wine recommendations, thanks.

[emmie]

I need to buy two bottles of red wine as gifts. I want to pay no more than $50 each bottle. I am totally new to wine, so anyone can give me some recommendations? Prefer wines from France. Thanks a lot.

[hotwine]

Welcome to the board, Emmie. For notes on red wines from France, look down the board to the threads entitled "Bordeaux" and "Pinot Noir/Red Burgundy". You'll find many French reds discussed in those two threads. But bear in mind that distribution of particular wines is not consistent across the U.S., so you may not be able to find the specific wine you select from those discussions. Suggest you read those discussions, then find a good wine retailer in your area who can recommend wines that meet your criteria.

(There are other French reds besides the Burgs and Bords.... from the Rhone, for example... but those two regions' products are the most widely available in your price range.)

[This message has been edited by hotwine (edited 08-11-2005).]

[wdonovan]

If you go into a reputable wine store and ask to be pointed to the Bordeaux and Burgundies, pretty much any you find in the $40-$50 range will be a nice bottle wine that should impress a wine savvy recipient. They are different styles completely and often wine lovers will migrate to one or the other of these two greats. If could help if you could find out if the lucky 'giftees' prefer a pinot noir (Burgundy) style or a Cabernet/Merlot (Bordeaux) style. The Bordeaux tend to lean towards full-body while the Burgundies favor a medium bodied elegance. The most recognizable label you can buy in this range (if that's important) would probably be the Bordeaux.