Favorite wine? Please school me

MissyC979

I've never really been a wine drinker. If I drink, it's usually fruity drinks with hard alcohol. However, I've been thinking it might be nice to have a glass of wine on occasion while relaxing at night.

Any suggestions on brands for a newbie? How much do you typically spend on non[special occasion wine? Also, how quickly do you need to drink a bottle before it goes bad?

FutureMrsCaesar

A wine that I like to keep a couple bottles of around is Kendall Jackson Riesling.  It's about $12/bottle here.

If someone else is buying (ahem, DHs boss) Ghost Block Cabernet.  mmmmm  

eta: reading fail, I thought you were looking for special occasion wines also

chemily8

Chardonnay if you want cold. Merlot if you want warm. Robert Mondavi/Woodbridge About $10

musicnmoon123

If you think you'd like sweeter wines, try Barefoot Cellars Riesling. I typically spend $8-10 on wine for casual drinking.

Jenniferomeo

I hate wine, its too bitter and dry for me. So when I have to but it for something I always buy moscato. It's really sweet and not dry. I can't remember which ones i buy. Rieslings aren't bad either.

Caitlinh27

I'm going to be checking back on this because I know NOTHING about wine. But I do know I like it cold and sweet.

iranwithscissors

If you want to try something sweet and fruity, my favorite is Carlo Rossi Moscato Sangria

imrachellea

I love Riesling, the sweeter the better. I'm a fan of RELAX Riesling, can be picked up at walmart. Moscato is also sweet. Do you have any wine bars around? We have a place that has wine dispensers all over the place, grouped whites, reds, desserts. You get a charge card, load it, and can purchase 1, 2, or 5 ounces of whatever you want. Try it or get a whole glass. It's a nice way to try pricier wines without buying a full glass or bottle and hating it. You can try tons of wine, without getting utterly smashed, and find what you do and don't my like.

TXmamatobe

I tried some of these recently after seeing this article in a search. They are all cheap wines that you can find at the grocery store easily.

https://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/shopping-storing/beverages/cheap-wine-00100000084473/

mightymousy

My go to favourite brand is Wyndham estate

MissyC979

imrachellea said:

I love Riesling, the sweeter the better. I'm a fan of RELAX Riesling, can be picked up at walmart. Moscato is also sweet. Do you have any wine bars around? We have a place that has wine dispensers all over the place, grouped whites, reds, desserts. You get a charge card, load it, and can purchase 1, 2, or 5 ounces of whatever you want. Try it or get a whole glass. It's a nice way to try pricier wines without buying a full glass or bottle and hating it. You can try tons of wine, without getting utterly smashed, and find what you do and don't my like.

That sounds so neat, I've never heard of a place like that! Almost sounds like a fro-yo place for wine!

KFED103

FutureMrsCaesar said:

A wine that I like to keep a couple bottles of around is Kendall Jackson Riesling.  It's about $12/bottle here.

If someone else is buying (ahem, DHs boss) Ghost Block Cabernet.  mmmmm  

eta: reading fail, I thought you were looking for special occasion wines also

I want to say I've had ghost block before and it was awesome. I wish I could afford to be the wine snob that I am.

I drink red. (Zin, Cab, or blends) Strong and dry. I can tell that's not the direction this is going. Beginning drinkers usually don't go for that. IMO a bottle if wine should be finished the next day or it tastes icky.

jaykay627

I like red blends the best. Apothic and Menage a trois are both really good and in the $10 range. I also like a good malbec, but there isn't one in particular that's my favorite. For white wine, Candoni makes a delicious moscato that's sweet enough to almost be a dessert wine. Now I want all the wines.

notkateanymore

My favorite white is a Sancerre, my favorite red is usually a pinot noir. My favorite red every day bottle is an Italian red right now and it's $14 a bottle. 

leahraewku

I've been drinking Apothic Red lately.

thesportsgal

Your first mistake is having a glass "on occasion" so we need to change that to "daily" or "nightly" .


For whites, if you like sweet, Riesling is the way to go. I like it, but it's too sweet for me all the time. Chardonnay is a drier white. I like Pinot Grigio which is like a combo of the two - not too sweet, not too dry.

I drink crap wine on a day to day basis. A 1.75 liter of Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio is like, 10.99. But it's good. I'll splurge on a Santa Margarita every once in a awhile at $20/bottle (which I know is nothing in the wine world).

I'll drink a Cabernet during the winter, I like Mondavi again and get it at Costco. Good reds are more expensive than good whites so good thing I drink white year around!

notkateanymore

Some favorite US brands are Ridge, Hirsch, Lioco, Domaine Serene, DuMol and Littorai. I can't spell any of the French ones, so I won't share those. LOL We drink mostly French wine.

MissyC979

Thanks everyone! This is probably (another) stupid question, but do you always drink your wine out of a wine glass? Does that matter or can I use a regular drinking glass? I'm not even positive that I have wine glasses, although I may have some in the basement that we got for our wedding...

notkateanymore

Go to Target or World Market and get some cheap stemless glasses. They're great and you can use them for everything.

MissyC979

KateMW said:

Go to Target or World Market and get some cheap stemless glasses. They're great and you can use them for everything.

Good idea!

