Did you find out if she'd prefer white or red?

I think your best bet is to go to a liquor store that sells lots of wines and ask. Every store has different lines and brands and sources from all different countries.

My preference is for Italian wines as they are very clean....almost organic...and they don't give me a headache. My preference is for dry vs sweet wines.

I hope she wasn't just being humorous with that response...it sounds very much like something I would've said in jest.

Red or White. A good bottle of wine might cost 12.00 or 1200.00+. Your granddaughter should go to a wine shop and asked for a nice bottle at a price she is wanting to spend.

Good advice from maddielee. What's available on liquor store or grocery store shelves varies so much from place to place that there's no way to be certain a suggestion would be available where the buyer is located.

Caution should be taken with buying Italian wine. Wine producers and others in the industry in EU countries receive governmental financial support and subsidies. Similar to the farm subsidies paid by the US government to farmers of certain crops.

The result of the subsidies is that at times more land is devoted to vineyards and more wine is produced that would be otherwise. Italy is a major recipient of subsidies and as a result a lot of mediocre wine is produced. There also is, at times, what's called a wine lake (too much wine produced within the EU territories) and Italy has historically been a contributor to that problem too.

Italian wine of not the best quality is often exported because local markets (as in the EU) are saturated with product. Buy by sampling different house or brand names, not by region or type. There are pleasant ones to be found but too many mediocre ones find their way here too. It might be better on the East Coast than in the West, you're closer and don't have a local wine industry.

PS - the same seems to be true for Spanish wines as well. There are many good ones available to enjoy in the US but clunkers abound too.

Do you have a wine store within driving distance or winery? We have several within 75 miles, it does not have to be expensive to be a "good" wine. Good luck, that is a tough one since everyone is has different taste's.

In addition to asking if they prefer red or white, ask sweet or dry.

I always look for wine competitions, then buy the winner. :0) I would suggest, NEVER buy sparkling wine. Yuck! Here's a link to a list of winners

My brother was into wine tasting. If I remember correctly, he suggests a Cabernet Sauvignon, with a "you can't go wrong" explict.

If only it were that simple. That's far from being the case.

Every state controls their alcohol sales differently. Here in Virginia I'd go to a wine store (Total Wine or some such like that) and any clerk there could help me find a decent bottle at my price point. Do you have a dedicated wine stores nearby?

If all you have is a grocery store (where you can't count on a clerk's help), you could look at the shelves and see what is the most commonly stocked type, then choose a specific brand based on price (and how pretty the label is!). Who knows if it's the tastiest or not, but at least you're not likely to go too wrong.

Quite likely your grandchild's friend will appreciate the thought and the friendship as much as the gift.

mdln, I'd drink it only if there is nothing else available. The brand is safe, but the varietal is blah to me.

Boones Farm apple wine!

I don't drink wine very often so I am of no help. There are a few liquor stores around here that have a sommelier on staff. If I am looking for a good bottle to take to a dinner party or to gift I go to one of those stores, give them my price point, and follow their advice. Hasn't failed me yet.

For me, the safest wine to buy is Sauvignon Blanc, and I usually buy ones from California. I also like some Italian wines - especially Sangiovese, which I do not find in all stores.

Grocery stores here (like Bristol Farms) do have sommeliers to help you. I haven't found the people who work in the wine and liquor store that I visit to be that helpful. They will help me find what I want if I know what I want, but that's about it. A lot of times I will buy what is on special, and I've had good luck with that.

I also like Côtes du Rhône, whether it is red or white, and I also like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I like Chardonnay from Sonoma (although it can get expensive), but I've had some French ones that I like as well.

I rarely like Cabernet Sauvignon, and I find many of them undrinkable. I will generally only buy those when I go to Paso Robles and can taste them first.

lars, I think many can find a sauvingnon blanc a bit too dry. Especially the hordes of people I know (maybe that you know too) who find overly-oaked chardonnay to be their standard for white wine. The pendulum seems to be swiinging a bit away from that, thankfully, but I try to avoid chards out of fear of disappointment.

A consistently nice sauvignon blanc that's easy to find (at least in California) is produced by Honig in the Napa Valley. The one I usually go for is just under $20. They have pricier ones from various other vineyards too that they either own or buy from but I like them less well. I've been to their facility in the NV, It's a nice family owned vineyard and wine making operation.

Another wine type in that direction is Italian pinot grigio. The taste profile is similar but slightly different. Also crisp in flavor.

You can see opinions really vary. I'm a white wine drinker and much prefer pinot grigio. The best advice here is to go to a wine store for a rec. As someone mentioned, it's the gesture that counts.

I also like Pinot Grigio and cannot remember having any that I did not like, and so I consider that another "safe" choice.

Personally, I do prefer dry white wines, and I do not like for Chardonnay to be overly oaky. Kevin does not like the oak flavor at all, and so we read the flavor descriptions on the bottles before buying.

@Lars - "I do not like for Chardonnay to be overly oaky. Kevin does not like the oak flavor at all, and so we read the flavor descriptions on the bottles before buying."

Look for Chardonnay that is aged in stainless steel rather than in oak.

If you’re in Walnut Creek CA, as I think you might be from your Houzz moniker, anything imported by Kermit Lynch in Berkeley is outstanding.
His Rhône and Langedoc reds are carried at Berkeley Bowl and (I think) Whole Foods, and are $10-11 a bottle. In Kermit we trust!

Not a big fan of whites - most are too sweet or too acidic for my tastes. But I do like pinot gris/pinot grigio.

