What Wine Should You Buy?

Well, what wine should you buy? This is a big question, maybe even equivalent to other big questions such as, "Does God Exist?" , "Do we have free will?", and the classic, "What is Truth?" Unlike big philosophical questions, however, figuring out which wine to buy for dinner, long term storage, or just for a nice night by the fireplace isn't too difficult.

Because my preferences for wine are informed by my pallate, food types, and background, the following list of perferred wine styles (all Reds, by the way) is just a suggestion. Drink what you like, but don't be afraid to experiment and ask your local wine guy/gal for recommendations (best tip I ever got was to walk into a wine shop and ask the salesperson to "build a case of wine" <say, in the $15-$30 range> with varried styles and world regions in mind).

Wines of Calabria

While not the most well known wine region, Calabria is the home of my parents so the wines of the region are the very first wines I tasted and also happen to map well to the types of food I enjoy (afterall Bordeaux and Caberney do not pair well with pasta and sauted escarole). Calabria has two key environmental qualities making it ideal for growing grapes: constant sunshine and mountain air. Ciro is the most well known wine producing region of Calabria. Ciro produces wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Gagliopppo. Ciro also produces two full bodied red wines: DOC Rosso Classico and DOC Rosso Riserva. Other well know reds include Gragnano, Pollino, Lacrima di Castrovillari Pollino, and Savuto. Most Calabrians also produce a house wine or homemade wine which is vibrant and full of flavor! Thanks to the book, Cucina di Calabria, for the primer on wines of Calabria.

Bordeaux

Maybe the king of wines; produced in France and heralded by big time wine guys like Robert Parker. Bordeaux has big flavor and lots of tannins and is usually blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This is the type of wine that can store well.

Barolo

As an Italian, I can tell you the French having nothing on a big, bad bottle of Barolo! This wine is made from the Nebbiolo grape and can store for decades. The wine is made near Torino (in Piemonte) and is rich and full bodied. This wine will explode in your mouth! My overall favorite!

Southern Rhone Blend

Made primarily from Grenache, which is a sweet red grape. On its own Grenache doesn't have much character (in my opinion) but when blended with Syrha or made into a Rhone blend it is outstanding!

Tempranillo

This grape is native to northern Spain and usually blended with Grenache (sometime Cab) to produce a velvet red wine with very rich flavors

Pinot Noir

OK, you've seen Sideways so you know this wine (it doesn't just grow in CA however, the Burgundy region of France is famous for this type of wine, usually blended to produce Côte d'Or. The movie got it right, though, so drink up and enjoy. Pinot noir contains loads of fruity flavors such as cherry, as well as light spice.

Cabernet Sauvignon (or Cab)

Many of the world's best wines are made from this grape (including Bordeaux). Loads of flavor here with high tannins, hence the wine can be stored for decades, maybe even centuries (if the correct vintage is had).

I'll aim to post wines and price going forward, but can't promise much! Go to WineLibrary for good wine recommendations and easy ordering. Cheers!