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Best Red

  • 03-12-2016 4:50am
    #1
    segarox
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭


    I've started drinking wine and I've only drank white and rosé so far and I want to try red so I want to ask if people what would be the best and tastiest red to drink.


Comments

  • #2
    odyssey06
    Registered Users Posts: 27,786 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    There's isn't one... I wouldn't even be able to pick one best red... a lot would depend on what food I'm pairing it with.

    Tesco are doing buy 6 bottles of wine get 25% off, so now would be a good time to try some of these to get acquainted with different wine styles... these are loosely ordered from lighter to medium to heavy reds:
    - Pinot Noir from California or Chile (or Red Burgundy from France)
    - Rioja (Spain)
    - Chianti or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Italian)
    - Bordeaux (France)
    - Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)
    - Malbec (Argentina)

    Tesco have a nice selection of mini bottles in the 2 - 3 euros range, especially the Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon. Mini bottles count towards the 6 if you want to use them as samplers.

    Tesco have a Californian Red Blend called "Apothic Red", it's slightly sweet, I'm not a fan of it but some people love it... so it'd be worth trying that as a benchmark.

    I'm a big fan of an Italian wine called Barolo, but it's a powerful wine and cheapest bottle of that is €20 so it might be more one to work up to than start with...

    And there's some great recommendations here from different people on what to pair with christmas dinner... different people prefer differ reds with their turkey!
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057670562

    Hope that helps!

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • #3
    odyssey06
    Registered Users Posts: 27,786 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    If you only want to try one red, you could see if your local independent offie has this...
    http://www.martinsofflicence.ie/wines/france/ch-teau-le-logis-de-sipian-m-doc/

    If that does nothing for you, then red might not be for you!

    Maybe Bordeaux (which is typically a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) will find its mark with you, and actually Bordeaux is a good place to start.
    If it's too heavy, go lighter with Pinot Noir, softer with pure Merlot or fruitier with Rioja.
    If you want something with more bite (acidity), look to Italy or Cabernet-Shiraz blends from Australia.
    If you want something with more 'heft', then you're looking at Malbec, Zinfandels\Primitivos or pure Cabernets.

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • #4
    odyssey06
    Registered Users Posts: 27,786 ✭✭✭✭odyssey06


    Especially if you're coming from whites and roses, watch out that some reds have higher alcohol content (14% or 15%)... with some exceptions like Barolo, I tend to look for reds in the range 12.5% to 13.5%.

    To quote wine writer Hugh Johnson, "I look — oh, how I look — for wines with moderate alcohol content. A few styles do need more than 14%, but they also need a damn good excuse."

    "To follow knowledge like a sinking star..." (Tennyson's Ulysses)



  • #5
    White Horse
    Registered Users Posts: 1,468 ✭✭✭White Horse


    As others have said, it is an impossible question.

    My favourite red is pinot noir from the Central Otago area of New Zealand. Beautiful perfumed aroma combined with a silky fruity body with earthy undertones.


  • #6
    irish_goat
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 5,760 Mod ✭✭✭✭irish_goat


    Any local wine bars/restaurants nearby? They might do a tasting tray of different reds if you ask nicely.

    Failing that, Spanish Rioja is what got me into red wine.


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  • #7
    longshanks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,990 ✭✭✭longshanks


    There's a decent Rioja reserve in lidl at the moment for €8.99. Cepa Lebrel


  • #8
    Miss Demeanour
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,383 ✭✭✭Miss Demeanour


    Faustino 1 or chocolate box......you'll never drink white again.


  • #9
    limnam
    Registered Users Posts: 9,152 ✭✭✭limnam


    Miss Demeanour wrote: »
    Faustino 1 or chocolate box......you'll never drink white again.

    Faustino 1 is a waste of money IMHO. The "correct" price for faustino 1 is about 8euro

    There's so many Rioja's half the price as good or much better.

    OP it's an impossible question to give a real concrete answer to.
    The best advice you have all ready been given, try to find somewhere you can do some tasting.

    A lot of good wine shops put out a number of bottles on the weekend for tasting try to taste as much as you can and you'll find the country and style of wine you prefer but randomly calling out bottles to try is pretty much a waste of time.

    Once you start to understand what you like then it's much easier to recommend bottles to try.

    The only other snippet I'd add is at the start I'd probably avoid the whole of France :pac: It's much easier to find very nice wines at cheaper prices focusing on Italian/Spanish/Portugal than it is for French wine.

    Most of all enjoy the journey and don't take it too seriously!


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