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ok ....need advice on red wine


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Guess I could only give advice if you told me what food, if any, would be served with it. If it's strictly a "gift, red wine, $50", then just find a wine store that has the "Wine Spectator" ratings given for each wine, find the highest score for $50, and go for it!

I love red wine, but refuse to pay more than $25 for any single bottle, I'm just not that flush and finding a great wine for less is a lot more fun!

Botch

"Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will

www.puddlestone.net

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$50 is more than I ever spend on a bottle of wine...but if I wanted to get a great one at that price point, I would get a recent copy of the The Wine Spectator and go thru the reviews. I'd look for a wine that was produced in the amount of at least 2,000 cases, or it will probably be impossible to find. Then I'd make a couple of calls to local hi-quality wine shops (not the corner likker store) and see what they have in stock.

 

For $50 you should easily be able to find a wine with a Spectator rating over 90.

 

Costco is another place you can find great bargains in very good wine.

 

Ignore irrelevancies like cool-looking lables or if it's French or Australian or Chilean or Oregonian.

 

And for a gift, I wouldn't buy a wine that the reviews say needs much aging - very very few people have wine-storage coolers (or the patience to age something 10 years).

 

M Peasley

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Or try to find a local winery that has a decent red, it makes it just a little more personal, well at least to me. I gave some local wine this year as well.

Don't worry about $$$, price doesn't necessarily mean better, you might get some vinegar tastin crap for $50 if you don't have a good guide.

Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in
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Since I have no idea where you are from, you may not have a local wine industry. However, if you do, a nice selection of local wines is usually a hit. Plus, it helps your local economy.

 

I have used the wine guides for a long time to pick new and different wines and usually the most fun is finding a good local wine.

 

Of course, Oregon has a huge number of wineries and there are fifty tasting rooms within twenty miles of home.

 

I like the idea of a selection of $12 bottles of different types of red. Merlot, Gamay, Pinot, etc. will mean more than a single bottle.

 

Personally I would prefer a $50 bottle of Momokowa Premium unfiltered Sake.. but that's just in case you planned on getting me a gift...

Mark G.

"A man may fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame others" -- John Burroughs

 

"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man." -- Thomas Jefferson

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All good suggestions.

 

However, the "$50/bottle" specification leads me to believe the giver is looking to impress with this gift. And no wine impresses like a good Cabernet from Bordeaux. Therefore, something like Chateau Margaux would do the job. Or perhaps a 'future' wine such as a 2000 Haut-Brion, as long as the recipient knows such a bottle needs to be put away to mature for a few years.

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Originally posted by jtvrdy:

I would recommend you any Spanish red wine from Rioja :love:

Indeed! I've never even approached the $50 level, but my most favoritest is Conde De Valdemar Rioja. The "Crianza" is about $11 and the "Reserva" is about $18 here in Seattle.

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If it were me, I would go with a Port.

 

It's not really a dinner wine, so you don't have to worry about the food. Men and Women like it generally. It's good with Key Lime Pie or a Cigar ;-)

 

You can get killer taste for modest money that will raise an eyebrow.

 

You can get WineSpectator points up in the 90's for under $10.

 

There are several others in that desert wine category that get high ratings and are very affordable. The Sauternes with start near your price range though.

 

For $50 you could get 2 bottles of very nice after dinner wines with WS ratings in the low 90's.

 

check out totalwine.com if on the east coast.

 

TB

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Originally posted by TB-AV:

If it were me, I would go with a Port.

It's not really a dinner wine, so you don't have to worry about the food. Men and Women like it generally. It's good with Key Lime Pie or a Cigar ;-)

TB

Port is our choice for our Wednesday night "date nights", we really enjoy it with: ripe pears, walnuts, chocolate, and especially a bleu cheese. Magnifique! :thu:

Botch

"Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will

www.puddlestone.net

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Originally posted by GZsound:

Personally I would prefer a $50 bottle of Momokowa Premium unfiltered Sake.. but that's just in case you planned on getting me a gift...

politics aside, that gets a virtual hi-five from over here.

 

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I've got several cases of reds in the $50 range - what types do you like? One that never fails to impress anyone I've served it to is The Dead Arm shiraz, from D'Arenberg winery (South Australia). Another good bet would be a riserva from Castello di Ama (good Italian sangiovese). While a real French Bordeaux might impress, the ones in the $50 range are kind of a crapshoot - you'll probably end up with a better wine for your money with an Australian or Californian - Justin's Isosceles and St.Supey's Meritage are definitely worth the money - as are some of the old vine Zinfandels (try Gundlach Bundschu).

 

Scott

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I'm not much of a red wine drinker, but my favorite wine is an Italian white sparkling wine by the name of Mondorro. I've not bought wine since I began drinking Brandy, but the Mondorro used to run around $20.00 a bottle. I'm not into the thought of more expensive is much better; I've had some of the high priced wines and I'd take Mondorro over ANY of those that I've ever had.

 

It's one of those situations as to whether you like Coke or Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper, Green Teas or Orange Pekoe Black Tea, Coffee or Cappuccino, and likewise.... You can pay 8 bucks for a cup of Cafe` Latte, or you can run to Quik Trip (convenience store in Midwest) and buy a cup of French Vanilla Cappuccino for .79 cents.

 

Much about spending more money makes it better is all in a mind set and simply holds no weight in my book. It's all about the flavor, not the price.

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Coyote was on the right track with a nice Bordeaux as a gift. However, $50 is not going to buy anything that is drinkable now, especially not a 1st or 2nd Growth from a good year. A respectable $50 Bordeaux will be ready 10-20 years from now, maybe.

 

How about something other than red wine?

 

For a "drinkable now" Bordeaux that make a great gift, there is one word: Sauternes. $50 won't get you the greatest of all Sauternes, Chateau D'Yquem (over $200/bottle), but you can look for something like Chateau Rieussec as one excellent choice. Go to a reputable wine merchant in your area and let them help you. Plus, because it's a sweet and highly concentrated wine, 1 bottle will serve many people.

 

Another excellent gift to drink now is a great Champagne. Go vintage, though you'll likely need to go higher than $50. Skip Dom Perignon. It's not that Dom isn't good; it's $100 and just too obvious a choice. Try vintage Laurent Perrier, which is a good value and a medium bodied Champagne. For something even more out of the ordinary, look for a fine non vintage Rose' Champagne (try Veuve Cliquot), or Cremant (a very rare, less effervescent French sparking wine from the Champagne region).

 

For red wine the recipient can enjoy this winter, a large format bottle makes a nice holiday gift. Keep in mind that large bottles take longer to mature that standard 750ml bottles, so get something much lower in tannins than Cabernet (like Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, or a blend). Check www.bonnydoonvinyard.com (LOVE their website) for "Le Cigare Volant" in a magnum (probably a little more than $50 because a 750ml bottle is around $30). It's an outstanding California "Rhone style" wine, a blend of grapes including Grenache & Mourvedre that is nothing close to Cabernet or Merlot. It's a fantastic wine for dinner on a cold night.

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