Wine novice

[55sadhikar]

Please give me the name of good one that is fairly cheap but tastes great!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I'm partial to Yellowtail, Australian wines. Very good and the prices is right, under $10 USD most of the time.

Welcome to DC!

 

[Hoot]

I reckon it depends on one's taste. I like wine that is fruity but not overly sweet or dry.
I must admit that I am partial to the Duplin Winery products. There ain't nothing fancy about their wine. It just suits my taste. I tried for many years to develop my palate and it has helped somewhat. Most times I just want to drink a wine that I enjoy without have to reach back in my mind to detect a subtle fruitiness with a trace of oak, and so forth.
As always, this is strictly my humble opinion and, as they say, YMMV.
(Your Mileage May Vary)

 

[ChefJune]

OP's question is way too broad. There is no simple answer. I'm wondering if OP is from a culture different than USA?

 

[Steve Kroll]

"Fairly cheap" and "tastes great" are completely subjective terms. I like dry reds with a lot of body. You may not. My idea of fairly cheap is under $20. Yours may be under $10.

Can you try and narrow it down a bit? Do you have a preference for white or red? Sweet or dry?

 

[55sadhikar]

Well the idea is you guys could give me your names and i could go out in the market and try those. Anything under $20 is a reasonable price for me. I would prefer red and i am not a big fan of sweet wines either.

 

[Andy M.]

Try Ravenswood Red Zinfandel (not white zinfandel)

 

[ChefJune]

If you are a wine novice, then you might do well to start with wines that have a fruity profile, such as Beaujolais. I'm NOT referring to that swamp water that's marketed every November as Beaujolais Nouveau, but to the basic Beaujolais Villages. They're very tasty, not so tannic, fruit forward, food friendly wines from the southernmost region of Burgundy in France. Price point is generally between $12 - $20.

Another good value is Argentine Malbec, although that tends to be more tannic.

For whites, there are some lovely, easy drinking whites from Spain (Rueda, Albarino, Godello) Italy (Gavi, Vernacchia di San Gimignano, Verdicchio) France (Chinon, Rhone blends) as well as Washington State Rieslings that you might like to explore.

 

[Steve Kroll]

If you like dry reds, one of my favorite "go to" wines lately is the 2007 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon (either Sonoma or Napa - they're both good). It runs $12-14 and is available everywhere.

 

[Bigjim68]

I think that what you need is the name of a good vendor with a large inventory in your area. Too many variables in your question. Availability in your area, your intended use, time of year, all contribute to the decision. There are a lot of good wines in the under $20 range.

 

[justplainbill]

Wine preferences are somewhat an acquired taste. We like Lemberger or Blaufraenkisch.

 

[taxlady]

I usually recommend Liebfraumilch to novice wine drinkers, but it's white.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

What are you serving this wine with, spaghetti and meatballs, steak, roast beef, veal, pork, rotisserie chicken, fish, or some other type of seafood?

For spaghetti and meatballs you can't beat a real Italian Chianti, or Sangiovese. For beef, Argentine Malbec is the way to go. Argentina is famous for beef, and Malbec was designed to go with it. Pork or veal would be good with Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

For seafood I prefer an Italian pinot grigio or an Argentine Torrontés, and I prefer the Torrontés Salta to the Torrontés Mendoza (it's an elevation thing). If you're serving finger foods, like a Spanish Tapas party, a Tempranillo is good, or for summer parties, go with a Sangria. You can serve it straight from the bottle, or decant and embellish it with sliced fruits of choice.

In the summer I drink a lot of different Rosés, both foreign and domestic, because it's a bit lighter and just seems to sip better in the summer months. Rosé can go with red meat, chicken, or seafood, which makes it the go-to wine if you're party is having both at a restaurant or you're serving both at a dinner party.

I don't know if you have one where you live, but for the best selection of moderately priced wine, Cost Plus World Market has everyone else beat by a mile. If you want cheap wine, go to Trader Joe's and buy 2 buck chuck. If you do, let me know because I have this recipe for a red wine-chocolate bundt cake that I just know you'll love.

If you find you really enjoy wines and want to experiment, let me know and I can direct you to a couple of wine clubs you might like to join.

 

[infinitecookbook]

If you want to go deluxe on a budget this tip might be helpful. If you have a Sam's Club or a Costco (or a similar bulk everything store) near you I've noticed that sometimes they have Bordeaux red wine (from Bordeaux France) and perhaps as low as $18-20 which is good because often they are 2-3 times that or more. I've yet to taste a bad Bordeaux.

I once had Bordeaux wine IN Bordeaux and that I think was the best wine I have ever had. Mind you I am by no means a wine expert. But I know what i like. Worth trying. Some people consider red wines from France to be among the best in the world.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Beefy mate I know a bit about "old world wines" that's what I was brought up with.New world wines don't appeal much as they are too perfect, as I only drink Reds because the older I get fizzy whites give me indigestion, so when I travel away from Europe I look for reds that are made from the Temparanillo grape. Argentine and Chile have some great product made from this grape.

 

[MyCrummyApartment]

Well the idea is you guys could give me your names and i could go out in the market and try those. Anything under $20 is a reasonable price for me. I would prefer red and i am not a big fan of sweet wines either.

Since this is a food forum, are you asking to match wine with a menu item or special occasion with food? You say red, but red for what? Casual drinking, canopes, or roast lamb perhaps?

Do you see how this could change things?

 

[ChefJune]

I usually recommend Liebfraumilch to novice wine drinkers, but it's white.

and also sweet! Actually, I started out with that many moons ago, but rarely see any in the wine stores these days.

Kinda nice in the Spring with a strawberry in the bottom of the glass as an aperitif.

 

[taxlady]

and also sweet! Actually, I started out with that many moons ago, but rarely see any in the wine stores these days.

Kinda nice in the Spring with a strawberry in the bottom of the glass as an aperitif.

Yeah, it's a bit sweet for my taste. It is kinda fun once in a blue moon. But, it's great for convincing some folks that wine doesn't have to taste "sour", "tannic", or whatever it is that makes wine an acquired taste.

 

[justplainbill]

I prefer reds because many of them generally have a longer shelf life than whites.

 

[ChefJune]

I prefer reds because many of them generally have a longer shelf life than whites.

not sure what you mean by that, bill...