromatics. After harvesting, the grapes are de-stemmed, pressed, and then each variety and plot is sent to seperate stainless steel tanks to undergo fermentation.

The Chardonnay grape gives The Spanish Quarter a deep rich-mouthfeel, round tropical fruit aromas, and citrus notes. The Albarino, this thick-skinned Spanish grape contributes intense floral aromas with peach flavors, and hint of spice. From the Spanish alba, meaning white, this grape is a native of Galicia in Northwestern Spain.

The resulting wine is a lively straw-green color with a fragrant floral nose of exotic fruits with hints of fresh citrus. The rich and luscious palate has highlights of ripe peach, tropical fruit, and a long, clean citrus finish.

My description: Wonderful stuff to get a buzz. Refreshing, perfect white wine with southwest flavored grilled chicken or fish. I could drink the whole bottle all by myself if I could while munching on chips and slasa.

[rocketgirl]

This is the case we just finished off.  Very drinkable, and in the $12 range.

I just tried this Sunday night and enjoyed it.  Not quite enough for a good steak though.

[Rejaneration]

I´ve been digging the Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  Cheap and tasty; perfect for quaffing on a hot summer evening. 

[caribougrrl]

I´ve been digging the Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  Cheap and tasty; perfect for quaffing on a hot summer evening. 

I LOVE Monkey Bay Sauvingnon Blanc... New Zealand wines are NOT cheap here though, that one is a little over $17!

[Rejaneration]

I LOVE Monkey Bay Sauvingnon Blanc... New Zealand wines are NOT cheap here though, that one is a little over $17!

$8.99 at the local supermarket here!  You have my deepest sympathy.  $17 is not a quaffing wine....well, not for me anyway.

[ihop]

$8.99 at the local supermarket here!  You have my deepest sympathy.  $17 is not a quaffing wine....well, not for me anyway.

I just bought two bottles.  $9.99 here.  I am looking forward to them.

And I bought two other bottles based on recommendations here.  Woo hoo!

[caribougrrl]

$8.99 at the local supermarket here!  You have my deepest sympathy.  $17 is not a quaffing wine....well, not for me anyway.

:jealous:

I drink too much wine to be buying $17 bottles more than occassionally

[onawhim]

I feel like I need to plug local wine so I will recommend the Pelee Island wine which is about $10/bottle here.

[Rejaneration]

I'll try it if I see it.  I like Pinot grigio in the summer and that is a label that I will remember.