Does anyone have a recommendation for a red wine?

Question

I have always drank sweet white wine but want to start trying reds what would be a good red wine to start with?

Answer 1

I agree with the folks that said Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Merlot. I would say to stick with Washington or Oregon for the Pinot and South America or low priced Californian for the others. Brands like Ch. Ste. Michelle, Mondavi Woodbridge, Beringer Private Reserve (especially soft Pinot!) are all good. I wouldn't go with the French wines yet. They tend to be less fruity. They are wonderful and complex, but are often more acidic and tannic.

Another couple of choices are: Carmenere from Castellero Del Diablo in Chile is nice and fruity with restrained tannin and Dolcetto DiAlba from Italy. Which is also a well-balanced red that is great for a beginner. Has some dark berry aromas and flavors with enough acid and tannin to stand up to food.

Enjoy!

Answer 2

If you like sweet white wines, you should move to red wines that has some sweetness to start out.

I would recommend for you to try either Cabernet Franc or Zinfandel (not White Zinfandel).

Cabernet Franc is a mid-priced wine ($25-40) which has a natural sweetness at the end. It is a great introduction for you to get into the its more bitter and tannic cousin, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is used a lot to add sweetness and soften the big Cabernet Sauvignon in many wines from California and France. To me, a straight Cab Franc offers a wonderful red wine with a bit of sweet end without having to feel like I just drank a dessert wine. The Cab Franc in Napa I like the most is Detert Cabernet Franc ($45). Other excellent Cab Franc include Peju ($25), Pride ($45).

Zinfandel is the same grape that makes White Zinf, but with the skin added to the wine making process, it adds much more complexity and flavor, as well as some tannin. It also has some sweetness (since White Zinf is actually sweet) as well as lots of fruit flavor. The only problem with Zinfandel is that the Napa wineries tend to make Zinfandel with high alcohol content - so you can get drunk quicker. My favorite Zinfandel include Storybook Mountain ($40), Venge ($40), Ridge (Lytton Spring $35, York Creek $30), and Noah Duarte Vineyard Zinf ($25). I would definitely avoid the Zinfandel with the weird names - Seven Deadly Zins, Earthquake, etc - they tend to be poorly made and has very high alcohol content.

Pinor Noir is my third choice for you, but it can be a bit dry. I would avoid Cab or Merlot or Petit Syrah or Syrah if I were you, at this stage, since you might be turned off with the tannin in these wines.

Answer 3

Well...if you are into the sweet wines, there's a blush zinfandel which is white meets red kind of. And then there's a sweet red wine called Gallo Cafe Zinfandel. It's full of flavor but less bitter than most reds. Much more than that, there's kind of a test period that you have to go through on your own. I tend to lean toward merlots or pinot noirs. And you don't have to pay lots of money for a good red wine either. I would say $8-$14 is enough for something decent to start with.

Answer 4

I recommend a Cabernet. Although it is not a sweet grape, it is very smooth and I find more palatable than Merlot. I am a big fan of Chilean wines right now. Concho y Toro is a great start. For american, No8 Cabernet, and Red Diamond are also smooth.

Pinot Noir would be my next choice, Malbec, then Merlot. I have also found that Port Wine is fantastic. Its stronger, more like a brandy and has a sweetness as well, but may make a good transition wine to the dry varieties.

Answer 5

go with something like a pinot noir or a shiraz, as they are not quite so heavy. Or try some of the new blends, like a merlot / cabernet mix. Just keep in mind, these wines can be an aquired taste, so don't give up if you don't immediatly like what you taste. Zinfandel (not the blush variety) is also a good one to try. My suggestion - if you can, go to a winery where you can taste a sampling of many kinds of wine, you will really learn what you like and don't like quite quickly that way.

Answer 6

Here is a good recipe for a sweet summer red wine that almost everyone will like. Slice an orange, lemon, and lime(thin slices). Add them to a pitcher that you might normally use for iced tea. Fill the pitcher half full with ice. Buy an inexpensive bottle of Yago Sangria and pour it into the pitcher. Add one shot of brandy. Do not stir. Let it set for about five minutes and start pouring.
If you want a traditional red wine, try a Merlot.

Answer 7

Merlot is probably your best bet. You would want to stay away from anything too dry right off the bat. Despite the negative publicity that Merlot received from films like Sideways, it is a nice wine. Eventaully work your way up to Chianti, Cab, and Pinot Noir.

Answer 8

probably a pinot noir, but even that may be too dry for you. you may want to move up the ladder in the white wine category first. try some pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, then maybe go to the reds. i would at least recommend going to a wine tasting or two in which you would be able to do a natural progression from sweetest to dryest.

Answer 9

You should try the new wine of Lili Winery!
The wine is produced from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes which are cultivated Golan Heights, Israel.

You can order it through www.liliwinery.com

Enjoy!

Answer 10

Always drink your reds at room temperature-no chilling required. A great red wine to try is Ravenswood Red Zinfandel. Merlots and Shiraz are great types to try as well but red zinfandel is my favorite by far! Enjoy!