Total wine drinking newbie....

[zeusabj]

Hello everyone!

As my subject line implies I'm fairly new to the world of wine! I've recently taken to trying a different wine every time I go to a nice restaurant with my wife and am truly beginning to develop an affinity for it. However I've run into a bit of bad luck when it comes to buying wine by the bottle.

I tend to get eager to try a particular variety, purchase it, then (more often than not) once I get home and taste it I find that particular variety is simply not be for me and wind up pouring the whole bottle down the sink in disgust! Needless to say this is a rather poor method of finding out which wines suite my taste buds the best! I'm hoping that some of the “more experienced” wine drinkers here can recommend a few better ones for me to try.

Of the few wines I've tasted I seem to prefer lighter wines to dark reds but I'd really appreciate it if anyone can recommend a red that will suit my palette. To give you an idea about the tastes I prefer so far I’ve found that these two are my favorites:

Chateau St. Michelle Johannesburg Riesling
Ernest & Julio Gallo Twin Valley White Zinfandel

In my search for a good red I have found two that I consider to be “okay” but I’m certain there is another red out there that will suit me better. The two I currently buy are:

Rosemont Estate Diamond Shiraz
Bellagio Chianti (Not sure if this is the correct name but it comes in a wicker flask)

The next wine I was planning to try was a Sandeman Porto. Based on what I’ve mentioned here about the wines I prefer does anyone think this is a poor choice for me? Also if there are any other varieties anyone out there feels will appeal to my tastes please feel free to make suggestions!

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!