Hello group, newb in need of suggestions

You lucky dog!

Both of these red wines are best served just below room temp. It's really a matter of personal taste as to which one is better. Cabernet is typically fuller-flavored, but not always.

Can't help you here. I live in PA which has Soviet-type control over wine sales.

Dan-O

You've begun to mouth the bait, but be careful that the hook doesn't get planted too firmly in the jaw.

Beringer Founders' Estate bottlings are mass market wines made to be drinkable upon release and sold at a low price. Nothing wrong with that at all, but recognize that they are not examples of "fine wines" and in many instances you may find them disappointing.

Similarly you may find much worse wines for a lot more money and occasionally some much better wine for the same price or less.

Buy some nice glasses soon. Look to Amazon.com for Spiegelau stems which they often have at excellent discounts.

Well, if we seek metaphors, I would prefer to be a romantic and suggest that wines age more like a beautiful woman. They can show potential at an early age, can be appreciated for their taste and body, and can often be magnificent in their later years (I just had an uncontrollable flash of Sophia Loren in my mind, but I digress...). And, many can decline rapidly with age.

And, no....fine cigars go well with spirits, but usually not with fine wines. Try cognac, single-malt, reposada tequila, quality rum, even port, but stay away from wine with the cigar.

No telling which wine will be better. For mass-market wines like these, I like merlot better than cabernet, but your taste may vary.

Room temp or very VERY slightly cooled. Don't stow it in the refrigerator for a day before drinking--try about 55 or 60 degrees F.

Reds like merlot and cab are good WITH food, not as aperitifs or after dinner, but there is nothing wrong with enjoying a glass of wine by itself.

Yes, there are a lot of excellent wine vendor's online. Everything depends upon your state of residence. Many states allow delivery between states of wine shipment and you'll get service by UPS, FedEX, and other package companies. I've never lost a bottle in shipping and never had a problem with folks like Zachy's in NY, Sam's in Chicago, Wine.com in CA, Avalon in OR and a lot of individual vineyards.

What is "inexpensive" varies with the individual. What is worth purchasing, ditto! Taste and develop your own preferences.

Yes, "fine wines" cost several body parts as well as a contract for your first-born. But, there are a lot of great drinking wines for reasonable prices. My personal experience is that wines under $10 need to be approached with caution, wines in the $15-30 range offer some excellent value and tasting experiences, and wines over $50 should be purchased only by the knowledgeable (or the nouveau riche trying to impress.)

Drink, think, keep notes, Explore. That's my advise. You'll get the bill for this consultation at the end of the month.

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled"

Welcome to the world of wine. You will get years of pleasure from wine but don't be intimidated by wine snobs and bores. Find something to drink that you like and enjoy it. That said much of the pleasure of wine comes from learning about wine. A couple of suggestions.

Look up 'wine for dummies' on Amazon.com, then you will see a link to guide called So you want to graduate from the wine dummy class. There are some reading suggestions and advice there.

Buying wine online is fairly OK. I do it (in Australia) regularly and have had no problems. However starting out you might find it easier to buy a single bottle or two at your local store before jumping in at the deep end. For more advice see

You might find it useful to join some sort of a local wine club where you can talk to other learners. We are all learners, if someone thinks he knows it all he is wrong. I agree with above advice about writing notes. There is an intimate link between memory and the pleasure of taste and smell. The three senses need to be trained and developed in parallel and nothing aids the memory more than pencil and paper.

Enjoy

Hi Darby, I live in New York area, in USA. Regularly (bottle a day) drink your Shiraz, at US$10-12/bottle of 1.5 litre. Now 3-questions:

Well, Yellowtail was an export-only brand up until recently; it's only been put on sale here a few months ago, solely on the basis of the hype from the US. The winery that makes Yellowtail, Casella, only seemed to have a minor presence in wine stores here before then, and almost always associated with "cheapies". Where their grapes come from is anyone's guess - and at the price they're asking for it here, I haven't botherd to try the wine - but I'd guess Riverland (i.e. bulk grapes)

Banrock Station (owned by BRL Hardy) is based in the Riverland district and produces quaffable, undistinguished red wines that nevertheless are decent value for money, especially for those who don't like oak :) Their main claim to fame is the injection of profit into a conservation wetlands area on their property.

Definitely Shiraz these days. The Merlot fad seems to have died down due to an overload of seriously non-Merlot-like Merlot :-)

Banrock Station wines are about AUS$6-7 a 750ml bottle at large retailers. Better value at the price can be had, in my completely uneducated opinion, from Salisbury (now owned by Evans & Tate), Miranda's Mirrool Creek brand and Lindemans' Cawarra range.

Yellowtail's selling for about $8-9 for a 750ml bottle.

Add about $2-5 to the above prices if shopping at small stores, or supermarket wine departments.

Great suggestions. In addition, I would add that we've hooked up with other enthusiastic neophites (coworkers and such) and started regular tastings about every three months or so. It's proved to be hugely popular. A lot of people want to experience wine but are intimidated by the learning curve. We have a balance of those seeking the killer price point for a good wine and those that are willing to go the extra distance for a wine with the 'almost' religious experience. A tasting gives everyone the opportunity to experience several wines but also allows each host the opportunity to plan a 'theme' and therefore personalize the event. We use invitations by mail. It invokes a formal element and allows us to control group size and eliminate rowdies from the event. Cheers.

A waste of time. Wine is meant to be drunk along with a meal, and wines that match food superbly often fare poorly in these idiotic 'tastings'.

Hi Brett C ,

Do Rowdies drink wine? I would have though the fact it was a wine tasting event would have discouraged them. They enjoy other libations and group activities. Well at least that has been my personal experience, here in Ontario, Canada. I kind of agree with Uranium committee that it is nice to pair wines with foods. Uranium committee do you glow in the dark?

Take care.

Bob Patrick

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link