So I stole the idea from the recent thread

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=28654

I too have recently started drinking wine. Started with whites and moved along to reds, I am liking Merlots, Cabs, and this cheap Shriaz-Merlot. But I dont really know what to look for. I really like the red wines with cigars. Any suggestions? There should be a Wine MAW/PIF..:-)
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Well, its like saying I like Maduro, Corojo, Criollo, etc. Any more specifics as to what you're actually drinking?

As for PIF and such, consumers are not allowed to ship wine. Sorry for bad news.
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I really have no idea, I will have to pay more attention. I have been just buying stuff that say it is from 03 or something like that. I know nothing of the brands.
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I see that your in Phoenix. Total Wine, Bevmo, and Magnum's Cigar Wine and Spirit have frequent beer and wine tastings.
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Cool I will have to try some
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Look at the regions(appelations) for the wines you like and try others from the same area. Dont let price tell you what to like either. There are good inexpensive wines and bad high end, just like cigars. :-)
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I just started drinking wine a few month's ago on the advice of my doctor for the cardiac benefits. I have found I tend to the Red wines as well cause the whites just aint "heavy" enough.
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Try a nice German Reisling AUSLESE with some spicy Asian dish, let me know what you think :-)

There is a place off the strip in Vegas called Lotus of Siam, considered one of the best Thai places in States. Their entire wine list is German Reisling, all at RETAIL prices and not a penny more, and the list is built on some of the best names in business. You order your food and tell them how spicy you want it, 1 to 10. I was OK at about 7 and I love spicy food... But the combo of spicy and sweet wine is the real deal and not to be missed.

No red wine would be able to play along with such a cuisine, so white wines do have a good place for certain foods. Although I am about a 95% red wine drinker.
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For a nice BCR (big cheap red as we call it in my family) try Little Penguin. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a favorite.
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I do a lot of wine shopping for Lisa. She likes Cabs and Merlot.
Bob is right on the money, someone told me the same thing when I asked in the liquor store.
Seems like Lisa likes Napa Valley stuff the most, Australian stuff the least. I'm trying to pay attention to what I buy so I can guess a little better. The year doesn't so much seem to matter, but 2005 seems to be where it's at, so far.
We have bunches of wineries around here, I'm hoping to find something local that she likes a lot. I'm guessing it'd be better, and better for her. :-)
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There is a reason for that :-) I am sure there is an old thread on the subject, but in simple terms: Napa - clean, well made wines, OZ - all sorts of manipulation and additions plus way to much oak and at prices we're discussing, not oak barrels but oak chips to simply flavor the wine...

Just to put things in perspective, Michael Twelftree, the Two Hands guy, was bad mouthing CA wines and winemaking expertise big time in press. Take a wild guess where he is making wine now, or rather, who makes it for him and where...
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Don't overlook Chilean or Aussie offerings, some fantastic values can be had.
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I'd add Spanish Tempranillo to the list. :-)
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Technically I think we are not suppose to ship cigars either..:-)

The only wine I can recall recently was something called Duckhorn. It went great with my steak :-)
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Lots of napa wineries also use oak chips for their less expensive wines along with egg shells so its not that Napa makes clean wine its a different grape different taste different expirence all around.

As to some inexpensive Napa cabs on of my favorites that is easy to get is called "the show" by joel gott/rebel wine company about $12.50/btl
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For a great red that the is bold and has something going on, try a Dao from Portugal. You can buy an awesome one for under $15 and it tastes noting like the plunk that most are drinking. Dao's are honest wines that can handle any food red wine could pair with.
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For instance, the Xplorador line from Concha y Toro, at about 10 bucks, is a total steal. Try their Carmenere as well as the aforementioned Cab or Merlot.

Oh, and try a Malbec from Argentina also . . . a very drinkable red.
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Except that you cannot conceal wine in a shipment even if you try. The old, I am shipping olive oil to my grandpa" does not work any longer, the best that could happen is you are either refusd to ship or get the wine back. In most cases it is simply confiscated.

Duckhorn is one of the best known names in Napa, for decades they were the top name in Merlot (been bypassed lately).
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Just curious, do you know what egg shells are used for? And if we're on the subject, it is egg whites, not egg shells, easier and "cleaner". I have seen milk used as well. What's so bad about egg whites or milk?

How many cheap Napa reds do you know? Say, compared to the zillions of "animal label" cases that come out of OZ? Have you been to any Napa cellars and seen nothing but acres of barrels? There is a reason for that OZ Cab to be priced at $15 or below and there is a reason many Napa Cabs cost $50 and up, barrels are sold in EU (currency), price per ton goes up to $15K (per ton). On the other hand, oak chips are cheap, harvesting 15 tons per acre (as opposed to 3 tons per in Napa) also makes for bland taste, main reason the big boys in OZ have some interesting "research" chem labs in place. To be fair, so does Gallo.

Better OZ Cabs cost same as Napa Cabs and the reasons are listed in the paragraph above. There are no miracles and no short cuts in wine world. BTW, many top end OZ Cabs (and reds in general) still use American oak barrels, they are about half price of European barrels.

Cab a different grape? Different taste? How? Have you done blind Cab tastings? Try a BLIND tasting of Cabs from whatever regions you feel like, let me know how much of a difference you will be able to pick up. Then do a similar BLIND tasting of, say, Pinot Noirs and red Burgs, and let me know just how easy it will be picking them apart. Same for Chardonnay and Chablis. German Reisling versus Austrian. I can go on... Cab is Cab until you reach into upper price range and this thread is obviously not there. Cab is a "pedestrian" and very hyped up grape, main reason so many are now moving to the likes of Portugal reds, Agentian Malbec, Grenache based reds, Syrah based blends, Petite Sirah and others. I stopped buying Cab years ago and am down to maybe a couple of cases.

Joel Gott makes no NAPA CAB, it is labeled CALIFORNIA CAB for a reason.

Let's talk apples and apples...
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The best advice I think is Drink What You Like, Like What You Drink.

In my opinion, I look at the old CS "No Snobs" treatise and realize it has many uses.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to have a "Madagascar Vanilla" palate to simply enjoy what you are drawn to, and you don't have to have the aspirations to be an Amateur Sommelier either. People have been enjoying some very rustic and unrefined wines in odd corners of the world without worrying too much about whether something is "right" or "wrong" or High-brow or Low-brow.

Experiment, try many different varietals in your comfortable price range, and you will find your niche.

But what do I know... I have the palate of a goat... :-)
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