WINE help...

[AsahinaKimi]

Okay, so my friend is telling me I need more Red Wine in my life, because it has some healthy aspects to it.
Now, I can't afford a 300 dollar variety, and I know about Trader Joe's 2 buck chuck, (Its too far to go there) So, whats a nice Red Wine I can find at Saveway, that you like?

Anything you would like to plug would be appreciated.

[Brickbat]

1. I like Chateau St. Michelle's, Clois du Bois and some other wine that I'm too lazy to go look and

see what it's called. They run about 10-15 a bottle.

[Sky Masterson]

2. Try a Malbec

You can get a bottle for around 9-12 bucks and they're tasty.:)

[alfredo]

5. If you like Malbec's, you might like a Shiraz.

[Sky Masterson]

6. I'm sure I've tried a Shiraz before.

I normally just go for the Malbecs because I haven't had to many bad ones and
I don't have to think,I just grab and run.It's laziness on my part. :P

[alfredo]

10. It is a popular grape. I've had several and liked them. I tend to stick with

Penfolds out of SE Australia. I haven't had a bad one from them. Their Shiraz Cabernet a worthy wine at about ten dollars. My wife even like their Chardonnay. That's probably because it isn't too woody.


BTW, Shiraz is a town in Iran.

[BarenakedLady]

12. I drink Shiraz

I'm also pretty damn lazy. :)

[Sky Masterson]

15. Pfft!! I'm not buying the lazy. :o)

:hi:

[BarenakedLady]

16. Old habits are hard to break

Lazy has a way of sneaking it's way back in.

:hi: :hug:

[Sky Masterson]

17. I feel ya.

I've had that happen before.:hug:
:pals: :hi:

[alfredo]

3. Penfolds makes some very good wines. Their Rawson's Retreat line of

wines are very tasty.

My wife likes the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvagnon The Cab Merlot or Shiraz Cabernet is very good. Their Shiraz is very nice, but my wife finds them to heavy for her. The Rawson's Retreat line comes in under ten. The Koonunga Hill line, a bit over ten.

This is what the bottle looks like:

[yewberry]

4. Well, there are a lot of choices.

What kind of price range and what do you like?

Most of the "Barefoot" wines are super-cheap but fairly decent. Good deals to be had on most Bonny Doon reds, like their "Big House" red. Most of the Australian reds I see at my Safeway are really, really young, so I don't tend to get those often. For cheap Italian red, maybe Monte Antico, or keep an eye open for a ripasso on sale, maybe.

[Iggo]

7. WAAAAAAHHHH !!!!

Oh, wait. Never mind. B-)

[alfredo]

9. Go to your room and don't come out until I tell you.

[alfredo]

8. Gabbiano Chianti is not bad at all. It reminds me of the wines I used to

drink as a kid.

[GoCubsGo]

19. Stracalli is also good

Not that expensive, either. You can probably find it for eight to ten bucks.

[alfredo]

20. I picked up some Coppola Cab to see if his wine is as good as his movies.

[HopeHoops]

11. Kendall-Jackson merlot

Price will depend on where you are but it should hover around $14-$15. Merlot should be served at a cool (basement - room) temperature, but not chilled (refrigerator). If you aren't accustomed to red wine, there's no real harm in refrigerating it. I prefer it at room temperature. Safeway should probably have it. If not, Trader Joe's used to (and might still) carry Blackstone and they make an excellent merlot at a reasonable price. Actually, I think I scored a few bottles for something like $7, but that was 8 years or so ago when I worked in VA.

[alfredo]

21. Their Chardonnay is decent.

[HopeHoops]

23. Get the Vintner's Reserve!!!

Now THERE is a fine Chardonnay. The regular is okay (and I've got two bottles of it in the refrigerator), but if you really want a treat, do the Vintner's Reserve. It is a few bucks more, but well worth it.

[alfredo]

28. Next week I'm cooking dinner for 8 women. All in-laws. A lot of wine

served before dinner would be nice. If I screw up, they'd be too smashed to care.

Making Roasted Chicken breasts on a bed of roasted veggies. Some white seedless grapes are roasted in the veggies. If you've never had a roasted grape you should give it a try. It adds an unexpected explosion of sweet.