I tend to buy locally so WA state wines - many of which are very highly rated (including certain Chateau Ste Michelle offerings) - are high on my list. In fact, the best wine I have ever tasted came from a Walla Walla boutique vineyard (Abeja) but the price ($50+ depending on vintage) makes it a special treat selection.

I pick most of my wines from my local grocery as they have an excellent buyer/sommelier and print helpful descriptions about taste and suggested pairings and also very helpfully cover a wide price range from extremely affordable to break the bank!!

I have also never bought a bad wine from Trader Joe's but avoid the 3 Buck Chuck :-) Trentatre Rosso is an excellent red blend and only $6.00!!

(Blast from the past, we were customers of Kermit Lynch 45 years ago.)

Another vote for unoaked chardonnays.

Sushi, Kermit Lynch is still a major supplier to K&L.

Sushupup, us too! I grew up in Berkeley. I’ll add that if you are looking for a special bottle of red, Domaine Tempier Bandol is my absolute favorite- also imported by Kermit Lynch.

"I also like Pinot Grigio and cannot remember having any that I did not like, and so I consider that another "safe" choice."

Same with me, Lars, and goodness knows I've tried quite a few. I find most of them crisp and light. Very safe choice. I'm also not a fan of oaky chardonnays but DH is. He also loves reds.

Some people here have mentioned 3-Buck Chuck. It has gone back to $2 here. I actually like their pinot grigio. Our daughter and I once did some blind taste testing of pinot grigios for an event. We were fairly surprised how well 2-Buck Chuck did. However, we ended up going with Barefoot's pinot grigio. Not bad for the price and we needed quite a bit.

I love the mention of Honig. ive always been pleased with both the sauv blancs and their cab is usually delicious. plus its a warm and fuzzy company; the label is pretty and intersting and the postcard advertising they used to do was adorable.

The bee in the clever Honig winery logo is there to acknowledge that the word "honig" is German for honey.

Bill Honig, the owner of the business (or one of them), was California's Superintendent of Public Instruction a few decades ago. He was forced to resign from office in the 1990s following a conviction for felony conflict of interest in the awarding of state contracts involving an organization his wife ran. His wife died unexpectedly a few years later, she was thought to have committed suicide.

We moved from Oakland in 1983, Shopped at Kermit's way long time ago and Mike Temple, Grape Expectations, was another wine importer. And DH's best man at our wedding

Here in the Philly area, the top importers who also retail are the Moore Brothers.

I like wine, I;ll admit.

According to mdln's link, I do not have popular taste in wine. However, I wonder about the age of the people interviewed. I think younger adults have different taste in wine than older adults. I know that when I was younger, I did not like red wine at all, and now I like some of them - just not the ones that are listed as the most popular. I also liked Chenin Blanc when I was younger, but now I find it too sweet.

I found out about Sangiovese from Ina Garten, and it is very similar to Chianti, and I think they are made from the same grapes. The only Cabernets that I like are more expensive than I want to pay.

I wasn't going to comment - she didn't seem to be happy with my earlier one- but as long as you brought it up, lars, I found the info she posted a bit odd. I'm not sure what the credentials are for the site or the author she linked to, but any "survey" that determined that moscato is the most popular white wine makes me wonder. Can't imagine what market that might be. I've only had it a few times (thankfully) but it reminded me of carbonated Kool-Aid. Rarely see it, rarely hear anyone talk about it or bring it along for a social visit or dinner. The muscat grape is has an odd flavor, no good can come of it. ;-)

Maybe for those not put off by the muscat flavor, it might be for a fresh and cold appetizer but for the many who view "wine as food", it doesn't fit anywhere nor can I imagine what kind of food it would complement. Other than peanuts or chips.

Those looking for a refreshing, bubbly, less inexpensive wine made from decent grape types should be happy with a German sekt or, indeed, an Italian prosecco. .

I will comment here that like Lars I am a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc. It is a good all around white and it is hard to find a bad one. I cant really name a red because the tannins give me a headache. Something to think about. You can go into a German grocery store and buy a liter box of super cheapo white wine and do just fine or sometimes spectacularly. I wonder that we dont have that except Americans seem to like their white wine sweet. Prosecco made for the American market seem sweeter than necessary. That is unless you like sweeter wines which is just fine for those who do.

Look for prosecco labeled as brut (like champagne) or extra dry for the dry, least sweet types.

Germany grocery store? What a luxury those must be to have nearby.

German grocery stores in Germany tend to have very good very cheap boxed white wines. They also have fabulous smoked meats and really good bread and cheese and you have a picnic. There is no reason that we in the US dont have those things. You know this Elmer, right? Germany is famous for their whites. They tend to have a dryer finish than we have.

Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut by the way.

"Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut by the way."

Yes, I know. That's why I described the two as the least sweet.

Having lived in Europe - not in Germany but nearby and I've visited often both when living in the EU myself (it was the EEC then) and since for work, vacations and visits to friends and family who lived there. I'm pretty familiar with many parts of Germany and things-German in general. I've visited more times than I can remember or count.

While I think food availability and quality are generally high in Germany (and food is, of course, much more wholesome and safe than US food because of EU standards), I think more diverse and better food is available in other countries, including where I lived for several years. I like German food fine but palates, cuisines and eating habits are more varied in surrounding countries to the west and south.

I thought my comment was clear, it seemed like you were saying you had German stores near where you live. I misunderstood,.