Starting Over
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Wine drinkers come in
I'm not a wine drinker, but that is probably because I have no idea what to drink. I went to a wine tasting (at a winery) a few years ago, but honestly couldn't even tell you much more than we got tipsy and giggled a lot. So can anyone offer any suggestions for wines to try? I prefer sweeter drinks if that helps.
Also, maybe this is a dumb question, but do you drink it chilled or room temperature?
Thanks in advance!
Re: Wine drinkers come in
The temp usually depends on the wine.
My favorite thing to do is to pair a bottle with dinner. You've probably got a boutique wine store in your area. Do a bit of research and find a good one. Take your recipe in and have them pair a bottle to your dinner. It will rock your world. And that's how I got started with wine.
The thing I like about wine is that you can like what you like and there are so many differences with the different varietals. And it can taste different on its own versus paired with food.
I'm actually an avid wine drinker (we'll blame France for that), but I still can't bring myself to like reds. I personally can't stand wines that are aged in oak, and I really can't stand buttery wines (cuts out a lot of heavier whites, and pretty much anything from California). and I don't particularly like the sweet stuff, either. Never have.
If you like sweet drinks in general (I don't), then I think some of the suggestions above would be a good introduction to wines for you. If not, I think a lighter white would be a good introduction. I tend to go for more minerally, crisper, dry whites - like sauvignon blancs (particularly from Marlborough), sancerres, and the occasional pinot grigio or pinot gris.
"You don't get to be all puke-face about your kid shooting your undead baby daddy when all you had to do was KEEP HIM IN THE FLUCKING HOUSE, LORI!" - doctorwho
White wines should be cooler, and red wines should be room temp. Some people say that you should keep white wine in the refrigerator for around 1-2 hours before serving and red wines around 25 minutes, I've also heard that you should cool white wines but take them out about 25 minutes before serving.
As for wines to try, I have never gone wrong whith Santa Margarita Pino Grigio as a white when I am going somewhere and bringing wine. It is sold in a lot of places and is a pretty good brand and not terribley expensive ($20).
If I am having pasta, I like Ruffino Chianti. I went to a wine pairing course and this was the only thing I remember. But it makes sense - Chianti (Italian wine) with pasta (Italian food)!
Recently my friends and I had a wine swap (instead of Christmas cookies swap). I received Ghost Pines Cabernet. It was $15 and I served it at a party and even my wine-drinking BIL really liked it. I liked it as well - better than the wines people brought.
Also, I was at a book club meeting and everyone raved about the wine. It was Cantina Zaccagini (the "twig wine" - wine bottle has a twig on it). I couldn't have any and went to the store to buy some. It was very inexpensive ($11 per bottle), BUT the liquor store guy grabbed it out of my hand and said it was over-rated and handed me a bottle of Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno - also inexpensive which I purchased but haven't tried yet.
Altos Malbec (Argentina) is good, but not sweet.
I see people recommend Cupcake wine often. I tried it and really did not like it. Not sure what makes it different. But I don't like sweet wines, so maybe it is sweeter and you will like it.
I realize that most of the wines I mentioned are Italian. I don't favor Italian wine - but I guess I try to "mix it up" more with American brands and when I find one from Italy I tend to stick with it.
If your friends like wine, do a wine swap! We met at a bar, so we couldn't drink the bottles we opened, but we did get to try different wines when we got home or to serve over the holidays. Maybe have everyone bring one bottle to swap, and have some people bring two bottles (of the same brand they bring to swap) and the other half bring food so you are all not drunk at the end of the evening.
All the PPs gave great suggestions. I prefer dryer whites like Sav Blancs and Pinot Grigios. I also buy Ca va and Prosecco fairly regularly in the summer.
For reds, I tend to like Pinot Noirs and Syrahs.
What I did to learn about wine was go to a place like Trader Joes or Whole Foods or the World Market and pick out two or three $8-$10 bottles of wine and just try them. Note which ones you like and which you don't, and then try some different brands of the types you like, and maybe try one more different brand of the type you don't. It's all trial and error, but fun and relatively cheap. Cheers!
For something sweet but not too sweet I like pinot grigio (sp?) I found one the other day that was pretty inexpensive but was still good. It was called Flip Flop or something. Normally the more expensive, the better. I prefer reds, and like syrah or merlot. Usually the most I'll pay in a store is somewhere around $15 so it's not like they are too high end or anything.
I like going to wine bars and consulting with the people who work there as to what might be good, or tasting a flight and then buying a bottle based on what you taste. Most of the wines I've tried at wine bars are local to my area so that's probably not much help to you.
It is definitely an acquired taste. For most people you get into it by starting with an off dry white (reisling, moscato) and then moving to other light bodied whites (Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio, gruner vetliner), then light body reds like pinot noir snd malbec, then full body reds loke cabernet. A lot of wine stores do wine tastings and a lot of nicer restaurants will let you taste things they offer by the glass before you order. My friends and I also used to do dinners where everyone brought a favorite bottle so we could try one another's. For cheap wines that are still good you probably want to go new world, so Australia, s Africa, s America, and some California Oregon etc. Italy and France legally categorize their wines and growing regions so price is often correlated with quality. Sonoma is less expensive than napa and areas like Santa barbera are cheaper than naps and Sonoma. When you taste actually take the time to sniff, swirl, sip and think about what you smell and taste. It will help you describe what you like in wine and find other things you'll enjoy.
It sounds like for now German reisling would be a great place for you to start, kabinette level in particular. Also cava and prosecco. I got into red drinking catena Malbec. Merlots are highly underrated, au Bon climat makes an excellent Pinot noir. For reds you may want to stick with new world for awhile, Italian reds tend to be very acidic and not very fruit forward. California, s Africa, Chilean and Argentinian reds will have a lot more fruit to them.
Ditto this. Also Merlots are pretty easy reds and aren't too dry.
3/12 5 mi -- 49:22 Pace: 9:52
5/1 Half Marathon -- 2:11:22 Pace: 10:01
5/22 10k -- 56:29 Pace: 9:00
5/24 3.6 -- 29:03 Pace: 8:18
7/10 15k -- 1:44:46 injured Pace: 11:14
10/29 5k -- 28:24 Pace: 9:04
Anyway, they guy at the wine place laughed at me when I told him I liked a $6 bottle of wine from the pharmacy!! He said "You like what you like and whether it's $5 a bottle or $100, after the first bottle, you won't be able to tell the difference anyway"! Love him! Thanks for all the other suggestions though, I have been wanting to branch out from my regular!
Oh, I do like the Menage a Trois wines also, they have a white, red and a rose. Very good stuff!