I like Red Wine with LOTS of flavors and "levels", meaning with different flavors that hit at different moments. Any suggestions?

Pinot Noir from California?

 






 

I hear Costco has some good wines.

I like a nice Franzia or perhaps an Arbor Mist.  

You have to define your price range.

You will want a BIG red wines heavy in tannins and built with huge long lasting fruits such as many Bordeaux styles.
They take many years to mature and will transgress many many different flavors through their life.
If you want to experience the different nuances of the wine as it matures you will need to lay in several bottles/cases in a wine cellar or a properly controlled environment and let them age then sample as your time permits.

Don't laugh as I am a poor college kid..... $15 to $25.......................

I had a $10 the other night and it was WONDERFUL. It was a Cabernet Sauvignon.. Can't remember the winery... Right now I am drinking a Cab from 14 Hands winery, its good. but I want more flavor! I took a wine tasting class a year ago in college and it taught me to take a "trip" with the wine. Let the flavors take you on a ride through wine country, as my professor stated. I made an A! It was the BEST class I've ever taken. I was just wondering if there were any other wine-o's out there.

Wine is all about regions. Learn the regions and learn what you like.

Don't understand the fascination with wine. Rather have a good beer.

Get a Malbec. Great flavor and can pair with tons of foods. Try something out of the typical suggestions. The grapes are usually from Argentina and Chile.

I used to hate wine until I got away from all the made to sell shit like Barefoot and yellow tail.

Lol, "Let the wine take you on a trip".  That's so ghey.

When I drink wine I go for Liebfraumilch and Gewurztraminer.

This years Yellow Tail Syrah is fucking delicious and it's so cheap you can drink a magnum for under $10.

This is the part of the thread where a bunch of people chime in with little no knowledge and offer bad suggestions for you to find typically obscure/garbage varietals and over pay for them.  Also, this is the part where someone comes in and tells you to buy some Grange, since it scored like 99 this year.

wine rocks, i have been to napa 3 different times and have had a great time on each of them.  I started drinking wine when i was 21 and started bartending about that same time.  Since the place i worked at sold alot of wine, it was in  my best interest to learn as much as i could.  I prefer a good red zinfandel (no not the pink shit) because of all of the different flavors, but i do appreciate and enjoy most reds.  Also remember you don't have to spend alot to get a good wine, try some wines from south america (malbec, merlot, red blend) you can find a good one for around $10.  good luck

There's a very good thread on wine in the HOTD forum: (Just ignore the pictures.)

Fladgate Port.  2003 or 2005.  Both amazing.

I am much like yourself.
I very much enjoy big large red wines with complex tastes.  I've been drinking reds for close to thirty years now.
Cabernet Sauvignon is certainly my favorite.

IMO, even though the $15 to $25 wines while all are pretty much commercial bulk produced wines, many good ones can be found if you subscribe to some of the wine magazines that post futures (I like Wine Enthusiast even though it's pricey).

If you are new to this I would suggest that you search out and try many different reds to determine what you really like.
Personally for me I like the big red wines from the Alexander Valley region of California.  I'm not a big fan of import French or Italian, but that's just me.

I have had some very very expensive wines +$300 that I personally thought tasted like crap (I've also had some expensive wines $300+ that were very good).
I've also bought $25 wines that I thought were excellent.
Admittedly, since I'm not rich, but since I drink wine almost every day my daily home table wine bottles usually come in around the $10 to $15 range - not the best but if researched can be very tasty.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to be like that. My friends own the Asburn Wine Shop so they always give us great recommendations. I typically stay between 12 to 18 dollars a bottle. For that range there is a massive selection of great wines. You just got to find something you like and step out of your comfort zone.

Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon from Sam's is my favorite.

A typical red wine from the Rhone region in France is a blend several grape varietals, with syrah being dominant.  One of their more famous "brands" is Chateauneuf du Pape.  Because of the blend, any sip will have layers of flavor.  Many of the wines are very drinkable without a lot of age; with age, some of them become special.  They're not as "big" as a California Cab, but every Cab drinker to whom I've introduced to these wines has appreciated them.  The overall appellation for these wines is Cotes du Rhone.  Many will be in the $ 10 - $ 15 range, and are a good introduction to the appellation in general.  As the names become more specific (Cotes du Rhone Villages, Gigondas - a personal favorite), the quality, complexity, and price will increase.  

My personal collection is ~ 50% cabs, 40% high tier Rhones, 10% other stuff.  Rhones are a great counterpoint to Cabs.

Try out Earthquake Petite Sirah- If you like a big in your face inky red wine with tons of flavor this will do the trick.  The 15% alcohol isn't noticeable either

Or you could step up just a bit more in price and try out Orin Swift's The Prisoner- another great wine, but more in the 35-40 dollar range.

On the lower end of the price spectrum- Yellow Tail Shiraz, Misterio Cabernet and Layer Cake Shiraz will all fit the bill for under 20 bucks (the first two are under 10)

Thanks francis.