I love to drink wine. I don't know much about wine but would like to learn more. I read the Weekend section of the WSJ for buying tips. Some of these have been quite good.

If you try something new and enjoy it, post your reveiw.

If you find a real "dog", post your review.

Everyone has different tastes, but no one likes to spend money on a bad bottle of wine. This time of year I am most likely buying wine for entertaining or for a gift. Either way, you want it to be a pleasant experience.

Thanks

Omega - I love wine also, but can never remember the bottles I like - I know I should peel the labels or something but I enjoy experimenting and risking. A lot of times, just like with books, I go by gut feeling from the cover (books) or labels (wine). I will say this - I always can find a good bottle of wine in the $8 - $12 range, and kind of refuse to pay more. I have tried $25 - $50 bottles, and frankly, they are not noticeably better, and in fact, sometimes are bad! I rarely am disappointed by Australian Shiraz or French Beaujolais in the $10 range. I am lucky to have a large liquor store nearby with a huge selection, and an employee there who knows wine and is very candid and will tell me what the good buys are. Also, I pay attention to the signage they put on the shelf, like when the Wine Spectator rates a bottle a "best buy". Lastly, if I get a "BAD" bottle - I will return it and they take it back w/o problem.

I just had DeBouef's beaujolais nouveau Thanksgiving, it was light dry and a little on the fruity side. Very nice with the turkey. I love beaujolais nouveau, but it only comes out in November of each year and as a young wine should be drunk pretty quickly (not that that is a problem in my house).

Recently, I've been hooked on Columbia Crest Merlot Cabernate blend (spelling is not my best trait)

IF you like Wine one way of finding some good wines is to have a Wine tasting party. We have had two wine tasting parties and they are a blast. Everyone brings their favorite bottle of wine and you rate them. We have a sheet with Color, Cut, Clarity....oh.....that's diamonds....but anyway, color, aroma, taste and something else but I can't think of it. We are by far not wine people and pretty much don't know much about it but it is a great way to find new wines. We usually have about 15 to 20 bottles once everyone is there....then the tasting begins. It's pretty funny because most of the people aren't big wine fans.......as we learned the first year when the good wines came in last and Mad Dog came in 3rd. We give prizes to the top three. Good party for the winter time blues!

If you like Merlot go for Blackstone Merlot- usually $10.00

I have been into wines from Chile lately- you can get a good price on them- as they havent really been noticed yet!

A nice desert wine is a Muscato d'Oro from Robert Mondavi - very sweet- it is fruity- something like watermellon, or other mellons. Keep it cold and it is fabulous after a nice meal $20.00.

I go to local wineries where I can test (love that part). It's a nice gift too, because it's personal and if they like it, they know where to get more. Not to mention it supports the local economy. Right now I'm stuck on Alpine Spice which I heat and serve with a cinnamon stick. It's the same effect as Swiss Miss instant hot apple drink with a healty shot of Morgan's Spiced Rum. Love those winters by the fire

I love the beaujolias nouveau. It is so "in your face". From what I understand this is a great year. I need to find a couple for the holidays but the selection in rural Iowa is quite thin.

Is that Columbia Crest a Washington state wine? Does the blend have more texture than a straight Merlot?

I like to find good wines at great prices. (It feels like I am getting away with something.) It is hard to spend a lot on a beaujolias nouveau and they appeal to people that don't ordinarily enjoy red wine. ( I love red wine but even if I am the only one drinking it the bottle still ends up empty. Why is that?)

Has anyone had luck with one of those wine saver pump type things?

For me, it is harder and harder to find people who drink white wine. I have never tried the pump saver, but years ago, I bought a thing from Sharper Image - looks like a wine bucket and plugs in. You put the winme bottle in it for "x" minutes and it takes the tang out. It is a deionizer, and while on some wines I could definitely tell a difference, it is collecting the proverbial dust in my house. Once I decide to drink wine, I never want to wait that long!

