The Official Patriot's Planet Guide to Wines Worth Drinking

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For whites, you can't go wrong with most Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

For reds, if you're someone who manages to stash a bottle here and there, take a peak to see if you have any 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon among that stash, particularly a California coastal variety. If you do, drink it SOON. It will taste like a $50 botle of wine - even if you paid under $10 for it.
 
PatsFan09 said:
Santa Margherita is decent, although there are many better Pinot grigios.
I've had this one a number of times: http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/product/11565159/2011-Domaine-Bott-Geyl-Pinot-Gris-Furstentum
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I agree. If you're giving as a gift, it's well-known brand. But with Pinot Grigio, there are new varieties hitting the market all the time that are as good, if not better than Santa Margherita, and at a fraction of the price because it likely has not taken off in popularity yet.
 
bideau said:
I doubt Chevss intended for this thread to go off the rails so quickly. :shake:

I'm not a wine drinker and know very little about how to pick out a decent wine when I need it. We had a good friend who was very savvy with wine who once told us that at the very least, make sure the alcohol content is at least 12.5%. So that's what we do.

Any hints on what to look for other than alcohol content and fancy labels?
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The first thing is to get an understanding of what you like (taste wise) vs what's available.

examples:
how sweet vs/through how dry
reds vs whites
light vs earthy
the type of grapes / blends
etc.

For me, I like a wide variety of whites, but I'm much more picky about the reds.
ex: I don't care for merlots (too earthy tasting), but I do like cabernet sauvignon (a lighter taste). Neither of these are particularly sweet, although I do like some of the sweeter wines as well.

Until you get a feel for what you like, only then does the topic about "good" wines begin to have some relevance. Say, you know that you like sauvignon blanc, then feedback about those types of wines will have much more meaning.

My two cents
 
3 Point Stan said:
For whites, you can't go wrong with most Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

For reds, if you're someone who manages to stash a bottle here and there, take a peak to see if you have any 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon among that stash, particularly a California coastal variety. If you do, drink it SOON. It will taste like a $50 botle of wine - even if you paid under $10 for it.
Click to expand...

My first and still favorite after maybe 20 years, is the Villa Maria Line of Sauvignon Blanc (that's the traditional primary grape of White Bordeaux). The
basic bottle is Private Bin and is another great buy. Ready available in the big wine houses for under ten bucks and probably in you local good stores for 12ish.

SB is crisp,clean, dry grassy, citrusy and is something to look into if fat oaky chardonnays don't ring your bell.

2014 is an outstanding year.

Cheers, BostonTim
 
BostonTim said:
My first and still favorite after maybe 20 years, is the Villa Maria Line of Sauvignon Blanc (that's the traditional primary grape of White Bordeaux). The
basic bottle is Private Bin and is another great buy. Ready available in the big wine houses for under ten bucks and probably in you local good stores for 12ish.

SB is crisp,clean, dry grassy, citrusy and is something to look into if fat oaky chardonnays don't ring your bell.

2014 is an outstanding year.

Cheers, BostonTim
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As I do like Sauvignon Blanc, I'll be giving this one a try.

:toast:
 
BostonTim said:
[SB is crisp,clean, dry grassy, citrusy and is something to look into if fat oaky chardonnays don't ring your bell.
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This couldn't be more accurate.

Not a chardonnay fan at all.
 
Chianti must have a DOCG label on the top. If it does, it is worth drinking. Reserva is aged a bit longer. A simple web search will give a bit of info on this. Read it and you will be a virtual expert on Chianti in no time.

Maybe some fava beans will follow.
 
Love red wine

Favorite cheap wines (under $10 out here) is the Bogle Petit Syrah, the Bogle Essential Red (a blend), and the Alamos Malbec (Argentina)

Members of 3 wine clubs. Opolo and Cypher (Paso Robles country), and Orfila (North Co. San Diego). If you run across a red from these vineyards you cant go wrong.
 
I can vouch for:

Sauvignon Blanc, Dog Point, Marlborough, NZ
Naked on Rollerskates, Some Young Punks, Australia
Camins Del Priorat, Alvaro Palacios, Spain
Domaine Joel Delauney, Touraine, France
 
AnOldTroll said:
Love red wine

Favorite cheap wines (under $10 out here) is the Bogle Petit Syrah, the Bogle Essential Red (a blend), and the Alamos Malbec (Argentina)

Members of 3 wine clubs. Opolo and Cypher (Paso Robles country), and Orfila (North Co. San Diego). If you run across a red from these vineyards you cant go wrong.
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My wife is highly allergic to red wines. More than one glass makes her violently ill. So she only drinks Pinot Grigio although I prefer reds. My son drinks montepulciano.

