Wine recommendations

[zoebartlett]

My FI and I don''t drink much and neither one of us are ever inclined to open a bottle of wine. I''m having a dinner party for a few coworkers on Friday though and I know a few of our guests will drink wine if it''s offered. What should I pick up (both red and white)? I don''t know the first thing about it and I don''t know if I should look at dry or more sweet wines. If you could recommend specific labels to look for, that would be great. Thanks!!

As an aside, the menu will be fairly simple:

snacks (chips and salsa, hummus and crackers)
lasagna
salad
rolls or crusty bread
dessert (that one of my coworkers is bringing)
soda
beer (I think)

 

[surfgirl]

zoe, I''m also not a big wine drinker but I''ve become very fond of a white Riesling the last few years and everyone I know who''s tasted it has become a fan. It''s a bit on the sweeter side, not really dry, and goes with just about anything. It''s called Snoqualamie Vineyards Winetasters Select Riesling. SO delish!

 

[Emeraldfan]

zoe - my fiance and I are big wine drinkers, mostly reds. For a red wine everyone will like and most grocery stores should have try Francis Ford Coppola''s claret or their merlot (reasonably priced $13-$15 bottle). They have a smooth taste with not a lot of tannins (which is what most infrequent wine drinkers don''t like about red wines). We also like BV''s cabernet and pinot but I think these are a little more expensive ($25-35 bottle). Most of the white wines we get from Napa and aren''t sold in a lot of stores so I can''t really help you on the whites.

Good luck and enjoy your dinner party!!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

J. Lohr makes very good and reasonably priced red and whites (except for the Wildflower Gamay). Copolla suggestion already made so I won''t repeat it.

cheers--Sharon

 

[KimberlyH]

I had a delicious Smith and Hook Cab Sav the other night; I also really enjoy Micheal Posen Cab. A fun dessert wine is Tobin James late harvest Zin.

 

[somethingshiny]

I love white wines. A couple to try would be GAZELA (don''t remember the brand name, but it''s nearly everywhere) It''s a crisp, semi-dry wine and usually runs about $7. I couldn''t believe it was so good for the price! My favorite sweet white is SARACCO MOSCATO D''ASTI, it''s really full and delicious. Especially good with fruit and sweets. That one runs around $25. A red one that I like is called IRONSTONE EXPRESSION. It''s not as full as most reds and this one you actually serve chilled (unlike most reds). It''s also really good with fruit, but especially good with cheese and crackers.

Also, any winery will help you pair wines with meals and give you ideas of flavor within each wine. Most wineries will also let you sample a few. You can then narrow down specific flavors that you like so you can enjoy the wine, too.

Good Luck! And Have Fun!

 

[Cleopatra]

Hi Zoe! Ooooo a dinner party! Fun!

Personally - with the Italian themed menu (lasagna), I would serve two wines - both a red and white

Pinot Grigio (white Italian wine - can find many great bottles under $10, even more great bottles under $15)
- Santa Marguerita (around $20)
- Cavit (more of your standard party white wine for around $7)

A Chianti (red italian wine - similar to a Pinot in fullness and flavor, but not as heavy as a cab can be)
- Ruffino (around $10)
- Da Vinci (around $13)

There are several more - just can''t think of them off the top of my head!

Going to a local supermarket (not a chain store) that has a good liquor/wine section can be a really good thing. Lots of times, the people there know lots about wine. Or even try a local wine cellar! There are tons of bottles in tons of ranges, and the owners/workers always know what to serve if you tell them your menu and price ranges!

Good luck!!

 

[Independent Gal]

Hey Zoe! Going to a proper wine store instead of a super market is a good idea if you''re a beginner, because the people working there should know their stuff. If you give them your menu and price range, they should hopefully be good at matching something for you! They might even let you taste things.

Personally, I like a lighter red with Italian food... a Chianti or Montepulciano.

Rieslings (as Surfgirl suggested) go great with salads and with tangy soups like a ginger-carrot or that kind of thing... They can also be good as desert wines, depending what the desert is (fruit pie?).

 

[monarch64]

Date: 10/9/2007 10:59:47 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Hey Zoe! Going to a proper wine store instead of a super market is a good idea if you''re a beginner, because the people working there should know their stuff. If you give them your menu and price range, they should hopefully be good at matching something for you! They might even let you taste things.

Personally, I like a lighter red with Italian food... a Chianti or Montepulciano.

Rieslings (as Surfgirl suggested) go great with salads and with tangy soups like a ginger-carrot or that kind of thing... They can also be good as desert wines, depending what the desert is (fruit pie?).

I''m with IG, go to a wine store or liquor store specializing in wine sales and ask the salesperson what your best bets are. Definitely have a couple reds and a couple whites on hand...you can always stash unopeneds for later occasions you host.

Personally, for dinner parties I always have on hand a good merlot or cab. sauvignon....and a great pinot grigio (crowd fave) and chardonnay (ladies love it, lol). Trader Joe''s has been my BFF more than once when choosing wines, and also my local liquor/wine store for making these choices. Just tonight DH went to TJ''s to grab a quick oven-friendly dinner for us and ended up asking the nearest salesperson what would be a good pairing for our veggie lasagna. LOL!

When you inquire about appropriate wines, make sure to include the number of people in your party, what foods you are serving, and the dessert course...they won''t steer you wrong, and like I mentioned above, if you don''t open a couple bottles save them for your next occasion. Best of luck!

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I''ll definitely check out the local liquor store. Does the date matter? Should I look for something before this year? I think I do but I''m not sure.

The only reasons I''m making lasagna is because a) it''s pretty foolproof, b) I can assemble it on Thursday night and then cook it on Friday after school, and c) I can''t cook anything else.

Everyone likes Italian also, which can''t hurt. Ooohhh, even though my coworker friend is bringing dessert, I might buy pizzelle cookies and ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches. That could be fun!

 

[LAJennifer]

Red - Copolla Claret
White - Kendall Jackson Chardonnay