Wine recommendation needed

Posting this for someone who is not a member here, but is looking for advice. I'll summarize the recs and send them on to the gentleman.
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I know absolutely nothing about wines, not brands, not pricing...not anything. I do not drink. However, I have a friend from Norway coming to visit April 21, and he loves a good bottle of red wine...not too dry....not too sweet and not too yeasty. Is there somewhere I can find a recommendation for an American wine fitting that description in the $30 - $50/bottle range? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Robin Garr]

Posting this for someone who is not a member here, but is looking for advice. I'll summarize the recs and send them on to the gentleman.
____________________________________________________________

I know absolutely nothing about wines, not brands, not pricing...not anything. I do not drink. However, I have a friend from Norway coming to visit April 21, and he loves a good bottle of red wine...not too dry....not too sweet and not too yeasty. Is there somewhere I can find a recommendation for an American wine fitting that description in the $30 - $50/bottle range? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Being serious, a nice big plushy Merlot from California or maybe Washington? Ecole No 41?

Tough from descriptors. Not too dry, not too sweet? 99.9% of American reds in that price range will be technically dry. I think when people call a red wine too dry they sometimes mean too tannic. I'd assume too sweet means jammy overripe fruit. Yeasty lost me, I don't use term much other than with bubblies.

So......

$30-50 American red, avoiding huge tannins and overly jammy fruit. Don't know what market this is in, so hard to find wines are out. A few possibilities:
A good Zin or Zin blend, as its the quintessential American red. Personally I like Ridge, and they are fairly available. I like Dashe and Biale too, harder to find.
A Napa Cab is another thought. Basic Napa bottlings from Phelps, Heitz, Montelena (Calistoga).
Oregon Pinot from Drouhin, St Innocent, Patricia Green, etc

Posting this for someone who is not a member here, but is looking for advice. I'll summarize the recs and send them on to the gentleman.
____________________________________________________________

I know absolutely nothing about wines, not brands, not pricing...not anything. I do not drink. However, I have a friend from Norway coming to visit April 21, and he loves a good bottle of red wine...not too dry....not too sweet and not too yeasty. Is there somewhere I can find a recommendation for an American wine fitting that description in the $30 - $50/bottle range? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Cyn, I have had several bottles of the 2005 Ridge Lytton Springs zinfandel great wine with sweet fruit, some tannins and it seems to just spread across the tongue. Fits the bill for about anything one would drink a red wine with,.

[Jenise]

Dale, I'm sure the "yeasty" caution was just lack of knowledge talking. I think you're right on the money with the reccomendation of Ridge zinfandel, with it's solid fruit and drinkability right out of the bottle. And it's easy to find, too.

I felt the 2005 Ridge Lytton Springs was not ready for drinking at the Ridge wine dinner I attended recently. The 2005 Ridge Geyserville however was very drinkable. Some Napa Cabs are too tannic for me until about ten years after harvest so that might not be as approachable as Pinot Noir, Merlot or Zins.

Dale, I'm sure the "yeasty" caution was just lack of knowledge talking.

Quite (or possibly bad experience with poorly made homemade wines). Likewise with the not too dry/sweet bit IMO. No one likes their wine too anything. It's self obvious!

I'd just serve a good red wine that has broad appeal, but would wonder whether it would be worthwhile spending as much as $30. For any more specific advice I think I would ask for examples of wines that the visitor likes - I always find that more reliable than trying to get requirements in words - even for native English speakers.

Thank you for the assistance. I've sent off the replies to the gentleman. He reports that as he knows nothing about wine, he was just repeating what his friend had said about preferences.

Ridge Geyserville comes to mind first and foremost. After that, Qupe Syrah, a pinot noir from Santa Rita Hills, or Beckmen Grenache.