Quote:
Originally Posted by MSD
I developed a taste for Yellow Tail wines a few years ago when my mom got 4 leftover cases of it after a fundraiser for the museum where she works. It's not something that wine snobs are going to rave about, but it's under $15 for a magnum at BJ's liquor, and it goes well with everyday food and nice dinners at home. The Cabernet is complex and fruity, but not overwhelmingly so. Merlot is similarly good but less complex, pretty much what you'd expect from a decent Merlot. I go back and forth on their chardonnay -- 2005 was too smoky, 2006 was pretty good, and 2007 was a bit to acidic and dry for my taste.
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I really like Yellow Tail's shiraz. But then most Aussie shiraz is all right by me.
The problem with me trying to list off all of the wines I like is that you will probably be hard-pressed to find some of them in other parts of the country, and vice-versa. You see, I live in Oregon, which has become wine country. Given the vast array of local wines available from small producers, they often dominate the shelves here. If it's from California, Australia, Washington, or Oregon, I might have a chance of finding it to try.
Oregon is becoming well-known for its pinot noir, and I've got to say I've really enjoyed Sweet Cheeks Winery's pinot noir. I can't afford a bottle myself, it's too spendy, but my future mother-in-law likes to serve it at parties. She is a good source of wine for me to try, otherwise I will keep on buying the same bottles of Aussie shiraz over and over again (damn I love that shiraz).
I don't believe you have to spend a lot of money to get a good bottle of wine. Most blind taste tests I read about comparing cheap wines to pricier bottles illustrates that people cannot tell the difference between the two. Furthermore, I'm constrained budget-wise. Therefore, I am a big fan of two cheap but good wine producers--namely Two-Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw) and Barefoot. I also really like Pepperwood Grove, which is at only a slightly higher price point that the other two. Typically...I buy the shiraz (are we noticing a theme yet?) but sometimes will purchase the Pepperwood cabernet.
If people could note which bottles they like that are under $10, I would appreciate that--it helps me know which recommendations to take seriously.