whats a good wine for dinner?

[Semidevil]

I'm planning to buy a nice bottle of wine for my parents. they usually buy the cheap stuff(10/bottle, or 20 for like a giant bottle), so I want to get them something a bit nicer.

budget is around 60 to 80. want to focus strictly on quality, and not quantity. I plan to go to my local wine place, but wanted to get some opinions first.

this will be for mom and dad, so nothing that will waste them.
maybe something that has a light and sweet flavor(fruity??)

 

[TallBill]

Go to a nice wine store and you will get plenty of recommendations. Just like I trust the guys at Binny's Beverage Depot with buying beer!

 

[olds]

Who has wine for dinner? Except maybe a hobo or Mosh.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Who has wine for dinner? Except maybe a hobo or Mosh.

i don't even like :wine: you dbag :laugh:

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Who has wine for dinner? Except maybe a hobo or Mosh.

i don't even like :wine: you dbag :laugh:

Come on, as much :wine:ing as you do?
:laugh:

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Who has wine for dinner? Except maybe a hobo or Mosh.

i don't even like :wine: you dbag :laugh:

Come on, as much :wine:ing as you do?
:laugh:

you bring the cheese and it might work.

 

[everman]

You really don't have to spend more than 20 for something very good. Normally I wouldn't spend more than 50, and that would be for my favorites like a great cabernet.
Yesterday I picked up a great white wine from Costco, from Argentina I think. It went very well with the shrimp and scallops I bought with it, cost was about $12 for the wine.
Try Costco, they have relatively accurate reviews posted right there next to each wine, and I believe you don't need to be a member to buy alcohol, although that may be a state law thing. Check with their info counter to be sure if you are not a member. (also no membership required for glasses) If you don't have a Costco, I hear Sam's club is almost as good.

 

[Descartes]

Echoing what Everman said, don't just go on price alone. You'll often find that the qualities of a more expensive wine aren't of interest to a lot of people anyway, so it's sometimes best just to get the crowd pleaser.

You didn't give us much to offer recommendations. What are you eating? What do they like? Light and fruity doesn't generally find itself in more expensive wines. Are we talking red or white?

Your best bet is to just go to the wine store and get some recommendations. Going blind, I'd say go with a good Barbera, Chianti, Ripasso or a Valpolicella or an Amarone. The latter is generally much more expensive, but they're delicious wines.

My favorite go-to at this point is a Ripasso. It's low in tannin, low on complexity, low on acidity and generally in good balance for little price (relative to an Amarone).

 

[Tiamat]

unfortunately, price does not dictate a good pairing with food. A good price range is 15-30$ where you should be able to find anything that is "great". It depends on what food you will be serving as well. Some wines will get overpowered by the food, others will overpower the food, and others would be just awkward with certain foods.

 

[NoShangriLa]

You don't have to spend that kind of money to have good wine in the 90s points. I have had wines that rated in the high 80s and found it taste better than low 90s.

Like Tiamat has suggested good wine can be had between $15-$30.

 

[Caveman]

Old Vine Red. Any Lot will do. I believe Lot 47 is what's currently being sold.

Best wine period. Only $12/bottle. Most people who "know" wines say this one tastes like a $100 bottle.

It's the smoothest, most mellow, deep bodied red a person can experience.

Try it, you'll like it.

 

[everman]

Personally I've come to like a nice Cabernet from Western Australia, more often than not they're pretty good, and I tried a lot of them while over in the Margaret river area in WA. But everyone has their own tastes. Perhaps the wife would like a nice rose, while the husband would like a bourdeaux. But who knows, I know women who prefer a nice red over any white, it just depends. So maybe you ought to get a couple lower priced wines eh?