# Recommend a good "starter" wine
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 9, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123 "2005-02-09T03:05:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/21 "2005-02-09T07:59:18Z")
In terms of keeping opened bottles of wine refrigeration makes little difference. It is the exposure to the air that that causes the wine to deteriorate. In Australia it is easy to buy perfectly respectable wines in casks. The collapsible bladder that contains the wine overcomes this problem. If you are drinking bottled wines and hope to keep them for a few days the best method is to decant the undrunk portion into a clean bottle and seal. If you are worried about appearances buy some half-bottles of wine and keep them and the corks. Wash both and use them for your stored leftovers.
I keep a few different sized screwtop bottles ranging from 200 to 600ml for this kind of thing. The trick is to fill the bottle as much as possible before sealing thus my preference for screwtops. My feeling is that eliminating the air in the bottle makes a huge difference in how well it keeps so usually if I know I won’t finish a wine I make up the “leftover” bottle first and fill it to the brim. I will even add a splash of water to eliminate a small amount of air in the bottle.
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### Author:  [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/22 "2005-02-09T08:14:29Z")
You can also get cans of nitrogen in wine shops and some grocery stores–squirt some into the bottle to drive out the oxygen, then recork. No rebottling required.
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### Author:  [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/23 "2005-02-09T08:19:42Z")
Interesting! What is it in wine that is good for reducing cholesterol? I always thought it was the alcohol in wine that aided relaxation and thus was good for the heart. Does it have antioxidants too?
Is grape juice really a good alternative, as mentioned by **Scarface Z**? For someone who’s not a big fan of alcohol or wine in particular, the grape juice option would be nice to confirm.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/24 "2005-02-09T08:21:57Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#):
>
> You can also get cans of nitrogen in wine shops and some grocery stores–squirt some into the bottle to drive out the oxygen, then recork. No rebottling required.
From personal experience I don’t think those systems really work and they cost money. I know that other people swear by them but I think free rebottling is better.
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### Author:  [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/25 "2005-02-09T08:24:10Z")
> [@don't ask](#):
>
> From personal experience I don’t think those systems really work and they cost money. I know that other people swear by them but I think free rebottling is better.
Personally, I just finish the damn bottle of wine 🙂
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/26 "2005-02-09T08:27:01Z")
> [@choie](#):
>
> Is grape juice really a good alternative, as mentioned by **Scarface Z**? For someone who’s not a big fan of alcohol or wine in particular, the grape juice option would be nice to confirm.
According to [this site](http://www.showcook.co.za/Winelands%20Hotel.htm) it’s the grapes and any grape product doing the good.
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### Author:  [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/27 "2005-02-09T10:06:24Z")
I’ve always heard that it was simply the alcohol that had health benefits. Maybe the situation calls for a shot of vodka followed by some Welches.
I second going for the two-buck-chuck (in fact, I may just go open a bottle myself). The have a gamay beaujolais out that tastes like watered down kool aid, which might not be a bad idea for you.
If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s around, I suggest finding a pinot noir that you like. They can be very fruity and highly drinkable.
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### Author:  [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/28 "2005-02-09T16:13:10Z")
> [@don't ask](#):
>
> According to [this site](http://www.showcook.co.za/Winelands%20Hotel.htm) it’s the grapes and any grape product doing the good.
The USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center reported in November 2004 that its the alcohol itself that provides the health benefit. According to the Tufts University Health & Nutrition newslwtter: "One thing is clear, however: A drink is a drink is a drink. It used to be that the only beverage mentioned in a discussion of the health benefits of alcohol was red wine. Now, scientists refer to all alcoholic beverages because the cardiovascular benefit appears to come from the ethanol found in alcohol, which has a positive effect on the lining of blood vessels. This is a different focus from the earlier spotlight on antioxidants found in red wine, which some believe have cholesterol-lowering properties. Recently, researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that one beer had the same antioxidant benefits as a glass of red wine. "
It ain’t the grapes.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/29 "2005-02-09T16:23:50Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> 1- is inexpensive
> 2- will last for a few days in the fridge or tightly sealed on a counter
> 3- doesn’t taste like liquid sawdust (in fact, the closer it is to tasting like Welch’s Grape Juice, the better)
>
> Either specific brand name or just type of wine is fine.
>
> Thanks.
>
> J
Hell… I’d skip the straight wine idea and buy myself one of those boxes of red wine, and mix myself up some sangria or something like that.
That way, you’d get the wine, but it’d be diluted with fruit juice, sprite, etc… and be more of something you’d like.
Just do a google search on “sangria recipe”, and you’ll find thousands of recipes.
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### Author:  [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/30 "2005-02-09T17:42:49Z")
I’ve tried lots of ways to reseal wine bottles and the best I’ve found involves a vacuum pump and a rubber cork with a two-way valve. Put the cork in the bottle and use the vacuum pump (manual) to pump out all the air. You know you’re done when the cork won’t come out. This works really well and I paid about $6 for the pump and four rubber corks. You can often find this device at Trader Joe’s. I agree about 2 buck chuck, too…and almost every other wine is cheaper at TJs. Lots of specials too, that let you try out some other wines for cheap. If you don’t live near one, then MOVE!!!
