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Recommend a Wine For Me to Bring to Dinner

post #1 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:31am
Thread Starter 
My girlfriend's friend invited us over for dinner tomorrow night. I asked what I could bring and she said a bottle of wine. So what should I bring if I don't want to spend more than $25? I have no idea what she's making for dinner either.
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post #2 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:52am
Bring 1 red and 1 white, nothing too out of the ordinary, and neither over $10 each. Cover all your bases.
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post #3 of 23
10/12/07 at 3:29am
If 1 bottle, bring a rose d'anjou or a Tavel. If you want a meaty red, try Casiliero del Diablo Carmenere. For a good white, Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling (the orange label).
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post #4 of 23
10/12/07 at 4:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntsman View Post
If 1 bottle, bring a rose d'anjou or a Tavel. If you want a meaty red, try Casiliero del Diablo Carmenere. For a good white, Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling (the orange label).
Good call on the Chateau Riesling. I've tried other wines from CdD but never the Camenere. How is it? Also, what's a Tavel?
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post #5 of 23
10/12/07 at 8:37am
^^^ Tavel is a wine-producing region in France, in the southern Rhone region, that only does rose. Their roses are really dry and not at all sweet. It's a great suggestion to bring when you don't know what your host is serving, because I think it goes well with chicken and Asian-inspired dishes, which is what most people these days seem to serve at dinner parties. (At least in my experience, lately, if a host is serving red meat, pork, or fish, they usually ask/tell the guests beforehand to suss it out.)
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post #6 of 23
10/12/07 at 8:43am
I liked a quip that was in one of the magazines a few months ago saying how you shouldn't be insulted if a host doesn't serve the bottle of wine you bring that night to dinner. They asked the question "If you got a necktie would you expect yourself to take yours off and put the new one on?"
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post #7 of 23
10/12/07 at 10:37am
I haven't invited you. And being as presumptious as that, you'll be lucky if I ever do.
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post #8 of 23
10/12/07 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntsman View Post
For a good white, Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling (the orange label).
+1
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post #9 of 23
10/12/07 at 11:32am
The Tavel is a great idea if you do not know what is being served. Great call Huntsman. If it is indeed spicey chicken or spicey Asian food, try this: http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=312086 It is an off-dry Riesling with good acidity and minerality and goes great with such dishes, as well as I find it very approachable by people that usually do not drink wine.
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post #10 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:36pm
Another idea...take a dessert wine or something for after dinner. (Reisling & Rose sound good, but depending on the food they`re useless)
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post #11 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC View Post
I liked a quip that was in one of the magazines a few months ago saying how you shouldn't be insulted if a host doesn't serve the bottle of wine you bring that night to dinner. They asked the question "If you got a necktie would you expect yourself to take yours off and put the new one on?"
+1. We almost never serve wine that people bring over. Sometimes we try to serve it the next time they come, if we can remember. If you want to bring somethng they will use, bring Champagne and open it for aperitifs.
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post #12 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:48pm
I like the champagne suggestion. Champagne makes any occassion special. Some of the newer rose champagnes / sparkling wines would be a nice option.
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post #13 of 23
10/12/07 at 2:57pm
For $25, you aren't likely to get real Champagne that's any good. But there are some fine American substitutes. Roederer Estate is one of my favorites in that category.

Other good-value/not-cheesy gifts:

Cotes du Rhone is coming off a series of good years. Or trade up to one of the other southern Rhone villages. Red and chewy.

German Rieslings are excellent value, although some don't like the fruitiness and it might not suit the meal, if that worries you. Low in alcohol, which has its benefits.

Cheap Burgundy (red or white) used to be a sure thing if you had a merchant who knew what he was selling. Prices have moved up, so it's a bit sketchier nowadays in the under-$25 group.
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post #14 of 23
10/12/07 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post
+1. We almost never serve wine that people bring over. Sometimes we try to serve it the next time they come, if we can remember.

If you want to bring somethng they will use, bring Champagne and open it for aperitifs.

+1 Champagne...excellent suggestion!
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post #15 of 23
10/12/07 at 3:08pm
If you opt for red, vs. a cheap Burgundy, look to the West Coast for a nice pinot noir. For about $30 try : http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=195509

Yes, this selection is somewhat trite but it is a heck of a wine for the price and very approachable. I try to keep wine suggestions to approachable ones as the vast majority of people rarely drink wine. Just look to the beer/wine thread. So keeping what I offer drinkable to a large cross section is important IMO.

Another choice might be: http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=259259
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