Step 2: Get annoyed with quality of basement finish.

Step 3: Gut it

Step 4: Go from Colorado to Florida for work for 2 weeks. Have a problem with furnace and get whole house to freeze. Have 4 pipes burst and get to come back and fix the problem. Luckily my house didn’t flood. In these pics, you can see where the piping originally ran along the front edge of the house where it can get freeze the easiest. Since it burst there anyways, I rerouted the piping straight into the middle of the house then over to the center so there was minimum piping along the front.

Step 5: Finish gutting everything and start laying out new walls. I got enough steel to get me started. Hopefully I can get some walls up by tomorrow.

spoken like a true coke addict
Is that one of those "as seen on TV ladders"? I forget the exact name of it.
hell no it’s not a "little giant" or whatever they call it…those are like $400. This is a Werner, and it was like $200 at Lowe’s. Should come in really handy when I start working by the stairs.
Why metal studs? Are they code for residential in your area?
I’m doing all the work myself and I find metal studs much easier to work with. The basement walls here have to be floating, so with a wood wall you assemble the whole thing then lift it up to secure it to the joists. With a steel wall, you just hang the upper track and put each stud in place. Also, there’s no sawdust. Another benefit is that they won’t warp or bend. That’s a big problem in CO with the dry weather.
You can always build wooden walls in place too… but I guess I’ve heard some guys like steel. I’ve never messed with it myself. Are you using a Hilta Gun to shoot the footers into the ground?
you can also easily work with metal studs with tin snips and no saw at all really. But they suck ass when hanging dryall on it. My friend is building a house and using metal studs. I have stripped more screws than screws that I have actually gone in correctly. I suck at teh drywall

so what are teh plans for this room?
I will be using a hilti gun for setting the slip tracks (footers). For building wood walls in place, you’d toenail them in, which looks sloppy to me. Also isn’t easy when floating the wall.

I didn’t have any trouble at all with hanging drywall on it. I used a Senco screw gun for most of it. Just keep in mind the screws for drywall on metal have a finer thread pitch than the screws for drywall on wood.

The only plans I have thus far are to make what was one huge bedroom into two and build a custom tile shower in the bathroom.
oh, I ripped out the remainder of the drywall that was in the far area. I was going to leave it up, but the wiring was such a mess that I was going to have to rip out half of it to figure out what was done before. In just that area, there were two areas where splices were made in the ceiling with no access. There was no clear layout for it, so I get to rewire the whole basement.
in for updates.. you got your work cut out for ya! looks good

Building floating walls in place is pretty hard to do. Much easier to secure the bottom plate, build the wall, raise it, shim the wall (middle plate) on the bottom plate, drive a few spikes into the bottom plate, secure the top plate….remove shims. You essentially have an upside down wall (double bottom plate) but you can do it reverse and leave the gap (for movement) at the top.

Project looks good. I need to post a few pics of the mini bar I did…Im all out of projects now
Permits shmermits.

Seems like you would lay out your footer, hilti gun it in place, lay out your header, nail it in place, and then toe-nail your studs in place. It won’t look sloppy… inside of a wall. Or build your wall flat on the ground and then lift it up in place and secure it.

What about your deal makes either of those options hard? Just curious.

That’s easy japanesey…but in Colorado (and where I live in Canada) basement walls must be floating to allow movement. Usually up to 3/4 to an 1", but it might be more in CO. Because of frost/moisture the basement slab can move up and down and the wall must move with it.

Wait… so where IS the wall attached?

Well it depends where you float it from. If you float it from the bottom, your bottom plate of the wall will have a gap between the bottom plate on the floor. Most people will drill a few holes, every second stud bay or so, and drive in a 4" ardock spike. So the wall is secure, but it can still move up and down on the spike.

With the steel studs, I think he will end up just having the studs sit in the bottom track. So they can move up an down, and once the drywall is on, won’t be able to move side to side. (although I think with metal studs there are usually suports running horizontally keeping the studs on centers anyway)
I left my camera at my parents’ house, but I’ll take pics later. First the slip tracks (footers) are layed out. Then the track will be attached to the ceiling above the slip track. Then studs are put in place using two screws to attach to the top track and one on the bottom. When all is done, drywall is hung horizontally, covering the top of the wall first. When the first panel is hung, the screws are removed from the slip track (footer) so the wall can float.

Probly confusing, but I’ll have something to show later.
Here you can see the process of putting up a wall with steel. I worked from the top down on this one since it had to be centered on the beam. Other walls I’ll lay out the floor and then the top track.

1: Attach top track to steel beam with clamps:

2: Attach top track to beam with screws:

3: Hang stud with clamp and screw other side:

4: Use level to get studs vertical and set base (my base isn’t set because there’s going to be a closet opening there and i didn’t measure for it yet). You can see that I cut the stud 1.5" short of the ground so that it can be attached temporarily to the slip track, then will float later.

Other:

I have a problem with the floor shaking when walking on it due to the joists being at 24" OC. I put some bracing up and have noticed a huge improvement with just the few that are in. I’ll be doing this to most of the joists later.

When I originally viewed this thread I thought the first pic was of a detached garage and didn’t notice the rest of the house.

Landscaping should be another fun project.
I’ll get to the landscaping last…when it warms up in the Spring
Looks good. Just as thought it would be done.

Are you going to drywall the ceiling? Get those wires into a junction box (if its going to be permanent).
So you have a gap at the bottom of the wall that you cover with trim?
I don’t want to sound like an ass – but are you aware of the special wire that needs to be used for electrical when using steel studded walls?

I’ll hang drywall to 1.5" off the ground, then that gap is covered with the trim.

I use standard 14/2 NM-B wire. I Just use a bushing to go through the studs, and there’s no problem.