I noticed in white wines, there are some taste good but don't taste like you would expect. The Gallo Sonoma Chardonay, to me, tastes like fresh apples. It does not taste like it "should", but it is not bad served cold.

I like my Chardonays on the dry side with an edge. That normally means a little more money.

A litte flower / gift shop in town started selling wine. The have a Muscato that is very popular- not my thing. They just brought in some wines by Bonnie Doone. Big House White, Big House Red, Cardinal Zin to name a few.
Does anyone have any experience with the Bonnie Doone wines?

I almost always buy my wine because of the label. I have tried some interesting wines that way!

I drink Merlot and my two favorites at the moment (both under $10) are Beringer's (very smoooooth), and Rex Allen 47-Pound Rooster (great label!).

Jest Red is a good table wine. Some of the Australian wines are good too.

If you like labels, you should check out the Bonnie Doone wines. They start at about $14. I need to check out that 47 pound rooster!

Give me a Zinfandel any time. Anybody know why a White Zinfandel is actually a blush wine?

It can make you blush? I THINK it is because the grape skins add the color.

OK, OK I love it too! Only I've been drinking $2 Buck Chuck (Merlot). Formerly I drank Blackstone Merlot, still like it, Usually buy it at Sams Club for around $6 to $8 a bottle. Now I buy $2 Buck Chuck by the case.

I have never hear of Two Buck Chuck. Is that the wine' "given" name?

I bought myself a Chianti Reserva Clasico over the weekend as kind of a treat (I love Chianti) and a Francis Copola Zin. I don't have a lot of experience with Zin but from what I read it should be in a Chianti fan's cellar.

Has anyone tried the Beringer White Merlot? We're really enjoying that one since my husband 'found' it.

I need to do some research. I know that some wines are named for regions and others for grapes. I know that there are certain percentages allowed in various types of wines in order for them to carry a particular name.

What is in Merlot and how can it be white? How about Zin? (A grape?) Burgandy? (A region?)

I would love to try a white Merlot. What does it taste like?

The white merlot is very similiar to a white zinfandel, but seemingly without the bite. Hmmm. I need to go train on HMDA again this afternoon. Wish I had a bottle with me.

$2 Buck Chuck, AKA Charles Schaw is sold at Trader Joes exclusively. see this article earlier in the year http://www.ktvu.com/money/1954524/detail.html

I just had the Bonnie Doon last night (Big House White). Quite nice. The citrus flavor is pronounced. I like a soft citrus in my whites. The price is great!

I had a 2001 Chateau Montelena chardonay last weekend. I'm not a chard drinker (Don't like oak and butter in my wine) but this one was very nice. Light but not thin, soft and fruity without heavy butter.

Dave...you're buying the wrong $25 to $50 bottles dearie

White Burgundy, White Merlot and White Bordeaux are all nice changes from Chardonay. They have differences of course, but are fun to try, and many folks haven't had them. I'm a huge white Burgundy fan! Phil (my local bar tender at the club) tries to dig out new ones for me whenever I visit. Last night he had a 1998 Jayer-Gilles very yummy

Omega, the color of the wine is dependent on how long after the grapes are crushed the juice is in contact with the grape skins. If the juice and skins are immediately separated, you get a white wine. The longer they stay in contact the deeper red the wine becomes. Juice left in contact for a short period of time becomes a blush wine, though some people blend a red and a white to produce a blush.

Merlot,Zinfandel,Cabernet,Shiraz,and Chardonnay are all grapes. Burgundy is a region. Wines in France and some other countries are named for the region where the grapes are grown. Wines in the United States are typically named after the type of grape.

Yea Anon. Thank you.

Another couple of questions, if you please:
* Chianti must have 70% (?)savonise (sp)grapes. Savonise is a "nobel" grape. What other grapes are nobel?

* Classico and Reserva reflect "estate bottled"? I was told that Classico Reserva is the top Chianti for a given vinter / vintage. I was also told that anything with the "Black Rooster" should be a good Chianti. (This goes back to Florenza v Seina, I believe.)
How much of this is true?

Thanks