# What's your favorite type of red wine? ...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383 "2012-07-25T21:57:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Natural](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mr.Natural](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Natural)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/1 "2012-07-25T21:57:25Z")
My wife doesn’t generally like alcohol, but thought she might start having a glass of wine each night for good health. When I do drink, which is seldom anymore, I drink beer or bourbon. What red wine do you like? Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot noir, or what? Oh, and yes, I did already tell her she would have to decide for herself. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/2 "2012-07-25T22:16:30Z")
cheap red soda pop wine, yago sangria. sweet, fruity and killer on crushed ice. Thanks to sugar content I rarely can let myself have any =( damned diabetes. I don’t like the suck on dust dry wine, tannin belongs in trees. Grape squeezings should be light and sweet and fruity. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/3 "2012-07-25T22:24:03Z")
There are a lot of good Australian Shiraz (e.g. Lindeman’s, Penfold’s, Rosemount) that are reasonably priced. Also Columbia Crest cabernet sauvignon is good and reasonably priced. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/4 "2012-07-25T22:41:44Z")
p.s. – You say she generally doesn’t like alcohol. For red wine, merlot tends to have a pretty mild flavor. ---
**Author:** ![MareIt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MareIt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MareIt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/5 "2012-07-25T23:35:10Z")
Shiraz is my go to choice along with Malbec ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/6 "2012-07-25T23:46:32Z")
Port. Really GOOD, expensive port. Otherwise, blech. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/7 "2012-07-25T23:46:37Z")
I tend to like pinot noir, myself. Cabs are fine, but a little too oaky and tanniny for my tastes usually. Merlots generally don’t do it for me–a bit too light and fruity for the most part. Pinots have just the right balance for me. If I want something a bit heavier and spicier, I generally prefer zinfandel (not white zinfandel, but red zinfandel) to cabs. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/8 "2012-07-25T23:49:24Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Port. Really GOOD, expensive port. > Otherwise, blech. Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/9 "2012-07-25T23:50:28Z")
Personally, I’ll go for a big rip your face off Zinfandel. If that isn’t right for the night, then a Shiraz or a Malbec. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/10 "2012-07-26T00:06:21Z")
I like Spanish reds, usually a bit more complex and interesting. And usually reasonably priced. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/11 "2012-07-26T00:24:16Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Personally, I’ll go for a big rip your face off Zinfandel. If that isn’t right for the night, then a Shiraz or a Malbec. Same here, on all counts. I still haven’t met a Merlot I liked, and Cabernet Franc is _right out_. If you’re going to have all that dryness and tannins and shit, you need to have something to back it up, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/12 "2012-07-26T00:37:41Z")
BV Century Cellars has cheap 1.5 liter bottles that tastes like their pricier stuff. Local supermarket should have it. Drink wine for the enjoyment of it. Do not drink it for health, because the ethanol more than wipes out any health benefits of the compounds in the wine. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/13 "2012-07-26T00:40:27Z")
Zin, Barbera, Cab, and excellent Sherry and Port. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/14 "2012-07-26T00:51:18Z")
Shiraz is my favorite too, although in most places north of the equator it’s called syrah. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/15 "2012-07-26T01:19:10Z")
Cabernet from California is my go to wine. If I’m splurging a little I also enjoy the Rhone valley grenache blends. I’ll buy a Cotes-du-Rhone or Chat-du-Pape from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/16 "2012-07-26T01:42:11Z")
Don’t even get me started on Barbera/Barolo. To me the best food wines made. But you can’t eat Italian every night (OK, fine. Millions of Italians do it.) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/17 "2012-07-26T03:27:31Z")
I heard many times that heavy reds would be what caused me to get occasional headaches from red wine. Actually though, I’ve discovered that heavy reds are the wines that _don’t_ give me a headache. Heaviest shiraz possible is what I like. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/18 "2012-07-26T04:11:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Don’t even get me started on Barbera/Barolo. To me the best food wines made. But you can’t eat Italian every night (OK, fine. Millions of Italians do it.) Slap me with a haddock, I forgot Barolo. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/19 "2012-07-26T04:44:56Z")
I prefer Cabernet but I also like Pinot Noir quite a bit. Zinfandel is good but only with the right food pairing. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383/20 "2012-07-26T05:35:24Z")
If it’s a red a, big fat cab merlot or a nice plump fruity shiraz; if white, I’m love a nice tangy spicy riesling. I never really got into pinots, noir or gris. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-type-of-red-wine/629383.md?page=2)