Recommendations? Wife wants to start drinking it, and if it she wants to drink I can only support her.

Santa Ema Cabernet is good.  Not too expensive either. I buy it by the case

Boones Farm

Depends on what your definition of "dry" is. "Dry" simply means the opposite of sweet although some people associate fruit forward flavors as sweet which is incorrect. These people also think that "dry" only refers to terroir forward wines.









 

there are rules here...
Try this one OP, great starter red http://store.blackstarfarms.com/artisan-red-p21.aspx



 

Start her with a merlot and go from there. Also try a Cabernet Sauvignon

Fan of Zins (lodi) and Pinot Noirs (oregon)



Honestly, find a shop that allows tasting. Go taste. Find the grape you like from a region you like. Then start experimenting with different brands.



heck...my favorite Zin is $10 a bottle (Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin)

Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty good ~$20.
I like Cabernet Sauvignon wines particularly those from the California Alexander Valley region.

Do some wine tasting.

Bogle is a dependable mid-range wine.

Look for Washington State wines.  

7 Deadly Zins is very good wine. Pinot Noir and Syrah/Shiraz are also good general directions.

Do you shop at Costco?

I make red wines and all are good. it takes about a month and they are ready so far since april I have made 120 bottles and I have a 15 plant vineyard in my backyard.  I would say Marquette is a good red wine but it might be sweet. Pinot Noir is also dry and very good.

This. It's all about finding what flavors the individual enjoys. There are an infinite number of fantastic wines that are <$10 per bottle.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangiovese

I've been enjoying some Peruvian and Argentinian Malbecs lately.  Full flavor, very fruity without being sweet, and good ones can be found for $20 a bottle.

I loves me some good Malbec but IMO it's not a good 'begginer' red. Merlot is the most 'neutral' of the well known reds. Rutherford Hill makes an excellent Merlot.



 

If she's just starting out with dry reds, she should try the more approachable ones.

I'd suggest pinot noir, sangiovese, petite syrah, or some of the better rated table reds.

What's your price range?  IMHO after you get down below about $10-12 it's not worth it to buy cabernet or pinot.  They tend to sell at a premium.  You'll get more bang for your buck with a zin, malbec or chianti.

Apothic Red

'Murica.

Me too......................................

I'm on mobile. Will post pics tonite.

We only have sams here.

I would pay $20-30 a bottle if the grape is worthy.

Sangiovese is an excellent "beginner" grape. Not a lot of tannin astringency, somewhat fruit forward, and not heavy bodied.  Excellent Chianti's (Italian blend consisting of primarily Sangiovese) can be had for $10. 100% Sangiovese is very tasty as well.

Sheesh, you guys spend a lot of money on wine.

 

I make wine also.
It takes about a month to make, then another three to four years to age before mine are drinkable to my liking...

Try a cabarnet savignion first. Then try a merlot (dryer) and a Pinot Noir (less dry) and see what she really likes. If you have a decent wine shop in your area just go there and tell them what you're looking for. They might even have a wine tasting event to go and try some things before buying a whole bottle you might like.

For a good table wine I have been hooked on the menage a' trois red. It's a blend of three types of grapes. It's a great balance, easy to find, and usually $8-$11 dollars a bottle.

Malbec is the hot market segment right now.  Lots of good stuff coming up from Argentina that's inexpensive.

Not sure what they have, but the cheap stuff at Costco is all I buy anymore.  It's damn good wine, and wayyy cheaper than the prices people are citing here.

WOODBRIDGE by Mondavi.......1.5 liter
WalMart ....about 10 bucks.
The Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir are really pretty good!

Decoy Pinot Noir

Excellent wine, with a reasonable price tag.

Start with Bogle wines. They are national and very consistent. Try their Petite Sirah.


Then try Las Rocas Garnacha.  Also national and consistent.


Then on a special night, try a Caymus (let it sit open for a few hours). This will be worth it to taste what a good wine should taste like but only on a special night as it is expensive.

That one is quite deliciious  Mix red...



