#they've had some mix-ups with their store brand recently too so they don't have a whole lot of off brand stuff

[six-of-ravens]

need to remember that my preferred grocery store opens late on long weekend Sundays for some godforsaken reason. had to go to the more expensive store across the street (bc I was not driving 20 mins, thank you), and I didn't break my budget bc I didn't need a whole lot today, but was very much haunted by the unpleasant feeling of getting screwed over the whole time I was there.

[slothspaghettiwrites]

hello 🥺 do you have any wine recommendations or tips for beginners? ive tried some cheap rosé from the store and it took me maybe about half of the can to start liking it slightly. I wanna be fancy too. it look so good in the movies. pls tell me ur secrets 😔🥺❤

Ooohhh what a fun ask! I'm no Niles Crane, but I drink wine more than any other alcohol. It is my go to adult beverage.

Okay, so for starters. My first experience with wine, was the homemade kind, legit like the bootleg kind you find in your granddad's basement. It was blackberry wine and it was tooth rottingly sweet and delicious.

I would argue this isn't really a good intro in to wine, because well unless you're in the US, you don't find wine like that outside of dessert wines. And dessert wines are quite strong. (If you can get your hands on some homemade stuff though? Go for it. Also if you are in Indiana, get some French Lick Wine!)

So first and foremost, I'm gonna suggest you start off by not buying on the cheap stuff. You want to learn about what kind of wine you like, well you gotta buy decent wine for it. I'd say spend about £6-10($7-12) on a bottle for something decent. (Counter point, some cheap wines are actually divine and some expensive wines are crap, it's all about trial and error.) If it tastes like lighter fluid, it's not good wine period.

I'm also gonna say you kinda have to acquire a taste for wine, like you would beer, coffee, or dark chocolate. There are loads of different ways of describing wine tastes and flavours and that can be confusing. It's really all down to mouth feel (what a phrase).

White wines tend to run kinda dry, which means it will leave your mouth feeling a bit dry and this can sometimes come off as sour. Also white wine has gotta be drunk cold. As it warms up, you lose anything nice about it. When white wines start to get sweet, they tend to run more towards dessert wines.

Rosé wines are a good middle ground imo. They can be a bit sweet and dry at the same time and are rarely sour. They got a tiny tiny bit of body, because of how it's made (white wine grapes with the skin still on iirc). Pro tip: add a splash of Creme de Peche or peach schnapps to your rosé for added sweetness and kick. Rosé is also best served chilled.

Red wines are the my preferred wine. I like a full bodied wine, which mostly just means when I take a slurp, it coats my tongue and the flavour lingers a bit in my mouth. Red wines aren't described in the same way white wine is (dryness). Reds are described by body. For a beginner, I'd look for a lighter bodied red. They are also best enjoyed at room temperature (just don't keep it in your fridge like you would white or rosé).

Depending on where you live, I would suggest seeing if your local shops to half bottles or like the single serve bottles to try out a range.

I order my wine online at Majestic because I can buy mixed cases of 6 (or multiples of 6) for a decent price. But what I really like about them? They know their shit, and they put loads of info on their website about each wine. They've got two own brand ranges "Majestic Loves"(£5.99 a bottle) and "Definition"(fancier price varies on bottle) that when they say it's Pinot Noir, it's exactly what you should expect from a Pinot Noir.

Also, I totally just buy things with pretty labels in my price range. Not everything I try is good and that's kinda just the way of it. Find wine you like is really all about trial and error. Sommelier (Wine Experts) will also suggest you think about where your wine comes from, and what the summer was like that year (the year on the bottle) for them. That can determine some taste factors in your wine, but really that only matters when you are looking to drop some serious money on a bottle (like £30+).

Mostly, it's just about trying things and finding what you like.

Some wines that's I've had recently and liked:

1. Carlino Red

2. Jam Shed (it's a red and actually all right over ice)

3. Fat Bastard (very full bodied red)

4. Majestic Loves Rosé (cheap and cheerful)

5. Definition Malbec (red and to die for good)

6. Bedrock Wine Co "The Whole Shebang" cuvée