Other Help me pick a red.

[Jericurl]

I'm really not much of a red wine drinker, but I want to ease my way in.

I like my wine a little sweet, but not sweet enough to have it instead of dessert.
The heavily oaked wines I have tasted weren't really my cup of tea.

I know that I am going to get Winexpert LE2013 Pacific Quartet kit in February.
I'm looking for a good red wine kit to buy as well. I would like to stay under $150 and buy it preferably soon so that I can have it aging by January. I would really like to be able to use finished bottles for presents at Christmas 2014.

Any suggestions?
(I know I need to do more research ref my own tastes...malbec, merlot, etc.....I did buy a $9.00 temperanillo last week. Tasted like I cleaned the dirt off the bottom of my shoe, added some cigarette ash, then some sugar to finish it off. Seriously...I'd drink my Dragon's Blood any day over that mess.)

 

[richmke]

My wife really likes the Winexpert Island Mist Blackberry Cabernet. More like a Wine Cooler. Not so sweet to be a desert wine. Some people add 1/2 the fruit during primary, and the other 1/2 when directed. That cuts down on the sweetness. The kits are cheap too. If you push it, you might be able to bottle by this Christmas.

 

[Boatboy24]

Are there any commercial reds you like that we can use as a reference point?

My initial thought is a nice, fruity merlot.

 

[Boatboy24]

My wife really likes the Winexpert Island Mist Blackberry Cabernet. More like a Wine Cooler. Not so sweet to be a desert wine. Some people add 1/2 the fruit during primary, and the other 1/2 when directed. That cuts down on the sweetness. The kits are cheap too. If you push it, you might be able to bottle by this Christmas.

Good idea. Doing a couple of those with only half the f-pack could prove to be a good gateway drug.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I agree, I do not like temperanillo much either. I would start with a mellow red such as Merlot, or a nice Montepulciano D'Abruzzo to ease you way into reds, the Eclipse Merlot is very nice, a fruit forward easy drinking red, Montepulciano is a nice light red, almost a hint of sweetness to it, and the beauty of both of these wines is that you don't need much oak, but of course, that is really a matter of preference.
Once you get acclimated to reds, I'd move into a Pinot Noir, Barbaresco, Valpolicella (one of my favorites), Brunello, maybe a Super Tuscan or Bordeaux, followed by the more astringent Cabernet Sauvingnon, Amarone (not everyone likes this) and Barolo.
You can also slightly back sweeten to your palette.
I'd highly recommend buying a bottle before making it, try this website www.wtso.com, these folks sell bottles of wine at up to 70% discount, sign up for free and they'll email you every time a new wine is offered, usually up to 10 times of more daily.
I've gotten some amazing deals, for instance a $200 dollar bottle of Barolo for $49.00 and a $150.00 bottle of Brunello for $39.00, they ship extremely fast.
How's that for a game plan...LOL!

 

[jamesngalveston]

Almost everyone of the wines mentioned can be done with fresh blackberries...if you want to make a trip here in the spring, my patch is yours pick all you want, and I can show you how to turn them into a very good red wine, in short of 6 months, that u can have by december 2014.
its not rocket science.
there is so many blending technigues that can be used and induced flavors its like a buffet of wine making.
recently at a party...a couple was pouring from one of my bottles and told the host, that it was the best cabarnet they have had..
we never told them it was a homemade blackberry.

 

[REDBOATNY]

Try a bottle of Zinfandel. Not white Zinfandel. Or go to a wine bar in your area. Reds do vary a lot.

 

[the_rayway]

I had to train myself to drink red wine and martinis, so I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of delegations that I host at work

I started with drinking Pelee Island Semi-Sweet Red Wine - ithas a picture of a hummingbird on the bottle. I had to work my way up (or, rather, down in sweetness terms) from there. Now I really love a dry red (and a dirty gin martini ).

Also, on the lighter side, the Meiomi Pinot Noir is really lovely, and has great vanilla overtones. Another easy one to try would be Peller Estates Merlot. I used to keep a box of it around for when my Dad would come over before I could drink red wine.

 

[diggerdan17]

Sounds like you need to buy and make the cellar craft Rosso fortissimo , you won't be disappointed!!

