Could you recommend a wine?!
Answers: I don't drink at all (and especially not wine... yuck) but due to other people in my house I need to know what to serve up with a light dinner involving chicken, fresh veggies and parmesan cheese. Since I don't drink wine, I can't do the "just pick what tastes good to you" thing. So any suggestions?
You don't say what you're doing with the chicken, or which veggies you're using, but the Parmagiano is sharp enough that I'd hazzard your best bet might be a sauvignon blanc, especially if hot spices are involved. For something less striking to the palate, pinot blanc or pinot gris (or their Italian equivalents) would be a good choice.
Try Werewolf Pino Grigio. It is a Romanian Red with a light taste, and surprisingly inexpensive. I think $10/bottle.
Don't be fooled by the price or name, it's a VERY good wine.
Marquis de Carceres makes a very good white Rioja, and that sells for about $12/bottle.
either of these will go well with anything light.
EDIT: don't use price as a guideline to how good something is. My favorite wine is about $8/bottle, and it's one of the best out there.
And I've had $100/bottle wine as well.
With what you're serving, a white wine would probably be best, but I drink red so I'm sorry I can't be of much help.
Blossom Hill is nice
Personally, i like Pinot Grigio rather than Chardonnay....
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio is really good
or
Cavit Pinot Grigio is nice.
Both are around $12 a bottle.
go for a nice savigoun blanc from new zealand you could get something around five to ten pds ,
Charles Shaw wines are inexpensive, but not "cheap" wines. In fact, the Charles Shaw Chardonnay just won the best chardonnay prize in Calfornia this last summer.
They are sold at Trader Joe's stores. Trader Joe's often has a recomnedation posted by the wines for what they go well with.
You might find this beginner's guide to wine interesting and/or helpful:
http://hubpages.com/hub/A_Beginners_Guid...
Castello Banfi's Brunello Di Montalchino
It is a delightfully light red wine...not too dry, not too sweet.
Normally, I would recommend a white for this meat but try a Pinot Noir. I like Blackstone Winery Pinot Noir.
Wine and food pairing can be a bit intimidating to people. However, it is not that hard.
For foods that are milder in taste, white wines are better. Consider Sauvignon Blanc, which is fruitier and slightly sweet, such as Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc ($18) or Chateau St. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc ($15) or Dry Creek Fume Blanc ($18); as well as Chardonnay, which is drier and oaky, like Jordan Chardonnay ($25), Robert Mondavi Carnero Chardonnay ($25).
For foods that are strong in flavor, ie marinara sauce, red wine would be a good choice. Consider Cabernet such as Beringer Knight Valley ($25) or Mondavi Napa Cabernet ($25); also consider Merlot such as Flora Spring ($15) or Markham ($20).
Honestly, if I were you, I would do the following. I would ask your guests to bring their own wines to share with the group, so that you and everyone can try a bit of all the wines. Secondly, I would buy a couple of different Sauvignon Blanc to try. As a wine drinker, I like to introduce my non-drinking friends with Sauvignon Blanc, and I have had good success with that. Give it an open mind and try to pair the wine with the food. Make it fun, and you never know.
Good luck.
first rule of thumb: terms like "expenisve" and "cheap" are meaningless in wine retail ... since there is such a broad range of price points, "expensive" means one number to one buyer, and a different one to another, which would blow the socks off the first person. when seeking wine, you need to think in terms of a specific dollar range you are willing to spend and then go from there.
FOR EXAMPLE: see the Brunello recomendation above? Brunello is "expensive" to most people (some new releases topping out near $300), and it's not a "light" wine LOL .... but it IS red, which typically is NOT paired with fowl
pretty much any white varietals would satisfy most people, particularly with white meat
knowing what these other people at your dinner actually like themselves would be of more benefit then asking strangers on the internet ... but since you are, Kim Crawford makes a great sauvignon blanc that is under $20, even as low as $13 if you are on the East Coast ... yet rates a 92 in Wine Spectator. you may have to go to a wine store for it, dunno if supermarkets carry it.
darkwolf: have you HAD the pinot grigio? if so, why are you telling everyone pinot grigio is a red wine (when it's a white)? and if you haven't HAD it, why are you recommending things you haven't tried?