Lookin’ good Bryan. I’m sure the satisfaction is well worth the effort put into it. You’re doing construction like I like to do it, fast and well thought out.

Good job!
Why are there visible, horizontal studs against the walls?

Oh, and I know it costs more, but if a 2×4 brace helps the floor shaking alot, then a 2×10/12 will help alot more.
the studs against the wall are furring strips…Instead of framing in with studs, the previous person simply attached 2×4′s to the foundation. In the other room, it was done with 1×1′s.

I’d do it with 2x10s everywhere, but I don’t care that much…and I have a huge pile of 2x4s from what I ripped down.

When I’m done with all the work, I’ll be buying another house and renting this one out.
Got a little more done:

The area under the stairs is going to be finished and accessible from the back of the bedroom closet.

Finally got the layout drawn, so tomorrow morning I’ll draw in the wiring diagram and go pull the permits.

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten too much done lately, just spent the last week in Puerto Rico for work. The framing is about 75% done. Hopefully I’ll have a chance soon to get a new driver’s license so I can pull the permit. I either have to be a contractor, or this has to be my permanent address in order for me to get the permit.

damn, resurrected from the dead. I’ll post some pics soon.

Related posts:

1. major garage reno. lots of pics ......
2. Load Bearing Wall? ......
3. home reno project – tiling ......

keeping in mind we’re in cold weather, but here’s what we’re talking about doing

for the walls, take down everything here now, keeping the structural stuff obviously, and insulate the walls in the following:
-concrete paint that prevents moisture, he mentioned it, never heard of it, will look into it

-vapor barrier
-insulating foam of r-15+ value
-wood studs for drywall
-drywall

in that order

for the ground:
-insulate with delta-fl
-plywood
-carpet

in that order

what do y’all think? I plan on taking lots of pics for OT once we get started…this should be a ton of fun…I love punishment
that sounds like teh basic setup. good luck and show pics when youre done

anyways I can make it better? are the steps in the right order?

not that I know of…but part of the reason I want to redo it, is that it’s got a musky odor down here…almost very humid…doubt it’s mold cause we had a home inspection and they saw none, or have I seen any…just moist and has a weird smell

thats actually more of the reason we want to redo it as apposed to getting more space

alot of basements have mold just because they dont get any air circulation. especially if youre not vented with the heat and air conditioning. first thing you should probably do then is scrub the walls with a bleach solution if you smell a musky odor. especially in dark and dank corners. you should also remove any overhanging fiberglass insulation and scrub behind there. even consider getting spray foam layed in. thats a real good start right there

it’s really humid in here, not really sure about the musky ordor, I smell something, but no idea what it is…just smells damp…like going to a cottage

we been keeping the window open, bought a dehumidifier tonight, gonna use it for a bit, at least until we decide to finish it…and hopefully it improves things

says the humidity level is about 56, had it on for 5-6 hours, dropped to low 40′s and has yanked out a good 2L of water

btw…mold…if I do find any as we’re cleaning up…how dangerous is it to handle? if I cut the piece of wood it’s on, and dispose of it outside, should I worry about health risks or no biggie?

oh and another Q…if I had some behind drywall would it almost be a sure thing that it would come through?

must…renovate..soon
the dehumidifier is a good first step, id almost try running two of them if i were you and getting ready to start finishing.

youre around mold all day every day. id imagine it cant hurt you any more than than it already is

yes it will come through the dry wall
I use those disposable dust masks. They have specific ones for working around mold. Probably not completely necessary but I like to use them. Eliminate the moisture and you eliminate the mold. Bleach works well to kill mold quickly and you can just rub it on the drywall where the mold is. Keep that dehumidifier running and get the foundation walls painted with "UGL Drylock" or something similar. The painting will help a lot in keeping it dry.

There is this stuff also for waterproofing. I’ve never used it but it sounds like it is pretty good.

i thought ugl drylock was for waterproofing

I meant to put this link in the post.

whats the difference?
is it worthwhile painting this shit if we go down the sprayfoam route or a waste of money?

yes still worthwhile
you’re going to put plywood down on top of the concrete floor, and then put carpet on top of that? I’m not even an amateur but that doesn’t sound good. I guess it can’t be much worse that having a carpet pad on the concrete….moisture is still going to be in there.

plan on using delta-fl or something simular for the floor

it’s gonna go delta->plywood->small pad->carpet

if you got a recommendation for something better, i’m all ears

You could probably do without painting but it was humid down there which means water was coming in from somewhere. Once it’s finished it will be 10,000 times harder to fix a moisture problem. I recommend painting the concrete with one of the products I listed above to prevent possible moisture problems in the future.
k cool

so paint for sure then

thanks guys

Interesting. Thanks for the link. Never heard of anything like that before.

my nga
that delta floor is interesting…but carpet ftl…do something nicer, what kinda thinks you planning on doing down the basement?

both me and the wife want carpets for the kids…that we don’t have yet

we figure, they’ll play, and if they fall carpet will take the fall…tile/hardwood will be more painful…plus canada’s cold, so carpet has a cozzy feeling

the basement is gonna be split into 3 sections….1 for our computers, one for the kid’s toys, and one for the home theatre setup…all open concept mostly

the project is gonna wait a few month at the very least, a few more important things came up, that must be addressed
drylock the walls. put a de-humidifier in there, see if it helps remove the humidity/smell.
also, most houses in canada that ive seen use a vapor barrier on the inside of the insulation. (but that may be for the above ground portion only, im not sure) smart of you to use rigid insulation if its humid.

whats the water level like? any chance of flooding? regardless, i wouldnt carpet unless you are convinced all smell/humidity is gone and can stay out. just tile it, and put down some area rugs for the kids. then again, im not really a carpet fan for anywhere in the house..
Dehumidifiers kick ass.
they really work.
I got a dented floor model from Sears for $150

are you suggesting I vandalize sears products?

not a bad idea

water level like?> what do you mean?

no doubt there was flooding, but I’m gonna ask my neighbours next time I see them to make sure…I say theres almost no chance cause I grew up in this neighbourhood and my parents are a few houses downa dn never had that kind of issue
carpets… for kids?

