So I have a date night with the new man in my life on Sunday, he is cooking wont say what as its a surprise (He is a veggie). He asked me to bring a bottle or two of red wine but I have no idea what I should be looking at.

I personally like South African he said he doesn't mind.

Any advice on what wines I could look to buy don't want to look like a cheapskate but I don't want to pay over the odds for a bottle of wine that might taste awful.

Thanks

Shiraz is a pretty safe bet. Reasonably priced and quaffable.

If you want to impress you could get a bottle of Fleurie and ask him to chill it slightly.

You probably should also check that the wine is vegetarian. Some aren't.

Malbecs are pretty easy drinking and can be fairly reasonably priced

Strewth, red wine should never, never be served chilled!

There's an exception to every rule. Try it.

Well some top wine experts and sommeliers would disagree with you as they recommend certain reds to be served slightly chilled.

Most of them shouldn't but some are supposed to be chilled.

Not true at all. There are some that are meant to be served chilled - lighter reds rather than the full-bodied ones.

I remember that when I first started drinking wine I thought red wine was disgusting - that is until someone gave me a decent Spanish red to try. I can't remember what exactly what it was but I suspect it was probably a riojah. I remember that the Co-Op used to sell a Sicilian table wine which seemed to go down well with everyone.

I find that my tastes in wine fluctuate much as they do with beer. I tend to go for the beers brewed with American hops at the moment, but there was a time when I'd only drink the really dark ones, such as Nethergate Old Growler.

I've had some very expensive reds which were quite frankly undrinkable, so it's all doen to a matter of taste. If I had to buy a general purpose red that most people would drink, I'd probably still so for the Hardy's Stamp Series cabernet sauvingon or shiraz blend, although I'm aware that there will be a few will shriek in horror at such a suggestion.

I'm partial to a nice Rioja.

Ok so I have decided on the following:

Apothic Red

Apothic Red is a Californian Wine with tastes of rhubarb & black cherry. (Love the sound of how this might taste not bad price £7.99)

Six Hats Fairtrade Shiraz - M&S

Aromas of cracked pepper, spice and juicy red fruit flavours all combined with a rich texture again not bad £7.99

Thoughts?

You're taking a bit of a gamble buying the very sweet Apothic Red as it's artificially sweetened, 16.4g sugar per litre. The Six Hats Shiraz should be OK as long as the meal is spicy. Perhaps consider also a wine that would go with a wide variety of vegetarian meals, specifically a good Pinot Noir. I'd suggest the favourably reviewed fruity Primarius Oregon Pinot Noir 2011 at Tesco very reasonably priced at £8.99: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/produ.../?id=282278994

Reviews: http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/de...s&id=282278994

You can't go wrong with Buckfast

One of my supermarket favourites is Casillero del Diablo Merlot.

And I chill it in the fridge *runs*

I chill all my red wine in the fridge. I adore red, but it does occasionally give me a headache, especially if im tired. If I chill it first I never get a bad head.

No definitely not:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8465970.stm

I've tried the Six hats from M&S, not bad I thought, and I don't normally care for South African wines