How do you know a good wine?

Question

I want to buy a good wine for a gift. I've heard that there is specific wins for specific foods. How do you tell the difference? does anyone know of any good sweet red wines. Cheap or expensive
serious answers only
thanks

Answer 1

After looking through some of the answers, I can safely say that you should shy away from Shiraz as it can be "spicy" by nature. The second answerer, Freshbliss had a very thoughtful answer and I totally agree with her. Take a trip to a liquor store or perhaps an artisan cheese shop where they sell wine also. Any reputible store SHOULD have a knowledgable staff or at least one person who can field your questions. Age and price are no longer the bench-mark of "good wine" I have had many bottles that are young wines that I find in the supermarket in the $5-$10 price-point. Desert wines are sweetest and sometimes you can find a nice Port that has lots of fruit undertones along with a nice balance of sweetness. Gwerztraminier (ger-vetz-tra-meaner) is a white wine typical of the Rhone region of both France and Germany that is sweet and balances out EXTREMELY well with spicy asian style cusine, Korean, Vietnamese and Sczechuan Chinese for example. It also is delicous on its own. Hope this helps, and remember the beauty of wine is two fold.... 1) its good if you like it and 2) you can always try a different one. Cheers and good eating!!

Answer 2

Good is relative.

There are Wine Enthusiasts ratings and if you research, that may be good enough for you.

A gift is a gift, if it is not for a specific meal. i.e. if you bring the wine for a fish meal, you will buy different than for steak. Else, the host can decide what to serve.

Depends what you want to spend too. $10, $20, $50?
I've been giving a Beringer Reserve Merlot for about $18. Decent but cheap. Many will disagree.
I've given a Stag's Leap wine of various types and years also. Some are better than others.
Merlot is not sweet, but less dry than a Cabernet.
Pinot Noir may be a good type also for you.

Goto a good wine store and ask the merchant if you don't want to research.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as a good sweet red wine. The color comes from Tanins in the grape skins - this makes the wine astringent.
Go to a wine shop that has a good wine selection - and ask for some help - its a question they get all the time - and they will have a mental list all ready - just tell them as much as you know about the recipients.

Answer 4

first, let it "breathe" (wait for a little while after you open it)
then smell it, swirl it in the glass and look for "stems" (thick lines of wine on the glass.

I personally like Shiraz. Yellowtail is a good cheap wine. Im a teacher so thats all I can afford right now.

Super sweet wines are Port wines, which are had as dessert wines.

Answer 5

Sweet red wines are very uncommon. The sweetest you can get is probably a 02 (01 being the dryest), and most commonly it is Germany that yields a "sweet" red wine. The French Piat D'Or also makes one.

Ask the clerks at your liquor store. I work in a liquor store and wines are a very common question, so we generally can help you with what you're looking for because we know our alcohol well. (With a discount, who wouldn't?)

Good luck!

Answer 6

It depends on personal taste. I like port for a sweet wine. St. James Winery (in Missouri) has a good sweet red wine. If you're ordering, or going to a liquor store, they should be able to help you select a good wine. I asked at the grocery store also and they found someone to help me select a wine based on my menu. There's several wine websited that can guide you on pairings.

Answer 7

There is a good sweet red wine. Its a Proseco sparkling wine. Educate your palate a little bit. Pinot Noir is a good wine for newbies. Can't go wrong with anything from Oregon. Willamette, dammit!

Answer 8

Old Vine Red..........$11.....blend of various grapes.
De Trafford.......South Africa 2002 ......$22.50..........Cab.
Zenato...........Italy.....$29........Chiate.One of my favs!!!!
2003 was a very good year for wine.
The magazine Wine Spectator can help with selections also.

Wine is really a personal preference. What tastes excellent to one may taste bitter,too sweet,dry,bland, not to forget fruity, oakey,woody, or perhaps nutty to someone else..........

Generally red meat/red wine

If you go to a liquor store that specializes in wines one of the clerks could offer some nice wines......................just remember
more expensive doesn't mean better and,
Wine in a box.................is a no,no!!!!

Answer 9

you may want to choose a shiraz.....but no red wine is sweet....unless you go for a muscat which is more of a dessert wine.....
if you stick with grange, penfold, jamiesons they are good wine makers...

Answer 10

WHITES

SAUVIGNON BLANC grape: wine very pale, sometimes a greenish tinge. Very powerful "nose" - floral, sometimes gooseberry aroma; hint of pear drops. Keeping time about 3 years.

CHARDONNAY grape: slightly darker; aroma reminiscent of wet wool (an accurate description, to my surprise); this is the main Champagne grape. Keeps about 6 years.

RIESLING: pale golden colour; smells of apples, citrus, and hints of petrol. Long-lived wine; 20+ years if acidity is right.

GEWURTZTRAMINER: pale golden colour, smella of lychees and rose petals; sometimes a hint of sulphur (hydrogen sulphide); thick, oily texture. Gewurtztraminer is a white grape with a pinkish tinge.

REDS

PINOT NOIR: a grape very sensitive to changes in the weather. Often overrated. Aroma of boiled beetroot or brassicas - sometimes a powerful "farmyard" smell. Good value from South Africa or New Zealand. French Pinot Noir often rather harsh and disappointing.

TEMPRANILLO grape: More fruity, less harsh, no brassica smell, much tannin. Generally better than previous grape.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON: this is the basis of clarets. Aroma of cigar boxes, blackberries, Xmas cake, blackcurrants, chocolate. Often blended with Merlot.

SYRAH (Shiraz): Gamey smell; aroma of sweaty leather. Produces long lived wines: 30-40 years. Often difficult to distinguish a good claret from a Shiraz.

Unusually for red grapes, SYRAH is grown in the UK: at the Nytember vineyard, Lewes, Sussex.

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LESS NOTEWORTHY GRAPES

SYLVANER (German white): Germany's second grape; big crops but slight flavour. At its best in the dry Steinwein of Franconia.

KERNER (German white): New cross between Riesling and red Trollinger. Spicy, fruity; often better than Sylvaner.

MULLER-THURGAU (German white): Riesling x Sylvaner; often a bit flat or flabby due to lack of acidity. Can be very good in sweet wines but rarely of Riesling standard.

CATAWBA (American native grape): heavy crops of fruity though strongly "foxy" wines, either white or pink. Popular in last century.

SEYVAL BLANC : French-American hybrid white grape; grows well in Southern England. Not allowed in top French vineyards. Good fruity wines without foxiness of Catawba grape.

MERLOT (French red grape; also in Italy and Switzerland): similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but wines softer and mature sooner.

CARIGNAN (commonest French grape): uninteresting red wines, low in acidity and tannin but OK for blending.

dont know if this is of ne help to u....