 

Agreed, Malbec's are not for someone getting into Reds as they're usually very bold, flavor-able with some punch. Zins or Pinot Noirs are a good place to start, Serghasio has a nice Zin for about $15. I'm not a huge fan of Merlots but they and Cabs probably have the largest range of grapes.

Also, try to get to a store like Total Wine. They will have a much better selection. This place is where you will find all of the blended wines. The grocery stores never carry blends.

Most people I introduce to wine prefer the blends I offer them. Blends are almost always better because the winemaker is actually trying to make a good wine and putting work into creating a good flavor. Blends will cost $5 more on average.

This.  I get their Cabernet from Costco from time to time.

Didn't realize Walmart sells them, might mean Sams does too.

The wine game for me works like this.  Buy the cheapest you can find.  If it doesn't work, go up to the next.  Do this until you find one you like.

Let the fetishists obsess over the expensive stuff.  It's a drink, it doesn't have to also be a hobby.

Residual sugar is entirely dependent on the person making the wine; not the grape.

 






 

This is my go to red...



or a Cote Du Rhone.

What does fruit forward mean?

I agreed with both posters, also i think Cabs are a nice place to start.  A lot of good wines coming i at $9-12 per bottle.  



 

2010 Santa Alicia from Chile...real panty dropper. La post angel Malbec Chile,  Robert Oatley Margaret River Cabernet.

I could keep going, but that ought a get you started.  Some days GD throws 'em right in this drunks wheel house.

A flavor profile consisting largely or predominantly of fruit flavors.  

 

Token pic. There have been some in botd.



Is it normal for us to drink two bottles a nite?

I'm a single guy that loves red wine.
As a single guy, and as much as I like wine I rarely drink more than a half bottle once opened.

I rarely drink wine but when I do I only drink Cabernets. My usual choice is Sterling Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon. So that is my recommendation.

I like Penfolds' Shiraz.

I'd like to set the record straight on one glaring issue in the responses. It has to do with how one variety vs another is more dry or not.

Winemakers tweak their blends to suit their clientele. Take Turning leaf Cabernet, I would bet it is 1-2% residual sugar...now a Duckhorn Cab from Napa would probably be completely dry. Regional consistency is also fleeting.

My educated opinion is that 75-85% of wines on the grocery store or average liquor store shelf are owned by 4, maybe 5 wine conglomerates. Also, a vast majority have some level of residual sugar.

It is also my experience that high priced wines/cult wines are hardly ever up to their namesake. In fact, most are quite bad.

Now some of you hardcore wine sobs will disagree, but let me explain.

Background: I am a classically trained and educated winemaker. I have a degree in it, have sat on peer reviewed committees, taught classes, and have made more wine than most winemakers will in their career. I am also dogmatically pragmatic. The smoke and mirrors of our industry and the elitism drives me bananas. There is just way to much BS. Sure, some of it is rooted in fact, some not.

During my time in California, we would conduct blind, anonymous competitive tastings on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. Every time, we would throw in a "ringer" (ie something with an esteemed name/region). this bottle would be typically in the 35-65$ price range. Very rarely was the ringer the best wine, most times, it was the worst. Oxidized, microbial faults, etc. Piss poor winemaking. Again, this was blind, and there was 4-5 of us at each tasting, mostly in agreement. We even did ringer tastings, where every wine was top shelf. Those actually sucked the worse, wines were so bad, I would never bottle them. Sure, sometimes a ringer lived up to its name and it was fantastic.

I find that the 10-20$ pricepoint to be the most consistent. Especially coming from wineries of commercial size, they have the market presence and technology to make sure they produce a consistent, high quality product.

As far as general recommendations:

Merlot: I prefer east side of Washington.
Pinot Noir: Willamette Valley of Oregon (more rhubarb, cherry) or Edna valley/Central Coast (more tannic)
Syrah: West side of Paso Robles (think ripe exocarp of a plum mixed with blackberries)
Petite Sirah: West northern side Lodi
Zinfandel: Lodi of course or east side of Paso
Cabernet: hard to beat Napa, but east PAso does a great job, though it has more of a chalky tannin structure
Sangiovese and Iberian varieties: Sierra Foothils...BE WARNED these are hugely tannic


If you have a specific variety, I can be more specific on producer.