Nah man, go with a 30 year wood floor… its not going to be that much more expensive.
what about metal framing, incase you have have any moisture problems?

from what mike holmes says (he’s a god for us canadians ), it’s a big nono, they rust out if they’re touching the concreat in a few years

so I got the go-ahead from the wife…I moved my office upstairs, and i’ll be starting in the next few weeks

just finished extending our kitchen today, it’s almost done, but i’ll be finishing it up this week

Related posts:

1. Basement Finishing – Questions ......
2. redoing my bedroom need help ......
3. Soundproofing ceilings… cost effective options? ......

Anyone feel like answering this question.

I have an unfinished basement that I need to put a subfloor down on. The basement is concrete slab right now, and while there are load bearing walls, there is no framing currently up for the interior walls.

I intend to put 1" rigid foam covered by 5/8 plywood overtop, tapcon screwed into the floor (a la Mike Holmes), but am unsure whether I should first frame my walls (and get them sprayfoamed) or if I should put down the floor, and then frame up my walls on top of the subfloor.

Any suggestions from the experts in here?

Thanks!
why would you put the foam down first? goto home depot they have thes subfloors called drilock its 2×2 sheets that have a plastic bottom with nipples so the air can flow under the floor as long with water. you should never drill or put holes into the concrete slab (will will get water or dampness) just put the drilock down. then do the framing for walls. just secure the sills for the walls into the subfloor.
have you heard of / used OvrX?

Pretty much the same thing as rigid foam / plywood, but may be easier to install (and provide better seals because of the tongue and groove fit).
why build a subfloor anyway?

just put down foam, cover with carpet.

see the dri-lock is the same kinda stuff but does not have the foam it has the plastic back. im gonna check that stuff out do you know the pricing on the ovrx?? flooring and wall??
Do the foam and plywood. I’ve done it before, and I’ve used dri-lock. I’d use rigid foam and plywood over it any day.

take a piece of "styrofoam" ( i know rigid foam isn’t styrofoam) and poke it with a pencil. What happens. Now imagine table legs, or a couch, or the heel of your foot, or whatever, pressing down on it.

i think he means carpet padding.

Kent (like Rona, Home Depot) is selling the OryX flooring for $7.50 per 2×2′ square. Won’t be cheap, but it’s convenient, and fits well.

Carpet padding is just a moisture rot waiting to happen, IMO. I could be wrong, as I’m not an expert, but in Canada, with the changing climates each season, the changes in humidity, and all that good stuff, it’s just a potential disaster.

I’d rather have an insulation / moisture break factor that the OryX or rigid foam/plywood provides.

Yeah, I don’t think I’d consider the Dri-lock. I don’t like the idea of no insulation on it. Sure, it moves air and moisture, but it provides limited heat retention compared to the rigid foam (at least by my thinking).

Thanks for the input ya’ll.

I’m looking for input from people who have used either, and it seems some have. Very useful to get first hand opinions.
First thing I’d do is a patch test to see if there’s moisture diffusion through the slab. The amount would guide me for further steps.

Im gonna be buying a new house hopefully before the new year, I plan on creating an apartment in the basement, so Ill probably be doing this as well, let me know how you make out or which way you decide to go.

Will do.

Related posts:

1. 2 Questions about Retaining Wall’s and Popcorn Ceiling Removal ......
2. Need suggestions on Jim Walker type homes ......
3. Load Bearing Wall? ......

Thanks for starting the thread…I’ll sticky it for a while.
Here’s one of my faves for a $20-ish red for a nicer occasion.

Bonny Doon “Cardinal Zin”- big, spicy, yummy. Very good with beef or lamb.

Another under $20

Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
About $16 per bottle in VA. Great Cab year after year. Early 90′s are great. Great balance with mellow tannins and nice friut. Will age for 10-15 years but is great when young.

I just had the Chard this weekend:

Chateau Souverain Chardonnay Barrel Fermented Sonoma County

Great value. Priced around $12 a bottle in VA
Definitely leans to the dry-er side of chardonnays, nice subtle acidity with mellow oak
Sweet I’m way too much of a noob to recommending wines.

Wine Noob’s are welcome post what you like. Any info is good for wine drinkers of all levels. The important thing is that trying different wines and finding out what you like is the most fun part of wine drinking. The more you drink, the more you learn.
Sweeeeet

I’ll step in with many a recommendation
No, that’s the problem. I’m too poor to have tasted many wines.
I’m going to have a field day with this thread tomorrow….at work.

no problem. the great thing about wine is that there is something to fit anybody’s budget.

