Tell me what you know! I've always sworn to liking the stuff as much as I like beer - not at all. I've been told both are acquired tastes. I based my wine opinion on White Zin, which I can't stand btw. I've since dabbled in reds and find I like them much better. But all in all I'm clueless. I like to buy them based on the name of the winery or the label, the funkier the better.

So tell me what I should be looking for... how to pick wines I might like... or to pick ones to help define what I do like...Heck tell me what you like... what you don't like... I'm just a sponge at this point for all things wine.

Also, keep in mind I'm a single gal with no one beating down my door, so how long can I keep an opened bottle?

I picked up a bottle of red truck tonight because I think it sounds fun. I'm trying to save it for the weekend.

Thanks in advance.

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When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

I like red too. I like blush too. I buy stuff cause I like the name. I have a bottle of Menage a trois to drink but it seems wrong to drink it alone. I also have something called 7 deadly zins I'm going to marinade in this weekend.

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The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

I didn't know until recently that there was such a thing as red Zin, I thought it was only the white stuff. I'm assuming they taste nothing alike?

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When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

A lot of local wine stores and of course wineries have tastings and classes you could go to where you can try a lot of different wines and see what your pallet likes...which types of reds, whites or blushes...etc....

It helped my wife and I a lot...

A lot of states have wineries...you should check some out...

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If someone offers a penny for your thoughts and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny??

Don’t let the hardship of the past, take away from the joy of the present

OK....what osuche can cull together in 2 minutes about wine. Much of it fact, some probably my own opinion....

If you can find 1997 or 2003 red wines from Napa, those were good years. 2000 was a good year in most French appelations.

Reds are generally classified by (1) the type of grape, and (2) the amount of tannins present in a particular blend. Something is tannic if you get that bitter taste on the rear of your tongue when you drink it. Some people like this taste, others don't (I'm in the like category, but Mr Osuche isn't). Generally, the lighter/less tannic reds are better with light meals and the heavier reds are better with heavily spiced foods (think steak, Indian food, spicy Italian)

Common American varietals (in order of heaviness, less tannic -> more)
Syrah/Shiraz (although most American Syrah is a blend of grapes and not 100% Syrah)
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Zinfandel (Red)


Other than that, there are a lot of good blends....sometimes called "Table Wine" and sometimes called by a house name (something the vineyard made up)

I recommend you look for "wine tastings" in your area...local restaurants, some liquor stores, and (of course) wineries have them....Typically you can get a 1 oz pour of a wine to determine whether or not you like it. In the case of wine, it's no good if you don't *like* it...and everyone has a different palate.

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Life is too short not to love and be loved....preferably multiple times in one night.

I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

Common American whites (light/fruity --> oaky/tannic)

Muscat Canelli (more of a dessert wine; very sweet)
White Reisling (sweet)
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio (gris is slightly lighter than grigio, but depends on the blend)
Gwertztraminer (can be slightly sweet)
Sauvignon Blanc
White Bordeaux (rare American varietal; wonderful French)
Chardonnay

__________________
Life is too short not to love and be loved....preferably multiple times in one night.

I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

I just splurged a bought a nice bottle of Eiswein ( Ice wine) I feel too guilty to drink it all by myself but I just may pick up some strawberries and go for it.

__________________

The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

If you ever find a bottle of cherry port, or cherry wine.....get it and buy some Hershey's Kisses to go with

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Life is too short not to love and be loved....preferably multiple times in one night.

I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

you can keep an unopened bottle of wine bottle for a pretty long time and an opened bottle of wine for a while, meaning it doesn't become toxic to drink. but speaking for the palate, it tastes pretty crappy in a day or two for white, three for red...tops. corking it and putting the fridge will help, but not much. you can still cook with it though.

i recommend...as the other peeps did...just trying some out at a tasting, and deciding what you like.

i'd also recommend trying some different beers, too. i used to hate the taste of beer as well until i realized they don't all taste like miller and bud. there are some very interesting flavors out there. there's even barley wine, it's like a cross between port and ale.

hell, i didn't even used to drink, but my kids have driven me to it. i might as well enjoy what i'm sippin'.


my mom has a magnet on her fridge that i love. it says: i love to cook with wine. sometimes i even put it in the food.

__________________
Trees give peace to the souls of men * Nora Waln

The forest would be very quiet if no other birds sang than those who sing the best * Henry van Dyke

some fairly sordid tales, rambles, and anecdotes
Hypothetically Speaking * Something More * Cammy Interrupted * An Experimental Vacation * Masked * so..damn..hot * Thank You * My toy, his idea * no.19 Maple Lane * I Have A Surprise For You * Yesterday * In a Quiet Kitchen * help me decide * untitled prose * more untitled prose

Buy a wine saver....it's a small (hand crank) vacuum pump and some rubber corks. It draws a vacuum and will extend a bottle of open wine's shelf life to 2-3 weeks. You can also leave the wine at room temp then.

I think I got my wine saver set at Bed Bath and Beyond for $12

__________________
Life is too short not to love and be loved....preferably multiple times in one night.

I think men talk to women so they can sleep with them and women sleep with men so they can talk to them. ~ Jay McInerney

i forgot about those! then again...we don't have an opened bottle 'round here long enough to use it.

__________________
Trees give peace to the souls of men * Nora Waln

The forest would be very quiet if no other birds sang than those who sing the best * Henry van Dyke

some fairly sordid tales, rambles, and anecdotes
Hypothetically Speaking * Something More * Cammy Interrupted * An Experimental Vacation * Masked * so..damn..hot * Thank You * My toy, his idea * no.19 Maple Lane * I Have A Surprise For You * Yesterday * In a Quiet Kitchen * help me decide * untitled prose * more untitled prose

I only ever had a taste for the "Under the Table Wines," like Boone's Farm or MadDog...mostly for their ability to sweeten the bong water a little...

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

I have a friend who freezes left over wine into iceblocks.

She only drinks unwoodod chardonnay and she uses then to bring fridge-cold wine down to freezing without diluting.

A bit like frozen coke cubes.

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Calm, quiet, smooth, devastating

I like certain countries more than others, too -- Australia, South Africa & Chile are long-time faves.

My favourite red is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Treat yourself to a nice meal in a fancy restaurant & flirt with the sommelier or date a chef (they're often paid to visit wineries).

Speaking of Eiswein... I had Piluso Winery's 2004 Bianco Dolce (technically it can't be called an Eiswein) and it is wonderful. The make a really good Pinot Noir as well.

Maddy ~ I agree with what others have said. Go to a tasting, find what YOU like. There's a wine my wife and I love that's about $8 a bottle. It doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

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Clever? Nah, I ran out of that years ago. But if you find this, let me know, k?
"The road goes ever on..." ~ Tolkien

In memory of my friend skip...
Go then, there are other worlds than these