Boone's Farm need not apply

December 15, 2008 1:39 PM

Need a wine recommendation to give as a gift. Caveats: must be $10-15 price range, must be obtainable at the PA state-run liquor stores. I do not drink wine, so use small words.

This is for some coworkers for xmas. The limit is $10-15 per bottle, not total. Should be tasty for what it is. If you can give me the name of a specific brand/variety, that would be great.

posted by misanthropicsarah to Food & Drink (24 answers total)

This is a bit like "What's a good book?". Do you have any other information at all (especially red vs white)? If not, just show up at the store and ask a stranger or a clerk. Some places will have wine critic scores on the displays. Higher is better.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:59 PM on December 15, 2008

Your best bet is to go to a state store and just ask. People who work at wine stores tend to know their inventory, certainly better than the random advice of a bunch of a far-flung strangers.
posted by mkultra at 2:00 PM on December 15, 2008

Response by poster: have you been to the philadelphia statey stores? the disgruntled chick working the only open register is not gonna wanna spend three seconds interacting with me, let alone recommend anything to me besides "that one there".

i don't know my coworkers at all in terms of personal life stuff, so i have no idea red v white.

i hate the holidays.

[insert grinch gif here]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 2:07 PM on December 15, 2008

Wine stores here keep their bottles neatly arranged. So, if looking for something new to try, I look for wines that obviously there was a bunch there but now some have been recently bought more so than the others (hopefully by people that enjoy it).

Take price into consideration though. It may not be a direct comparison, but at the beer stores the cheap two-four macro-brewed piss lagers tend to sell a lot more than the much better, albeit slightly more expensive brews, simply because they either have never tried a good beer, or are simply looking for a cheap buzz.
posted by hungrysquirrels at 2:25 PM on December 15, 2008

TwoBuckChuckFilter: Crane Lake wines are about $3.99 a bottle here in Ohio (I don't know if it's available in a PA State store, sorry) and it's not at all as horrible as the price leads one to believe. The Malbec and Sangiovese (reds) are not bad at all, but the Merlot tastes like someone decided to add fresh dirt to the mix.

There are just too many wines to mention that fit your price range.

Off the top of my head: Beringer, Yellow Tail, Coppola, to name but a few.

I'm no wine expert by any means and I don't know what is available in PA state stores, but if any of the above mentioned are...they're fine for gift giving.
posted by gummi at 2:26 PM on December 15, 2008

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher write a wine column for the Wall Street Journal. They were on NPR recently, talking about their new wine book (not in stores yet, I just checked over the weekend).

Anyway, you might find this particular column helpful, and there may be more useful tidbits in their archives.

I know nothing about wine either, but I've got their column bookmarked.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:27 PM on December 15, 2008

Best answer: yikes. Can I suggest that if you're not clear on red vs. white, you may want to do a different food item as a gift? Good chocolate, fancy cookies etc... It's very easy to go wrong with wine with little information.

If you really want to do wine, I'd go with a light red (which regularly white drinkers can still appreciate) like a Pinot Noir. Vineyard suggestions* -
Pepperwood Grove
MacMurray Ranch
Almost any Oregon Pinot Noir - Cooper Hill is in your price range, but really, they are all good

Or, you could do a fizzy white in honor of the holidays like a Prosecco . I dont have a specific vineyard, Trader Joes does a wonderful one for $11.99 but anything in your price range would be decent.

*I know nothing about what's available in PA stores
posted by darsh at 2:33 PM on December 15, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think your best bet is to go with varietals from specific locales, and it's winter, so I think you're better off going with red and just picking something in that price range from the sources below--they're pretty mainstream and I really don't think you can go wrong with an Australian Shiraz or Argentinean Malbec which is what the llama family has been knocking back recently.

If you want to go with some bottles of white and some of red, New Zealand Sauvignon blancs are great for white.

All of these are user-friendly wines, not obscure, weird, or difficult to buy or consume.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:44 PM on December 15, 2008

The Prosecco idea is a good one--they're over w/champagnes I think.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:49 PM on December 15, 2008

Best answer: Gosh. So many variables involved in this question -- varietal, vintage, region, subjective taste preference, etc.

There are many resources and end-of-year lists such as Wine Spectator Top 100, etc. that are overwhelming for most everyone.

So, lets narrow things down and add some "meaning" to your wine selection. Let's seek to help you tell a story about your selection to each of the recipients.

Since you are in Philly, I'd suggest a wine from a Pennsylvania winery. ("With approximately 14,000 acres of grapes, Pennsylvania ranks 4th nationally in the amount of grapes grown. The state also ranks 8th in the production of wine."^*).

Since it is winter and many favor a red varietal this time of year, let's go with one. Pennsylvania's top most recognizable red varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Since we don't know the selections available in the specific Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board you will be visiting, I suggest asking a clerk if they can help. If not, ask if the store has Pennsylvanian wines displayed separately. Look on the shelf for bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir for $15 or under.

If all else fails, I suggest a Califonian red -- (as above) a Beringer Founders' Estate Merlot California ($10.99), Zinfandel California ($10.99) or a Shiraz California ($10.99). These are wines from a well-respected vineyard; great value for the money.
posted by ericb at 3:01 PM on December 15, 2008

Here's a link to the product search at the PA liquor control board.

Personally, I like the Marques de Caceres Rioja, which appears to be available for $13.99, you can check here for which stores have it.
posted by rube goldberg at 3:08 PM on December 15, 2008

Here's a link to the product search at the PA liquor control board.

