Red wine question

Gardenmom · #1 01-02-2009, 03:10 PM

I'm not a big fan of wine, so that's the first part of my question - any suggestions for a good red wine for someone just becoming familiar with wine?

Also, my husband has been told that red wine should only be served at room temperature, not chilled. Is this true?

bbally · #2 01-02-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardenmom

I'm not a big fan of wine, so that's the first part of my question - any suggestions for a good red wine for someone just becoming familiar with wine?

Also, my husband has been told that red wine should only be served at room temperature, not chilled. Is this true?

Start with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon for playing with reds. Go on from there.

I would recommend you purchase Andrea Immers Book, great wine made simple. You will learn more then you ever thought and you and your spouse will have fun learning.

Click on the book it will get you to the ordering site.

To answer your red wine question. Many many red wines are server at room temperature. However, since you are paying you can enjoy it anyway you would like it.

But the nose and aromatics of most red wines show better at 57 F to 75 F than any other temperature range.

Chef_Matt · #3 01-18-2009, 08:03 PM

Kendall-Jackson Merlot from California is a good starter for reds.

Matt

Gardenmom · #4 01-19-2009, 05:32 PM

Great - thanks for the tip!

BenRias · #5 01-20-2009, 10:18 AM

A very good, but not too expensive wine is a Louis Martini cab (also available in reserve for a touch more money). It was my first wine and loved it!

As for room temperature, each wine has its own character. I normally drink wine with a great meal. But when I am drinking a wine to taste/test it, is start tasting the wine after breathing for a few minutes just after being open (when it is still fairly chilled). Then I repeatedly taste it every few minutes or so as it warms. As the wine warms, you will personally be able to taste the flavor/aroma/bouquet become more intense. There will come a point where it reaches its heighth and further temperature increase won't make the flavor any better (and may make it worse).

In my experience, I don't believe that solid room temperature has ever given me the best flavor...but letting it sneak away from 55F does increase enjoyment. Hope that helps.

rachael24 · #6 01-21-2009, 08:11 AM

I think it is all about personal preference with the temperature...My mom drinks red wine with ice, which I think is terrible. But whatever works!

CookingAngry · #7 01-21-2009, 11:24 AM

Also important to note... room temperature 72 degrees f. is not really room temperature. Original room temperature was down in the high 50's so even the big reds deal well with a little chill. There is a restaurant in Vegas call 55degrees which is a play on the "perfect" temperature to store and serve wine. I still prefer white a little colder and reds around 60. It is indeed preference.

I would not go just merlot on your first time out. I would save up a little and get a few different ones to compare and figure out your tastes that way your second venture will be more enlightened. Maybe a cheap 05 Bordeaux ($13), they can get exorbinately expensive but if your drinking it right away as opposed to aging it the cheap one will taste plenty good enough particularily to a beginner, then maybe a Tannat ($20) which will be taste of berries and will give you an idea of how much you like those flavors. Cabernet Sav. is kinda looked at as big dog and you might run into tannins and they're all over the place in price but expect to pay at around 20 for something decent. Shiraz/Syrah is great from Australia and the Petit Syrah from California rocks but this wine is very peppery so I usually reserve it for when I make steak au poive or am eating something bold and flavorful.

Hope this helped. Cheers

jeff.alex23 · #8 01-27-2009, 10:08 AM

A red wine to try - Bouwland Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - 2004... a nice powerful wine . bottlenotes(an online website) is a good place to learn more about wine if your just getting familiar with wines. Also a great place to share your tasting notes and reviews
To answer the second part of your question - Most red wine should be served at room temperature. The noteable exception being a French wine called Beaujolais which is to be served chilled.

kujirasan · #9 04-20-2009, 10:55 PM

Try the Spanish produced RIOJA , this one exists in red white and rose(pink) , It is dry and excellent and usually very cheap, I was stationed in South East Asia, and as these countries don't have a tradition of Wine drinking, one can get excellent wines there for price of a song, Rioja was around $4 in Bangkok and Osaka, the French were slightly higher, so if you cant get it at that price go for it, other wise the locally produced ones, with Usual fictitious and grandiloquence Appellation, like Genuine Rhine Riesling from Wondiligong in Western Australia!

hippysandy · #10 07-21-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardenmom

I'm not a big fan of wine, so that's the first part of my question - any suggestions for a good red wine for someone just becoming familiar with wine?

Also, my husband has been told that red wine should only be served at room temperature, not chilled. Is this true?

zinfandel and cabernet are best served at room temperature. white wines are the ones to be served chilled.

DC Sunshine · #11 07-24-2009, 07:23 AM

Shiraz from Australia would be a good starter, a McLaren Vale or a Margaret River. In some situations red is nice slightly chilled - if you are having dinner al fresco, or a bbq in the garden -a nice red with an hours chilling is great with bbq'd steak or lamb

ChefBillyB · #12 07-24-2009, 12:58 PM

You live in california so your picks of Merlot are many. Pick anyone of them, you can't go wrong..........Drink Merlot, try different wineries and then after a year move up to cabernet Sav. There are 1000's to choose from in Napa Valley..............Good luck...Bill

PeteMcCracken · #13 07-24-2009, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hippysandy

zinfandel and cabernet are best served at room temperature. white wines are the ones to be served chilled.

That may depend on what "room temperature" actually is

, if it is in the 60s, OK, above 70°F. begins to get "tricky".

KirstenS · #14 07-24-2009, 05:58 PM

If you have a Trader Joes out there, go get your wine there. Cheap, good wine all around. I prefer the dry Italians. Charles Shaw has had some great reviews, very inexpensive.

AllanMcPherson · #15 07-24-2009, 10:38 PM

Hello There,

In my opinion that's too broad a question to ask. The range and variety of wines, red or otherwise, is such that it is near impossible to suggest something only on the basis that they are a beginner. Its kind of like asking what sort of juice is good. Or what kind of meat is good. The answer is totally depended on you. What kind of tastes do you like? What can't you stand? Do drink alcohol at all? What do you like in texture of beverages? What sort of textures pluck at your gag reflex? This sort of information is important because I would hate the thought I might recommend a wine to somebody really interested in appreciating the stuff that might offend them. The whole experience could grind to a halt right there.

--Al