Can you recommend a nice bottle of wine that won't break the bank?

[dettlja]

Highly recommend Boone's Farm - Strawberry.

My personal favorite is Purple Passion.

 

 

My kinda guy!

[eedee]

I'm not much of a drinker myself, but when I went to the Olive Garden for dinner one evening, I was given a sample of Moscato. I loved the taste so much I asked the waiter to write the name down on a piece of paper for me. Now I never take a cruise without a bottle of Moscato. Its my favorite.I drink a whole bottle by myself. I do not share.

[vaca_queen]

Moscato is pretty good. There is a winery in North Carolina called Duplin that sells their wine all over the US. I can even get it in Ohio. I buy Carolina Red or Hatteras Red. About $10 a bottle at my local liquor store.

 

But if you have a local winery it is always fun to go and try out different ones.

[enveno1]

I'm not much of a drinker myself, but when I went to the Olive Garden for dinner one evening, I was given a sample of Moscato. I loved the taste so much I asked the waiter to write the name down on a piece of paper for me. Now I never take a cruise without a bottle of Moscato. Its my favorite.I drink a whole bottle by myself. I do not share.

 

That's the Castello Del Poggio Moscato I mentioned earlier. It is VERY VERY GOOD!

[Tom.Terrific]

I've been drinking and enjoying wine for..well..a really long time. And while I don't know a lot about wine, I do know what I like.

 

I think the important thing to remember when you're learning to enjoy wine, is to drink what you like. Wine isn't about impressing anyone, or about being intimidated, it's about enjoying life.

 

I used be intimidated ordering wine in a restaurant, but I got over it. It just takes practice. :D There's no shame in learning how to live well.

 

And you don't have to spend anywhere near $30/ to enjoy wine at home, when there's a myriad of wonderful wines, plenty enough to sample for years to come, for <$15.

 

That said, I'll refrain from recommending a red, simply because it took me years to develop a taste for red wine. But I will suggest a white, and that's Cavit Pinot Grigio. It's widely distributed, inexpensive, and tastes like something you want to share with good friends.

 

Muscato, Rhine, and Rieslings can also be fun for the wine apprentice.

 

Enjoy

[BlueJacketsFan1]

Wines are ment to be stored in the right conditions and not moved around. The ships is always moving and the conditions and weather are not good for storing wines. So for that reason there really isn't a reason to go and get any real high priced wines.

[Dr Dave]

I love wine, and I think you can get some fantastic wines for under $30. What I would suggest, if you are going to buy a bottle on board is to look at the wine packages that they offer, then ask your wine server for guidance from that list. They want you to be happy (because they want you to buy more wine from them as the cruise progresses). As for specific wines, I am not a fan of whites- the worst hangovers I have ever had came from white wines- and they general bouquet is a little too sweet for my palate, with one exception. There is a white out of New Zealand, Nobilio ( I believe a savangion blanc), which is a tried and true bottle of wine. It has a lovely finish, and It goes nicely with a lot of things. On the other hand, I love red wines. I think live would be tough without a good Pinot Niors, and I believe that it can go with everything.

 

I have had several lovely wines on cruises, but without knowing what's onboard, I really can't make a good suggestion. Don't be afraid to ask for advice.

[ijoonick]

Stella Rosa Bianco is a sparkling white wine, I am not a wine drinker but love this one, available at Bevmo or San Antonio winery.

[more cruises]

Chateau St. Michelle Riesling about 18-20 a bottle the reserve is the best

 

Oh, the benefits of living close to St. Michelle. I love their Riesling and can get it for $6.00 a bottle at our grocery store, the reserve not much more. I'm amazed when I see restaurants selling it for $45 a bottle.

[Jolimont]

Wines are ment to be stored in the right conditions and not moved around. The ships is always moving and the conditions and weather are not good for storing wines. So for that reason there really isn't a reason to go and get any real high priced wines.

True, that!

[travrn]

Stella Rosa Bianco is a sparkling white wine, I am not a wine drinker but love this one, available at Bevmo or San Antonio winery.

I was wondering if anyone would mention the Stella Rosa wines! I absolutely love them but can't get them in New Mexico--no distributor there. I have to buy them in CA or NV. I love the Stella Rosa red wine and their Muscato is fabulous! Actually, I think I love every moscato wine I've ever tried! I discovered that one decades ago. You won't go wrong with Stella Rosa wines from Italy. Does anyone know if they're available in Miami? I'll be sailing out of there in September.

[darth frosty]

Great one I found edge cabernet sauvignon. $20 a bottle and to be blunt gives a nice lil buzz

 

[EmmasNana]

One of my personal Texas wine favorites is Becker Vineyards Iconoclast. It is a really smooth red cabernet. I used to get it from the winery but found it cheaper in my Target store for $8.99. I see it for $12.99 or so in other stores.

 

If you have a Whole Foods or a Central Market near you ask them when they do their wine tastings. They are free I believe. Also, I was just at a wine store the other day and he had set up a bar where he offered wine tastings.

[marshalltp]

Three Great choices that won't break the bank:

 

1. Stella Rosa Bianco Moscato (white) under $10

 

2. Rocca delle Macie Rubizzo Sangiovese (red) under $15

 

3. anything by Sean Minor/Four Bears Winery,

but in particular, Four Bears Carneros Pinot Noir, under $15

[lexismom]

I LOVE sangria (as does the OP). While I am by no means a wine connoisseur, I do love to drink a glass (sometimes a bottle) now and then. One of my favorites is Forest Glen White Merlot (light red). I also like most white zins and pinot grigios. I will have to try a Moscato since so many of you seem to like it.

