Very often, I am asked by people to pick a wine when out at dinner, or asked by people what wine to buy at the store. Living in Pennsylvania means that the choices and prices of the wines are limited by what the state decides to make available to the public. It does not help to recommend a wine to someone when the wine is not easily obtainable.
This is basically a list of wines that I like. Your experience may vary. I’m not a big fan of merlot, pinot noir or chardonnay, but every so often I come across one that I really like. My favorites in reds tend to southern Rhone, cabernet, shiraz, and red zinfindel.
Rosemount Traminer/Riesling
This is my favorite for Thanksgiving dinner. It also goes exceptionally well with ham and horseradish. I have not yet been to a sushi place that serves this, but I have a feeling it would go well with anything spicy like wasabe. It is usually under $10 a bottle, and has a semi-dry finish.
Yellow Tail Shiraz
This is a nice daily drinker for a shiraz, and last time I bought a bottle it was also under $10. I have heard reports from people that they have had some bottles that tasted “bad”. So there might be some sort of quality control problem. I can’t remember if yellow tail sues synthetic corks or not. If they use natural corks, it could easily be the 3% or higher cork taint rate due to TCA.
Fetzer Echo Glen Guwerztraminer
This is a nice inexpensive semi-dry wine that also goes well with spicy foods. It’s also a nice after dinner wine. It is also one of the few wines my wife likes.
Kendall-Jackson Vinter’s Reserve Chardonnay
I am not a big fan of chardonnay in general, but this one is nice and smooth. I had it with breakfast a few times, and it is a fantastic match with bacon and eggs.
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
I had this on a trip to Hawaii with a local seafood dish. It was an excellent bottle, not to mention being the cheapest on the wine list. I’m not sure if it’s avialable in PA or not.
Rancho Zabaco Red Zinfandel
At a local restaurant I ordered Seven deadly Zins, but they were out of it. The bartender asked me if I was a fan of red zins, and then recommended that I try this. It is one of my favorites. It’s a bit more than what I like to pay for a bottle of wine, but it makes a nice treat once or twice a month.
Seven Deadly Zins
This was my first favorite zinfandel. It’s been replaced with the Rancho Zabaco, but it’s a good backup.
Alexander Valley Temptation
The same bartender who recommended Rancho Zabaco also recommended this red zin (although now he claims that he never recommended the Rancho). It’s much smoother than most zins, and while I enjoyed it, it seemed to have a bit less body than some of the others. The list price is $12, which makes this a very affordable zin. It also has a killer label, and a screw top. The producer’s web site is here
