Help! I'm having friends over who don't typically drink wine...

So you're having some friends over, and you'd really like to have some wine with them. Of course you would! But then, you recall that these friends don't drink a lot of wine, and they may even think they don't usually like wine. But these friends are adventurous, and they'd like you to pick something for them to try. Excellent!

Now this is your opportunity to help them realize how great wine can be! But for someone who's "new" to wine or not much of a wine drinker, you really can't overwhelm them with a big, earthy, funky wine from France. It will probably be off-putting. You're going to want something approachable and easy to like. Never fear! We decided to try a couple of wines to find some easy-drinking, likeable wines for those of our friends and family who (shockingly) aren't big wine people.

For a white wine option, we present to you the La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 2022. Chardonnay in general is smooth, not too tart or abrasive, and generally pleasurable. Nothing about it is going to jump out and grab you, and in this particular scenario, that's what we want. From California, it tends to be even more creamy, smooth, and easy to drink. This particular Chardonnay even smells a bit like cream, as well as really ripe apples and vanilla. When you taste it, you get the flavor of ripe apples, ripe peaches, and a buttery flavor as well (though not an overwhelming butter experience). It's even a little nutty on the end. This one goes down real smooth. Best served a little chilled (not cold), you could sit out on the porch on a warm day and really enjoy this.

In a nutshell,

The wine: B

The price: $19 at Plaza Wine and Spirits

Would we buy it again? for this price, yes

But what if you're a red wine drinker, and you want an easy going red wine? We've got you covered. We present to you the Talbott Kali Hart, Pinot Noir 2021 from Monterey, California. For someone just trying to get into wine, a lighter, fruitier wine is a great option. Pinot Noir is a classically light red wine, and Pinot from California is typically a fruitier Pinot than those from France and even Oregon. This Pinot smells like a Pinot (Katie thinks they smell like cloves), with the smell and taste of bright red, ripe cherries. This isn't a very complex wine, but it sure is easy to drink and easy to enjoy when you're wanting something to go down easy while you're chatting with your friends. Bart and Katie both actually plan to go get some more bottles of this to have at their homes for exactly this situation we're describing. We have some family members we know will LOVE this wine.

In a nutshell,

The wine: B+

The price: $22 at Plaza Wine and Spirits

Would we buy it again? yes we sure would

Go and have a great evening with friends! And check back in soon for more awesome wine recommendations!