You may have already learned this at the wineries, but just in case: with the red wines, especially the powerful ones, pour some into a glass and let it "breathe" for at least half an hour to let it mellow out. There's a huge difference in aroma and flavor when you give the wine a chance to "develop." If you do like the reds, go to Target and get a set of red wine glasses (the big, round ones) as they enhance the wine-drinking experience tremendously. Some bigger cities offer wine classes, and many wine shops have frequent tastings--watch your local newspaper's Food section if there is one. The more you sample, the better chance you'll find the one(s) you really like.

rjw,

(from In and Out burgers to fine wine :)), have you tried Laurel Glen's "Reds"? I prefer it to the Coppola meritage.

LTCM17, our favorite but reasonably priced wine is from Austrailia. Any of the reds from Rosemount we have enjoyed greatly and they are priced very well. I can get a case on sale and it averages to be no more than $6 a bottle. Our fav is the merlot, or the cab/merlot blend. Enjoy!
Also if you have a Trader Joe's near you, they always have some great wines at reasonable prices...

I'm new to this red wine thing too. I started experimenting with red wine after a trip to NYC in October and having a very nice red Italian wine at Becco's. They have this enormous list of Italian wines that are all $20 a bottle. We told our waitress that we liked Merlots (not me but my dinner companions) and let her make a suggestion. It got me hooked on Italian reds. Naturally we didn't write down the name so, I did the same thing at the local package store that has a big wine selection. The guy there recommended a Dolcette D'Alba (sp?). Another good wine. And since then we've been experimenting with different wines - some good, some not so good. Formulae is another Italian red that we've enjoyed. Nothing has been over $14/bottle. Now we have a hard time going back to white wine. Maybe in the summer.

Just a small example of how you learn while traveling and it can make a difference in daily life.

Cost Plus World Market is definitely a good place to buy. They have Pepperwood wines that are good. These are "grape glut" wines... Actually wines from more famous makers but smaller wineries have bought their extra grapes and made their own private label wines. You will only see the name of the winery, year and type on them. I believe Pepperwood is the same as Sebastiani. You can get a good Pepperwood Cab at World market for about $6.

Also, Sams has great wine prices. I like the Meridian Merlot, which sells for about $6.50 at Sams. ($13.99 in the grocery store) There is a nice Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone at Sams for about $7.99. It was ranked 89 by Wine Spectator.

The one thing that shocked me about Sonoma Valley is that the wineries, for the most part, don't grow their own grapes.

I had always assumed wineries grew their own grapes.

I love Goats du Roam, a South African rhone-style. It's about $8, but oh-so-hard to find.

My understanding is that if a wine says "Sonoma County" on the label, at least 75% of the grapes must be from that county.

The broader the geogrpahic listing on the label, the broader the area from which the grapes f may have come.

For example, California Chardonay on a label only means that the grapes came from within the state of Calif.

Another point, while the term "reserve" may have some legal meaning (in Italy for instance), in the US it means whatever the winery wants it to mean. It could be aged, better grapes or simply a nicer label.

I

Oops..please excuse the typos

One to check out, not sure of availability in other regions is Falesco Vitiano. It's an Italian red from Umbria. I believe that the importer is Leonardo Locasio (sp)? At least, that's who it was when I was working in a wine department. Costco carries it, I know for sure. It's about $8/bottle, and is a GREAT everyday wine. I believe that it's a Cab/Merlot/Shizaz (?) blend. Check it out!

Wendy, I like the Goats du Rhoam too. Found it up in Atlanta, and yes it is hard to find! A lot of S. African wines are very good and relatively inexpensive. Austin: Costco has an excellent wine selection too. Brancott Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc for 12.99$ and Chauteau Souverain Chard for 12.99$. Also, the Black Opal Cab/Merot blend...2 bottles for 10.99, it is a GREAT everyday wine :-)

I agree with the La Crema Pinot and Clos du Bois Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, plus lots of the others mentioned.
One I haven't seen mentioned that I enjoy a great deal - around $7.99 at the grocery is Camelot Pinot Noir. It's by Kendall Jackson.

Has anyone else tried 7 Deadly Zins, which I get at Costco - a good place to find excellent wine? This is my current favorite, very (too?) drinkable. It comes from Lodi in California.

I like Australian Chardonnay. Lindeman's Bin 65 is better than "good" & it is reasonably priced.

"Goats du Roam". That is such a fun name! I think I'll try that just to see it. Central Market has a great wine selection and helpful staff.

My favorite wine of the day is Vinasoro Merlot. 1999. It's a merlot from Spain. $10 a bottle. Wonderful.

Hi Jocelyn! Say, what red would YOU drink with an In 'n' Out Double Double? I'm thinking Two Buck Chuck Red and a straw....

Haven't tried the Laurel Glen reds. I'll have to hunt it down. I had a glass of Maddalena cab last night at Ocean Avenue Seafood in Santa Monica-- delicious, a bit less complex than most cabs, not particularly heavy. Went well with the buttery sake-glazed cod I had.

Quick rave: Ocean Avenue Seafood is still the best seafood joint on the Westside!! Awesome food.

rjw, I still haven't tried the Two Buck Chuck...call me a fraidy cat. Have you seen the threads on the Europe board about the SoCal get-together?

Jocelyn: I have. My weekends are booked solid through spring, so I'm regretfully going to have to miss it/them.... But I hope everyone has a superb time! I know they will-- the SoCal posters on this forum are a very friendly and helpful bunch!

Dick is spot on with his 75%! To add to the confusion California has AVA's-
American Viticultural Areas-(sort of like the French appellations). You may note that most people here refer to them as "Districts".
There are something like 150 AVA's in the US.
15 in Napa (Caneros,Stags Leap) and 13 here in Sonoma County (Russian River Valley,Rockpile)alone!
Now there are even sub-AVA's!
BTW-Wine with an 'estate' label was grown on that winery land.
There is so much good reasonable wine
here that the selection overwhelms!
Cost Plus is a dangerous place to venture with one's debit card! Better deals are to be found at Trader Joes'-
at least here!
My favorite label for 'reasonable' wine is STU PEDASSO from Topolos in sonoma County. (Any one not get that?)
Since Kal's in HI I will borrow his
tag-"So many wines, so little time!
R5

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