 

I hope this helps!:)

[kennelgang]

I thought is was $2.99 now, that's $3 bucks!

:D

 

Nope...in CA it's still $2...hence it continues to live up to its name "two buck chuck".

 

I'll have to try Edge. Sorry, I think Woodbridge is one of worse wines around. For a very soft subtle butter taste try Turning Leaf (TL) Chardonnay. I use to hate TL until fairly recently. The cost is cheap typically less than $5 a bottle here in California. two of the best Chardonnay I have tasted is Rodney Strong Chalk Hill and BV Carneros at least they use to be...haven't tasted lately

[thefish]

double post

[thefish]

Beringer White Zinfandel is a good, lower cost wine available on Carnival ships.

A little on the sweet side but good for vino non experts like I.

[thefish]

All the posts on this thread are quite informative and of help to the OP. I know I might be treading on sacred toes here and I mean no disrespect. Think of it as a shallow form of misguided humor. But I do enjoy Riunite Lambrusco while appreciating its screw on cap.

 

Mr. Magnificent - I am not a wine connoisseur and am wondering which wine would you recommend that I use for my cruise?

 

You have come to the right person. Being an experienced sommelier I have, over the years, developed a unique comprehension of the established industry of the vintner’s trade.

 

I am considered a wine snob but wear this label proudly and have an expansive trove of knowledge on the subject. There are those who because of circumstance do not have the inclination or the time to indulge themselves in the necessary years of concentrated study. To truly appreciate and understand this art requires the accumulated understanding and experience of yours truly. This wisdom I am more than willing to share with the unwashed masses.

 

For the purpose of communication I have torn off a flap from my cardboard box and am using one of the crayons given to me by a kind uniformed lady of high stature within the Army of Salvation. This I do to help alleviate any trepidation that your journey into this unfamiliar realm might cause.

 

First of all, as you know, the expense associated with purchasing a bottle or box containing the fermented juice of the fruit of the vine varies considerably. My first advice is to pass on the establishments closest to the popular local blood banks. It is my experience that these venders seek a premium for their products looking to capture a customer less willing to expend the energy required to walk the two blocks to obtain a more reasonable rate.

 

My next advice is to consider the packaging of the product. Of course anything requiring the dreaded corkscrew will result in almost certain disaster causing injury to oneself and at least a partial destruction of the purchase. Fortunately many national brands are available equipped with the more sensible and safer screw cap.

 

You will also find many fine wines in plastic bags enclosed in paper boxes. These most often come with a spigot of plastic. You may choose to keep the wine in their boxes for proper presentation or you may take the plastic bags out of their enclosure. By placing the spout in your mouth and squeezing the bag it will make for a more rapid consumption of the product.

 

Another consideration would be the matching of the spectrum of the chosen vintage and any food you might have to consume with it. In good taste you would be behooved to not let the wine and food stains on your T-shirt clash. I find that red foods go with red wine and purple foods go with purple wine. Light pink and white wines with the proper food coloring will go with just about everything.

 

I do have much more knowledge to share on the subject but unfortunately have used up the available area on my writing pad.

 

Yours truly, Mr. Magnificent

 

 

.

[brdgplay22]

I am not a big wine drinker either, but I found a red win that I really like on a Celebrity cruise. It's called Toscana by Villa Antinori. I can buy it locally (Atlanta) for about $20 per bottle at Total Wine.

 

I also like St. Michelle's Reisling (white), but as with most reislings, it's on the sweet site, which might work for you.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

[DEBnGAB]

We drink Cabernet almost exclusively.

Woodbridge is quite good.

Cakebread is great, but pricey.

 

I got a bottle of Cakebread Cab 04 as a gift from a vendor once...went online to price it...$75! Weeee!!! Nice gift and it was tasty!

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Thunderbird was the most expensive wine I ever bought and it cost me everything I ever had, even at $.89 a bottle. I was going to college and drank beer but my girlfriend drank that crap with 7up. I wound up marrying her and now she lets me live in her house and gives me a small allowence, even though she never had a job. Although she doesn't drink the most expensive wines she is a bit fussy these days.

[KentuckyKat]

I'm writing all this down ... but I like really sweet wine (DH says I really just like spiked grape juice:o) The best wine I ever had was called "Nightingale" -- that I bought at Beringers in Napa Valley a few years ago. No place sells it around here and they will not ship it to Kentucky, so I have never found it again.

Can anyone recommend a really sweet wine - white or red (if there is a sweet red that isn't just grape juice:rolleyes:). We sail in one week and one day :D and I'd love to have a new wine to take on board.

Thanks!

[Celebrating40]

Tapena Tempranillo. It's considered a Pinot Noir in blue jeans so to speak. Very food friendly, good pairings. Yummy and CHEAP! Enjoy.

 

I'm not a big wine drinker, usually use it to make sangria & just go for Sutter Home or whatever's on sale so its always a crap shoot what I end up with.

 

Looking for recommendations on a nice white and a nice red, nothing bitter but not too sweet either. The birthday girl recommended something named Moscato in a blue bottle so I was gonna buy a bottle tonight to test out.

 

Not looking to break the bank either, don't wanna spend more than $30 a bottle, tops. Would rather spend much less!

 

Thanks!

 

We cruise in 14 days! :)

[jessemon]

Here is the wine list from the MDR....I recommend selection #226 the Nabilo from New Zealand...

 

https://www.goccl.com/irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/winemenu.pdf