<p>We are very into wine here. DH buys it by the carton. My favorites:</p>
<p>Girard Zinfandel (a nice full bodied red wine) AND
SCV (sonoma coast vineyards) Pinot Noir (my every night table wine)</p>
<p>I love a good Pinot Noir (red). It goes with almost everything.
For white whites, I like Pinot Grigio’s and Sauvignon Blancs (Sonoma Coast Vineyards also makes a lovely one).</p>
<p>I could recommend a wine we like, but you’d go to the store and find they don’t carry it. Your best bet is to go to a well regarded wine store, tell them your price range and let them pick something.</p>
<p>I can tell you that most of the wines carried by the AOC wine club and wine tasting class are in that price range and are very good, but I can’t promise you’ll be able to find them: [Wine</a> Club](<a href=“http://www.aocfinewines.com/pages/Wine-Clubs.html]Wine”>http://www.aocfinewines.com/pages/Wine-Clubs.html) Warning: they are better at selling wines than keeping their website going so you may find some funky links in there.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about bringing red wine to a white wine drinking household. They can always bring it to the next party they attend.</p>
<p>musicamusica has demonstrated beautifully, the perils of recommending a “good” wine.
Musica may be thrilled with the $16. icewine, but though I am generally fond of German wines, I can’t stand eiswein. Every one I have tried was way too sweet for my taste.
Similarly for a Riesling, the King of the Grapes. Most are sweet to semi-sweet but some are dry. Just buying a Reisling may or may not taste good to the recipient. A wine for $10, $20., or even $50 a bottle means nothing unless it tastes good to the recipient.
Recommending one I like really only works if it’s for me, or someone I know that shares my likes.</p>
<p>I am a wine lover. If you gave me a $40 wine, I doubt I would enjoy it more than a $15-20 bottle. I strongly prefer red - particularly pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon - but can deal with a pinot grigio if white is served. When I serve white wine at parties, I find that the pinot grigio seems to be the most popular.</p>
<p>Not knowing the tastes of the recipient, though, I would go with a champagne. A brut cuvee would probably be acceptable for most people’s tastes.</p>
<p>I would say a Cabernet is the safest bet.</p>
<p>Personally I think Pinot Noir is not for everyone.</p>
<p>I like the idea of buying a nice champagne (which by definition would need to be French). Go for a very dry one (Brut). It is celebratory and the general assumption is that everyone can appreciate a glass of champagne.</p>
<p>You might also want to consider a Pomerol (French). These are relatively hard to find and therefore might be appreciated by a wine drinker. They also tend to be on the more expensive side.</p>
<p>“Go for a very dry one (Brut). It is celebratory and the general assumption is that everyone can appreciate a glass of champagne.”</p>
<p>I beg to differ. Many folks, including my French friend, do not like the taste of champagne. Personally, I like drier wines, but I prefer my champagne with a teeny-tiny hint of sweetness. I’d stick to red. A nice CA Meritage, Pinot or Cabernet.</p>
<p>For a white, i’d choose Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc…about 20 dollars…for a red in the 20’s perhaps Stags Leap Petite Syrah</p>
<p>^^Stag’s Leap (Napa Valley) does make good wines.</p>
<p>I’m learning a lot! Since my plan is to try whatever we decide on before buying the gift bottle, I foresee a wonderful project over the next couple of weeks! If I start posting with lots of typos, you’ll know what happened… 
D is doing a little discreet snooping.</p>
<p>I am really becoming fond of Malbec–it has a chocolate taste.<br>
I think Champagne is a safe bet, but for my friends I normally get Prosecco (which you can get for under $20).
Stay away from Sauvignon Blanc and many people think Pinot Grigio is just too light. Chianti or a Super Tuscan would work for many of us.</p>
<p>I love Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, New Zealand, Argentina…I find CA wines too heavy now, especially Chardonnay. But a bottle of Veuve always makes me happy. D1 likes the Mo</p>
<p>DH is into wines, heavily. My personal favorite “insider’s wine” is Love and Squalor, which is a small Oregon winery that makes lovely Pinot Noir at reasonable prices. (Disclosure: our business partner is a small investor in them… because he likes the wine too.) Aubichon is also nice (my cousin’s husband is the winemaker there). </p>
<p>However, you can make any red wine taste much better with a wine aerator (this is just one example: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Rabbit-Wine-Aerating-Pourer/dp/B0028LI9JS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1325034094&sr=8-3[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Rabbit-Wine-Aerating-Pourer/dp/B0028LI9JS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1325034094&sr=8-3</a>). Very few people have them, for some reason… but they do make a difference. So… my advice: skip the wine and get an aerator as the gift.</p>
<p>Aerators are really only good for recent vintages…no reason to aerate aged wines, it ruins them and i don’t mean 10 year old wine,wines 5+ years old don’t benefit as much from aeration</p>
<p>We will be waiting to see what you purchase!</p>
<p>It is so true that wine is such an individual taste. I’m a red wine drinker and love Zinfandels. Living in California, I can drive to many wine regions within an hour or so. </p>
<p>Not sure where you live, but buying something from your local wine region is always a good gift.</p>
<p>I asked a friend, and here is the reply. :)</p>
<p>“If the promised gift is supposed to be wine… Then give wine. Champagne is not wine. It is champagne!”</p>
<p>I would find a nice wine shop near the recipient and buy them a gift card. Maybe box it with a pretty wine stopper or a glass.</p>
<p>But if you want to try some wines on for size, I love Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.</p>
<p>OK, here are my (general) recommendations: Chilean Malbec can be good – or not. Zinfandel from Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino leaves me cold - but Zin from the California foothills - particularly the Mt. Aukum/Fair Play/Somerset area - outstanding. Lots of people love a “buttery Chardonnay” - I’d rather drink Coors Lite. Pinot Grigio/Gris for a white is a fairly good bet. Or not.</p>
<p>In other words - that’s the fun thing about wine. There are no “sure bets.” A wine some rave over leaves others cold. (Actually, there are some “sure bets” - but only on the down side.)</p>
<p>So, darn. I guess you’re just going to have to do your “research.” :D</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but I’ve absolutely HATED every ice wine I’ve ever tasted. Disgustingly sweet. I have been told by a person I trust that there are some really wonderful German ones, but I’ve never tasted them. Pinot Grigio is fine for drinking in the summer, but this is December. I like a Sauvignon Blanc with an intensely grapefruit flavor…New Zealand is a good source. I agree that Kim Crawford is good.</p>
<p>But for a wine lover, especially in winter, you have to go with red. Some of the suggestions above that appeal to me include good Pinot Noirs and good Red Zinfandels. I am not a big fan of Cabs.</p>
<p>Partly it is a matter of where you live. I second the idea of going to a good wine store, giving them your budget, and throwing yourself on their mercy.</p>
<p>Consolation, you will absolutely love this:</p>
<p><a href=“https://shop.stsupery.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=SB10SS7&DESC=ST[/url]”>https://shop.stsupery.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=BOT&PART=SB10SS7&DESC=ST</a> SUPERY 2010 NAPA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC</p>
<p>We always make TSA drool by packing a few bottles in our luggage when we return home from Napa. :)</p>
<p>Of course, if the OP had a higher price point, a bottle of Opus One should impress even a snob. Our Costco had a limited supply for only $90/bottle - a screaming steal. :D</p>