Are you in the wine business or somehing? If so, group buy?
Valley of the moon Sangiovese
About $12 a bottle in VA
Mellow, good flavor. A lighter red from an area not known for Sangiovese grapes – Sonoma County

I’ll post some recommendations when I get home tonight. My wife may start frequenting this forum too, she knows a hell of a lot more than I do. I’ve been trying to get her off the shite MSN wine forum she’s on now but there wasn’t a real alternative for her

this is a great wine!

pretty much any 97 california cab ownz.

i’m also a fan of turning leaf cab, i’ve tried the 97 through 00 and they’ve all been decent *edit* and beringer founder’s estate cab is very good as well */edit*

i’m a varietal man meself, cab sauvignon specifically the woman is more of a white wine fan
I’m just starting to get into wine, so I really don’t have much of a foundation of knowledge on the matter. I’d like to pick up a book or two that would give me a good introduction to wine…any suggestions?
the first book i got was parker’s wine buyer’s guide 6th edition by robert parker jr. the beginning of the book has concise info on basic wine service, storage, purchasing, stemware, as well as the business side of things. the rest of the 1600 page book consists of ratings and tasting notes for many wines in most major wine producing areas.

i took that book with me when i lived in spain for awhile to help guide my purchases there and in paris.

eta:

a hardcover edition is available and i have it.

Pick up a copy of The Wine Avenger, by Willie Gluckstern. I personally haven’t read it yet, but my wife has and she said it was great. (still working on getting her in this forum I think she’ll have to register again)

Robert Parker is usually referred to as ‘The God’ of wine reviewers. His books are very good.
Here’s another one:

Simi Winery ChardonnayVA retail price about $10
Good easy drinking chard. Not over oaked like alot of California chard’s.

Winmaker description:

Composed of top quality fruit from Sonoma’s Russian River and Carneros growing regions, Simi Chardonnay is characterized by its excellent balance, luscious fruit flavors and long, elegant finish. The 2003 vintage produced fully ripe and flavorful fruit with superb concentration and balance thanks to an extended growing season. Aged in French oak, silky smooth in texture and accented by topical fruit, pear, spice and toasty oak, this wine is a true reflection of the Sonoma County appellation.

THE WINE
Appearance: Brilliantly clear, light and golden straw colored.
Aroma: Vibrant tropical fruit with pear, white peach, and vanilla lightly spiced with clove, cinnamon and toasty oak.
Taste and Texture: Lush, creamy texture enhanced by citrus notes and flavors of pear, apricot and tropical fruit. Hints of vanilla and oak that carry through to a long, lingering finish.
Appellation: Sonoma County

WINEMAKING DETAILS
Varietal composition: 100% Chardonnay
Time in Oak: 6 months
Type of Oak: 100% French Oak; 18% new
Total Acidity: 6.6 g/l
pH: 3.59
Alcohol: 13.5%

Our Chardonnay complements scallops with tomato and fennel ragout, warm calamari salad, shrimp ravioli and mustard vinaigrette. Or try it with these featured recipes:
That stuff was $18 at my local store tonight or I would’ve bought a bottle

What I bought tonight:

Bummer. I guess we are spoiled for wine prices here in VA. Is there high taxes on liquor in TX?
I had this last Weekend:

2001 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel
Approx $13/bottle in VA

This is a BIG wine. Lots of fruit, lots of complexity. Ravenswood’s tagline is “No Wimpy Wines” This is definitely not a winp. Its big, smells great, looks great and is a great value. Beware, this is a BIG wine.
This wine stands up to spicy meals…mainly because it has ballz.
We drank it with a pizza with spicy italian sausage and green peppers.
Wine Maker’s Description:
FLAVOR PROFILE: Bright, flashy, ripe raspberry, blackberry and vanilla flavors are wrapped around a soft sweet fruit core highlighted by scents of cinnamonComposition: 95% Zinfandel, 4% Carignane, 1% mixed blacksAppellation: Sonoma CountyAging: 24 months in French oak, 35% newAlcohol: 14.5%Ageability: Up to 10 years
Next pay check… I’m buying something from this thread.
No, it’s the same as typical sales tax. I’m not sure why vine is more expensive. Hard liquor is cheaper, as is beer.

Finca Flichman Malbec Mendoza 2004 (Argentina) ~$7
We picked up a bottle of this over the weekend at Total Wine and it was excellent. I’m not as good at describing wines as my wife is, so here’s a cut and paste from the net, it matches up with what i remember:

“The Malbec is my favourite with big chunks of chocolate-laden fruit and a touch of spice. There are not many wines which offer quite as much flavour for money as this range does” Christine Austin, Yorkshire Post

Here’s the label:

The one I posted? Shit. I dunno. I guess it would be in the foreign section, we did a tasting at Total Wine and this was one of the featured wines, so they had it right there at the tasting table.
I’m a huge fan of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio. Its around $20 per bottle, but its so good.
If you’re looking for something different, I stumbled on a Canadian Rose from the Niagara region(Ontario)@12$, it’s tart and pairs well with chicken or fish, especially if garlic is on the menu.

i’m the noob of noobs to wine…what do you mean by “big wine”?

i’m buying something tomorrow…i need something good to go with a steak…
He probably means that it has a very strong flavor, and a lot of noticeable tastes in said flavor.

Try some Penfold’s Koonunga Hill (any red) if you can find it locally. Fantastic with meat, I’ve found.

Exactly what Minty said. It has big bold complex fruit flavors (lots of dark cherry flavor, some current), big meaty tannins. Its also about 14.5% alcohol which is on the high side for wines.
The nice thing is that since the fruit and tannins are strong, it doesn’t just taste like alcohol.
Its great with spicy food and perfect with steak.
I had this tonight:

Smoking Loon Merlot 2003

Not as dry as most merlots I’ve had, but still has a very good flavor. Fruity, but not overbearing.

That’s good stuff, we’ve had it a few times.
For parties and a cheap wine I usually go with

Rex Goliath or Rex and Goliath Pinot Noir
or

Little Penquin Shiraz.

