wine advise

JAMES VTI S

I looking to get a wine that's not bitter and knowing zero about it I said id ask here first.

Layinghen

When you say not bitter do you mean easy to drink or are you thinking about a sweet dessert wine?

JAMES VTI S

Layinghen wrote: »

When you say not bitter do you mean easy to drink or are you thinking about a sweet dessert wine?

Easy to drink
Any red wine iv had is feckn bitter and bla makes me cringe.

Layinghen

Easy to drink can be a matter of trial and error. What you should try looking for a wines advertised as fruity.

There is a Blossom Hill Wine simply called Californian Red. This is a "soft" fruity wine. It is not expensive and certainly worth trying.

Some people would consider it plonk but if you like it that is all that matters.

Enjoy.

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Beruthiel

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

Any red wine iv had is feckn bitter and bla makes me cringe.

There are hundreds of thousands of wines on this planet and it can take a while to find the one that's right for you.
It's all about personal taste.

I like red wines that have been in an oak barrel for at least a year.
The oak gives a distinctive taste to the wine and I love it.
I particularly like wines from Bordeaux, especially around the Saint Emilion region.
Rioja from Spain and Chianti from Italy.

I freely admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to wines. I'll only drink ones from Europe.
No where in the world are the regulations as strict.
IMHO, this is where the purest wines come from.

the beer revolu

Beruthiel wrote: »

I freely admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to wines. I'll only drink ones from Europe.
No where in the world are the regulations as strict.
IMHO, this is where the purest wines come from.

Faceplam!
Does snob mean uneducated?

sarkozy

Indeed, 'bitter' isn't a word used to describe wine, so winos might have a hard time getting at what you mean and what taste you're trying to avoid.

But for the entrant, maybe frutier, less complex wines can a place to start. If you're buying wine to be polite, but you don't drink it much, then do think about what wines the hosts like, but if it's because you want to 'get used' to wine, then sure, there's lots of variety.

I've a friend who used to call all wine 'vinegar' because he said it tastes so acidic. There's acidity to wine, but that could also be the alcohol or taste profile.

The point is, if you want to continue drinking wine, you gradually learn what you like and don't like and even that evolves.

I do think the 'easy access' wines mentioned like Blossom Hill are cookie-cutter wines. They're popular because they're cheap and they give people their idea of what wine is. The reality is every single wine is and should be different, and even from year-to-year.

I tend to prefer European wines and the less obtrusive wines to start on would be 'fruity', 'low tannin' wines from Spain, Italy or France. Some reds, like Cote de Rhone, Chianti or some Southern French wines can be very sweet and light. Pricier, but super light reds like Fleurie go down easily. Chiantis are generally light and fruity and slightly astringent (this doesn't mean acidic, it's the feeling on your tongue like when you bite into grape skin). I like this.

To be honest, the best thing is to go into a shop where the guys know what they're talking about and given them your preferences.

One other thing: Lidl wines, while not amazing, are surprisingly good value for money. They have some Spanish and Italian wines that basically taste like fruit juice and their cheap-o Cimarosa label can have very drinkable wines, like the South African Pinotage, which is not a popular grape outside South Africa, but I really rate it and it's a grand example of a South African table wine.

Actually, you might do quite well starting with a Tesco French 'Table Wine' - it's bog standard and a decent enough, and cheap starting point.

sarkozy

Beruthiel, while I agree with you (my favourite Bordeaux are Fronsac and Médoc), Bordeaux can be so hit and miss for a beginner. I've also had some awful St. Emilion Bordeaux Superieur.

Melendez: I dunno what you mean about Italian wines being less dry. Many are very dry! Especially Tuscan and Umbrian wines! I guess southern wines are more typically Medditerranean, fuller bodied, one-dimensional, fruity.

Melendez

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JAMES VTI S

Well i have found the cure !

50 Wine
50 Water

the beer revolu

JAMES VTI S wrote: »

Well i have found the cure !

50 Wine
50 Water

Also lots of Italians mix red wine with cola

JAMES VTI S

... hhmmmm

limnam

the beer revolu wrote: »

Also lots of Italians mix red wine with cola

Mostly Spanish I'd say Beer.

Any Italian I know would bawk at the idea.

A guy I worked with from Bilbao swore by it. I never managed to try it.

the beer revolu

limnam wrote: »

Mostly Spanish I'd say Beer.

Any Italian I know would bawk at the idea.

A guy I worked with from Bilbao swore by it. I never managed to try it.

I shared a flat with an Italian girl who claimed all her friends did it.

limnam

the beer revolu wrote: »

I shared a flat with an Italian girl who claimed all her friends did it.

Turn Coats Beer.

Turn Coats.



Did you try it?

the beer revolu

limnam wrote: »

Turn Coats Beer.

Turn Coats.



Did you try it?

Probably did try it - no doubt improved the terrible plonk she would have been drinking.
Twas a long time ago.