Budget red wine buyers guide
Discussion
Like it says. I've started to enjoy a glass of red with my tea (should that be dinner now I'm drinking wine? 
) but I don't have a clue about it. I seem to like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, although I don't know why.
Now I only buy at the supermarket as I'm a busy boy and can't make special trips. What should I be looking for to get a reasonable glass and how should I keep it. At the moment, I uncork it and leave it for half an hour. Once opened I keep it at room temperature with the cork back in. Does it need uncorking every night, or is it ok to drink straight after you take the cork out once it's been opened?
) but I don't have a clue about it. I seem to like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, although I don't know why. Now I only buy at the supermarket as I'm a busy boy and can't make special trips. What should I be looking for to get a reasonable glass and how should I keep it. At the moment, I uncork it and leave it for half an hour. Once opened I keep it at room temperature with the cork back in. Does it need uncorking every night, or is it ok to drink straight after you take the cork out once it's been opened?
If you can find any Kendall-Jackson they make some very good reds (US/California/Mostly Monterey County) and don't tend to break the bank (at least over here).
Of particular types look for their Grand Reserve label and try the:
Merlot - for a glass or two just relaxing with no food
Syrah - Excellent with a good steak, especially grilled
Pinot Noir - Deeper flavour than the Syrah and excellent with an assortment of dishes
I tend not to like the KJ Cabernets, but that is just me (Robert Mondavi - also California make some excellent Cabernets)
ErnestM
PS: Of course if you were thinking of breaking the bank, the Margeaux region in France produces excellent candidates
PPS: Don't know about the recorking, there is never any left at Maison d'ErnestM after one is opened. Wines do not store well. You may wish to refrigerate over night and then allow it to reach room temperature prior to enjoyment (yes - even the reds - just don't freeze the poor thing)
>> Edited by ErnestM on Wednesday 2nd November 21:26
Of particular types look for their Grand Reserve label and try the:
Merlot - for a glass or two just relaxing with no food
Syrah - Excellent with a good steak, especially grilled
Pinot Noir - Deeper flavour than the Syrah and excellent with an assortment of dishes
I tend not to like the KJ Cabernets, but that is just me (Robert Mondavi - also California make some excellent Cabernets)
ErnestM
PS: Of course if you were thinking of breaking the bank, the Margeaux region in France produces excellent candidates
PPS: Don't know about the recorking, there is never any left at Maison d'ErnestM after one is opened. Wines do not store well. You may wish to refrigerate over night and then allow it to reach room temperature prior to enjoyment (yes - even the reds - just don't freeze the poor thing)
>> Edited by ErnestM on Wednesday 2nd November 21:26
I'm fan of affordable red too. Red wine should be drunk at room temperature; my wine rack is on top of the kitchen cabinets which works perfectly. Cheap - er I mean affordable - red, is designed to be quaffed fairly quickly. Half an hour to let it 'breathe' is good, but it won't kill you if you skip it. After that, the more you leave the wine open, the more oxygen gets in and eventually it will turn to vinegar (alcohol>aldehyde>acid if you remember your O-level organic chemistry 
) So stick the cork back in after use and consume within a few days.
Or you can do it properly and get a decanter
My tips for good plonk are Asda and Morrisons. I like Merlot and Cab Sauv but not Shiraz or Gamza. Chilean Merlot is always excellent for the money - c £3 a bottle. You might like Italian reds too, eg Chianti, but cheap French ones seem watery to me. Morrison's 'Boardwalk Winery' Californina dry red never fails me. At all costs avoid Tempranillo and Rioja, which IMHO are fit only for treating fences!
) So stick the cork back in after use and consume within a few days. Or you can do it properly and get a decanter
My tips for good plonk are Asda and Morrisons. I like Merlot and Cab Sauv but not Shiraz or Gamza. Chilean Merlot is always excellent for the money - c £3 a bottle. You might like Italian reds too, eg Chianti, but cheap French ones seem watery to me. Morrison's 'Boardwalk Winery' Californina dry red never fails me. At all costs avoid Tempranillo and Rioja, which IMHO are fit only for treating fences!
Any thing less than a fiver...really doesn't need much study over
If you even attempt to find black herries and truffles in the after taste you'll be laughed out of here till kingdome come
A cheap bottle of plonk - is really what it says on the label
Tax and duty is about £2 - shipping costs and mimimal profit is another £1 - sod what even goes in the bottle....but if you take that into account....bugger thats 50p
If you even attempt to find black herries and truffles in the after taste you'll be laughed out of here till kingdome come
A cheap bottle of plonk - is really what it says on the label
Tax and duty is about £2 - shipping costs and mimimal profit is another £1 - sod what even goes in the bottle....but if you take that into account....bugger thats 50p
Simpo, a man after my own heart.... I do seem to have been a bit excessive in going for the £4.50 a bottle range. I can see some scope for a bit of a downwards adjustment I think Morrisons is my supermarket of choice already so I'm sorted there!
Had an Italian Merlot Sangiovese this week, but it was a little fruity, still, learning is all part of the fun
Oh, and before the inevitable happens, will white vinegar get red wine out of a cream carpet or should I get a bottle of cheap white in, just in case?
Morrisons is my supermarket of choice already so I'm sorted there! Had an Italian Merlot Sangiovese this week, but it was a little fruity, still, learning is all part of the fun
Oh, and before the inevitable happens, will white vinegar get red wine out of a cream carpet or should I get a bottle of cheap white in, just in case?
BliarOut said:
Had an Italian Merlot Sangiovese this week, but it was a little fruity, still, learning is all part of the fun
Hic
Cheese helps. Yep, wine, cheese and PH... BliarOut said:
will white vinegar get red wine out of a cream carpet or should I get a bottle of cheap white in, just in case?