Not something i drink all the time or for my own taste but cheap to pickup for parties
For a decent chard imho I always have liked Kendal Jackson. It is a little on the wet side for my tastes however anyone I have ever given it to complements it for its fruity flavor with a tad bit of ‘woody’ flavor (for lack of a better term.)
just figured I’d throw one out there…

Merryvale’s “Starmont” Cabernet
76% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
14.5% by vol

its a bit on the more spendy side for some (depending on location, it varies from about 15-27), but IMO, well worth it
These are all $10 and under

NZ Riesling
Pepperwood Grove Zin 2001
Any Riojas <–they’re all Spanish
Smoking Loon Syrah
Black Opal Shiraz
Coppola Rosso – anything
Marques de Caceras – anything <-my favorite brand. I’m drinking a 03 Rioja as I type this

you can hardly ever go wrong with a spanish wine as they are all so well made
I love Amarone, especially Tomassi bottlings

I first tasted it at a wine dinner hosted by a local Tuscan restaurant (now defunct). It was paired with farm-raised venison served with a heavy fig-based sauce. Good grief, it was fucking incredible.

It is really the only wine I drink, because I love it so, especially with a straight-up ribeye

I’ll have to check out the publications mentioned, try some other wines.

Okanagan Falls, B.C., Canada

“Spicy aromas of lichee fruit, orange blossom and violets, followed by rich, full flavours of passion fruit, lichees and ripe melons. This wine is a wonderful complement to curries and other Asian cuisine, especially where ginger, anise, hot peppers and soya sauce is used. $13.99 (CDN)”

I’m going to look for this one tonight. My wife is a fiend for Thai food and it’s been a few days. Is it really sweet, like a Reisling?

Depends on the winery, but yes, it can get very sweet and fruity. The Columbia winery version is like drinking lychee juice.

We sell this at the restaurant as a glass pour. Not a big mover. But nice.

We always joke that as a rule of thumb with wines like that, the longer the name, the sweeter it is.

We also sell this. It’s definitely one of our favorites as far as inexpensive wine goes.
Had this last week

$86 a bottle

It’s incredibly rich, very long finish… almost viscous on the tongue.

A customer ordered 4 bottles for his table. They always left a taste in the each bottle.

Haven’t been able to find any yet . I have yet to try any of the really well-stocked wine shops yet though.

I did grab a bottle of this tonight — never had it, but I’ve heard good things about it. Cheaper than the Amarone, for sure

Now I have to get something to eat with it

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Napa Valley – $20
That is good stuff. It’s one of my regular purchases.

That along with Penfold’s Bin 128 Coonawara Shiraz.

I also liked Chateau St. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon ( 2002? )

My favorite under $15 wines :

Yellowtail Shiraz – It’s an Australian wine. It’s not too strong and it is smooth to the taste. Around $12 – $14 for the big bottles.. highly recomended if you like Shiraz.

Beringer White Zin – Not very costly, very tasty if you like White Zin. Around $11 for a big bottle…. They also have a Beringer White Merlot that I recently tried and liked, around the same price.

I like the big bottles!
Charles Shaw, aka 2 Buck Chuck. Sold by the case at Trader Joes for about $30. VERY good, it was actually winning wine tasting comparisons a few years back.

Dr. Frank Dry Riesling (2004) Limited
This dry Riesling, presenting a green gold hue, displays the traditional qualities of Dr. Frank???s Riesling : crisp acidity, a pronounced mineral character and layers of fruit aromas. Descriptors include honeysuckle, apple, pear, quince and a slight hint of petrol. The ripeness of the grapes resulted in a great texture with a lingering fruity aftertaste.

Awards:
2005 DOUBLE GOLD: San Francisco International Wine Competition; GOLD: Tasters Guild Wine Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition; CHAIRMAN’S BEST OF CLASS: Long Beach Grand Cru

Had some over the weekend to celebrate my 1 year anniversary.
Spy Valley make a really good Gewurtztraminer in addition to the Reisling. It will be in the New Zealand/New World wine section
Gewurtztraminers are not typically very sweet. They tend to be on the crisp side. Little acidic, some mineral notes. In a blind tasting you can pick out a Gewurtz because they smell like petrol on the nose. They are a good complement to Thai food. An Alsation Reisling would also go great. They are off-dry and would cut the spice of Thai cuisine.
This is my personal “under $20″ favorite. A nice red:

Bolla Valpolicella

Dry, full and well-balanced, Valpolicella has a spicy flavor of cherries, berries and other dark fruits. This ruby red wine is particularly good with meat dishes such as roast beef, beef stew and lamb. Serve also with steak fajitas, veal and highly seasoned cheeses.

I dont think this will help much, but I got back from my trip to Italy and they said this year, 2005, has been their best harvest year for a couple of years. So when 2005 hit the market, roughly Jan-Mar, it would be wise to stock up.

Italy also has a strange thought about which years are best, they believe every year after leap year is a good year. Which has been true. 1997 great, 2001 good, and 2005 should be great as well.

just a heads up post I guess this is.

I love Valpolicella.

2 of my recent favorites are Virginia wines.

2002 Horton Norton
Norton is a native Virginia grape that produced the internationally prize winning clarets of the Monticello Wine Company of Charlottesville in the late 1800′s.
Our Norton has a dark, rich color and an intensely fruity aroma of plums and tart cherries. Ageing in oak for 14 months has given this wine a long, flavorful, spicy finish. A wine for game, grilled sausages, and spicy ethnic foods.

2002 Keswick Trevillion
This unique blend of Touriga, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton was aged in French and American oak barrels for sixteen months. This well-balanced wine has soft, velvety red fruit and sufficient tannins and structure to age further.

Both are under $20, and delicious.

The other I had recently was

Castello di Gabbiano Chianti, DOCG

new to the whole wine thing. what is a good fruity wine to drink? not really looking to drink with much food or anything. just something to relax with and have a glass or two. i had merlot not too long ago. it wans’t too bad. but i was looking for something fruitier and sweeter.

