Wines

[benjaminbbush]

I am a newbie here so be patient with me. What wines would pair well with milder cigars? Please understand that I know NOTHING about wines other than they come in bottles, jugs and boxes (have been told to stay away from the jugs and boxes though). On one video review Ken said "there are 365 red days as far as I'm concerned" so what are some good (and preferably relatively cheap) wines to pair with a milder cigar?

Any thoughts?

[Dourowino]

tawny ports(10,20,30 years), madeira and Tokaji wine. my favorite 3 for any cigar!!

[Puros Y Vino]

Good question. For me, Port is the best option for pairing with a cigar. Any cigar. The odd time I do have wine with a cigar I've had French wines as they tend to be a bit "softer" and "fruitier" than most other wines. A nice strong Barolo or Amarone goes well with a strong cigar.

Try not to drink anything too sweet though. Dry or Semi dry. For a mild cigar go with a Champagne/Cava/Sparkling. A nice cheap bottle of Cordoniu(Spanish Cava) always works. Otherwise avoid white sweet wines.

[bassman]

I prefer a good beer with a cigars. Cigars dry my mouth. Wine dries my mouth, while beer lubricates it.

[Rogers72]

I'm not particular at all here but I have never had a problem with any cigars paired with white wines...be it chardonnay, riesling, champagne, sauv blanc, or anything else. It seems like both full bodied and light bodied smokes go just as well with any of them.

With red wine, i typically like a more full bodied cigar with any of them so I personally would not pair a red with a mild cigar.

[thechenman]

Really...it all comes down to personal tastes and preferences.

[khomeinist]

Personally, I like wines with high residual sugar % when smoking. Port, riesling, and various late-harvest bottlings tend to work best for me.

I had a great eiswein with a Hoyo des Dieux last week. Unlikely but very successful pairing. I like a wine that clears the palate and leaves a bit of sweetness for the cigar to work with. A lot of red wines are too astringent for my liking. Great for dining. Less great for smoking.

[stargazer14]

Wait! What's wrong with a jug or box?.....

Dont limit yourself son!

[Cigar Doctor]

Traditionally brandy and cognac, although I would agree with ports and madeira.

[laficion]

With a very good Banyuls AOC, it's divine

[Colt45]

For me red wines are a no go - the smoke brings out the tannins and kills the fruit.

I like a crisp white - one that has more of an acidic backbone versus an oaky, buttery type.

I also like sparklers with cigars.

[Ken Gargett]

For me red wines are a no go - the smoke brings out the tannins and kills the fruit.

I like a crisp white - one that has more of an acidic backbone versus an oaky, buttery type.

I also like sparklers with cigars.

has been discussed many times but coly and i are as one on this. i'd forget most reds. we only drink reds during cigar reviews because our fearless leader is a hopeless alcoholic who can't go three minutes without a red.

fizz, ports, sweeter wines etc.

[benjaminbbush]

Thanks to all, sounds like I just need to jump in there and experiment as much as possible.

[Puros Y Vino]

Thanks to all, sounds like I just need to jump in there and experiment as much as possible.

Yes, you'll have to suffer through it I guess.

[Colt45]

.....our fearless leader is a hopeless alcoholic.....

Oh, I don't know - I think he's pretty good at it!

[sandholm]

For me red wines are a no go - the smoke brings out the tannins and kills the fruit.

I like a crisp white - one that has more of an acidic backbone versus an oaky, buttery type.

I also like sparklers with cigars.

Hi

Well, the only thing you can be sure with wine is that no one can tell you what is good or not (from your point of view), there is only one way of finding out, try a lot of them

I would suggest that either you start by noticing which grape the wine is produced on, when you have found what you like you can start trying different regions and countries that uses that grape. Dont get missled by the label or country, there has been studies showing that 99% of the people buying wine do so based on the label, a nice chateau on the label means nothing....

For mild cigars I go towards white wine, for example try a wine based on the Chasselas grape, they tend to have a full flawor with a dry fruity taste. Also, do not forget sparkly wines. My personal favorit is Moët (well actually all Champagne ) which has a dry, bread and citrues flawor that I really enjoy but its pricy and sadly quality has dropped over the last years. There are also excellent Italien Proceco and Spanish Cava.

Have fun, just remember the label mean nothing, nor do the price (more expensive do not mean better quality/flavor) and to certain extend nor do the country (hey when i visit Toulouse last time the best wine I had came out from a can... didnt even know you could get wine on can, but in france you can )

cheers

[bc8436]

+1 for sparklers. I'm not a big wine drinker but I do occasionally enjoy a bottle of champagne with a cigar. Not everybody likes this combination though, some may prefer reds or ports. The best thing for you to do is to try them out for yourself. A lot of stores carry half bottles of wine, so it might be a good starting point when trying it with a cigar for the first time.

As for recommendations, I'm a fan of Bollinger Grande Cuvee and Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut. Roederer Estate Brut is not bad as well, they can be found for about $20 a bottle.

[toasterhead]

For a cost effective, delicious sparkler with a cigar, try Gruet Brut or Blanc de Noirs. The makers are a French family that settled in, of all places, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Delicious!

Cheers,

Dave