Wine
 

Tell me what you know! I've always sworn to liking the stuff as much as I like beer - not at all. I've been told both are acquired tastes. I based my wine opinion on White Zin, which I can't stand btw. I've since dabbled in reds and find I like them much better. But all in all I'm clueless. I like to buy them based on the name of the winery or the label, the funkier the better.

So tell me what I should be looking for... how to pick wines I might like... or to pick ones to help define what I do like...Heck tell me what you like... what you don't like... I'm just a sponge at this point for all things wine.

Also, keep in mind I'm a single gal with no one beating down my door, so how long can I keep an opened bottle?

I picked up a bottle of red truck tonight because I think it sounds fun. I'm trying to save it for the weekend.

Thanks in advance.

I like red too. I like blush too. I buy stuff cause I like the name. I have a bottle of Menage a trois to drink but it seems wrong to drink it alone. I also have something called 7 deadly zins I'm going to marinade in this weekend.

I didn't know until recently that there was such a thing as red Zin, I thought it was only the white stuff. I'm assuming they taste nothing alike?

A lot of local wine stores and of course wineries have tastings and classes you could go to where you can try a lot of different wines and see what your pallet likes...which types of reds, whites or blushes...etc....

It helped my wife and I a lot...

A lot of states have wineries...you should check some out...

OK....what osuche can cull together in 2 minutes about wine. Much of it fact, some probably my own opinion....

If you can find 1997 or 2003 red wines from Napa, those were good years. :) 2000 was a good year in most French appelations.

Reds are generally classified by (1) the type of grape, and (2) the amount of tannins present in a particular blend. Something is tannic if you get that bitter taste on the rear of your tongue when you drink it. :) Some people like this taste, others don't (I'm in the like category, but Mr Osuche isn't). Generally, the lighter/less tannic reds are better with light meals and the heavier reds are better with heavily spiced foods (think steak, Indian food, spicy Italian)

Common American varietals (in order of heaviness, less tannic -> more)
Syrah/Shiraz (although most American Syrah is a blend of grapes and not 100% Syrah)
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Zinfandel (Red)


Other than that, there are a lot of good blends....sometimes called "Table Wine" and sometimes called by a house name (something the vineyard made up)

I recommend you look for "wine tastings" in your area...local restaurants, some liquor stores, and (of course) wineries have them....Typically you can get a 1 oz pour of a wine to determine whether or not you like it. In the case of wine, it's no good if you don't *like* it...and everyone has a different palate.

Common American whites (light/fruity --> oaky/tannic)

Muscat Canelli (more of a dessert wine; very sweet)
White Reisling (sweet)
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio (gris is slightly lighter than grigio, but depends on the blend)
Gwertztraminer (can be slightly sweet)
Sauvignon Blanc
White Bordeaux (rare American varietal; wonderful French)
Chardonnay

I just splurged a bought a nice bottle of Eiswein ( Ice wine) I feel too guilty to drink it all by myself but I just may pick up some strawberries and go for it.

If you ever find a bottle of cherry port, or cherry wine.....get it and buy some Hershey's Kisses to go with :slurp:

you can keep an unopened bottle of wine bottle for a pretty long time and an opened bottle of wine for a while, meaning it doesn't become toxic to drink. but speaking for the palate, it tastes pretty crappy in a day or two for white, three for red...tops. corking it and putting the fridge will help, but not much. you can still cook with it though.

i recommend...as the other peeps did...just trying some out at a tasting, and deciding what you like.

i'd also recommend trying some different beers, too. i used to hate the taste of beer as well until i realized they don't all taste like miller and bud. there are some very interesting flavors out there. there's even barley wine, it's like a cross between port and ale.

hell, i didn't even used to drink, but my kids have driven me to it. :p:D i might as well enjoy what i'm sippin'.


my mom has a magnet on her fridge that i love. it says: i love to cook with wine. sometimes i even put it in the food. :D

Buy a wine saver....it's a small (hand crank) vacuum pump and some rubber corks. It draws a vacuum and will extend a bottle of open wine's shelf life to 2-3 weeks. You can also leave the wine at room temp then.

I think I got my wine saver set at Bed Bath and Beyond for $12

i forgot about those! then again...we don't have an opened bottle 'round here long enough to use it. :D:p

I only ever had a taste for the "Under the Table Wines," like Boone's Farm or MadDog...mostly for their ability to sweeten the bong water a little...

I have a friend who freezes left over wine into iceblocks.

She only drinks unwoodod chardonnay and she uses then to bring fridge-cold wine down to freezing without diluting.

A bit like frozen coke cubes.

I like certain countries more than others, too -- Australia, South Africa & Chile are long-time faves.

My favourite red is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Treat yourself to a nice meal in a fancy restaurant & flirt with the sommelier or date a chef (they're often paid to visit wineries).

Speaking of Eiswein... I had Piluso Winery's 2004 Bianco Dolce (technically it can't be called an Eiswein) and it is wonderful. The make a really good Pinot Noir as well.

Maddy ~ I agree with what others have said. Go to a tasting, find what YOU like. There's a wine my wife and I love that's about $8 a bottle. It doesn't have to be expensive to be good.