[HopeHoops]

38. Then I suggest Chardonnay with dinner and something light like Zinfandel before dinner.

You don't want them to get TOO smashed. Merlot and Chardonnay tend to run 12.5% - 13.5%. Zinfandel usually checks in around 9-10%.

[alfredo]

42. Zinfandel seems to go over with the gals in my family, but they'll drink any

wine offered. Any free wine is good.

[HopeHoops]

47. Well, I don't know about Mad Dog 20/20, but...

in general that's a true statement.

[alfredo]

60. It's what they call "fortified" wines. It's got added alcohol boosting it up to 20%.

The added alcohol is usually a brandy, but in the case of T Bird and Mad Dog 20 20, it probably a bit of straight alcohol and sugar. Nasty stuff.

[GoCubsGo]

40. The Red Meritage from that line is delicious!

I understand their varietals are also very good. They're a step or two above "cheap", however.

[AsahinaKimi]

13. Hey thanks for these

I have written them down and will look for them at Saveway!

[Auggie]

14. The health benefits of red wine are still not really known...

if there are indeed any.

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/41134

My advice: Drink what you like.

[Schema Thing]

26. oh please. red wine cures consumption, cancer, and canker sores.

Your best buzz value, is found in a box, as opposed to a glass bottle.

[GoCubsGo]

18. Some more suggestions from a cheap wine connoissuire

As someone suggested, many of the inexpensive Aussie reds are decent. Yellow Tail is trendy, and it's okay. I enjoy their Shiraz-Grenache. However, I would much rather have Little Penguin or Black Swan. Banrock Station and Black Opal also decent. Lindeman's and Jacob's Creek also good, although they often tend to run a tad higher, at least in my town.

Wines from Chile and Argentina can be a pretty good buy, especially the Chilean wines. The most available is Concha y Toro, and it's not bad. Check out their Cab/Merlot blend.

If you can find Tall Horse from South Africa, check it out. All the varieties of reds are good. In fact, if you see any reds from South Africa in your price range, give them a shot. If you come across some Cathedral Cellar Pinotage, and it's within your price range, please give it a try. Make it a "splurge" wine, if you must.

A favorite of mine, especially on sale: Columbia Crest Two Vines Shiraz. Their other reds are also pretty good, too. The Pacific Northwest puts out some decent reds overall. So does California. Some drinkable reds I have had include Kingfisher and Crane Lake. With the latter, stick to the Cab and Merlot. Pepperwood Grove is a little bit more expensive, but I recommend their Cab. I concur with the others on Barefoot, as well. Rex Goliath 47 Pound Rooster puts out some decent reds, too, and I have seen some bargains on it lately.

My mom turned me into a red wino, so much that I don't care for whites any more. Wish I could afford some of the more expensive wines. Hopefully soon...

Cheers!

[alfredo]

22. House wine is good, and I second Jacob's Creek. I don't care that much for

Yellow Tail.

[Kali]

24. columbia crest

$6-7/bottle - union vineyards, reds are quite drinkable - merlot, shiraz, cab, blends - try them and see what you like (also try with food - some wines that taste "bad" straight are good with food and vice versa)

their whites are kind of meh but the reds are good

[Lucian]

25. Rutherford Hill Merlot 2003 is my favorite red wine.

You can get it for $25-$30 a bottle, depending where you go.

[mulsh]

27. Fetzer, pretty much anything they bottle.

Fetzer isn't hard too find, their wines are not very expensive but a few years ago when a group of friends started monthly wine tasting parties Fetzer was the one vintner who consistently finished among the top three. Safeway even carries Fetzer's jug wines that cost around $%12.00

I've been drinking wine most of my life. My father had a couple of degrees in wine making and a fairly extensive collection of French, Italian, German, Swiss, wines along with lots of local, California wine.

As my Dad used to say "Any fool can spend a lot of money and find a good wine, it takes real courage to spend little money and find a great wine."

