[hl0m4n]

what are some good champagne alternatives but in about same price range as cristal & dom?

what are some good wines in the same price & league as cristal & dom?

help is much appreciated, thanks guys.

[Escay]

Thats an awful large can of worms you've opened there.

For champagne I'd suggest you try Bollinger and Krug the better vintages will cost you a bit more though. VCc(veuve Clicquot) is also in that price range, but not one of my personal choices

Wine is a whole other story. Are you wanting French/European wines? I could offer some advice, If American then I have no clue.

[Digital.James]

I think champagne is overrated. If you like bubbles, I prefer Prosecco or sparkling Moscato

[48Laws]

I have a 13 year-old bottle of Veuve Clicquot. I know it doesn't age like wine but... My brother had cases of this stuff for his wedding. Very good!

[NBK]

franzia, obviously

[hl0m4n]

what is a notable bottle of french red/white wine in the $150-200 range?

[48Laws]

Do you know why you prefer that range?

[Garissimo]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

I think champagne is overrated. If you like bubbles, I prefer Prosecco or sparkling Moscato

^^^ What he said. As far as wine goes, that's like asking "What car is best?". But I'll try to give a brief answer: Reds - Buy pinot noirs from Oregon and cabs and sangiovese's from California. Everything else from France or Italy. If you must drink white, find a dry Riesling or a Sauv. Blanc from New Zealand.

[Inspired]

Are there any wine recommendation that will be for a starter wine collector?

[Escay]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

I think champagne is overrated. If you like bubbles, I prefer Prosecco or sparkling Moscato

Its not overated, its just a lot more delicate and subtle. I myself aren't a huge fan of bubble either, I prefer wine.

In order to make a good champagne takes a very skilled very delicate touch. Its not for everyone.

OP I think so far the thread has a few good suggestions.

Originally Posted by Inspired

Are there any wine recommendation that will be for a starter wine collector?

Its really hard to "suggest" because there is such a variety and everyone's taste is so different.
I would suggest the first thing is determine;
The types of grapes you prefer,
What region you like,
The type (meaning new world (US, NZ, AU...) or old world (French italian etc..)

If you prefer a more delicate less full bodied wine then try some pinot noir/burgundys. If you like more full bodied intense flavoured you should try some Cabernet blends, also trying Shiraz from Southern Australia would be good(particularly I think a good bottle of wine for reasonable price is Penfolds BIN 389).

The most basic advice is start cheapish, try a variety find out what you like and then try find more expensive wines of those variety and develop your wine vocabulary. Because people could suggest $X00 bottles of wine and when you go to drink it you could be thinking "I spent all this money on this?" kinda thing. Also note, the vintage will play a large part in how well the wine tastes.

[O-cha]

Go to wine store, buy wine randomly, drink, save names of ones you like. No one can tell you what wine to drink, and you'd be a fool to listen. Drink what you enjoy, learn that is from drinking lots. First narrow down what types you like, then try more of the type. Like Merlot is less astringent then cab, but cab is more complex.

[hl0m4n]

Originally Posted by 48Laws

Do you know why you prefer that range?

looking to buy it as a gift, and that is the amount i would like to spend.

[Patrick303]

Originally Posted by O-cha

Go to wine store, buy wine randomly, drink, save names of ones you like. No one can tell you what wine to drink, and you'd be a fool to listen. Drink what you enjoy, learn that is from drinking lots. First narrow down what types you like, then try more of the type. Like Merlot is less astringent then cab, but cab is more complex.

+1 All the starting knowledge you really need is which wines are lighter or more complex. Then just go try some and find what you like. And high price doesn't always equal best flavor. One of my favorite reds is Adesso which is about $12/bottle.

My only tip for buying Champagne is look for ones made using méthode champenois. This is where they use yeast to create the carbonation instead of injecting CO2 into the bottle.

If you're looking to buy a "nice bottle" as a gift, stick to the well known names to make the best impression. ie. Dom Perignon, Moet, etc.

[bolinp78]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

looking to buy it as a gift, and that is the amount i would like to spend.

As gifts are concerned, above all else I would make sure that the person that I was buying the gift for could actually appreciate a $150-200 bottle of wine. You may feel that the person is deserving of a gift in that price range, but if they know nothing about wine and/or have never had much expensive wine to even know how to drink it and what to look for then I think you're wasting your money where a $75-100 bottle would be fine.

If the person doesn't know much about wine, and you still want to buy an expensive bottle, I'd go with one that is more recognizable like Opus One.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by O-cha

Go to wine store, buy wine randomly, drink, save names of ones you like. No one can tell you what wine to drink, and you'd be a fool to listen. Drink what you enjoy, learn that is from drinking lots. First narrow down what types you like, then try more of the type. Like Merlot is less astringent then cab, but cab is more complex.

This is good advice. To it I will add, wine stores will often offer tastings (not free, and you can't just ask them to open a bottle), sign up you will quickly learn what you do and do not like, and if its a slow day and the owner of the place is pouring you can learn alot and sometimes taste some amazing things that the owner is looking for a reason to try.

[Garissimo]

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

This is good advice. To it I will add, wine stores will often offer tastings (not free, and you can't just ask them to open a bottle), sign up you will quickly learn what you do and do not like, and if its a slow day and the owner of the place is pouring you can learn alot and sometimes taste some amazing things that the owner is looking for a reason to try.

I'll add that if you have wineries in your area, go visit them. Meet the people behind the grapes. Great way to spend a day. Just remember to pace yourself or you'll wind up getting chased by the naked husband of the waitress your best friend banged earlier as you retrieve the wallet he left behind. Hey, that would make a great scene in a movie...

[48Laws]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

looking to buy it as a gift, and that is the amount i would like to spend.

I think you're better off searching for a good product as opposed to a price range. I'm sure they have crappy high-priced stuff out there.