 

[GaDawg]

I'd vote for a Pinot Noir because of the low tannnins

 

[DoctorCAD]

I know that your description of tempranillo is only a few steps off, not bad for a non-red drinker. "Dirt off the bottom of my shoe" = mineral taste "ash" = toasted oak "sugar" = fruity...see, not bad!

Try the lighter reds, like pino noir. No shoe dirt or ash required.

 

[kryptonitewine]

I'm going to second the IM wines. My wife will not drink a red but she enjoys a chilled glass of blackberry Cabernet. I love reds but don't like sweet wines however I have no issues drinking this cold on a warm summer evening.

If you do want a true red the Pinot noir would be a good start. Before buying a kit go buy a bottle and try one or get a glass at a restaurant.

Do you have a winery near you? You could do a wine tasting and try several types that's how we picked the blackberry cab.

 

[Jericurl]

Thanks guys.

These are some pretty good ideas.

So far, I like this wine, the description says it is a medium bodied sweet red wine from 67% Sangiovese 33% Cinsault.

The other wine from them that I really like is a Cabernet Blanc, and made from Cabernet Sauvignon, but in a rose style.
So I guess maybe try a few other rose style wines? I've never seen another Cabernet Blanc anywhere else.
I can't really think of any other reds that I've tried recently that I really liked.

We do have a winery nearby....maybe one day I can work up the sass to go in there. It's really...really...not my scene. Lot's of heavily made up stay at home wives that carry zebra striped purses. Not that there is anything wrong with that...just not my social scene. Maybe I can con Manthing into going with me for a half hour or so and try out some of their reds.

James, we just might take you up on that offer.
We had blackberries growing up and I miss having fresh blackberries.

 

[kryptonitewine]

. Lot's of heavily made up stay at home wives that carry zebra striped purses. Not that there is anything wrong with that...just not my social scene. .

That's unfortunate. The ones by me in lower michigan are excellent and mostly very done to earth people. Good luck on your search.

 

[terroirdejeroir]

I would second the recommendation for an Italian blend such as Rosso Fortissimo or Super Tuscan. Chianti-style wines were the gateway for my wife to begin to appreciate red wine.

 

[SouthernChemist]

Red wines can be pretty versatile even within the same grape. Not all Cabernets are big, bold, and tannic, for example. Tempranillo doesn't always made a good varietal wine. I personally think it is better in a blend as in a good Rioja. My first red was a Pinot Noir from Oregon, and I think that can be a good starting place. Merlot can also be a good start. Keep in mind that some reds are really intended to be drank while eating and not alone. A little food can change how a wine tastes.

You said you liked the Sangiovese/Cinsault blend. You should look for some other Sangiovese blends as they can be very approachable and tasty. The high popularity of the Super Tuscan style kits is a testament to this.

There's always wine stores, too. They should have tasting events that will give you a good idea of what you may or may not like. It can also be nice because you will get a chance to try something you would never spend the money on (like an expensive Bordeaux).

 

[Jericurl]

Yes, yes....I know, zombie thread.

But I finally found a red wine that I like. McPherson Sangiovese 2010 from here .
It's not sweet, no overpowering oak...I think it would be perfect with a meal.

So I think maybe I can start with sangiovese wines then branch out.
I did try a merlot, an unoaked merlot, another tempranillo and several others and none of them went over very well.

 

[SouthernChemist]

Yes, yes....I know, zombie thread.

But I finally found a red wine that I like. McPherson Sangiovese 2010 from here .
It's not sweet, no overpowering oak...I think it would be perfect with a meal.

So I think maybe I can start with sangiovese wines then branch out.
I did try a merlot, an unoaked merlot, another tempranillo and several others and none of them went over very well.

Sangiovese can be pretty good (and its blends even better). It can be fairly food friendly, too...especially if it has tomato sauce.

 

[JohnT]

A good san gio is a beautiful thing!

 

[LoneStarLori]

I did the WE world vineyard Italian Sangiovese as my first red kit. I started it in Sept 13 and it was very drinkable by Christmas. So well received, I am down to 6 bottles after bringing it to several holiday gatherings. I'd call it a crowd pleaser.