This wine usually never lets me down. This and something by them called Ruby Cabernet which is more fruity.

I’m addicted to wine….and cheesecake. Mmmm…

Chianti reseva, I’ve been drinking a lot of this lately….

Reisling eiswein, its great if you can afford it!
delicious
I almost peed myself seeing that 1970 TF Port, Chef.

I LOVE Sourgal 2003 Moscato DiAsti, Elio Perrone Wines
Yep, I like them floofy.
Muscats are among my FAVS.
…and hey, that TF port is as old as I AM!!! Born the same year! LOL
Although I prefer a 40 year old, a 35 year old port would also be so freakinin awesome!

Since you mentioned Merlot I’m guessing you’re interested in sweeter Reds.

Anything made with Concord grapes are going to be about the sweetest wine (short of dumping suger in the mix) you can find.

Try and find something like a young Chambourcin that hasn’t been oak aged. Maybe a wine made from DeChaunac grapes.

Check your local area and see if there is a winery/vineyard around. Usually you can do a tasting there. Tell the server what you like (semi-sweet etc) and they’ll hook you up.

MUSCATS, like the one (with bubbles, but you can get them without) I recommended earlier are sweet and easy to drink. They fall under the “nectar” category of wines. So look for Muscat, Moscato, Muscato, ( that’s the type of grape)in the name. Most of them are really good, though I have had one or two that I did not like. I don’t like Kokopelli Muscat. I do like their white Zin, and you might want to try white zinfandels too, if you like sweeter wines.
Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Port
It’s not vintage, but it’s alright.
Pairs well with dark chocolate.
if you like viogniers, try yalumbo.

it’s cheap (<$20) and quite delicious.
I’ve been drinking Tomassi’s pinot grigio alot lately. It’s only thirteen bucks a bottle and is dryer than most pinot grigios at the price point. Very good, cheap dinner wine. I’ve noticed it has just recently moved into a 2004 vintage, so the quality may change.

Yeah, I have been thinking about trying out more Austallian wines. New World wines (like Aussie) are made from grapes that are allowed to ripen more than Old World wines.(european)
New World wines are made to have much more flavor to them, to stand on their own, but Old World wines don’t do that because they believe wines should always be paired with food, and should not overpower the food.
This is what I have learned recently, anyway.

It’s true–food is king in Europe. This is also a natural result of the difference in growing seasons. Europe has shorter growing seasons than the New World, and so their grapes tend to yield much dryer and less sweet wines (with exceptions, of course).

Yeah, that’s what I heard too. The growing seasons are shorter, so they kind of CAN’T produce a more “new world style” of wine, in general.
I think I only saw one or two Pinot Noir recommendations….Anyone have more? I haven’t liked the couple that I have tried. One I only bought for the name, which is “Vampire” and it’s from Transylvania, so I thought the novelty of it was cool. It’s a decartion in my kitchen because the wine, to me, is craptacular.
I am still not willing to totally give up on Pinot Noirs yet. I think I just haven’t found a good one. I got an Aussie one today, but the name is escaping me….
If anyone wants to tell me some good Pinot Noir pairings, feel free.

Yeah, the Aussie Pinot Noir was way better. (had it with Havarti)
New World wines FTW.

I don’t know if it was mentioned in this thread, but New Zealand makes some great pinot noir. Check that out as well.

Lovely. Thank you.
I am looking into getting wine, but port and sherry sound like my sort of game. I am looking for something fun to drink and relax too as summer is coming up, I figure it’d be nice to try something new.

What would be great value, budget/entry wines that would be great to drink on their own? I am used to drinking mixed drinks and bottled beers, so I could use some enlightenment.
Port and sherry aren’t really summer drinks. They have a higher alcohol percentage than non-fortified wines.

For the summer try a sauvignon blanc or Alsatian Riesling. Alsatians are drier than German Rieslings and are great aperitifs.

For Sauv Blancs, try Forefathers, St. Supery, Kenwood, or Pepi.

Pierre Sparr makes a great Alsatian Riesling for $10.

Try some Oregon or Washington St. Pinots. Archery Summit is fantastic out of Oregon. MacMurray is a good, affordable pinot out of Sonoma.
Some of the best Cabernets in Australia come out of Coonawarra. For Shiraz, look for McClaren Vale.

I will keep that in mind. Thanks!
I really like Cavit Pinot Grigio. It’s under $20 and has a great taste.
I just got back from a summer in italy and visited Chianti. I brought home a bottle of Castello Di Verazzanno Chianti Classico 2001 Reserve.

I’m a wine noob so i couldn’t tell you anything specific about it except that it was absolutely delicious. i guess it would go well with meat. At the vineyard we tasted it with prosciutto and salami.

Only downside is the price, i paid 47 euro for a 1.5L. I dont know what the price is here in the states.
Went to a Italian Restaurant recently and had a bottle of Rutherford Ranch Cabernet and it was really good. I’m not good with the wine lingo but I like cabernet for its dryness (I call it) or the amount of tannins. It cost $30 for the bottle at the restaurant but you can find them at stores for as low as $12. Contradictory to what I liked this is not as dry but had a nice flavor, thought I would share.

I have been told by a sommelier from Japan, that anything chilean is usually great cause the temp is usually great every year.
it’s very inexpensive and great day to day drinking wine.

I myself love the merlots from chile.

For something much more tanic and robust i usually love Italian Amerone
I just had Folie a Deux winery’s Menage a Trois Red. It’s a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

I found it very smooth, slightly tannic (I’m not a big tannin fan), and lightly oaked – just a hint of it.

Since it’s a young wine, we aerated it before drinking.

