Recommend some nice wines for Xmas and New Year.

[Ian Robinson]

Don't know much about wine , I'm sure some here have a lot of knowledge on what are nice drops.

Looking for recommendations on a nice (not too expensive) red . Something that'll keep for while (in the frig after being opened and wont have to be consumed completely once opened.

Also a nice desert wine .

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

A minefield. I'm sure many friendships have been broken, marriagees strained and businesses bankrupt over wine. But here's my suggestions.

For starters:
Fizz - Bolli '02 or '05, Billecart-Salmon Rose or Perrier Jouet Rose, ditto + 07. OJ optional but a waste. Use NV instead.
Dry sherry, the real thing NOT that ****e that you buy at Woolys. Tio Pepe is as good as it needs to be - serve chilled.

First course:
Verse1 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. '07 or '09
Secret Stone Sauvignon Blanc '05, 07, '09
Domaine de Chevalier Graves ''99, 03, 07
LaTour Petits Chablis '03, 05, ,08
Nothing too heavy

Mains:
W: Lois Latour Pouilly Fuisse '05 (Actually ANY '05 Pouilly Fuisse ),
Loius Latour Chablis Premier Crus '05. '07. Chateu Valmur Ditto
Pinot-Chardonnay-Macon. - Only had this once, so can't recommend a house - but:Yummm!. Consult your sommelier.

Red: Chateau d'Angludet, '98 03 , '05, Chateau Batailly,
Beaujolais - Momesin or Mercurey not later than '08. Henshke Cab Sav
Really knock them out with "Bouzy Rouge", the only red made in /as Champagne

Rose: Chateau d'Anjou, Turkey Flat

Dessert: There is only one - Chateau Yqem. More Fizz if desired. Mix it up with some Tattinger or Pol Roger. Do NOT serve the local stuff. God will know!!!!!!

Port / Digestive: Warning about Fizz applies double!!!!
Bermeister (Colheita if you can) '63 (OMG!!!) '77 '89 '01
Taylors or Grahams '77, 89 '01
Poire Williame, Grappa, Curacao Sec, Benedictine, Couvoissier, Hennesy.
"Paradis" for those special friends

Just my opinion.

Happy Feasting!

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

A minefield. I'm sure many friendships have been broken, marriagees strained and businesses bankrupt over wine. But here's my suggestions.
...

As long as you're paying Peter.

I'd go with the French bubbles (but Domaine Chandon isn't bad), NZ whites - Semillon or Sauv Blanc (Cloudy Bay?), Australian reds like St Hugo Cab Sav or Penfolds 389, and a sticky like De Bortoli's Noble One.

[multiweb (Marc)]

I reckon the best wine is the one you enjoy drinking. I was born and grew up in the Bordeaux area in southern France wine country. My dad's a hardcore Bordeaux fan. I took him to the hunter valley (to shut him up) and he loved it. Australia harvest some of the best wines in the world IMHO. They've come a long way. There is a lot of branding BS in the wine industry overseas. Even the local Camembert made here is on par with the Normandy ones made in France.

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Tough to narrow things down...there are a lot of good ones at all different price levels. I drank a lot of wine and the company I worked for in Australia was a supplier of products into the wine industry...

I tend to buy on regions to my price point...

IMHO....

Best Savignon Blanc wines come from Malboraugh (sp) in New Zealand (Oyster Bay is one of my favs)

Best reds (usually Shiraz in my opinion) come from South Australia Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and McClaren Vale...my own fav is McClaren Vale...I got spoiled in California and am not so fond of the Australian Cab Savs...I always like to stick to the Shiraz big and bold!

Eden and Clare Valley do a pretty decent Reisling...

Hard to beat a "sticky" for dessert...

[Lismore Bloke (Paul)]

You won't go far wrong with a good Shiraz from McLaren Vale.

The Mudgee district also produces some nice rich wines. Frog Rock and Farmers Daughter are just a couple. Very much fruit driven. Yumm!!

[torana68 (Roger)]

Local to me (ACT area) is LARKHILL who make a real good red, LERIDA and YARRH, HOUGHTONS from WA is probably easier to find but Id try any from the Margaret River area (havent had a bad one from there yet) none of these will be over $30 some under $20

[RAJAH235]

Asti Riccadonna.
& 35 year old vintage port to finish.
Yumm.


Got heaps of reds here but not old enough yet.

Seasons Greetings to all.

