Wine Buying 101 - How to Choose A Wine for Dinner (or Lunch!)

On price points, there are good wines available for under $10.00, but you'll need to search for them (and do your research before you head to your local wine shop).  I like to buy wines under $10.00 in bulk so I know they will be good and also have them on hand for every day consumption.  An ideal price point, for above average wines, tends to be between $20.00 - $38.00, and if you buy outside the most well known regions (like California, for example) you can aquire some great values.  Look at countries like Argentina (Malbec), Spain (Rioja or Tempranillo), or Southern Italy (Aglianico). 

You'll also hear the words "old world" and "new world" thrown around in the wine world.  Basically, "old world" type wines are less fruity and tend to be drier and more subtle, they may also need to age before drinking.  Typically they can be found in France and Italy. "New world" type wines are often very fruity and tend to explode in your mouth with lots of immediate and obvious flavors.  These wines can be found in the US and Australia, for example, but most wine regions are now producing "new world" type wines, because of mass market preference. 

Wines of Calabria or Southern Italy (shhhh great, cheap, wines available!)
While not the most well known wine region, Calabria is the birth place of my parents so the wines of the region are the very first wines I tasted and they also happen to map well to the types of food I enjoy (afterall, Bordeaux and Cabernet 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 by Mary Palmer, for the primer on wines of Calabria.  Aglianico is also a great sleeper wine, though technically not produced in 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.  Bordeaux goes well with wild game, red meat, and hearty sauces.

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, but finding a quality bottle under $35-$40 can be difficult!  Barolo goes well with pork, poultry (especially the dark meat), and braised beef or veal.

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!  I consume tons of Rhone wine in the winter and is a great every day wine.  Rhone goes well with a bowl of pasta or grilled salmon.

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.  Tempranillo goes well, as you may have guessd, with tapas such as pan sauted shrimp, ham, cheese, and paella.

Pinot Noir
OK, you've seen the film Sideways so you know this wine (it doesn't just grow in California, however, the Burgundy region of France is famous for Pinot or, as the French call it, Burgundy).  Sideways got it right, though, so drink up and enjoy. Pinot contains loads of fruity, though non overbearing, flavors such as cherry, as well as light spice.  Pinot is nice on its own or with most fish and light meats (chicken breast, pork chops, etc.). 

Cabernet Sauvignon (or Cab)
Many of the world's best wines are made from this grape (including Bordeaux). Cabernet has loads of flavor with high tannins, hence the wine can be stored for decades, maybe even centuries (if the correct vintage is had).  Cabernet should be consumed with foods that have full flavor ( it doesnt' really go well with Thanksgiving-type food) such as fatty cuts of beef, wild game, or any other hearty, rich, foods.  

Muscat and Port
Many people tend to pair wine with cheese and two of my favorite wines that go with most types of cheeses include Muscat and Port.

Where to Buy
WineLibrary.com provides good wine recommendations and easy ordering, but always do your research elsewhere before buying in a single shop.  WineLibrary.com also features the over the top personally Gary Veynerchuck reviewing wine at WineLibrary TV.

Wine Searcher.com is an excellent source for finding a wine and price in your area.  The basic site is free, but you'll need to pay to access all of the cool search functionality.  Sheri Sauter Morano also has a nice wine site called, Wines of France.