Wines for the Non-Oenophile?

Sorry, nothing in CT. counts

Anyway, I am not a big wine guy but for me, I have found that wines are like a lot of other products, in the more popular/famous names, it is hard to find something good for cheap and most of the cheap is not good. Bordeaux and Burgandy are good but tough to find at a "good" price. You can find some no name cheap Bordeaux's that are good enough, but that is still a $30-50 exercise. I find that I get better value from Italian wines like good Chianti's (not that stuff that you see in pizzeria's), Argentina and Spain have a lot of very good red grape wines that are good and inexpensive, and Chile I have found is more hit or miss. In terms of whites, I love German and Austrian Rieslings and think they are hard to beat both in terms of price and qulaity. The thing with wine is, you have to just buy and taste. What I think is great you may think is crap. I would start with a region (Italy or Spain or whatever) and buy the occasional one and see what grabs you.

I think there are plenty of <$20 Bordeauxs that are great for drinking now. It's the age-worthy ones that are getting insanely expensive.

I don't think there are very many truly bad Bordeaux, only ones that are simply not good values at the prices charged.

Burg is another matter, as it tends to be more expensive, and there is much less to choose from at anything close to an every day value price.

If you are looking for The One Wine (like The One Shoe) imports are not a good bet because selection will vary considerably from month to month for everything but staltwart labels like Mouton Cadet.

If you really want to drink the same thing all the time, something that will taste reasonably consistent from vintage to vintage, you are better off buying domestic.

I'm a big wine guy - but I just hate the idea of sticking only to 2 wines. There is so much variety, diversity, so many querks that are fascinating to find.


However, I completely understand your reasoning. If you want to branch out a little, I suggesting going to a legitimate wine store and consulting with the people there. Often times on weekends they'll hold tastings and that can help you out too. Think of some characteristics that you like and remember these when you talk to them. They should be able to help you pick a few things out.

jp, I'll give you two ideas about wine, and these two suggestions will fit the vast bulk of foods you'll run into. Then I'll give a third, and it should cover your bases rather well.

Yes, to everyone that wants to critique my forthcoming advice, this is a very simple solution, missing much of the breadth of things, and many other options are out there. However, the OP wants some "Wine for Dummies" type advice, and unless yours fits the bill better, think before you tell me I'm wrong.

So here goes.

A good, inexpensive Reisling. Chateau St. Michelle from Oregon is a great example. Slighty off dry, meaning there's just a touch of sweetness, but balanced by crisp acidity and minerality. This will go with many lighter dishes and spicey dishes. It's good for most fish, chicken, and great with a spicy Asian or Jamaican dish, that isn't heavy beef. We're talking $11-18 a bottle here, for various Reislings of this type. Another good name to look for is Schloss and another is Loosen, both from Germany.

A good, inexpensive Pinot. Check out various blends by some California vineyards. Siduri, Sanford, Ironhorse, etc. We're not talking the single vineyard stuff from the big names, but their blends, or the stuff from lesser names, like Ironhorse or Dry Creeks. It too will go with everything from chicken to beef. Pinot is an easy to match drink, these bottles go from about $15-22.

Okay, you need something for real, full blown carnivore meals. South American Malbec. It's a big, juicy vareital, can be found by many makers very inexpensive (< $16), and is great to drink with a thick, juicy steak. There are many makers, just cruise the web for a few names. Montes pops to mind.

So there you go, three inexpensive, versatile wines, that cover a vast range of foods.

I tend to disagree with some of this. Imports CAN vary widely for availability, but usually these wines are small in production and in this case the same thing would happen domestically. With that idea, I find that the very best imports are significantly easier to find than the best domestic wines which have decided to all go to a ridiculously long mailing/waiting list. Good luck finding things like Harlan, Screaming Eagle, or even $60 bottles of Kosta Browne. On the flip side, I could walk out of my office, and within 10 minutes I can have a bottle of Petrus, Gaja, DRC La Tache, etc.

I do agree that domestic vintages tend to be more consistent ... but wines produced in big quantities tend to have much greater consistency regardless of where they come from. Banfi Chianti will be solid unless the entire vintage is a complete disaster (a la Italy in 2002).

I like the imports because I find they offer significantly greater quality price ratio. I've consistently had better luck from France, Italy, Spain in the sub-$20 range compared to California. In fact, I'd argue the same sub-$60.

Pio - great suggestions, though I'd personally direct him to a New Zealand pinot noir.

I was thinking that would not be a bad choice too, but trying to keep it simple. And I've noticed the Kiwi stuff is slowly creeping up in price, as they catch on.

I am far from connoisseur on wines but if I have to stick with budget variety for every day. I'd choose Poulle Fuisse Chardonnay for white and pretty much any Californian Cab from $10 and up.

Every French red that I have ever tried was vinegary, thin and had eau de cologne finish and that goes for Bordeaux/Burgundy from 25 to 200.

yes, they have been.

also, the German rieslings have been kicking butt as of late. Some great ones from Prum, Von Schupert, and Donnh have been marvelous and big time bargains. And they last an incredible amount of time.

And great idea with the Malbec, look for the big ones like Alamos, Catena, etc.

Yup, cannot beat the value of those Malbecs.

I picked Riesling because the OP specifically mentioned spicy foods. I can't think of a better wine than that, for many spicy foods, and you can find so many good ones for such a modest price.

I absolutely agree with this, great choice. I also like the spicy melon notes of a great Gewurtzamier (ignore the spelling if it's wrong).

Now say the OP is looking for a dry white wine - what would you suggest? Personally, I'd go with a Sauv Blanc from New Zealand for the zestyness and the sharp acidity. Or if I wanted a little more balance I'd try to find a simple vermentino from Italy. Poop on sub-$20 Cali chart (though some brands like Kali Hardt are surprisingly good).

Malbec is a great suggestion and Juan Benegas has a great one for around $12.00

Argentinian Malbec is a good choice for a "red meat" wine. For Bordeaux, it's worth doing a little research, perhaps buying a copy of (say) Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Guide. This gives a rundown of vintages and Chateaux ranging from the very modest to the grandest and most expensive. There is a good chapter on pairing wine with food. Try some white Burgundy: You don't need to splash out on the grand crus, just a Bourgogne Blanc from a decent producer in a good year. It's Chardonnay, but often more versatile than New World treatments of this grape. To the north of Burgundy, Chablis is still good value (just about) and to the south the white wines of the Macon region (Pouilly Fuissé is the best known) are deservedly becoming better known but aren't so expensive. Piobaire's suggestion of Riesling is a good call too. I agree that German Riesling can be spectacularly good and is often a bargain.

HHD - I agree about the white burgundy suggestion. 3 months ago I would have said that, but I'm just in a zesty sauv blanc phase. The 2008 Kiwis rolling in have been excellent.