My wife is starting to get into wine, but hasn't bought anything other than $10 and under bottles. I've bought her a wine journal and a wine tasting "beginner's" guide for Christmas, and now, I would like to buy a couple of nicer bottles to start her off. Now, mind you, I would like to buy a couple of bottles that are readily available, and in the $20 - $45 range. Does anybody have suggestions? She is a fan of reds, specifically cabs and shiraz, sometimes merlot, and rarely pinots or zin. Any suggestions would be most helpful.|||I love wine myself and make my own. 2003 was a good year for wine so here are some good reds that are all under $35.00.
Paringa Shiraz 2001 - Australia
Bodegas Castano Solanera 2000 Yecla -Spain
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2001 Marlborough - New Zealand
Peju 2003 Merlot - Callifornia
Gopfrich 2004 Syrah - California
Santa Lucia 2003 Uva de Trioa - Italy
Raymond 2003 Reserve Cabernet - California|||As a wine lover and an employee for a wine distributor, I have a couple recommendations.
Some of the best wines are under $30. There is no need to go overboard on spending.
Rosemount Shiraz is a fantastic red wine.
Schmitt Sohne Riesling is an excellent white wine.
If your wife likes sweet whites - go for Piesporters, Gewurtraminers, Rieslings.
If she has more dry tastes - choose Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
If she likes reds, Shiraz and Merlot go perfectly with meats. Cabernet Sauvignon is very rich and hearty.
Have fun picking and choosing out wines - perhaps go to your local Whole Foods or anyplace that specializes in selling wines. Enjoy!!|||Clos du Bois wines are really good; espeically the Merlot!! They are also sold in most grocery stores, liquor stores and wine shops.
http://closdubois.com/|||If it's available where you live I enjoy Charles Shaw (Two-Buck Chuck)|||I had to laugh at the part where you said ,to start her off,I love wine and the best reds are Bulgarian.|||Sounds like she likes reds mostly, but a nice bottle of real champagne is a treat. I like Veuve Cliquot.
In reds I like Napa cabs such as Freemark Abbey, ZD, Stag's Leap, and Caymus. I also like St Emillion bordeaux wines such as Chte Figeac, and just about anything from Chateaunef de Pape region of France is good.|||Since you are stepping up to a higher price range, you should give a her an new look at the different grapes - a $10 bottle of anything (except maybe Aussie shiraz) is not going to be a fair example of that type of wine.
For examplwe, look for Ridge Geyserville zin - widely considered on of the great American red wines (Thomas Keller lists it as his favorite), right in your price range and drinks great without any age. It will make a zin fan out of anyone. Most cabernet's you would buy won't drink well for at least 2 or 3 years of proper cool storage, so I would stay away from those.
Same for Pinot Noir - there are really no good Pinots under $15 or $20, but Pinots in the $30 - $40 can some of the best wines you could ever hope for. Look at Oregan and Washington state exampes in that range. Also, these usually don't need as much bottle age as a Cabernet would.
If you can get a Brunello at that price, jump on it. Recent vintages have been fantastic, and few if any serious wine lovers don't list Brunellos as one fo their favorites.|||If she is getting into wines, then besides getting her a few good bottles, I would suggest also getting her the appropriate tools for proper wine tasting. This would include a couple of nice wine glasses suited for tasting. There is a huge difference in using the right glass wear. Buy her a couple of Riedel Sommelier glasses. It will greatly improve the wine drinking experience.
Not less important is the bottle opener and seal cutter. You need one that can cleanly remove the cork. Screw Pull line is one of my favorites and there are all shapes and sizes to choose from.
A would also recommend a decanter but its use will greatly depend on the wine you will be drinking so it might not be useful initially.
Now that you have the implements, you will need the wines. Since not all wines are available everywhere, my recommendation would be to visit a reputable wine store and ask the expert to recommend some wines in the price range you would like to buy. He will more than helpful in helping you choose. Since you are looking to give your wife a tasting experience, I would go for the following types (depending on how much you want to spend...):
Champagne (yes, its considered a wine)
Shiraz
Merlot
Malbec
Barolo
Cab (Bordeaux)
This will give you a great variety to explore and enjoy.
Cheers!!!
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