Islandgirl1129

Middle sister or 7 daughters both white wine blends. My favorite is called house jams it is super cheap and more a pizza type wine. Houdini makes a resealer so it will last about a week if you use that. They have them at Target for $4.

MissyC979

Islandgirl1129 said:

Middle sister or 7 daughters both white wine blends. My favorite is called house jams it is super cheap and more a pizza type wine. Houdini makes a resealer so it will last about a week if you use that. They have them at Target for $4.

I will add that to my Target list for tomorrow, along with wine glasses.

Do you typically leave your opened wine in the refrigerator or the counter?

Krilolo

So I know its not wine but yesterday we hosted a super bowl party with our fam and let me start by saying I normally buy Franzia Refreshing White boxed wine.. anyway my (well-off which does not describe DH and I at all) brother brought us a bottle of DOM PERIGNON! We haven't opened it. Has anyone ever tried it?

amberpro

Just start drinking. It's all pretty damn good. Unless it's pink. Blech.

My current favorite is La Crema Pinot Noir. About $20 a bottle. But I usually drink cheaper wine for every day. There's plenty good under $10.

yty0205

I love red but I get migraines from the tannins. I've become a huge fan of white wine - specifically Sauvignon Blanc (and more specifically anything from the Marlborough New Zealand area). It has a distinctive taste that I love! Other whites I love are Guwerstiminer and Pinot Grigio. Fruity but still bold.

Hell, who am I kidding? I like wine. All the wine.

ETA Don't worry about drinking wine out of non wine glasses. I've been known to drink out of Styrofoam coffee cups when I was staying in military lodging during drill weekends. Desperate times, desperate measures....

Ansleyturner

I've been drinking yellow tail sweet red. Inexpensive and delicious. I keep it for a week.

HerbanMom

The one with the highest alcohol content... I kid... Kinda. 

I prefer reds, so I stick with cabs, shiraz or a malbec because I like it to have a little bite. The grocery stores around here put the $20-$30 bottles on sale weekly rotating the brands and you can usually catch a good one for $12-$15. You should probably try to finish it in 3-4 days max or it'll get funky. 

cammyisagirlsname

Mommy's Time Out red blend was gifted to me and I love it! It's a great sit home in your pjs watching tv wine. Super relaxing.

I also love anything by Cupcake Vineyards. Especially their Red Velvet and Pinot Noir.

As for whites I like Relax Riesling and Coastal Estates Chardonnay

I'm also a fan of blush wines but I need to go for tastings for that.

Whitterpow

I eased into wine with a blush Zinfandel, then to white, and then to red. Moscatos are tasty as well. I would try to go to a wine tasting to get an idea of what you like. You get to try a lot of different ones and it could be a fun date for you and your SO.

MissJenna2011

I love LOVE Stella Rosa red wine. It's sweet & has notes of fruity chocolate in it :x I drink mine out of wine glasses stem. & stemless. And I really don't know how long they last, as I always finish mine in one night lol I also like barefoot summer blends, yum

teacupkat

Leese Fitch Merlot or Cab: $9.99
Clay house Malbec:$14.99
14 Hands merlot: 12.99
Tinto: 13.99
Trapiche Malbec or cab: $12.99 for big bottle

I drink a lot of wine and I hate trying the same thing twice unless I really like it. All dry but delicious.

notkateanymore

Just start drinking. It's all pretty damn good. Unless it's pink. Blech. My current favorite is La Crema Pinot Noir. About $20 a bottle. But I usually drink cheaper wine for every day. There's plenty good under $10.

Some of the best wine in the world is pink...

peitri

I didn't like wine right away. I started with sweet wines (even wine in a box!), then worked my way to light whites, then light red, etc. I go wine tasting in the foothills nearby all the time, or at least I did before baby. I don't usually buy wine in stores unless it's a wine store like Total WIne, but the one brand I do like is 7 Deadly Zins. Zinfandel is my favorite varietal though.

sportsmomma

Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling is my favorite. Relax Riesling is pretty good too. If I'm doing red, I go for a Pinot noir

bty19

All i have to contribute here is to say that I had my first full glass (2 actually) of wine last night since before pregnancy

Also I am so jealous of your cheap booze prices. A $10 bottle for you guys can be almost $20 here. Not fair.

MissyC979

Thanks everyone! I was just at Walmart and picked up a Moscato and some cheap wine glasses. Now I just need my kids to go to bed for the night.

amberpro

KateMW said:

amberpro said:

Just start drinking. It's all pretty damn good. Unless it's pink. Blech.

My current favorite is La Crema Pinot Noir. About $20 a bottle. But I usually drink cheaper wine for every day. There's plenty good under $10.

amberpro said:

Some of the best wine in the world is pink...

I'll take recommendations . Reasonably priced, please.

ETA: not too sweet

swirl25

I love a good Riesling, but I like sweeter white and red wines. I also really like Yellowtail pink moscato -- it's pretty sweet and fizzy...easy to drink the whole bottle in one sitting (not that I have done that....post baby).

Caitlinh27

MissJenna2011 said:

I love LOVE Stella Rosa red wine. It's sweet & has notes of fruity chocolate in it :x I drink mine out of wine glasses stem. & stemless. And I really don't know how long they last, as I always finish mine in one night lol I also like barefoot summer blends, yum

That sounds so good!!

mkhim

Rice wine! Sake is nums although you don't typically drink it out of a wine glass.