boxinglisa

I drink...mixed drinks and beer...rarely wine, unless a friend happens to order it. However, when in Rome and Paris this Christmas I want to experience the culture of the cities. What wine would you suggest we order?

We will be in Rome,Paris, and London. I was thinking of something lite and fruity.

RJD

Order the house wine, either red or white depending on the meal. You will generally be satisfied.

ira

Hi lisa,

>What wine would you suggest we order?<

What are you eating?

There are probably 1500 different wines that you could choose from.

For strong-flavored dishes (meat, game, strong cheese) a light to medium red.

For fish - generally a white.

For chicken and veal - a light red or a white.

As RJD suggests, order a 1/4 L of the house red or white.

Mrs_jones

Frascati is local to Rome. It's a fairly light, fruity white wine and quite refreshing. Traditionally it has been quite cheap & cheerful but there are now more 'serious' (and seriously-priced) versions available. Good with fish & light pasta dishes, or just to drink throughout the meal if you're not having anything heavy or tomato-based.

zootsi

In Rome, the house reds are generally rich and fruity, and not overy dry. We liked them quite a bit. In Paris, noveau beaujolais is about as light and fruity as you can get, if it's still available (it almost doesn't taste like wine). If not, 'regular' eaujolais also goes down very easily. The lightest wines are typically German whites, but you probably want to get a more local wine.
Don't be afraid to order beer - it's far more popular in Italy and France than you might imagine. Italy and France both make some very nice beers, such as Perroni and Fischer,

wren

I tried Sancerre in Paris a couple of summers ago. It is a wonderful white wine made in a town of the same name, about 2-3 hours away from Paris. It is fresh and light. You can try it here before you go to see if you like it. My stores sell it and the price starts around $14.00/bottle.

suze

I suggest ordering 'house' red, rose, or white by the carafe or pitcher. Get a small size + 2 glasses to begin with, order another if you like it and want a little more.

This method has the benefit of being inexpensive and relatively easy to ask for even if you do not speak French or Italian.

I've nothing against good bottles of wine (Sancerre is an excellent suggestion for Paris) but that takes the tiniest bit more finesse to figure out and order.

rex

You have months til Christmas and even your local grocery store (if it is a big supermarket) carries enough decent brands of French and Italian wines to buy a dozen bottles, and try one, once a week with a nice dinner to get a sense of some of the major types of wine which might appeal to you.

Specifically, why not find out for yourself what you think about:

French, red, fruity - Beaujolais
French, red, medium dry-fruity - Chateaufneuf-du-Pape (typically Syrah-Grenache blends)
French, white, sweet - Gewurztraminer
French, white, fruity - Pouilly-Fumé (this is essentially the same as Sauvignon Blanc wines produced in the US)
French, rosé - Grenache or Rose d'Anjou

and of course, French champagne

Italian, red, "light" - Valpolicella
Italian, red, full-bodies - Chianti Classico (typically based predominantly on Sangiovese grapes)
Italian, white, "light" - Pinot Grigio

and of course, Asti

Others will no doubt have a different beginner's list to propose to you.

Best wishes,

Rex