[pokerfan]

29. I've been reading too many Linux books.... (n/t)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

30. Night Train Express and Thunderbird both have excellent bouquets with ripe fruit overtones

:rofl:

[phasma ex machina]

32. Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine

When you gonna let me get sober
Let me alone, Let me go home
Let me go back and start over

Well, I've rambled around this dirty old town
Singing for nickels and dimes
Times getting rough, I can't get enough
To buy me a little bottle of wine

[Amerigo Vespucci]

33. And here's another fine choice:

:rofl:

:toast:

[phasma ex machina]

34. Ah yes, a golden oldie.

:rofl:

[alfredo]

35. Thunderbird helped me make it through adolescence.

[phasma ex machina]

39. Thanks for sharing yet another golden oldie.

:rofl:

[arbusto_baboso]

59. I'm more partial to Cisco.

Check this out:

http://www.bumwine.com/cisco.html

[Amerigo Vespucci]

62. "...Often, people on a Cisco binge end up curled into a fetal ball, shuddering and muttering..."

:rofl:

:toast:

[arbusto_baboso]

68. Yeah, it's fun to serve at parties!

[phasma ex machina]

31. Well, pain in my head, bugs in my bed

Pants so old that they shine
Out on the street, I tell the people I meet
To buy me a little bottle of wine

[alfredo]

36. the 20 20 is the percent chances you have have of going

blind or dying while drinking that swill.

[elleng]

37. Chianti, any name you recognize.

[alfredo]

43. Bellagio - good and cheap.

Gabbiano is good too. My wife likes it better than Bellagio, but both are great with food.

[RoadRage]

41. Bogle - Petite Sirah..

It's about $7 - $10 a bottle - I usually get mine at Costco for about $8 unless I find it at the grocery store on sale!

[alfredo]

44. I might have to give it a try.

I'm enjoying a fine American beer, Schlafly Centennial ESB. Very flavorful. It's about $7.50 a sixer. I'd drink this year round but it's only sold in the winter. The Centennial refers to the type of hop used. It's dry hopped like the APA which means the bitterness is muted.

Some nights a beer is better suited to the food. I like beer and edamame.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/583/2884

[Capn Sunshine]

56. That's an EXCELLENT choice

They are actually selling at a loss to gain some popularity

[lukasahero]

45. Do you drink (and like) red wine now?

If so, what do you like? Red wine, like all wine, comes in many different varieties and the 'flavors' can be vastly different from fruity and mild to heavily tannic and complex. All can be had for less than $15. I read recently that you can pretty much walk down the South America aisle, pick a Malbec and expect it to be good (at least).

If you don't drink red wine now, do you drink any wine? Moving straight from a White Zinfandel to a Cabernet Sauvignon can be an off-putting experience. You might want to start with something a little on the light and fruity side - the DuBoeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau is getting good reviews and is an easy red to break in with for about $10.

[AsahinaKimi]

52. Right now the only wine I have been

drinking is Choya, Japanese Plum wine. But, Like I said, I was told that RED wine has some nice health benefits if you have 8 oz a night. So, I am looking.

[lukasahero]

57. I just googled Choya Plum wine

That's an extremely sweet dessert wine and you could be in for a real shock if you jump into red wine unprepared.

Seriously, pick up a bottle of the DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2009 - you should be able to get it anywhere for ~$10. It's about as light and fruity a red wine as you'll find and it would definitely ease you into the world of reds. (BTW, drink this wine within a month or two - after February it's pretty much done.)

[AsahinaKimi]

61. One of my friends told me..

You can mix red wine with Seltzer and Ice and make a wine spritzer. I don't mind bitter, because I love real
Japanese green tea. If you have ever tasted real Japanese green tea, you will know what I mean.

[lukasahero]

67. I have and I do!

Yeah, you can certainly make a spritzer with red wine and seltzer (isn't that basically Sangria?) It would kick up the sweet factor for you. Probably a really good way to break in.

Anyway, welcome to the world of red wines. It's a lot fun!

[SteppingRazor]

46. Are you the type that likes white, but you're giving red a try? If so, how about a white pinot noir?

Basically, it's a pinot noir, but they peel the grapes before they use them, which results in a wine that has all the aspects of a red, but looks like a white and has many of the fruity tastes found in pinot gris.

My hands down favorite is Ca Montebello White Pinot Nero from Cigognolia, Italy. It runs about $19 a bottle and, though you may not find it at Safeway, it's easily ordered online.