I believe the thing is to rub salt in. Seems to work. Better still, don't miss your mouth.
NB Condor runs an off-licence so knows far more than me!
NNB Re Morrison's, if you don't have a pretty wife to cook nice things for you, the Kershaw's Steak Pie Dinner for 99p is the king of ready meals. Heck, pig out and have two
Some interesting comments on here! In general, you need to spend a minimum of a fiver to get anything half decent.
Tempranillo and Rioja - as with anything there are good and bad, one of my local pubs has a great Tempranillo on the list, and Fish had an awesome Rioja at his wedding - it was Marques de Caceres, I forget which year - 1994? He'll say which one it was if he reads this! It converted me, before that I also though Rioja was pretty average.
Of the wines available in supermarkets, some great reds are this:
www.tesco.com/winestore/controller.aspx?sid=basket&R=7376656 (don't be scared, it shows the price for a case)
and this is superb:
www.tesco.com/winestore/controller.aspx?Bc=0&sid=10752EA4A4BA&Btt=wolfblass&R=4005243&Btk=Descriptors
then there are the italians - Rosso di Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino if you want to push the boat out), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tignanello, Flaccionello, Amarone, Barolo... mmmm. Just realised this exactly describes the reds in my wine rack, plus a 95 Rioja Riserva, a Saint Emilion, 2 Margeaux, a dodgy Maltese merlot my ex gave me, and a random italian I don't remember buying
Breathing & decanting: a wine can't breathe by simply uncorking it - think of the tiny surface area of the wine in contact with the air. You need to decant it to let it breathe, BUT there's no point with cheap (young) wines, it won't make any discernible difference. Older wines yes, which need up to 2 or 3 hours before drinking, and if there is sediment.
If you're drinking it over 2 or 3 days, it should be fine at room temp with the cork in, if longer then fridge might be a good idea, or get a vacuvin thingy to suck out the air.
Whatever you do, store bottles horizontally before opening them, to keep the cork moist, else it shrinks and lets in air
Tempranillo and Rioja - as with anything there are good and bad, one of my local pubs has a great Tempranillo on the list, and Fish had an awesome Rioja at his wedding - it was Marques de Caceres, I forget which year - 1994? He'll say which one it was if he reads this! It converted me, before that I also though Rioja was pretty average.
Of the wines available in supermarkets, some great reds are this:
www.tesco.com/winestore/controller.aspx?sid=basket&R=7376656 (don't be scared, it shows the price for a case)
and this is superb:
www.tesco.com/winestore/controller.aspx?Bc=0&sid=10752EA4A4BA&Btt=wolfblass&R=4005243&Btk=Descriptors
then there are the italians - Rosso di Montalcino (Brunello di Montalcino if you want to push the boat out), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tignanello, Flaccionello, Amarone, Barolo... mmmm. Just realised this exactly describes the reds in my wine rack, plus a 95 Rioja Riserva, a Saint Emilion, 2 Margeaux, a dodgy Maltese merlot my ex gave me, and a random italian I don't remember buying
Breathing & decanting: a wine can't breathe by simply uncorking it - think of the tiny surface area of the wine in contact with the air. You need to decant it to let it breathe, BUT there's no point with cheap (young) wines, it won't make any discernible difference. Older wines yes, which need up to 2 or 3 hours before drinking, and if there is sediment.
If you're drinking it over 2 or 3 days, it should be fine at room temp with the cork in, if longer then fridge might be a good idea, or get a vacuvin thingy to suck out the air.
Whatever you do, store bottles horizontally before opening them, to keep the cork moist, else it shrinks and lets in air
munky said:Good point.... So why do the supermarkets keep them vertical
Whatever you do, store bottles horizontally before opening them, to keep the cork moist, else it shrinks and lets in air
Simpo, miss my mouth, it's not me, my kids are whirling dervishes. It's only a question of time
I don't need a wife, I'm a good cook, Morrisons wash and iron my shirts and I have a MILF to look after 'the rest' 
[quote=BliarOut So why do the supermarkets keep them vertical
[/quote]
The very simple answer is that they're only on the shelf for a
very short time ...the turnover ( people buying stuff) for an everyday supermarket ..like Sainsburys ...is approx a million pounds a week. The wines are barely in ...before they're sold on - as simple as that
[/quote]
The very simple answer is that they're only on the shelf for a
very short time ...the turnover ( people buying stuff) for an everyday supermarket ..like Sainsburys ...is approx a million pounds a week. The wines are barely in ...before they're sold on - as simple as that
A top tip I received on a wine tour in the Western Cape (S.A) ...from a wine expert.
you can easily improve the taste of wine by aerating it ....e.g : shake the glass or put it in a container and shake it ... it's much quicker and more effective than letting it "breathe" as it adds air to it much faster..... sounds daft I know , but it works , especially well with cheaper wine.
Western Cape wines are generally excellent quality and value - particularly Pinotage (my favourite), and Merlot
enjoy
you can easily improve the taste of wine by aerating it ....e.g : shake the glass or put it in a container and shake it ... it's much quicker and more effective than letting it "breathe" as it adds air to it much faster..... sounds daft I know , but it works , especially well with cheaper wine.
Western Cape wines are generally excellent quality and value - particularly Pinotage (my favourite), and Merlot
enjoy
nonegreen said:
Go to Bordeaux and visit Paulliac spend and enjoy
Yes but that's how to spend £50 (and the rest) not £5 on a bottle!
I gave up trying to buy wine at £5 for mid-week drinking. Life's too short. I reckon the general level where utter piss turns to drinkable quaffer is at £7 now - unless there's an offer on.
For a tenner you can nearly always get a decent bottle of wine.
If I'm going to spend big money on wine I tend to go with Californian or Australian boutique wines these days: e.g. Hill of Grace, say.
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