[fringe_dweller]

in recent times trend is, all the really good stuff is pre-ordered/sold years in advance, never reaches the markets/shelves, they dont make a lot of it some places.. used to be able to get rockfords basket press shiraz for 40 bucks a bottle, try an get it now lol
yep hensche's mt edlestone is my fave upper reasonably priced shiraz, hensche's rock man... never tried hill of grace, that would be interesting!
those treat 'em mean keep em keen dry grown, low yield wines are the best!
but summer i would be going for a chilled crisp refreshing white, like a magaret river art series chardonnay, or petaluma (remember bubbly is mustly a fizzy chardonnay), cab sav is the safest way to go with cheap reds, recently i drank a cheap Wirra Wirra Church Block Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2007(mcclaren vale) blend, it was ok for 20 bucks, god bless the wine glut! but still has preservatives from morning after test, the good (expensive)stuff doesnt, relies on natural good tannins to do that..
i read the tassie sparkling wines are getting close to french champagne in quality these days, havent tried em but, not a big drinker, cheap champagne is made like coca cola, artificially adding the bubbles, carbonated, not same as expensive time consuming double fermentation in bottle

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

[QUOTE=mithrandir;529496]As long as you're paying Peter.

Hunh?
I thought Eric was buying and we were invited!
You think I can afford that stuff?
Ch. Batailley is $1350 a bottle, for Heaven's sake!

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

Hunh?
I thought Eric was buying and we were invited!
You think I can afford that stuff?
Ch. Batailley is $1350 a bottle, for Heaven's sake!

Ian started the thread, and wanted "nice", not "no price limit".
You started the price escalation.

[taminga16 (Greg)]

Ian,
Anything Red from Passing Clouds in Central Victoria.
Greg.

[JimmyH155]

I might be a cheap drunk, but at my local bottleshop in Burpengary, they have some "Cleanskins" - ie unbranded wines. I have been drinking a Cab Sav for a few weeks now. It is delicious. Guess what????? It is less than $4 a bottle
As the adverts say, "Why pay more?"

[Ian Robinson]

I am really confused now
.... too many choices
.... not enough knowledge about wines
.... and don't drink it often enough to have accumulated some experience of what is a nice drop ....

[Ian Robinson]

Originally Posted by JimmyH155

I might be a cheap drunk, but at my local bottleshop in Burpengary, they have some "Cleanskins" - ie unbranded wines. I have been drinking a Cab Sav for a few weeks now. It is delicious. Guess what????? It is less than $4 a bottle
As the adverts say, "Why pay more?"

I've heard about them .... my brother in law used to flog them by the case . Never tried them and he never offered me a bottle to try out.

[AlexN]

As far as Red's are concerned, I'm always quite partial to a Penfolds.. Bin 555 is nice, Grange is really nice if you're feeling extravagant.

I'll agree with Scott, the Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and McClaren Vale Shiraz wines are beautiful... I too am a big fan of an unblended Shiraz. They have a very distinctive that is quite nice with red meat meals, especially in my opinion with pasta dishes...

[taminga16 (Greg)]

Ian,

I am a wine expert I drink that which I enjoy.

Seriously though stick with the styles that you enjoy and in time those blends will give you a base from which to move, and remember "An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until eventually he knows everything about nothing"

Greg.

"I often wonder what the Vintners buy,
One half so precious as the goods they sell"

Omar Khayyam (1040)

]I am really confused now
.... too many choices
.... not enough knowledge about wines
.... and don't drink it often enough to have accumulated some experience of what is a nice drop ....[/QUOTE]

[fringe_dweller]

haha ive had nice no label el cheapo stuff too!
Ian the cheaper (younger) red wine, will benefit more from allowing it too 'breathe' ive seen/tasted some cheap plonk transform miraculously after a long decanter/breathe, amazing! an hour for really cheap stuff, a mate uses an old beer jug from a pub for the job, doesnt need to be fancy, just need lots of surface area, i'm talking about red wine here only of course..
get rid of those nasty volatiles.

http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/a/breathe.htm

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

[QUOTE=wavelandscott;529505

Best Savignon Blanc wines come from Malboraugh (sp) in New Zealand (Oyster Bay is one of my favs)]


I agree with Scott.
I love the N.Z. Sauvignon Blancs. Monkey Bay is my fave, along with Oyster Bay a close second.

Enjoy.

geoffro

[taminga16 (Greg)]

Geoff,

NZ have it all over us on white wines at the moment and I agree with you regarding Oyster Bay Sav Blanc, it's a treat.

Greg.
I seem to recall that they use a form of "Cold Filtering" and bottle directly.