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### Author:  [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/31 "2005-02-09T23:01:33Z")
friend lifeonwry wrote
> [@](#):
>
> This is not the kind of wine you want to order to impress someone, because it’s about half a step up from Boone’s Farm Apple Wine in quality.
back when it was first avaiable here, boone’s farm apple was sold cold at the liquor store for about 69 cents a bottle. i remember many friday nights we would start a monumental drunken weekendby stopping by the liquor store and saying: “give us all the cold boone’s farm ya got!”
there is no hangover in the world quite as miserable as one from mass quanities of cheap wine…
thanks for the reminder.
it was fun
lh
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/32 "2005-02-09T23:42:36Z")
Rather than recommending a specific type of wine, I’m going to suggest you look around for a wine shop or two and find out their tasting schedule. Most good wine shops have a night each week or each month where you can pay three or five bucks and sample half a dozen featured wines. Sometimes it’ll be a theme night, like ports or Italian reds; sometimes it’ll just be whatever they’ve got a lot of.
It’s quick and affordable way to breeze through a lot of styles and figure out what you really like.
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### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/33 "2005-02-10T14:18:50Z")
Even though this isn’t _my_ thread, I want to thank everyone for the interesting replies.
I’ve been wanting to get into wine for the longest time, since it’s so popular and since enjoying new wines sounds like a fun thing to get into. Trouble is, I have zero tolerance for any alcohol drink that isn’t sweet (which means I _love_ cheap malt beverages like _Mike’s Hard Lemonade_ and shun beer and hard liquor).
Another problem I have with wine is my palate. You could pour me a glass of _Uncle Earl’s Kansas City Rotgut_ and a glass of _Chateau LaFleur 1789 Estate Vintage_ and to me they’re both going to taste like rotting grape juice.
I’m going to try a bottle of Manischewitz and see if that tickles my fancy.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/34 "2005-02-10T15:28:20Z")
> [@peak\_oil](#):
>
> Two buck chuck at Trader Joe’s. Merlot and Shiraz are a couple of big sellers, and they’ve won a number of awards for this and that. If you like one, stick with it. $2 instead of $11 or $25 or whatever.
I second this. Two Buck (or Three Buck around here) Chuck is the best price-for-quality value out there. It’s the only drinkable sub-$5 table wine I know of. (Pity– there really should be more. In Europe you can find many drinkable wines in the under $7 price range.) I’m guessing a Shiraz would be more up your alley, but none of the Charles Shaw wines are particularly sweet.
American Pinot Noirs are quite yummy, too, and a decent value because they’re not quite as popular as Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Zinfandels, and Shirazes (Syrahs). Unfortunately, my knowledge of American vintages isn’t terribly good, but a random stab at a $10-$15 Pinot Noir should do you well.
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### Author:  [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/35 "2005-02-10T18:00:33Z")
Please don’t throw things at me. But there is one type that bears mentioning.
**Lambrusco**
Cheap, red Italian wine that’s not too dry for beginners. Even Riunite couldn’t mess this one up.
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### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/36 "2005-02-10T18:54:02Z")
For a decent red wine, try a Claret or a Burgundy; for a white, try Pouilly Fumé or Sancerre. Don’t go and spoil your palate on drek. It’s better to drink wine with food than on an empty stomach, and a recorked bottle will handily last to the next day. The day after, you add the remainder to the cooking! Red wine helps make a wonderful gravy or stew and you can poach fish in white wine.
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### Author:  [@Kaitlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlin)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/37 "2005-02-10T20:05:29Z")
> [@longhair75](#):
>
> my current favoriye: francis coppola’s diamond series black label claret available at your local wine store for about fifteen dollars a bottle (i scored a case of it at ten a bottle on sale though )
This is the wine that made me realize I could enjoy (and now prefer) red wine, so I can second the recommendation. My rich roommate sorta sneered at it without trying it. Good–I didn’t want to share anyway.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/38 "2005-02-10T23:10:35Z")
Since you’re looking for advice more than straight facts, I’ll move this thread to the IMHO forum.
I tried to move this once before, but my connection is iffy today, so anything could happen.
bibliophage
moderator GQ
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/39 "2005-02-10T23:30:52Z")
Since you like Welch’s grape juice, you might like wines made from grapes of the species _Vitis labrusca_ as opposed to the usual _Vitis vinifera_. Labrusca grapes like Niagara, Delawre, and Concord are commonly made into juice. In New York and other eastern states they are used for wine because vinifera grapes are hard to grow there. Not all wines made in the eastern U.S. are made from labrusca grapes, but most of those that are widely distributed are, like those from Taylor. Chances are that if you live in an eastern state, there will be a winery near you that uses labrusca grapes.
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### Author:  [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-starter-wine/289123/40 "2005-02-11T00:21:15Z")
Well, there’s always Mogen David (remember the old '70’s commercial? "It’s not the wine you’re supposed to like, it’s the wine you really like!) I went through a phase when I was drinking a lot of it. Very sweet, rather potent.
Aside from that, I can’t really think of anything that hasn’t been mentioned already. I am rather fond of Soliel red, which is fairly inexpensive, and there is s screw-top flavored variety if you like sweet wine. I’ve find some nice pinot noirs that were also inexpensive. Burgundy is a good “beginner’s” wine as well. Right now I’m getting ready to crack open a bottle of Yellowtail cabernet sauvignon.
A word of warning, though, pinot noirs and cabernet sauvignons tend to be a bit dry, so if you like a sweet wine, you might want to look elsewhere. Of course, if you like eating chocolate with your wine, a dry wine is very nice, as it complements the sweetness of the chocolate in a weird way that I can’t quite describe.
Also, I’ve never met a bottle of Three Buck Chuck I didn’t like, so you might just want to hie yourself to Trader Joes and pick up a few different reds to try.
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