I don't know diddly about wine, and really dont' care for it. I want to try to like it, because i know it can be heart healthy.
I found two lists of recommended wines that may be a good start to learning what is a good wine. Maybe these will be helpful to others. If you have your own personal favorite, please share
From CBS Sunday Morning, from last month
Quote:
Sunday Morning contributors and Wall Street Journal Tastings columnists, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter recommend wine for the holidays…
From Consumer Reports Dec 05. You can read all of the ratings and the full article on their website.
Quote:
Pinot noir
Delicate pinot noir grapes create wines that are subtle and moderately complex. Flavors include raspberry or strawberry, spicy notes, and cedar pencil shavings. Typically, wines are dry, with a medium finish--as in how long taste and texture linger after swallowing.
Artesa Carneros 2002 $18
Complex aroma notes, such as tobacco, leather, and pencil shavings, reflect classic pinots noir from France’s Burgundy region. Mouthwatering structure (tannin and acid) pairs well with food.
Meridian Vineyards Central Coast 2003 $10, CR Best Buy
Balances very ripe fruit with tartness, tannin, and some wood notes.
Beringer Founders’ Estate 2003 $12, CR Best Buy
Similar balance to the Meridian (3) but with less intensity. Has some classic pinot noir elements.
Pinot grigio/pinot gris
The same grape is called pinot grigio in Italy, pinot gris in France, and either name in the U.S. Both are relatively simple. Fruity aromas such as apple, pear, and citrus might be noticeable.
Hogue Columbia Valley (Washington) 2004 $10, CR Best Buy
Full-flavored pinot grigio with crisp acidity, clean finish, and wide array of ripe fruit aromas, notably tropical fruit, apple, pear, and citrus.
McManis Family Vineyards River Junction 2003 $10, CR Best Buy
Similar to Hogue (16) but without the citrus; its aromas combine with the mouth-filling flavors of a classic pinot grigio.
King Estate (Oregon) 2002 $15
This pinot gris is full-flavored and crisp. It has a fuller body than most, as well as notable tropical-fruit, citrus, and honey aromas.
Ecco Domani Delle Venezie (Italy) 2004 $11, CR Best Buy
Though its flavors aren’t intense, they’re classic for pinot grigio, notably the tropical fruit. Crisp, dry, and short finish.
Bella Sera Delle Venezie (Italy) 2004 $8, CR Best Buy
Simple fruit flavors. Easy-to-drink pinot grigio.
Willamette Valley Vineyards (Oregon) 2003 $12, CR Best Buy
Full-flavored pinot gris with ripe fruit and some wood notes; off dry.
Merlot and red blends
Merlots may have predominantly fruit aromas or offer a mix of fruit and wood on the nose. They may have herbaceous aromas in addition to typical dark-berry and spicy notes. The red blends in our Ratings
--which combine two or more varietals such as shiraz/syrah, cabernet sauvignon, and sangiovese--have similar characteristics to the merlots.
While as a rule wines are ranked in descending order of quality, two groups--Bogle (33), Concha y Toro (34), and Jacob’s Creek (35); and Chateau St. Jean (38) and Yellow Tail (39)--are ranked the same and listed alphabetically in the Ratings.
Gallo of Sonoma Reserve Sonoma County 2002 $13, CR Best Buy
This merlot has big, full fruit flavors and good structure (tannin and acid).
Bogle Vineyards 2003 $9, CR Best Buy
Full-flavored, with ample fruit, good structure (tannin and acid), and a longer finish than most other merlots in this group.
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo (Chile) 2004 $9, CR Best Buy
Intense ripe fruit and a firm structure (tannin and acid) characterize this merlot.
Jacob's Creek (Australia) 2003 $9, CR Best Buy
Consider cellaring this merlot for a year or two to allow its full fruit flavors to integrate better with components such as wood and tannin.
Yellow Tail (Australia) 2004 $7, CR Best Buy
Big, young, rich, and fruity merlot. Lacks some wood to completely balance it. A bit sweeter than the others in this group.
Rosemount Estate Shiraz-Cabernet (Australia) 2004 $8, CR Best Buy
This blend of shiraz (62 percent) and cabernet sauvignon (38 percent) has rich fruit flavors and good structure (tannin and acid), and should soften if cellared.
I adore wine! Nice wine and a gourmet meal are part of the reasons I'm on this board! (It helps that my BF is a bit of a chef)
My favourite grapes are Zinfandel (the red is great, the white can be quite sweet but both are pretty strong), Shiraz- Cabernet (one for red meat), Pinot Grigio (for girls nights out and chicken/ salad), Barolo and Chateauneuf du Pape for 'meaty meals' (I like them with a roast dinner, but a lentil stew would work too)
In terms of brands, I don't know what's availabile in the States but there's an Australian brand called Wolfblass which I've never had a wine I didn't like from.