Figured I’d toss in my limited experience here….forgive my lack of terms for tastes, I’m new at describing wines!

Got a few bottles of Twin Fin 2004 Chardonnay on sale one weekend. Cracked open a bottle and had it over two day’s dinners. Great stuff!
Sweet, fragrant, smells of tropical fruit…..pineapple, melons…..didn’t taste really any oaking. Went excellent with my shrimp alfredo pasta.

Also got some Rosemount 2002 Cabernet/Shiraz. Another good, fairly sweet wine. Fairly full-bodied, strong flavor, went well w/ a spicey dinner. Possible chocolate/plum taste?

A while back I tried a bottle of Turning Leaf’s Pinot Noir. I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Noir’s at the time and was expecting something different. It had a very nice, soft taste, light texture. Nice taste, hard to describe it, but it would be a nice wine to enjoy it’s subtleties on its own. I had to pay attention to my sips to catch its flavors.

I’ve also tried many of Yellow Tail’s wines; particularly their shiraz, cabsav, and cab/shiraz mix. All were very nice, sweet, easy drinking wines. Big taste, fairly thick body. To me, though, these taste like they have a sweetener added or something…they have a distinct different sweetness to them that sticks out in the aftertaste. While I really enjoy their reds, I wouldn’t be proud to bring the name up to any wine aficionados.

I did not like Alice White’s Shiraz at all! Not recommended at all!
Is it true that Merlot is regarded as a “cheap” Cabernet? I know they are different grapes, but I was told you shouldn’t pay alot for Merlot; if your going to spend some money, get a Cabernet instead.

This is completely false. Two of the most expensive wines in the world, Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin, are almost 100% merlot.

There are excellent merlots out there that are far better than a lot of cabs. Duckhorn, Matanzas Creek, Cuvaison, and Swanson are fantastic and are all above $25.

About Chiantis, make sure the Chianti you buy is from the Chianti Classico region. The appellation of Chianti is too large for consistency. The Classico region is how the appellation was originally delineated.
What’s OT think of Seven Deadly Zins?

I’ve been on a zifandel kick lately, and have had a few that I think are really good.

The seven deadly zins might just be my favorite, but I also liked the Rancho Zabaco, and the Ravenswood. I also liked the Francis Coppola Zifandel…

If you’re into zinfandel, try Rombauer. It’s unreal. Ridge is another label that gets a lot of attention, though I personally think they’re overrated for the price. Liar’s Dice is another zin that I could drink any day.
I’ve been buying alot of Prosecco lately. It’s a light sparkling wine that is affordable and delicious. With fruit juice (peach, I think), it can be mixed into a traditional Italian beverage.

Prosecco is good for one thing, bellinis.

mmmm…it was pretty good with a white tomato soup.
I love this thread! I hope y’all don’t mind a newcomer joining in?

While I’m in no way any kind of expert, I have been “experimenting” with wines for a few years now. It started with cooking for a cancer patient. Need to drastically lower salt, tenderize meat and increase flavor without adding other spiciness? Wine! Real wine, too, not that supermarket cooking wine stuff.

A very dear friend was born and raised in a small, rural farming area of northern Italy. I complained to her about trying to like reds but just couldn’t do it. She told me she was sure my problem was that I was an American Sipper. Drink Reds with meals! They make love with the right foods and your palette gets all the benefits. Drinking (sipping) them alone, like we so often do with whites, is like sleeping alone in a double bed. Consider the whites as foreplay, or the cigarette afterwards. The Reds are the heart of the relationship. I took her advice and my taste buds have been purring ever since.

About a year ago, somebody here asked about pinot noirs — my current favorite, extremely affordable, belongs to Rosemont Estate. In fact, I very much like many of their contributions. I really like the blends as they are so very drinkable and all of them, including their reds, can at least take a slight chill.

Right now I’m working on a bottle of Two Oceans Shiraz. It’s a South African (2006) and not bad. Next up will be a Shiraz/Pinotage blend from the Sebeka Wineries (2006), also of South Africa.

Now that summer is approaching, I’m turning more to the younger wines — they are more fruity with less smoke -n- oak and can always take a chill. They are just about always less expensive.

Has anyone here had much experience with the old vine Zins? Are they worth the hunt and expense?

Also, for those just learning about wine, please try the whimsical label from CA — Pink Truck and Red Truck. Chill them well and enjoy. I doubt you’ll pay more than $12. They are both delightful!

Thank you for so many great recommendations and thanks for letting me post!
Arrogant Frog Ribbet Red (France)- Just under 15, great with food or just on it’s own.
3$ a bottle and the only good thing to come fromw wal-mart….

Tres Rios (red) -You’d be suprised what 3 bucks can get you. My dad grew up in spain and he copares it to when he would go to the vinyards and pay a quarter to fill up a bottle – always a random mix of wines

But specifically my two favorite reds are the:

Black Opal (just had 2003) cabernet from southeastern australia

Jacobs Creek Shiraz (only had 2003-4)
I came here to recommend two excellent ports: Graham’s 10 Year Tawny Port ($30) and Dow’s 10 Year Tawny Port ($30). I won’t go on at length about their character… you will just have to trust my recommendation. Both are magnificently complex and smooth.
Has anyone drank Paraduxx? A wine geek convinced me to buy a bottle, but I haven’t opened it yet. What should I expect?

Made by Duckhorn so it should be good. It’s a big wine from what I’ve heard, Cab/Zin blend mostly.
Tried Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux, it was 13 dollars. Great taste, definately will be great once it has aged, like most bordeaux’s.

