About six years ago, I decided to try some wines from the local shop over a 3 month period, and apparently I had stellar luck picking them, because they were all quite good. The problem is that I can't remember what they were except that most were red. Also, I haven't had any wine since until recently.
Fast forward to this year and last fall. I Have tried several wines in the past six months which were all quite horrible. I tried two shiraz's, three zinfandels, two cabernets, a pinot grigio, a pinot grigio/chardonnay mix, two chardonnays and a merlot. Every single one was simply putrid, not one iota sweet, and tasted like vinegar mixed with century old cigarette ashes.
The only wine I know of that I actually like is Kreusch's Zeller Schwarze Katz, which one of my friends has kept in stock since before the incidents six years ago. Also, I have had Zeller Schwarze Katz off and on for the past ten years, so it doesn't really bear on the current discussion except to serve as an example of my tastes.
I describe my preferences in a wine thusly: 1. Nose with mostly scents recognizable as from the grapes, not the casks. 2. Medium body. 3. Just noticeably sweet but not cloyingly so. 4. Medium strength palate with mild tannins and just a little spiritiness, or none. 5. Absolutley no strong "savory" tastes in the palate. (the word "savory" defined as when it is contrasted with the word "sweet") 5. A pleasant finish with little in the way of tannins or strong flavors and smells of any kind.
Here are some other things that I like which may help in finding something else. I like Glenmorangie 10 and Ardbeg 10 Scotch Whisky. I enjoy Jameson's Irish, ice cold Seagrams 7 Crown, and Old Overholt Whiskeys. I like a "good" sake and despise poor sake. Takara Plum is OK, if a little close to the "cloying" end of sweet.
All of the wines I've tried recently were at the reccomendation of various wine shop employees when I described my tastes. Obviously they were all uncaring nitwits who just wanted to unload some crap on me that they couldn't sell any other way.
So, does anyone have any reccomendations that more or less fit my tastes as stated, and cost less than US $20 a bottle?