Wine recommendation

[spongebob59]

My favourite is Apothic Red. Californian wine, absolute beauty

On offer at the local Sainsbury's ?

 

[spongebob59]

This is a potential minefield, bit like telling someone to buy a Sim2 driver cos mine is awesome. As stated it is so subjective. I could list dozens of reds that I like but you might think are crap. I suggest you find your local Majestic and pop in for a chat, they have a few sample bottles open you can try.

FWIW, I like bold reds similar to the zinfandel/primitivos (same grape) listed above. If that is your taste try The Guv'nor or any of the Portuguese reds from the Douro region made from the touriga nacional grape.

I love a nice Dao ?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Porta 6. Tesco has it now. £7.50.
View attachment 40032

One of the Portuguese reds I recommended above, good value in Majestic ?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Barolo. You will get a decent bottle in one of the supermarkets for around £15. Light years ahead of the cheap and cheerful stuff posted above.

?

 

[Voyager EMH]

After a 14 month sabbatical from drinking wine (red) I'm after suggestions for a nice bottle of smooth red to have Xmas day.
Prefer something from supermarket that I can get easily but the thread may evolve as people add suggestions.

Over to you ?

Do you favour a flat base or cavity base bottle?
What colour do you like the glass of the bottle to be?
Long neck or short neck?
Cork or metal cap?
What degree of alcohol strength?

You've been out of the game for quite a while.
You are a bit short of time to make a well informed decision before Xmas Day.

You need a fitting and plenty of practice games.
Maybe "borrow" someone else's bottles for Xmas Day just to see how you get on.

 

[spongebob59]

Do you favour a flat base or cavity base bottle?
What colour do you like the glass of the bottle to be?
Long neck or short neck?
Cork or metal cap?
What degree of alcohol strength?

You've been out of the game for quite a while.
You are a bit short of time to make a well informed decision before Xmas Day.

You need a fitting and plenty of practice games.
Maybe "borrow" someone else's bottles for Xmas Day just to see how you get on.

Whats the equivalent of going to the range for some practice
A trip to wetherspoons

 

[Tashyboy]

White socks for white wine.
none for red wine. ?

 

[fundy]

Now here’s one for the wine folk. I to will be having a red ( Barolo) with my Turkey and Gammon Xmas day. But the purists will be saying white wine with white meat. It always seems to be wine follows food. Me I don’t subscribe to that.
Thoughts me dears

I often have white wine with Steak. Crack on Tashy

 

[IanM]

On offer at the local Sainsbury's ?

I've got a couple of bottles of Apothic in the rack... very good indeed. The former chief of the Royal Marine Commandos put me on to it! He knows his vino too!

 

[Foxholer]

Now here’s one for the wine folk. I to will be having a red ( Barolo) with my Turkey and Gammon Xmas day. But the purists will be saying white wine with white meat. It always seems to be wine follows food. Me I don’t subscribe to that.
Thoughts me dears

Both Turkey and Gammon have enough 'gutsiness' to handle most reds even if slightly 'mis-matched'. I'm not a huge fan of Barolo, mainly on vfm, but Xmas is when that consideration is to be ignored! The simple solution when selected food and selected wine 'clash' is to have them separately - having a likely more appropriate wine available as backup 'just in case'!

 

[Hobbit]

Not fussed on reds. Generally too full bodied for me. The little supermarket sells a nice white at €1.65. Good quaffing wine. Got a bit of a kick to its taste which doesn’t disappear when your tastebuds are full of turkey.

 

[IanM]

I like red with turkey... nothing too heavy. But equally there will be white on the table.

My mum in law will be drinking a white that is 80% lemonade!!! But she's virtually tea total.

 

[GG26]

I've got a couple of bottles of Apothic in the rack... very good indeed. The former chief of the Royal Marine Commandos put me on to it! He knows his vino too!

I used the drink the Apothic Red, but I believe it’s had sugar added and have not had any since I realised this.

Anyone looking for a less heavy red try a Pinot Noir or a better Beajolais ( for example Brouilly, Fleurie or Morgon).

As a general rule, red wine with red meat works well, but a light red can go well with turkey. I don’t get the red wine or port with cheese though - Stilton and Sauvignon Blanc go well together.

In the end it’s what you enjoy though. Try different wines and combinations and see what works for you.

 

[toyboy54]

After a 14 month sabbatical from drinking wine (red) I'm after suggestions for a nice bottle of smooth red to have Xmas day.
Prefer something from supermarket that I can get easily but the thread may evolve as people add suggestions.

Over to you ?

A nice Chateauneuf-du-Pape used to always go down well ( so well that one became two, became three, even four BUT was diluted by nice white Sancerre or two)
Happy days, now memories

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Now here’s one for the wine folk. I to will be having a red ( Barolo) with my Turkey and Gammon Xmas day. But the purists will be saying white wine with white meat. It always seems to be wine follows food. Me I don’t subscribe to that.
Thoughts me dears

Actually most sommeliers would be looking at the entire dish, not just the meat.
Consider what will be on the plate for a Xmas roast; gravy, pigs in blankets, stuffing, roast potatoes etc.
A mature claret is probably the most classic match to the above.
But what you should drink is what you like best.
I’ll be on claret, my sister will be on Sauvignon blanc, as that’s her favourite wine.

 

[NearHull]

Any Chilean or Argentinian Malbec.

 

[Foxholer]

The Chocolate Block. It’s a South African job, but very smooth. Usually found in Waitrose, or Costco if you have access.

I used to 'put my name down' queue for some of this at a local Wine shop every year many years ago. Was 'outstanding' at the time, but a bit inconsistent (well, 'different taste') year by year and better priced alternatives arrived, so it fell off my list of 'targets'. Still about the same price as it was back then, freely available and likely similar quality, a good shout.

 

[PIng]

I generally go for a Malbec as my standard wine but will splash out for a Chateauneuf du Pape at Christmas.

 

[Foxholer]

Any Chilean or Argentinian Malbec.

Generalisation Alert!...
If it's Chilean, stick to Cab Sauv or Merlot (particularly). For Argentinian Malbec (particularly) or Cab Sauv. Chilean Cab Sauv tends to be better (at least, more to my taste) than Argentinian but there's a few 'stars' at relatively great prices in both!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Generalisation Alert!...
If it's Chilean, stick to Cab Sauv or Merlot (particularly). For Argentinian Malbec (particularly) or Cab Sauv. Chilean Cab Sauv tends to be better (at least, more to my taste) than Argentinian but there's a few 'stars' at relatively great prices in both!

What a load of rubbish.
For one thing, the best wines from Chile are generally made from Carmenare. Mistaken for Merlot.