Using the product search -- here is the result (24 products found) for Pennsyvania Reds priced at ess than $20. You can use these selections as a starting point, but be sure to see if there is a separate PA wine section, if you choose to go in that direction.
posted by ericb at 3:20 PM on December 15, 2008

There is a lot of good cheap French red wine on the shelves, especially if you're looking for something easy-drinking to lug to a BYO (which is a convenient way to spin this if asked any questions about the gift, yes?) I'll peek at our inventory when I get home and give some more suggestions, but my "I dunno I can't think this is the worst state store EVAR" standby is Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages. The bottle looks all classic wine-geeky, too.

I would not recommend a PA wine. Yes, I know that there are good ones. I wouldn't say that PA wine is reliable, though, and as we know, you're not getting any help at the store.

For those who have not witnessed the, uh, experience of a PA store, I cannot even explain how depressing, dingy, and unfriendly they are. And they've improved in the last few years! Anything you may assume about a store that sells wine, like the bottles being in order or anyone knowing anything about any product, or being able to ask a clerk for help, or inventory being reliable via the search function on their website: Wrong.

Alternate plan: field trip to Moore Bros right across the river in Jersey where they will actually help you.
posted by desuetude at 4:05 PM on December 15, 2008

Of course, wine is personal preference, but you might look at:

- Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (in the red section)
- Penfolds, cheap or pricey, I have never been disappointed, they have some bottles in your price range
- Pinot Evil, which I see they carry and is a very decent price
- Anything from Mondavi in your price range

That should be enough to get you something decent.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:23 PM on December 15, 2008

Ah yes, the Pennsylvania State Store. We used to call the one in our neighborhood DMV Liquor.

Here is a list from my local BevMo. It has wines rated 90 or above that are less than 20 bucks.

I've had this Pinot Girgio, this Riesling, this Cabernet, this Petite Sirah and this Port. All were good to very good and within your price range.
posted by 26.2 at 4:24 PM on December 15, 2008

I've always had good luck giving Portuguese Vinho Verde, a slightly-bubbly, white wine. The brands I like are Casal Garcia and Aveleda. The wine is refreshing, and it pairs nicely with a range of foods. The low alcohol content makes it easy to drink. I've never seen it for more than $8/bottle.
posted by TEA at 5:16 PM on December 15, 2008

Response by poster: thanks for the advice all! as i said, i'm feeling especially grinchy this year, and the prospect of going to the dirty, crowded, loud, and disorganized state store was really overwhelming. i'm glad i'm not the only one who sees the stores this way! (ah for the old off license of ireland.) at any rate, i now have a list of things to look for, and barring finding any of those, they get the one with the prettiest bottle.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 5:39 PM on December 15, 2008

Here it is: Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

This wine will not disappoint even the most snobbish.... well, maybe, but it's damned good. Has what we used to call an HQQ: High Quaffibility Quotient.

Means it's easy to drink, and pairs with many different foods. Even traditionally non-red-wine foods.

Usually runs between $9.99 - $12.99.

The snobs may say it's a tad watery, but herein lies it's subtle charm; you can drink it alone, with cheese, with duck, with beef, with bread, with your lover, in a group, at a party, etc., etc.

It travels well, and always goes down smooth. Full Disclosure: I am NOT French.

Cheers!
posted by valkane at 6:29 PM on December 15, 2008

Upon re-reading, if you want to go white, and fizzy, a Cristalino cava brut is your best bet. Google it. Or better yet, buy a bottle of the beaujolais and the cava. Both bases covered, for less than $30.

White and red drinkers rejoice! Happy Christmas!
posted by valkane at 6:39 PM on December 15, 2008

Have you tried some of the "Premium" Wine and Spirits Shoppes? They usually have a better selection of wines and are not so dire and grim. And they might have more knowledgeable staff. (The one that comes to mind for me is in the same shopping center as the Devon Whole Foods, but I'm sure there are others.)

For decent, but cheap, I like Yellow Tail a lot---their Shiraz is good for example, if you like red. Some friends always get cases of L'Ecole #41 for thanksgiving (from Walla Walla Washington; I don't know if you can get it in PA).

My absolute favorite dessert wine is Coppo Moncalvina Muscato D'Asti, but you have to Special Liquor Order it.
posted by leahwrenn at 6:48 PM on December 15, 2008

Others have already mentioned it, but it bears repeating. Yellowtail is fantastic for the money.
posted by thekiltedwonder at 7:24 PM on December 15, 2008

MARTINI AND ROSSI ASTI SPUMANTE - it is like a sweet champagne (sparkling wine) and it is relatively harmless. It goes to your head fast (bubbles!) but is not rough enough to give you a hangover. A nice, festive dessert wine that can be drunk on its own. It is $11.99 from our local PA wine store.
posted by Susurration at 8:26 PM on December 15, 2008

Have you tried some of the "Premium" Wine and Spirits Shoppes?

I suggest the one on Chestnut. The employees are still your standard DMV clones, but they're pretty organized and have a wider selection than any of the neighborhood stores.
posted by Netzapper at 10:48 PM on December 15, 2008

Selecting any "not too expensive/not too cheap/how can I participate in the !#$*! Secret Santa without exposing myself as the Grinch" present is difficult. Any bottle of wine for someone who cares nothing about wine will be unappreciated. Any $10 bottle of wine for someone who is a huge enthusiast will be unappreciated. However, I love wine and love giving wine as a gift. Fortunately, I live in a wine growing region and my family lives in a wine growing region. So when I go home to see my family, I bring a bottle of wine from where I live. And when I return home, I bring a bottle of wine from where I am from. This adds a personal connection, "this bottle comes from the same place I do, it means something to me and I wanted to share that with you." So give a bottle of Pennsylvania wine, it will show that some thought went into it
"Sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you've got it made." -George Burns
posted by ActingTheGoat at 2:06 AM on December 16, 2008