Anonymous
06/15/2013 22:03
Subject: Re:What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
Marques Caceres
We are experienced red wine drinkers and drink this all the time in the house. It's really good.
Anonymous
06/15/2013 21:53
Subject: Re:What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
P.S. The label on a Rioja may say "Crianza." Same thing. "Crianza" is good entry level Rioja. "Reserva" is better, and may be a little more than you want to pay. "Gran Reserva" is better and more expensive still.
I drink the Crianza and it's just fine. Goes with everything.
I drink the Crianza and it's just fine. Goes with everything.
Anonymous
06/15/2013 21:50
Subject: Re:What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
Oh, and I forgot Cline. Anything red from Cline is going to be good, but especially their zinfandel or mourvedre. They start at around $10, and go up to about $22 or so.
Anonymous
06/15/2013 21:47
Subject: Re:What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
^^^
Bing bing bing. All good choices.
Your best bet is to ask in a good wine shop--someone knowledgeable can make a recommendation. A lot of the really great values in wine are out-of-the-way small producers that you haven't heard of.
However, if you're looking for something that's widely available, you can find just about anywhere, then good choices for Rioja are LAN (right around $15), or Marques Caceres (used to be under $15; lately I've seen it between $15 and $20). Just about any Argentinian malbec is going to be a great value, but not all of them are easy-drinking. Some are bigger and bolder, others are smoother. Catena is a great name in Argentinian malbec---their first label is quite expensive, but they have other wines at much gentler price points, including one at around $20. They also make very good cabernet sauvignon and merlot for around $20 that are quality and very smooth drinking.
Montes, from Chile, is a nice and affordable label, for just about any varietal they make (merlot, cabernet, carmenere). Another way to go, very popular with beginners and a lighter body wine, would be Mark West Pinot Noir. Widely available, very tasty, and a steal at around $12.
If you want to get under $10, Blackstone makes very good reds at that price point.
Bing bing bing. All good choices.
Your best bet is to ask in a good wine shop--someone knowledgeable can make a recommendation. A lot of the really great values in wine are out-of-the-way small producers that you haven't heard of.
However, if you're looking for something that's widely available, you can find just about anywhere, then good choices for Rioja are LAN (right around $15), or Marques Caceres (used to be under $15; lately I've seen it between $15 and $20). Just about any Argentinian malbec is going to be a great value, but not all of them are easy-drinking. Some are bigger and bolder, others are smoother. Catena is a great name in Argentinian malbec---their first label is quite expensive, but they have other wines at much gentler price points, including one at around $20. They also make very good cabernet sauvignon and merlot for around $20 that are quality and very smooth drinking.
Montes, from Chile, is a nice and affordable label, for just about any varietal they make (merlot, cabernet, carmenere). Another way to go, very popular with beginners and a lighter body wine, would be Mark West Pinot Noir. Widely available, very tasty, and a steal at around $12.
If you want to get under $10, Blackstone makes very good reds at that price point.
Anonymous
06/15/2013 18:40
Subject: What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
Rioja,or South American carmenere or Malbec.
Anonymous
06/15/2013 13:43
Subject: What kind of red wine as a gift for my friend?
I'd like to get my friend a bottle of red wine as part of her birthday gift. She is in her early 40s but only recently started enjoying wine. I'm usually a white wine drinker, so don't know all that much about reds. Would like to get an easy drinking wine, not too dry or peppery, but of course not too sweet. Bonus if it's not over $15. What would you get? Recommendations?
TIA
TIA