Wine?

heyimbren

I've never really been a fan of wine.

To be fair, I've had red wine once (in communion) when I was about 13 years old, and I had no idea it was going to be actual wine (I was expecting grape juice.. surprise!).

I've had white wine once, in a dinner in Rome for a school trip when I was 17, and I didn't like it then either. I have no idea what kind of wine it was.

But for those of you that DO know your wine, and enjoy it, is it something that one can actually acquire a taste for? I'm older now, and I'll admit I love the idea of wine. I just... don't know where to start! So most of the time I end up ordering fruity cocktails or coolers, with the occasional beer.

Any suggestions of good wines?

jeanacorina

I like the cheap stuff. We buy blackberry Arbor Mist wine at Wal-Mart. It's very sweet compared to other wines. I hate the taste of "good" wine.

We also like Martini & Rossi Asti champagne. It's about $13/bottle and is also on the sweet side. Much to our surprise, that was the champagne served at our wedding. Score!

sapphirebaby926

I like Reisling and Pinot Grigio

Riesling is a sweeter wine but Pinot Grigio is more of an aquired taste - I didn't care for it much until recently

desertsun

Whites are a good place to start -- Rieslings and Gewurztraminer.

For reds, try cabernet sauvignon.

I generally like Robert Mondavi and Chateau Ste. Michele wines, but you will need to experiment to find what YOU like. Expect a certain amount of trial and error.

jeanacorina

Am I the only one who actually drinks $3 wine around here?! I feel so tacky with my refrigerated screw-top wine.

SopChick

I used to dislike wine as well. I find that I'm aquiring a taste for the drier whites, but I still prefer one that's on the sweeter side. A good cheap-ish kind that I get are the XOXO blends. I found them good to start, and even got BF (a total beer/whisky drinker) to like them.

I also like Reisling and Gewurtztraminer - again, sweeter than a Pino Grigio.

I know nothing about reds, but the best red I've had (and the first I actually liked) a friend brought home from Italy.

Narwhal

The last kind of wine I drank was from a BOX, Jeana.

GreenPepperBurger

I don't like wine at all. So, not much help here

desertsun

I'm not a snob -- I like the Target wine that comes in little individual boxes. Like juice boxes. But for grown ups! I've only had them once, though, at a friend's, because there are rules at our house about where alcohol can be bought.

zipis1

I'm like you, in that I love the idea of wine but cannot stand the taste of it. And unfortunately for me, I have been unable to aquire the taste for it, despite BF's mom taking me on many wine tasting trips (she lives in Napa so there's no shortage).

I will say that I love Champagne, though. Mumm is my favorite so far, but I haven't tried very many so that may not be saying much.

loves2shop4shoes

I'll drink wine, but I have found very few that I can appreciate.

My favorite white wine is Casal Garcia; it's a Portuguese wine that my grandpa always had cases of in the basement.  It's also really cheap, somewhere around $7 a bottle.

ekathleen684

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:fa7b3ad0-07c0-4883-bc61-c8dce4461182">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]Am I the only one who actually drinks $3 wine around here?! I feel so tacky with my refrigerated screw-top wine.
Posted by jeanacorina[/QUOTE]

I like Strawberry Arbor Mist but my favorite is a Michigan wine (Great Lakes Red) and it's about $8/bottle. My wine usually never makes it to the fridge after it's opened<img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-embarassed.gif" border="0" alt="Embarassed" title="Embarassed" />

bsidebella

I'm with Jeana - I LOVE Arbor Mist, but cannot stand the taste of "good" wine. There are a ton of flavors. AND I also like Martini and Rossi Asti and Asti Spumante champagne. It's not strong but it gives you that little kick.

Ana_2985

I LOVE wine.  I think it is probably something you can learn to enjoy because in college, the only think I drank was the pink boxed wine.  Now I love everything (except the pink boxed wine).