I’ve had several bottles and that’s exactly what it is.
My favorites are Pouilly Fuisse (dry, medium-full bodied, white and Relax (a riesling approx $10) I haven’t met anyone who didn’t like Relax. It’s light and fruity but not in an artifical “arbor mist” kind of way.
i am SO SICK of redbull and monster energy drinks – does anyone have any better ideas, i just need to stay awake for homework and well, to stay awake haha
comprehensive wine guide?

I saw one at the local liquor store, complied by the owner/staff/whoever. It paired generally every type of wine with suggested food. Anyone have anything like this?
#1.) book- wine bible by Karen MacNeil, great easy read, or the culinary institute of america’s textbook also excellent resource.

#2.) wines- less than 25, basically any rhone style wine from australia. Syrah grenache blends, rutherglen red is a great one, as well as pillar box red, and innocent bystander.
For higher end. Cab/blend-trefethen halo (01 preferably)
shafer hillside select
bryant family
seavey
joseph phelps insignia
rubicon
bordeaux-cht. grand puy lacoste
cht. pavie
merlot-twomey
northstar
shafer
Other reds-shafer relentless
stags leap petite sirah
earthquate petit sirah and zinfandel.
I really like their Syrah and Cab Sauvignon!

If you live in Virginia, you should check out Williamsburg Winery’s Governor’s White. It’s sweet, but REALLY easy to drink. It’s perfect to have around for parties when you are unsure if people like wine or not. Lovely, and cheap too!
You should also visit their winery, it’s beautiful– and just a hop away from Colonial Williamsburg!

hrm?
I just knocked off a bottle of Copolla pinot grigio, 8 bucks from Whole Foods, it was delicious.

I am not an expert, but not a supern00b either. Here are some of my favorites (I’m not that well rounded yet)

Pinot Noirs:
Estancia
Montes
Au Bon Climat (I like the $22 bottle–the $60 bottle (isabelle) is not much better in my opinion)
Talley (yum–about $37 though)
domaine drouhin –very tastey — about $50 though, once I saw it at sam’s for $35 which was an exciting day (should have bought a few bottles cause it was sold out the next day)

Syrah
6th Sense
Mettler

One of my favorites has got to be the robert hall rhone de robles….its a rhone blend from california and should be around $22 in the store. great overall wine and if you don’t like it, you may not be a red wine drinker

A really cheap one I found at whole foods is morro bay cab…its under $10 but very drinkable…it looks to be a bit more expensive online so maybe whole foods gets a good deal on it. either way, its great and i’ve drank nearly a whole bottle and didn’t feel awful the next day

About 9 months ago I knew absolutely nothing about wine and I have learned a lot (yet still barely scratched the surface) by going to wine bars and talking to wine shop owners/employees. They really seem to be willing to help and give you their opinions
o i forgot a merlot i like: markham merlot. I haven’t tried too many merlots and I know they are considered to be crap, but i really enjoyed that one

Merlots are not crap. Most expensive wines in the world are Merlot (Chateau Le Pin and Petrus)

Excellent merlots:
Swanson (personal favorite)
Duckhorn
Matanzas Creek
Cuvaison
I’ve found everything from Wilson out in Sonoma to be good stuff. They’re still pretty small so you won’t see a wide distribution but great stuff.
my two favorites at the moments:

Silver Oak Cab 2003 Alexander Valley ~$60

Black Stallion Muscat Napa Valley ~$30 for a half bottle. Has very strong pineapple flavors to it. A wonderful dessert wine. I made a dessert using a reduction of this with some blackberries and asian pears, topped with a coconut whip cream that was ungodly good.
suprised i havn’t seen the name Fetzer in this thread yet.

definitely my favorite Budget cab (~$8-$10), and i’m sure many of you would not be able to tell the difference between this and a $30 cab.

available at most supermarkets/everywhere
Fetzer is never a good recommendation unless you’re homeless.

I must have bought a bad bottle, casue that shit made me want to puke. I literally poured the bottle down the sink after the first glass.
Wine intimidates me

I buy this Georgian wine often, it tastes pretty good to me

Any suggestions for good not so expensive wine that comes in a fairly small bottle? The g/f doesn’t drink at all so it’s just me I can’t kill a bottle in 3 days.
If you go to a larger wine specialty store they should have a selection of 375ml bottles.
Check out Pomelo.

It’s a light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc that sells for about $10.

It’s not syrupy and it tastes like a ton of grapefruits without tasting like a cheap fruit-flavored wine.

I recommend buy 2 bottles at once just because it could become a guzzler.

Is anyone still in here?
I need a recommendation on a good Pinot Noir. Ill be bringing it to a dinner at a friends house and want something sub $20. Im normally a cab kinda guy so im stuck.
1999 Wynns Coonawarra John Riddoch Cab Sav

Wow. Very big wine. Gutsy as. Had it with a chunky venison pie which is really the only suitable match (apart from maybe steak), Could have done with another few years in the cellar but overall very, very, very drinkable

The problem is it is a very strictly limited release, only released in good years and in limited numbers. But if you ever get the chance to pick up this fine Aussie red give it a go

well if its not too late

try and oregon pinot, like cherry hill or A to Z both right under 20 and not too shabby at all.
can someone recommend a ’58? hopefully something i can buy online — not looking to break the bank though.

i don’t really have any knowledge about wines, but i’m looking to get this as an anniversary present.

does it have to be wine or port…also what state do you live in because shipping laws will be an issue.

if you dont want to break the bank go with a colheita port.

i suppose it doesn’t necessarily need to be either.

i didn’t realize there might be shipping laws. i’m in nj. is there anything i have to worry about?

i’ll look into the colheita port.

Only thing I’ve found:

Nice…sounds really good. I’ll check it out!
2005 columbia crest grand estates merlot or cab. $8.99. Great wine for the price and 2005 was a great year in columbia valley

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