[AsahinaKimi]

54. As I said up top

I was told that Red wines have health benefits.

Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine's effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids, on the other hand, exhibit antioxidant properties helping prevent blood clots and plaques formation in arteries.

http://www.healthcastle.com/redwine-heart.shtml

[mike_c]

48. I like jammy, fruity zinfindels and sirahs...

...and cabernets that are not too tannic. But the best advice is to just try different bottles in your preferred price range until you find the sort of wine you like the most and the sorts you like less.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to California is the amazing variety of inexpensive wine in most grocery stores. And of course it changes constantly, so you never really "find" the perfect wine-- it's a constant process of exploration. Many an excellent bottle has crossed our table, here.

[Lars39]

49. Cypress Cabernet or merlot.

Both are pretty good at around 15-18 bucks a bottle, depending on where you get it.

[Gormy Cuss]

50. Don't go to Safeway first, go to CostPlus.

Make a trip to the store on Bay Street and ask the wine sales staff for recommendations. That store's also across the street from a TJ's if you want to pick up a Two Buck Chuck too.

They know their stuff at that CostPlus and they have lots of good California wines for under ten bucks a bottle. After you learn about a few that you like look for them at Safeway. The Safeways around here tend to have pretty good wine sections.

If you want to just try some random stuff at Safeway, pick up a Meridian wine or a Big House Red.

[AsahinaKimi]

53. Safeway

Is several blocks away from me. I have to clear across town to go to Costco. I don't own a car. I take MUNI and really don't want to make the trip across town just to get wine. We also have some local liquor stores here but I would prefer not to pay 300 dollars for a bottle of wine.

[Capn Sunshine]

58. Fisheye Cabernet

I used this as the house wine in my last restaurant.


Good balance. try it with food. If you drink red wine, you should always have some food around, like snacks , to nibble. Piece of cheese, salty crackers, hummus,artisan bread, stuff like that. Oh, and while I was googling around I stumbled upon something called "Naked Wine Show" which might appeal to the myriad pevs in the lounge

[Gormy Cuss]

63. I understand, but if you're ever in the North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf area, CostPlus really is great

for inexpensive wines (not Costco, which has a nice selection but not such knowledgeable staff.)
The problem with Safeway is both the selection and the knowledge level of the staff varies quite a bit by location and it's much harder for a novice to sort through the collection, plus the wines at my local Safeway tend to be a bit higher than at CostPlus. Maybe you're near one with better deals.

[skygazer]

69. Some of us Safeway liquor clerks know our stuff

Ahem! :P

[Gormy Cuss]

71. I was wondering when you'd see this.

Problem is, I don't think the OP wants to schlep to your store since it's not close to MUNI. :P

Of the three Safeways nearest to where I live, only one has someone like you. The other two have wine aisles that are just sad and don't seem to have anyone working the aisles who knows the product. The one that DOES have a good liquor clerk is in the high rent neighborhood.

[azmouse]

51. TwentyBench cabernet

In the low $20s and really good.

[AsahinaKimi]

55. Thanks for all your help

I appreciate it (and the funny comments too!)

**BOWS..

Mina san! domo arigatou gozaimashita!

[Wapsie B]

64. All I know is Sonoma county is for wine and Napa's for car parts.

As told to me by a former resident of Santa Rosa. :hide:

[AsahinaKimi]

66. I heard that

Santa Barbara has great wines.. never tried them though..

[libnnc]

65. My new favorite is Orphelin Red

Chateau Ste. Michele vineyards in Washington State. It's a blend--got a little bit of everything (Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Cab, etc).

[skygazer]

70. Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel is excellent

Usually on sale at Safeway for 9 or 10 bucks a bottle.

Bogle Petite Sirah is good.

Try a South African Pinotage - interesting blend and quite good (and affordable).

Or an Argentinean Malbec - I like the Gascon.

Castle Rock Pinot Noir.

And the Blackstone Merlot is very consistent, a decent mid-priced merlot.

Concannon makes a nice Syrah, or the Rosemount Australian Shiraz is good.

And the Beringer Founder's is a pretty good cab.


All of those are around the 10 dollar range.