first, seek out a wine store and talk to someone. They can suggest good stuff to try as you are developing your taste. The wine they suggested in the beginning was great, but a little while in would bore me... time for something new.
I find merlot to be hit and miss, even though they are talked about as being more drinkable for beginners. Lots of dogs out there. Poured more merlot down the sink than cabs. A nice cab isn't too hard to find... I got a ton of château st michelle... bought 6 years ago for about 8.00... its no great wine, but its still a good way to spend the night.
seriously, as far as reds go, my tastes are probably not going to match yours right now. You can buy a chianti, a common table red, and see it its drinkable...
see if you can find St Francis "red", it's a Sangiovese /Zin blend that is affordable and you might like.
some of the challenge when you're drinking wine and don't favor it, is just to drink it a little to get used to it... then you'll start to discover what you like and don't... soon enough you'll be hooked. I went through some bad bottles when I started to find some things I enjoyed.
Pinot Noir is a nice light wine to try, a cab or cab-syrah blend might be pleasing to you... or just a syrah.
here... I'm never good being brief, but if you're not going to a wine store (do it) start with a chianti, syrah, or pinot noir. See if you can find some that you like. Then move on to other interesting things in time. I never buy chianti now, ill find a syrah now and then to keep around and I still like a nice pinot noir.
when in doubt, get to a wine store or a wine tasting. I have found the service to be comforting and informative when looking for a new wine. Really... when I was starting this was the best thing for me... I had fewer "dogs" and more trips back to buy out the bottles of what I liked.
I'm assuming you're struggling most with reds but...
my favorite white is a graves (said as grahves)... it's a lovely little blend of sav blanc and semillon. There was also a graves red I tried... thought it would be liked by the red wine hater, but it was too boring for me. Found it though a wine club.
many cheaper chardonnays are either too sweet or to oakey for me. Meridian is a chardonnay that runs about $9 as I've found it to be drinkable by a large crowd... not a great one, but fine enough.
then of course my dirty little secret is korbel brut. Yes, champagne. At sams club for $8 and change, when given a choice between drinking some $12 chardonnay out of the grocery store or a bottle of korbel, it's a no-brainer.
I know, I know... its champagne. There's a stigma perhaps. Well, I don't care. Korbel isn't great champagne, but it beats the pants off any $9 white you can find. Its not as sweet as most champagnes people have had at parties/weddings. Its nice enough. My christmas gift to me this year will be arranged childcare, a hotel room with my wife, and two bottles of korbel brut. I'm smiling already.
say what you want... a lovely woman and a bottle of decent champagne is about as good as it gets... though a sultry red would be even better.
Originally Posted by
Sentra
It's awesome to have a wine connossieur here on the boards. *Waves large foam finger* Number one!!
wow. A beautiful woman who loves boones and has a foam finger. And I thought I had the perfect marriage. =)