But overall, I'll stick to having a wide variety of beer in my fridge.
 
subroc said:
Chianti must have a DOCG label on the top. If it does, it is worth drinking. Reserva is aged a bit longer. A simple web search will give a bit of info on this. Read it and you will be a virtual expert on Chianti in no time. Maybe some fava beans will follow.
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Chianti is always good. I visit Tuscany once or twice a year, and always ship home a case or two of my local favorites.
 
bideau said:
My son drinks montepulciano.
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I'll be happy to drink with your son. We all know about Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino the tuscan stalwarts. But not as well known (except for your son and I) is the third killer Tuscan Sangiovese based imbibement, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. I adore Brunello (and Barolo [and Barbera]from Italy's other iconic grape Nebbiolo).

One of the absolute highlights of our trip to Tuscany was an afternoon at Vinoteca Terra Toscana in Montepulciano, The owner, Fabio, was awesome. musted have tasted 12-15 really good wines. On a wonderful street in a beautiful village as well.

Big thing about Vino Nobile is the price - half, or even less than a good Brunello.

One favorite of mine for example is Poliziano. Available (if you find it) for maybe 22-25 bucks and worth it. It's a serious full bodied wine, perfect for you meat eaters. Awesome with steaks, chops roasts and (so I've been told) game birds. Had a 2011 maybe a year ago that was absolutely fabulous. Listen to your boy.

Cheers, BostonTim
 
AnOldTroll said:
Love red wine

Favorite cheap wines (under $10 out here) is the Bogle Petit Syrah, the Bogle Essential Red (a blend), and the Alamos Malbec (Argentina)

Members of 3 wine clubs. Opolo and Cypher (Paso Robles country), and Orfila (North Co. San Diego). If you run across a red from these vineyards you cant go wrong.
Click to expand...
Ah, Paso Robles and the Edna Valley. Love those Central Coast vineyards.
 
bideau said:
My wife is highly allergic to red wines. More than one glass makes her violently ill. So she only drinks Pinot Grigio although I prefer reds. My son drinks montepulciano.

But overall, I'll stick to having a wide variety of beer in my fridge.
Click to expand...

Apparently my allergy doesn't kick in until my ninth glass...
 
bideau said:
I doubt Chevss intended for this thread to go off the rails so quickly. :shake:

I'm not a wine drinker and know very little about how to pick out a decent wine when I need it. We had a good friend who was very savvy with wine who once told us that at the very least, make sure the alcohol content is at least 12.5%. So that's what we do.

Any hints on what to look for other than alcohol content and fancy labels?
Click to expand...

What I try to do is talk to people and experiment. If I try a wine I really like then I memorize it and recommend it to others. I know you like to cruise and I've found those great for picking the brains of the waiters, many of whom know a lot about wine, but a lot of liquor store managers are great and wine people just like to talk about wine. A lot of better packies will have scores and reviews from Wine Spectator next to the bottles. I like to read those. The more wine I drink the more I appreciate reds, but I still like a few whites with certain meals or when I'm just in the mood to go retro.

I don't like to spend more than 15 bucks for a bottle of wine unless I don't have a choice. This either makes me a cheap bastard without any class or wicked smart. I'm not sure which it is, but I swear you can find wine that is pleasing to many people without dropping tons of cash.

I know many people who drink awful wine i.e., cheapo white zinfandel or two buck chuck and with all due respect I can't drink that stuff. It tastes repulsive to me, but --- to each their own. Somebody might think the same about my choices below, but I've had good luck sharing them with people.

Here are a few of my 15 buck and under specials in a few different categories.

Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon
Spellbound Petite Syrah
Toasted Head Chardonnay (I love this)
Any Italian Wine made from Sangiovese (red) grapes ( I don't know why. Waiter swore by them and he hasn't been wrong yet, imo )
Chateau St. Michelle whites (I like the chardonnay, but a lot of folks enjoy their pinot grigio)

I mean no disrespect for those that can appreciate more expensive wines, but I've found that, while many are delicious, more often than not I don't find them to be as good a value as the mid-priced stuff I favor.
 
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