For white, I second starting with sweeter wines like Riesling and Spumanti.  Make you drink white wine cold (I'm sure you know that).  Chardonnay and Sauv. Blanc are my favorites.  My favorite good, but inexpensive brand, is Frontera.  It is a Chilean wine and you can get a 750 mL bottle for around  5 or 6 dollars.  Yellowtail and Barefoot are also inexpensive and good for starting out.  And for cooking too actually.  Oh yeah and Prosecco is awesome too.  It's a sparkling wine.

It took me a little longer to love red wines.  I think it's best to start with younger wine (2007-2010) because to me they tend to be less "spicy" and more juicy (also it's less expensive).  My favorites are Nebbiolo and Barbera from Asti, which you can get a Whole Foods, but I also love The Little Penguin, Frontera, and Casillero del Diablo.  For those brands I get Shiraz, Merlot, or Cab. Sauv./Merlot.

I love wine.

PaigeMcC

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:af695add-d2d7-443c-9f24-000320fe094d">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]I LOVE wine.  I think it is probably something you can learn to enjoy because in college, the only think I drank was the pink boxed wine.  Now I love everything (except the pink boxed wine). For white, I second starting with sweeter wines like Riesling and Spumanti.  Make you drink white wine cold (I'm sure you know that).  Chardonnay and Sauv. Blanc are my favorites.  My favorite good, but inexpensive brand, is Frontera.  It is a Chilean wine and you can get a 750 mL bottle for around  5 or 6 dollars.  Yellowtail and Barefoot are also inexpensive and good for starting out.  And for cooking too actually.  Oh yeah and Prosecco is awesome too.  It's a sparkling wine. It took me a little longer to love red wines.  I think it's best to start with younger wine (2007-2010) because to me they tend to be less "spicy" and more juicy (also it's less expensive).  My favorites are Nebbiolo and Barbera from Asti, which you can get a Whole Foods, but I also love The Little Penguin, Frontera, and Casillero del Diablo.  For those brands I get Shiraz, Merlot, or Cab. Sauv./Merlot. I love wine.
Posted by Ana_2985[/QUOTE]

<div>You just took the words from my mouth.  Smart lady!</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>I love wine.  Nom nom nom....</div>

dwest2201

I do like me some wine.  I like Riesling and Pinot Grigio the best, FI likes reds so I drink a little of that as well from time to time.  Shiraz would probably be a good red to try.

Finding wines you like takes time... I've had Rieslings that were delicious and a couple  that were horrific.  Don't give up on it until you've tried a few!

Bare Foot is good, Little Penguin is better (but more expensive) IMO.

jeanacorina

Word to my fellow cheap-wine lovers!

Narwhal

I've never had champagne.

PaigeMcC

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:db594838-4950-4138-a742-ed1db936e70a">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've never had champagne.
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]

<div>Fail!!</div><div>
</div><div>It's a great drunk;)</div>

Narwhal

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:4248599c-4cf4-46c3-b323-ae73db9ecb06">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Wine? : Fail!! It's a great drunk;)
Posted by PaigeMcC[/QUOTE]

I've had a hint that it will be present on engagement night, but we'll see. ;)

BCRockies

I love wine but I lean towards white. BF prefers red so we do a lot of wine tasting.

I agree with trying sweeter wines first as the dry wines can take a bit to get used to. I do love a good chardonnay though. My favourite is Wolf Blass.

catemeg

I actually worked as a wine expert at a wine bar for awhile.  Loved working there ... got to drink for free whenever I wanted!

Yes, you can get a taste for it later in life.  Our taste buds change every couple of years, so it's always worth trying foods you use to hate.  I never liked scallops, now they're one of my favorite foods.  I didn't drink beer at all in college, but started drinking occasionally when I was 22 and now I'm a huge fan (and budding connoisseur of microbrews).

To start introducing yourself to wine, you can try sangria or 'tinto de verano' or a sprizer.  They're all blended drinks, so you can make it stronger or weaker depending on how you like it.  For sangria, mix a bottle of inexpensive red wine (cabernet savignon is usually best) with 1/4 cup of sugar and fruit slices (apples or pears or strawberries are nice) and then add 7-Up right before you serve.  You can also add brandy, but it's not necessary.  "Tinto de verano" is a Spanish drink - mix red wine (it works with white, too) with citrus-flavored soda (lemon or lime, 7-Up works too but Fanta is best) and ice.  That's all!  And a sprizer is just wine of your choosing with Sprite or soda water.