Let me know what you think of my favourites (I also love champagne for special occasions)
I saw the other day that there are some packages now that only have four single serving in little bottles. Maybe see if they can be switched out so that you are buying four different types to find what you like best. My personal favorite is the Zifandel.
JULES, i like the little bottles for cooking, so when I buy white wine for recipes, I have a supply of fresh, whatever is left over after putting in the recipe, I drink
I admit, I like sweet wine... I love Arbor Mist Blacberry Merlot, Shiraz is good too.. red wines are the more healthy, Riunite Lambrusco is a good starter Suzzane, is rich, not so sweet.... Pinot Grigio is good too, I use a chardonnay in my french onion soup and stuffed mushrooms, and chicken.... yum
I offically start my program today. I bought paper plates in the 7 and 9 inch size so there will be no mistake and can transport them to work...My daughter is doing South Beach still, so will compare the recipes and see what can be used on the Sonoma diet.... Later... India
Suzanne: I'm not a huge alcohol drinker of any kind. I've experimented with a few wines. Of the reds my favorites are Shiraz which you have now heard several times, and an Italian wine called Montepulciano deBruzzio (not sure of spelling). It isn't terribly expensive. I think about $12 a bottle and it one of the few red wines I could sit there and probably drink the whole bottle. Of course, I also like Sangria, but I suspect it is also full of sugar, LOL.
As for whites, Pinot Grigio is my favorite. Good luck. Try several and you will probably find a few you like.
DH and I are HUGE wine people ( we have about 140 bottles cellared in our basement ) and have done wine tours/tastings/etc. DH is into really small production cult wines. We are wine snobs, and I can heartily recommend (altho it is really up to you what taste you like) a red and a white that are about $10 each and are lovely table wines. Both by brand "Smoking Loon" and the white is called a "Viognier" and is a white blend, kind of sweet, definately not too tart or dry, and the red is a Merlot. Actually the wine allowance starting in Wave 2 is the primary reason I switched from South Beach, I did Phase 1 of SB, altho I wasn't following portions, I just switched to Wave 1 a few days ago and have lost weight where I really didn't on SB (after all that deprivation. And I STILL can't have fruit yet LOL).
For white wine it has to be Pinot Grisio! We like the one by Bolla As for red, you can't go wrong with a chianti, even the cheap ones are usually good! My new Favorite is a brand called The Red Bicycle! Very yummy!
We had a nice reisling last night with dinner...it was german and I don't remember the name right now, but it came in a blue bottle. It was a little drier than what we enjoyed at the little mediteranian bistro last week (which was also german, but I'm not sure from what grapes it came from) It was about $8 for the bottle, but it only held 4 glasses worth.
I've had the yellow tail shiraz, but it's a bit strong for every day drinking for me, perhaps a few times a month at most. I hope to become a little more of a wine connosiuer (sp?) with this diet, and dh has to learn more about wines since he IS becoming a chef. He is still concerned about the cost of the diet however, it's taking him a bit of convincing that we still are paying the same amount since we aren't buying the junky food we always used to. It still comes to about $100 a week, which for a family of four (okay three, the little one just eats her baby food still) I don't think that's half bad!
Hi Tammie,
We usually shop at costco and spend $400 a month on groceries. Plus the regular Safeway shopping of about $400 a month... We have 5 of us.. so aprox $160 a week here. But it is worth it. We def are only buying lots of fresh produce. Costco has the best and freshest meats. I think.
Missouri wine.....One for people who don't like wine....
We have several wineries in Missouri but our very favorite local wine is by St James Winery (near St Louis) and it's called Velvet Red. It's an American Sweet Concord Wine for drinking, not really for cooking - too sweet. (though I did use it in my WONDERFUL Thanksgiving cranberry dish - email if you want the recipe EMAIL deleted for your safety. They also make a Velvet White that is very good.
This wine has taken many non wine drinkers into the realm of wine.
I saw it at Sam's Club lately so it might be available across the US. It's not expensive - about $8 a bottle.
So anyone who is looking for an enjoyable sweet wine to drink for health, this may end up your favorite, also.
Wine selections
Wine and more :)
He is still concerned about the cost of the diet however, it's taking him a bit of convincing that we still are paying the same amount since we aren't buying the junky food we always used to. It still comes to about $100 a week, which for a family of four (okay three, the little one just eats her baby food still) I don't think that's half bad!
