Can someone reccomend a good bottle of red or 2 for a Christmas present, about 15 - 20 a bottle for my uncle who likes his wine?
The only clues I have about his tastes are that he bought me a bottle of Rioja once a long time ago, he's a member of the wine society and he was very keen on some nice looking Medoc that my other uncle bought.
Or should I just get him a nice bottle of whisky?
If he bought you a rioja, then you might want to return the favour with a good grande reserva (Rioja AOC).
The grande reserva AOC name means you can pretty much count on not buying a lemon (the AOC classification requires minimum time under oak and in the bottle in the cellar. No wine maker would waste barrel and cellar space on anything but their best new wines. Similar applies to Reserva and Crianza but less expensive (less time under barrel etc) - Stoner's top tip for buying a drinkable wine in a restaurant, but obviously you realise you're getting a powerful, oaked wine. Nothing refined like a Montrachet burgundy etc.)
It means youre less likely to run the risk of getting either an overpriced unknown wine or fleeced on a "brand name" overpriced wine.
And for the pedants I know its DOC in spain 
I thought of asking for some tips on something a little obscure, however he may recognise it and probe me thinking I was a cono sur - I could always come clean and say I found out from the most knowledgeable place and tap my nose
"connoisseur" hic
try an stw thread on public sector..
oh sorry, i thought that said "recommend a whine"
Dehesa La Granja
Not all Grand reserva is equal, Reserva from the top producers can be much better than the Grand Reserva from lesser producers. At your price point, Cune Imperial Reserva is excellent and about £20. ygay reserva also excellent and approx £20, but there are plenty of others. For lighter body wines, good quality New Zealand Pinot Noir is one of my faves. Full Body wine, I like Amarone (most are around £20) or Ripassa (cheaper version of Amarone).
Maybe a full bodied red and something a bit lighter could be a good combination..
Or a decent wine and a single malt?
Not all Grand reserva is equal, Reserva from the top producers can be much better than the Grand Reserva from lesser producers.
A bit like wine from one producer may be better than another 
Yes quality will be varied, goes without saying (at least I though it did), but because of the DOC minimum specifications there's a fighting chance that it wont be a pup. For a novice buyer (with a handy lead from his uncle) it makes for a handy shortcut.
What else does one do? Roll out names of our favourite (and probably unbuyable) vintages from the AOC's of the world?
Pieface, the Amarone method is where they lay the grapes out in the sun to partially raisenise(sp?) them, thus consentrating the juice. A good Amarone will taste a bit of raisens. The best I've had was Alpha Zeta.
I like Amarone, but Im a sucker for Noble Rot instead...
Hey, sorry stoner, I was adding to your post for piefaces info.
no worries. didnt mean to jump.
I owe you an apology.
Pieface, I meant Ripasso (ripassa is different). Ripasso is where they blend Amarone and Valpolicella, I think?.
Ripasso uses the old Amarone skins
I always have a bottle of Amarone as my little christmas present to myself - try and get a 2006
murietta
riscal
la rioja alta vina ardanza
all good examples of rioja
there are some interesting regions/wines outside the A.O.C.
like allela, penedes, somantano, navarra, douero that are worth looking at (there is priarto but it's nothing like rioja)
is there not an independent wine merchant nearby?
supermarket/off-licence wine is a bit of an easy option and wine lovers like receiving wine that's not the usual stuff available from round the corner.
iDave, if you haven't yet, try Alpha Zeta some time, I seem to recall it was slightly sweeter, but like drinking rich raisin juice.
pick one, buy two bottles
test one yourself, if its nice give him the second one, if not drink the 2nd one anyway and give him the £50 Virgin wines voucher you never used when you signed up here
Mr Smith, good choice, I'm thinking Murietta is the same as ygay I recommended (couldn't recall the full name, Marques de Murietta ygay?, just ygay as I used to have a gay customer who bought a case of it at xmas for his gay mates, as a bit of a joke). Riscal is the other one I couldn't remember the name of, but used to sell in large quantities. Again, their reserva is excellent at approx. £20 mark IIRC.
Ygay is only released in certain years and has the cream/red label. it's a bit more than £20 though.
i have a magnum of riscal waiting to be imbibed on christmas day
Medoc is the best value claret, you could get a nice bottle in your price range.
I meant this one
Had a bottle of this (well, the 2003 gran reserva) in San Sebastian this summer, very nice
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=5174&afwinid=90909
Rioja has some odd rules for getting various titles. Traditionally the "worst" riojas were known as "conseja". The problem is the rules that govern their grading to Crianza and above specify there must be a minimum number of bottles. So, nowadays if you find a conseja that has a high price then it'll be one of the newer riojas produced in lower numbers but still have gone through the aging process for crianza, reserva etc.
Anyway, better off getting a Ribera de Duero wine nowadays, certainly in UK you are paying extra for the Rioja name.
Buckfast.
Buckfast +1
Faustino V (5) is a good Rioja and about that price. Well it was when I last bought it.
In the 15-20 range i'd say the safest bet would be a Chateauneuf du Pape. Usually fabulous.
Get him a bottle of Allegrini La Grola it's a lovelty rich single vinyard Valpolicella
http://www.thefinewinecompany.co.uk/Allegrini_La_Grola.html
Not massively expensive when you consider you are getting the area's best producer's best valpolicella from his best vinyard, and it does taste great.
Well I was about to say whatever I can get from Majestic.. so maybe I'll give it a look see
I've drunk both of these, very nice, from my favourite Spanish region: Ribera del Duero. Price is right, too.
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=6540
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=6586
Edit: I'd go with the Portia, probably, but both are excellent.
do you know of any good independant wine shops or failing that Oddbins? go and ask what they have.... supermarkets tend to be rubbish in this price range
you could get some decent New Zealand Pinot for that price, would be a good choice if you want new world wine, or burgundy from a reputable wine seller is usually a good call
ah right majestic - try this
http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/Price+band-is-!GBP12+to+!GBP19,99/Grape+Variety-is-Pinot+Noir/product-is-37229
you have to buy 6 bottles at a time but you're ok buying a mixed case
Chateau Musar can be fantastic, but ime it varies quite considerably year on year, 2000 was unbelievable, 2001 less spectacular, not tried the 2002.
My favourite Rioja is Marques de Caceres it's not silly expensive but is really really lovely wine, get him two bottles, had a bottle of the 2007 a couple of days ago and it was really good.
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