You also can try sweeter wines, like reisling or moscato (muscat) or dessert wines.  Try port or sherry for a very heavy dessert wine, very sweet.  Try pinot grigio or chardonnay for a 'start' white wine.  Drink them with dinner so you start to get a feel for them with food - they're better that way!  Even if you only have half a glass, you'll start to get used to it.  I say if you have wine twice a week with dinner, even if you don't finish the glass, you'll probably like it within a few weeks.

If you want any particular recommendations, I'm happy to help.  My favorite inexpensive variety is the Yellowtail wines or Barefoot.  Both are grocery store brands that sell about $5 and are pretty good!

musikbx

Yes! I used to drink boxed wines in college - I was also a fan of the $2 bottle of "sangria" they sold at the grocery store... mmm, candy wine.

Like the other girls said, my taste buds have definitely changed over time... now I have a glass of red wine every night with dinner.

I have my favorites that I keep in stock, but am trying different wines all of time. It's really the only way to find out what you do and do not like. This might be over the top, but it might help to keep a little wine-journal of everything you've tasted and whether or not you liked it. I also keep pictures on my phone of wines that I particularly enjoyed, so I can remember them when I'm at the store.

EDIT: Also, don't be afraid to ask for help at the store. Explain to them what you are looking for in terms of taste and price, they can almost always help you find it.

breezerb

First of all - a post about wine? I LOVE NYE!!!
best.topic.ever

Bren - my fellow canadian lady! There are many types of wines and you don't have to like all of them.  Some are an acquired taste but the best way to figure out which ones you like is to try them!

I'm not sure if there are many vineyards where you are but if so do a wine tour - they are very fun and give you a great idea of likes and dislikes.

If not, have a girls night where everyone brings a bottle of wine and you can sit around and play games, chat and drink wine!

I always have a glass of wine at the end of my day... it's my "me" time...

I am not a red wine person but LOVE the whites... Pinot Grigio is usually my choice or Gewurtztraminer ... a great brand (and cheap) is called STRUT... they make red and white but for some reason it is only available at WineRack

Narwhal

Your tastebuds do not change every couple of years.  That is a myth.  The food will have the exact same taste as it does when you're four or forty.

Your TASTES change.  You get older and like new things.

jeanacorina

Narwhal settin' the record STRAIGHT, yo.

ekathleen684

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:c731858c-2887-439f-88c5-112e3278d285">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]Your tastebuds do not change every couple of years.  That is a myth.  The food will have the exact same taste as it does when you're four or forty. Your TASTES change.  You get older and like new things.
Posted by Narwhal[/QUOTE]

I used to like french bread pizza until I burned my tongue, now I don't.
Taste or tastebud?? LOL

Narwhal

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_wine?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:437a35fb-82e9-4dc6-818d-9b7843c49248Post:184b4749-ffa5-484b-8b4b-52350dc2785a">Re: Wine?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Wine? : I used to like french bread pizza until I burned my tongue, now I don't. Taste or tastebud?? LOL
Posted by ekathleen684[/QUOTE]

Did you burn your tongue on the pizza? ;)

It's possible for your tastebuds to get burnt off, you might have burnt off some that recognized the part that you like.  My point is, they don't "change."  They can be damaged, but that's not due to age, it's due to outside circumstances.

It's a common myth that tastebuds change every few years.  They don't.

ekathleen684

I don't think it's due to the tastebuds but more towards the "OW SH!T MY TONGUE" but I agree with you and the whole tastes change thing.

Narwhal

Well Del Taco used to be my favorite fast food until I ate it before I got a stomach bug.. then I barfed it up and my vomit SMELLED like Del Taco... now I can't eat it.  But I don't think my tastebuds morphed.

ekathleen684

I think the stomach acid mixed with Del Taco morphed them. You never know what to expect from mexican places that sell french fries....