Need wine help!!

[jcantanixon]

I know that this topic is like a ghost town, and the odds of getting any help from here is minimal...but I thought I should give hp.org a try.

A longtime friend of mine is getting hitched this weekend. He's a successful lawyer in the bay area, so my standard wedding gift of a couple hundred dollars in cash doesn't work. They've registered at a bunch of places, but it's all the standard household stuff...and that's just lame.

So I figured I would buy them something he would appreciate and wouldn't normally buy for himself. A fine bottle of wine seems like a great gift. Problem is, I don't know the first thing about wine. I've heard that Costco has a moderately decent selection, but without any recommendations, I would just go in there and buy something that was expensive in the hopes that translated into "good." There are also a few Beverages and More locations around me if that helps.

He's a red meat eater...so I was thinking a red wine. Port? Cabernet? Does the country of origin matter? French wines tend to be more expensive, but is that because they're better or just because they're far away? What about year? Does older mean better? Would a 99 be more appreciated then a 2001 from the same winery?

Thanks in advance for any help and/or suggestions. Price doesn't matter - but I was thinking between 50 and 250.

[jay]

Just get them a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne that they can enjoy while on their honeymoon. $109 at Costco.

[Sportymonk]

Some great wines go for relatively inexpensive prices and some expensive wines are worth the label on the bottle.

If you want to this, I would get an assortment of wines, like a case of different wines.

I would recommend a German Auslace and/or Spatlase 75 and 76 were great years. These are white wines and slightly sweet. He probably eats fish and other things too so he would enjoy these.

I would recommend a good Merlot and and a Zinfendel (Red, not White Zinfendel).

Since wine sales are limited as to where they can be sold and transported, you might want to check with the local newspaper and see what they recommend. We cannot get a lot of good wines out east due to the laws governing wine shipment.

Not much help, hope this gets you started.

[jay]

Originally posted by Sportymonk
Some great wines go for relatively inexpensive prices and some expensive wines are worth the label on the bottle.

If you want to this, I would get an assortment of wines, like a case of different wines.

I would recommend a German Auslace and/or Spatlase 75 and 76 were great years. These are white wines and slightly sweet. He probably eats fish and other things too so he would enjoy these.

I would recommend a good Merlot and and a Zinfendel (Red, not White Zinfendel).

Since wine sales are limited as to where they can be sold and transported, you might want to check with the local newspaper and see what they recommend. We cannot get a lot of good wines out east due to the laws governing wine shipment.

Not much help, hope this gets you started.

But this takes work, whereas the Dom Perignon will be appreciated (not something they'd buy for themselves) but takes the same amount of effort as "the usual couple hundred dollars in cash."

BTDT, but in my day it was plush towel sets.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by jcantanixon
He's a red meat eater...so I was thinking a red wine. Port? Cabernet? Does the country of origin matter? French wines tend to be more expensive, but is that because they're better or just because they're far away? What about year? Does older mean better? Would a 99 be more appreciated then a 2001 from the same winery?

My favorite red for steak is Chateauneuf du Pape. It is well appreciated among my European friends becaue it has a reputation for being a good vintage every year, which removes some of the wine snob hassle. That being said, older is generally seen as better--there's that snob factor rearing it's ugly head again. I like to give a red and a white together. Cakebread is a very good Chardonnay.

[jay]

Originally posted by robrecht
My favorite red for steak is Chateauneuf du Pape. It is well appreciated among my European friends becaue it has a reputation for being a good vintage every year, which removes some of the wine snob hassle. That being said, older is generally seen as better--there's that snob factor rearing it's ugly head again. I like to give a red and a white together. Cakebread is a very good Chardonnay.

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a nice B&G Chateauneuf du Pape with a juicy steak. Thanks for the memories, and welcome back, Banjo Man!

[robrecht]

Originally posted by jay
It's been a long time since I enjoyed a nice B&G Chateauneuf du Pape with a juicy steak. Thanks for the memories, and welcome back, Banjo Man!

Almost summer--time to start grilling some ribeyes again. And I just checked--two bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape sitting in my bass cello wine rack waiting for a nice summer evening. Thanks for the welcome.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by jcantanixon


So I figured I would buy them something he would appreciate and wouldn't normally buy for himself. A fine bottle of wine seems like a great gift.

why dont you drive down to a good So. Cal winery and pick a wine ...rather than from costco

[ictvuser]

Originally posted by jcantanixon
So I figured I would buy them something he would appreciate and wouldn't normally buy for himself. A fine bottle of wine seems like a great gift.

How about arranging a private wine tasting tour in Sonoma or Napa?

[iglesias]

If you are driving up to the SF Bay area, you'll be passing thru some really good wine areas - the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara, and the Paso Robles area. You could pick up a nice assortment of wines (like Sportymonk suggested) in those areas, and if you have time, try out some of the wines at the wineries. You'll get a nice wedding present for your friend and learn something about wine at the same time.

If you don't have time for that, BevMo has a pretty good selection of wines. Get some whites and reds, and a bottle or two of Champagne. Ports are typically a dessert wine.

If you want some specific recommendations, I can look thru our list and give you some ideas.

[jcantanixon]

I just want to say how much I appreciate everyone that has chimed in. I've read through every post twice, and they were all very helpful. Unfortunately I don't have the time to go wine tasting, so I'm going to research some of the wines mentioned above and buy both a white and a red.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I never imagined a post in the "Wine and Cooking" forum would get more then a couple replies!!

[ramirami]

your fiend is a lawyer right....

give him a dick chaney statue

[jay]

Originally posted by jcantanixon
...snip

... so I'm going to research some of the wines mentioned above and buy both a white and a red.
...snip

A bottle of red, a bottle of white,
That song'll play in my head all night...


Billy Joel

[jcantanixon]

Heh...I've already planned on a lawyer joke or two in my toast.

[ramirami]

Originally posted by jay
A bottle of red, a bottle of white,
That song'll play in my head all night...


Billy Joel

Red Red wine...

UB40