Hi all...Newbie here.

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself. I have been lurking around here for awhile, but have been too shy to post. You seem like very knowledgeable and friendly group, and I hope you don't mind me joining.

I have been drinking wine for several years but I only just started to learn about and appreciate it. I look forward to getting to know you all.

Welcome to the group Maria. This is probably the most read wine forum on the internet. IC that you are in NJ, Lots of good wine stores in and around the NYC area.

Welcome Maria. So what kinds of wines have you been enjoying (or disliking) lately?

Maria,
Thanks for the introduction. Nice to meet you.
Redwinger

Thanks all for the warm welcome!

Bill - I have been trying to focus on US and French Red for awhile. I have been enjoying some St. Emilions, Chateauneuf-du-papes, and Beaujolais. I also love Zinfandel and Syrah. In the past, I haven't enjoyed much US Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon and also drinking Bordeauxs like Mouton Cadet, but I want to try some nicer Cabs. I had my first Burgundy (I haven't had US Pinot Noir yet) and I thought it was ok...very acidic, but it did go nicely with dinner.

Welcome, Maria. Please chime in -- it's sounds like you've tried quite a few different wines already.

Regards, Bob

Welcome to the forum and see you have a fan base already!! I`m Doris to all my followers here.

Welcome, Maria!

Nice to have another woman join us.... we seem to be outnumbered... not that that is a bad thing!

what part of jersey are you from? i grew up in sout jersey and return often - maybe could help with the good wine shops if you are from there.

[David M. Bueker]

Welcome Maria. Burgundy is an acquired taste. You're better off not acquiring it. It's hard on the wallet.

Thanks everyone!

Doris - I am glad you told me that, or I would definitely have called you Bob...LOL!

David - I live in Morristown NJ...and I am from Caldwell. It's northern NJ. I have heard of some good wine shops but haven't been to a lot yet. I have heard the Wine Library is really good. There is a nice big wine store in Madison...I think called Gary's. I have been there, and they had a pretty good selection. If anyone has any suggestions about where to shop in NJ, I would love to hear them!

Also, what's everyone else like to drink? Does everyone have a particular type of wine they love? What's your favorite wine you have had thus far?

Welcome, Maria! You will LOVE it here. There is much good information and everyone is eager to share their knowledge, no matter how great or small.

Be sure to look at the FLDG for some good food ideas, too.

I really enjoy drinking wine from southern France; the Languedoc in particular. Also: Tokaji, rose, Zinfandel, Pinot (Oregon over Cali and Burgundy is fine when I can afford it). Old world chard, sauv blanc (Sancerre is celestial). Well, you get the idea.

Have a great time!

rwj

Welcome, Maria!

I'm the resident court jester and classical singer of the forum. I am very Italy biased, but can appreciate any elegant and well balanced wine from anywhere. I go to Umbria, Italy, often, going again next week as a matter of fact!

Don't be intimidated - just learn to trust your own palate!

Paulo, gonna be serenading the local ladies? Pics will again be welcome, happy new year of course.

Welcome Maria! I thought I welcomed you yesterday, but my post seems to have gone to never-never land. Oh, well. Glad to have you join us. I'm one of the few home winemakers in the crowd here and should you ever think of taking up the hobby, let us know. Trust me, you can make wines as good as ones you buy at the store.

Howie, you did issue a short welcome yesterday, I am certain of it.

[Robin Garr]

A belated welcome, Maria! Glad you found your way here, and as the others have said, we'll look forward to talking with you about wine.

Hi, Maria. You asked about places to buy wine in Jersey. Down near Camden, in an office park in fabulous Pennsauken, is Moore Brothers. It's a bit of a hike, but well worth it. Greg Moore, Frank Splane, and the rest of the crew find wines that nobody else has, almost always at very reasonable prices. They now have a store in Manhattan, too. I'm in the business myself, and I've never seen anything comparable to what these guys offer.

You seem like very knowledgeable and friendly group,

That's a common first impression, but the knowledgeable part is relative - we are all struggling for enlightenment together.

As for the friendly part, no one bites (well there is Bucko, but we'll tell you about him later) so don't feel shy about asking questions or posting your tasting notes. I have seen notes from a new taster that were quite revealing - the first impressions were closer to the truth than all us old fogeys trying to deal with nuances the newbie hadn't even heard about.

Maria, welcome to the group!! What's simultaneously so great and so intimidating about wine is the bewildering variety, and the wide range of personal tastes. Please do post notes on what you're drinking these days. And if you have any questions, remember always that there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

-Paul W.

Thanks everyone!

If anyone has any suggestions about where to shop in NJ, I would love to hear them!

Bob Ross is the go-to guy for recommendations on NJ wineshops. I am 3000 miles from there and used one of his favorite shops to arrange for a nice Christmas gift for my folks, who live in Atlantic County. Just FYI, he recommended Beekman Wines and Liquours in Glen Rock.

-- Clark (NJ transplant)

Maria,

A warm welcome to this wonderful WLDG site from the "Land of Down Under". No matter how inexperienced you are with wine, remember this is probably the friendliest wine forum on planet Earth and I look forward to visiting here every day. With regular posters of the calibre of Robin, Jenise, Francois, just to name a few of many fine people who participate here, I'm sure you will benefit from the exposure to the wealth of information available. Feel free to join the popular Sunday afternoon and Wednesday evening Chat sessions every week. Robin gives several hours notice on the board when they're about to kick off. Tip - you'll need to be Java-enabled to access Robin's chatroom.

I had my first Burgundy (I haven't had US Pinot Noir yet) and I thought it was ok...very acidic, but it did go nicely with dinner.

Ditto on the welcome.

Burgundy is a tough group to get to know. The good ones are expensive and I find that I have to go through maybe 10 or 15 expensive bottles before I find one that I even like, - and maybe 30 between bottles that I love. The last one was a Jadot 1996 Gevrey Chambertin, about five years ago.

I find that the best deals are Cru Bourgeois. They have a lot of different, complex personalities and are not expensive. Many rival the classified growths in interest and quality. I'm like Diogenes when it comes to American reds. Still looking for an honest one, unless simplicity is the only honesty any of them know.

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself. I have been lurking around here for awhile, but have been too shy to post. You seem like very knowledgeable and friendly group, and I hope you don't mind me joining.

I have been drinking wine for several years but I only just started to learn about and appreciate it. I look forward to getting to know you all.

Welcome to the forum, Maria!
You hope we don't MIND you joining!?
JOIN ON!! POST ON!! READ ON!!
This is probably THE most informative wine related weblog/forum in the world! IMHO
Well you've broken the ice, so there should certainly be no fear holding you back now, right? This is truly a great place to communicate personal expressions and experiences relative to wine, food, and even life in general. Looking forward to to reading YOURS,
Aaron