First time wine buyer?!
Answers: hello I would like to try a good tasting wine that I can pick up for under tweenty dollars . the only wine I have tryed is " plum loco " it is a table wine so if you have any suggestions I would like to try them .
I personally like domestic red wines. Buy a bottle of red Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, or Chianti. Buy it try it and if you like it, great, if not try another. My tastes vary from yours and others. I wouldn't spend more than $10 a bottle until you find out what you like. Wine is to be enjoyed so enjoy it and have fun finding out what you like. If you want a red wine with fish, or a white wine with steaks, go ahead, enjoy the wine. The white wines I enjoy tend to be fruity (sweeter) such as Chardonnay or Rhine wines.
The easiest way to at least buy white wines is to look for German wines. They range according to sweetness, from Cabinet (basic wine, not very sweet), to Spaetlese, Auschlese, Birrenauschlese, Trochenbirrenauschlese... then you are getting into the Eisweins (which are really cordials).
You don't want any over 4 years old.
If you remember that, you won't be disappointed.
Most of these German wines are not going to be very expensive, even though you have some "brand names" with snob appeal... like Zeitlinger Himmelreich.
You can't go wrong with Pinot Grigio
Twenty is plenty for a good wine.
If you like California/Washington, I like Meridian Chardonnay or Columbia Crest Chardonnay.
New Zealand makes fabulous wines that are very affordable. They are known for their great Sauvignon Blancs. I like Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc.
Australia also has some very nice and affordable wines. Penfolds and Rosemont are two wineries that have some very nice Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz..
Good Luck
Go and ask the wine department guy at a good wine store or even Cost Plus World Market has a good selection. They've usually given me good advice.
I like the wines from Rosemount and Pepperwood Grove, and they're usually below $10.
If you live in a medium or large city, check out the stores that carry large wine selections - either a gourmet grocery store or a wine store. Many stores like this host wine tasting events. Many even have "beginners" wine tasting events. Many restaurants also host wine tasting. Look around, and then ask if they have any "wine discovery" tastings coming up. Most winos love to share their passion with people interested in discovering wine.
If you find a place that hosts a tasting, go for one that samples the whole spectrum (as opposed to a study of the last five vintages of Shiraz released from a specific winery - those are more "palate trainers" than a broad sampling meant to discover your own personal taste). If you find one, they may have 6-10 different wines to sample. You will probably have the opportunity to try all different kinds, from Chardonnay to Pinot Gris/Grigio to Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir to Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon to Reisling to Port (and maybe some others in between). These are fun because you can directly compare your personal taste between many different types and discover what YOU like without having to commit to a full bottle. These tastings are quite informative and usually cost less than $10.
I won't suggest anything specific because every person's taste in wine is different. I haven't seen any answers to this question yet (I found it quickly!), but I'm guessing you'll have 30 very different opinions by the time this question is closed. That just shows that everybody has widely different tastes!
Don't feel like you ever have to spend more than $20 on wine. There are plenty of good to great bottles from $7-14. And have fun with it!
Menage' Trois
From Folie Deaux. It's a "marriage" of 3 grape vaieties, cabernet, merlot, syrrah.(Hence the manage'trois)
Around ten bucks..very drinkable, low acidic and shows you've done your homework.
Two of my cheap favorites are Marietta Old Vine Red and Barefoot chardonnay.
There are wineries in every state now. So visit one or two and do some tasting, it is fun, cheaper than a bottle, and if you fall in love with one you have eliminated the risk of buying in a store. You could also ask at specialty wine stores if they have any tastings planned where you could taste a broader spectrum of wine.