Red Wine Newbie

[kes_va]

Me and the wife have enjoyed fruity red wines (but not whats considered dessert wines). For general daily enjoyment (not with particular food pairing) what is a good type of wine to drink?

Not looking for particular brands, but rather just types. Would prefer to experiment with the brands and find which I enjoy best.

Thank you.

[winophite]

Hi kv, welcome. If you wish to learn about wine, youve come to the right place! I'm a mere novice myself but have learned a ton here. For fruity reds, Beaujolaise villages is nere the top, runs around $10 or so. But for reds in general...I really enjoy merlots, they are very dry though, (no sweetness)I find a big taste difference in the price range of $20+ compared to the $6.99 types. (not that there aren't plenty of good cheapies), but texture and mouth feel tend to improve with price. Another red to try if wanting one with some sweetness is Lambrusco. Not real familiar with sweeties though. Lots of makers out there.

Also suggest trying shiraz, (syrah)

There are tons of tasting notes on down the forum under individual types and regions. Check them out. I've enjoyed trying lots of different types I've read about. Good luck and happy holiday tastings! WP

[kes_va]

Thank you for the response. Although, being a newbie, I've never heard of any of those types before. But I'll be sure to do some research on them and try them out.

Any other opinions or suggestions are always welcomed from anyone. And, happy holidays to all.

[swampguy]

Try Auzzie Shriaz for a big fruit forward wine. The price is right.
I would also recommend going to wine tastings at your local wine shop.

[kes_va]

I have another question about the red wines. I recently tried a Pinot Noir and Merlot. The Pinot was pretty good; the merlot seemed very "bitter" (not sure if this is the correct term or not). Both bottles were about $24.00 (US) in price. Does this "bitterness" have something to do with tannins that I have read about?

[wondersofwine]

Ordinarily, yes--tannins can make the wine taste bitter and cause the mouth to pucker. Merlot grapes are usually not all that tannic, but the tannins could be from grape stems or new oak barrels used to age the Merlot. Other Merlots may be smoother in your mouth. Do you remember which Pinot Noir you liked? We might be able to make other similar suggestions.
I agree with the Beaujolais Villages suggestion and also a Beaujolais Cru such as Fleurie or Brouilly. You might also try a basic Spanish Rioja (Tempranillo grape), a basic Valpolicella from Italy (not the more expensive Amarone or Recioto) or a Cotes du Rhone from France (all reasonably priced and generally fruity reds.)

[jpower]

Give a zinfandel a try. A lot of the California and Aussie ones have big fruit flavor accented by brown sugar and brown spice flavors.

------------------
[url=http://www.prime-web.com]Another Wine Blog[/url]

[hotwine]

Jpower, please refrain from posting commercial advertising anywhere other than the advertising/promotion thread. If they continue, we'll delete them.

[jpower]

Sorry, I didn't know. Was there some notice that told me that when I signed up that I somehow missed?

[hotwine]

The policy is described in the Advertising/Promotion thread:

"Don't abuse it, but this is the place to do BRIEF classifieds for wine-oriented commercial products or services. Any commercial material posted elsewhere on this board will be deleted. So keep it in this folder."