A Well-Stocked Wine Shelf

Not long ago my younger brother, who isn’t much of a wine drinker, e-mailed me to ask for help.  In honor of the momentous occasion of turning 35, he decided it was time to do some grown-up things.  One of those was to finally have something more sophisticated than Grape Nehi or Orange Crush to serve to guests who come for dinner. 

My brother often has friends over, sometimes to hang out or watch a movie and other times for dinner.  Occasionally, one of them will ask for a glass of wine.  In order to meet expectations, he decided to stock his wine rack. He was calling me to ask for suggestions, and because my brother is relatively normal and because the parameters of his request seemed practical, I thought my advice to him might be useful to some of my readers as well.

The major parameter for my bother was, of course, cost.  He asked that I choose wines with an average price of $15 or less per bottle.  He also wanted a broad selection—wines that would go with red meat and some that would go with chicken.  He wanted some that would be good to drink by themselves.  And he wanted at least one dessert wine.  To his list of criteria, I added a few of my own:  I wanted to choose wines that are consistent in flavor and style year to year so that my brother could buy dependable replacements in the future.  Secondly, I had to recommend wines that are widely available.  Because my bother lives in the Midwest, far from any of the big American wine regions, exotic and rare choices were definitely out.

So here are the recommendations I gave him, with serving suggestions (which I later learned he printed out and taped to each bottle):

1.                  Beringer White Zinfandel.  White zin is a good choice for casual, summer occasions.  It’s pretty versatile because it can pair with lots of food, even spicy dishes, or it can be enjoyed alone.  Serve it chilled and don’t keep a bottle for more than about a year.  (About $5.)

2.                  Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc.  Sauvignon blanc has a nice, crisp acidic backbone, making it very refreshing and quite food-friendly.  You can drink it by itself or serve it with just about any chicken or seafood dish or enjoy it with a salad.  Serve it chilled within a year of purchase.  (About $12.)

3.                  Kendall-Jackson California Chardonnay.  Lots of people love chardonnay, so it’s a good idea to keep a bottle on hand.  Some folks like to drink it by itself; others love it with chicken or fish.  Take it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.  Unopened, you can store this wine for up to about 3-4 years.  (About $12.)

4.                  Trader Joe’s Late Harvest Muscat.  Dessert wines aren’t for everyone, but personally, I love them.  A good one can go with dessert or be dessert.  This one is a great bargain.  Serve it chilled.  You can keep an unopened bottle for at least 3-4 years.  (About $5.)

5.                  Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut or Mumm Napa Brut Prestige or Piper Sonoma Brut.  Unless you cannot or should not drink alcoholic beverages, I recommend keeping at least one bottle of one of these sparklers on hand.  They’re perfect for special celebrations.  Serve it chilled.  An unopened bottle will remain fine for 2-3 years.  (About $11-$17.)

6.                  Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling.  This wine is great with food, especially Mexican or Asian meals.  But it’s also good by itself, especially on a hot summer day.  Serve it chilled.  You can keep an unopened bottle for up to 4-5 years. (About $11.)

7.                  Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend Zinfandel or Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel.  For those who like their wines a little bolder, red zinfandel is perfect.  Both of these wines have enough polish that they don’t need food, but they’re perfect with grilled foods or pizza.  Serve just cooler than room temperature.  An unopened bottle will last for 3-5 years.  (About $8-12.)

8.                  Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend Merlot.  Merlot is very popular, so even if you aren’t fond of them (like me), you should keep a bottle in stock for friends.  I recommend either drinking this by itself or serving it with lighter meat dishes.  Serve just cooler than room temperature.  An unopened bottle will last 3-4 years.  (About $11.)

9.                  Cellar No. 8 California Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s not easy to find a good budget cabernet, but this one fits the bill.  It’s smooth enough to drink alone, but it will also stand up to a steak.  Serve just cooler than room temperature.  An unopened bottle will last 4-6 years.  (About $11.)

10.              d’Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz.  If you live in an area where folks like to hunt (as we do and as my brother does), you should have at least one syrah (the Australians prefer to call it “shiraz”) to pair with venison or elk.  This one will do nicely.  Serve it just cooler than room temperature, and you can keep the unopened bottle for up to 4-5 years.  (About $12.)

11.              A to Z Wineworks Oregon Pinot Noir.  There’s just no way around it – good pinot is expensive.  But since Oregon is known for pinot noir, it’s pretty common for out-of-state guests to want to try one.  This one is great by itself, but really shines when served with salmon.  Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.  An unopened bottle will last for 3-6 years.  (About $20.)

12.              Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) Napa Valley Cabernet.  This is my splurge wine.  It shows the wonderful flavors that a world-class cab should:  Dark berries, plums, cassis, oak, cigar.  For folks who like wine with a little tannin, this is good by itself.  For everyone else, it’s a great steak wine.  I recommend keeping a bottle on hand for a special dinner.  Serve it just cooler than room temperature.  You can keep an unopened bottle for up to 8-10 years.  (About $20.)

Virtually all of these wines are available in our local stores.  Most will keep over several years so you don’t have to buy them all at once; you can build your cellar at your own pace without worrying that next year’s release won’t be as good as this year’s; and most of them are flexible enough to be served either by themselves or with food. 

Contrary to a lot of people’s ideas, a decent wine collection isn’t just for millionaires with expensive racking systems.  Filling your wine rack is like putting together your wardrobe:  A few good pieces, versatile and well made, will give you more value and enjoyment over time than a closetful of one-season fashions that tomorrow will be forgot