Lookin for something different

[momok1tty]

Hello fellow wine lovers , if I may ask for some help in finding a new red wine to try

To give some back story on me im currently 31 yrs old and didn't start drinking
Wine untill my late twenties around 26/27
I have typically found i like cabernet Sauvignon , Malbec and pino noir
but I'm getting a Littel bored , I have tryed merlo and didn't not like it all , too oaky

Any suggestions? I'm open to anything

[collioure1]

Ribero del Duero is the best red wine region in Spain. The world knows and the prices have risen. Nevertheless I'm sure you can find good crianzas in the $10-$15 range. Similar to Rioja but bigger and better. Quite versatile too. It's a bit like drinking a wine that is 1/3 Bordeaux, 1/3 Burgundy and 1/3 Rhone.

Other ideas - Aglianico from S Italy, Mourvèdre and blends containing this marvelous grape (the choice of the best winemakers where I live), Rhone/Cabernet blends (e.g., Coteaux d'Aix en Provence), Rhone wines and other Syrah/Grenache blends

[Bill Hunt]

My first suggestion is to not judge all versions of ANY varietal, based on a few examples.

Merlot, while not at the top of my list for reds, can produce a great wine, in the right hands. For instance, there are many Ch. in the Pomerol, that do stellar Merlots (though a few might be Bdx. blends - though Merlot predominates in many). Also, there are some US producers, who make great Merlot wines, such as Dan Duckhorn, and Beringer Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch Napa Merlot.

Much the same can be said for Pinot Noir. There is a lot of very good to great PN out there, but due to the popularity of "Sideways," there is some stinky stuff too.

While that is but two varietals, the same can be said for almost all others too. I enjoy great Chardonnays from Burgundy, and many from the US, but then, there are gallons of plonk too.

There should be NO boredom with wines. There are just too many varietals, and many that are fermented into very good, or great wines.

I like to go on little "jags," where I might only do wines from Coatia, or Spain, for a week. Now, some of that will depend on what I am eating, but one can usually find some great pairings, that are not on many wine lists. I also heavily rely on good sommeliers to do interesting wine pairings with my Chef's Tasting Menu. I want them to take me to places, that might not be well-represented in my cellar.

With wines, one should never be bored. Just keep in mind that one example of a varietal, or a region, might well not tell the full story. Experiment, experiment, experiment.

Most of all, enjoy,

Hunt

[tim irvine]

While I love cabs and pinots, I am exceptionally fond of blends like BV Tapestry or the Ridge zin blend.

[kagemusha49]

Time to go native Californian (allegedly) with an old vines zinfandel. (as I write this I am drinking Bota Box old vine zin - a pretty good value at $18 for 4 bottles equivalent) or go walkabout in Australia with a Shiraz.

[momok1tty]

AWWW I envy you right now!! Im completly out of ALL my wine and beer (well at least till next friday,payday !!) I am not normally a fan of wine in box but they have come along way sents my Frenza collage days, might be given that Bota box a try

[ChefJune]

Merlot is not necessarily oaky, any moreso than Cabernet Sauvignon. Makes me wonder what it was you tried, and how many? there are literally millions of different wines you can try. How could you get bored?

[momok1tty]

Ok maybe i should claify a bit, most merlots that i have tryed r just way to dry for my tast, im from a large suberb of chicago which is also has a large wine drinking population, most of which is either a kenndell jackson, woodbridge or yellow tail. The stores here sell what most in the area drink which has made it very difficult to try something new the establishments wont carry it or take a risk.

Also im limited in budget , i cant spend over $25-30 for wine , which probably has limited me. It
seems at least from were i am from anything different is just way to much $$,

[DavidT]

How much money do you usually spend on a bottle? Have you tried any Italian wines?

Chianti (made from the Sangiovese grape) goes well with tomato-sauced foods & pastas. Barbera is another very drinkable, medium-bodied red wine from Italy. You should be able to find good examples of both wines for well under $20 a bottle.

[momok1tty]

Umm i can be a cheap ass lol, i wont usally go above $20 and that can be for 2-3 bottles, I love wine it just can be so expensive! THE CHIANTI sounds very very interesring to me, I have had a chianti on two occasions ones at dinner very inexpensive I belive, but dont remember if i liked it or not (husband brought it home) and at a tasting about five yrs ago and it was a $70 bottle that tasted like paint thinner!

[SteveTimko]

I don't know where you live to suggest specific wine stores, but if you like cabernet sauvignon and malbec, perhaps try petit verdot. It's usually used as a blending grape but can make terrific wine on its own.
Also consider Rhones like syrah or a grenache blend.

[momok1tty]

Thank you so for those suggestioms , I can not wait to try the petit verdot ! That is one i have seen before but was unsure to try ! Hence this post! I live in the chicago metro area in the suburbs but i do friquent closer to the city on weekends alot.

[SteveTimko]

Hart Davis in Chicago has several nice bottles of Chateuneuf-du-pape for $30 or less. That's a blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre.
I also like their syrah selection. The 2003 Alesia Syrah looks especially tempting. Alesia is the second label for Rhys.

[goldangl95]

Also, OP to let you know, Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a particular sub-region of the Cotes du Rhone region of France.

[goldangl95]

So. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec tend to be darker, bolder thicker red wines than pinot noir.

If you want more wines in the pinot noir type category, try Beaujolais (from the gamay grape).

If you want a little deeper than a Beaujolais, try Spanish wines from Rioja or wines from the Cotes de Rhone in France.

If you want a super darky, syrupy red - try Amarone.

[momok1tty]

Thank you so much for your reply, i will be trying a Rioja this weekend that a friend picked up, the beaujolais is one i would love to try that will make for next weekend! (PAYday)