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In article >, (Hunt)
wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
> >
> >I am also fairly new to wine and am developing a taste for red wines.
> >I am not an expert by any means so I am offering this as a suggestion,
> >not hard and fast advice.
> >
> >The first reds I found that I liked where beaujolais. I find them to
> >be pretty easy to drink, but still flavorful. Georges Duboeuf
> >Beaujolais Villages can be had for between $8-$10 us and the Louis
> >Jadot Beaujolais Villages can be had for $10-$12. I have had and
> >enjoyed both of these wines.
> >
> >
> >Alan

*
Greetings!

I would recommend to any new wine drinker that they become familiar
with a few (three or four) wines -- total.

Let's pick two reds and two whites:

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir
White: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (also called Fume Blanc)

Steer clear of any Rosé, any sweet wine, any meritage, any German
wine, merlot, reisling, zinfandel -- you can learn about those later.

Use the Cabernets with full bodied red-meat meals: Beef, etc.
Use the Pinot Noirs with lighter meats: Salmon, Duck, pasta, etc.

Use the Chardonnay with the more flavorful chicken and fish dishes.
Use the Sauvignon Blanc with very light dishes: Sole, shrimp, etc.

Price range:

Cabernet: About $8.00 to $200.00 -- that's a helluva range!
Decent California cabernets range from $8 to $20. French Bordeaux
(they are mostly cabernets or cabernet blends) can go from $12 to
$200.

Pinot Noir: California -- from $8 to $20. Oregon pinot noirs are
good. Also the pinots from the Russian River area and Alexander
Valley in California.

The french red Burgundies (all pinot noir) are horribly expensive.
BTW, champagne (the real stuff from Champagne in France) is made
from Pinot Noir -- a red grape with a white meat -- only the skins
are red. Some of them have a small bit of pink (eye of the
partridge) color from the skins.

Chardonnay is where California excels. They go from $8 up to $40.
Napa and Sonoma chardonnays are very good. Australian chards are
also good and at good prices. In France, white Bordeaux are
chardonnay. Very nice wines, a bit more delicate and refined than
the big oaky California equivalents. And more expensive.

Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc) wines are really good with light fish
dishes. There's nothing like a delicate filet of sole with
Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a light, crisp almost grassy flavor
-- serve it very cold. Both California and New Zealand sauvignon
blancs are good. The French sauvignon blancs are the white Bordeaux
wines -- very nice but expensive.

I like to serve Chardonnays not quite so cold. Just like beer, it
is difficult to really taste a wine right out of the refrigerator.

Tip: Don't buy those cheapie wines -- "Two-buck Chuck" Charles Shaw
and the like. They are all right for a picnic with someone who
knows nothing about wine. Avoid jug wines. I would advise you to
drink less and get better quality wines.

Surprise: Gallo, the largest winemaker in the world, has, during
the past few years begun to make some very nice varietal wines.
Their Sonoma County Caberenets are *very* nice and the price is
right.

The latest trend in California is the screw-cap bottle wine.
Someone (I think it's Sebastiani) is making a "Screw-Kappa Napa",
which is not too bad -- I had their chardonnay tonight with Chinese
food.

Good luck -- and enjoy your wines!

earle
*

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