I go through 2 bottles a week and have a small cellar stocked with just over 80 bottles, so I guess I might qualify.
It's rare if I have dinner without a glass or two.
You can go broke buying high-quality Cabs and Merlots. Unless you have developed a fairly sophisticated palate, you won't be able to tell the difference between a $200 bottle of Tyshon Hill Cab or a $20 bottle of Coppola Cab. Double-ditto if you have sinus problems. I do during times of the year and you could put piss in a jar against a Stag's Leap (probably my favorite Cab) and I couldn't tell the difference...
I might ask what you've tried in the past and liked?
Pinot Noirs and Merlots are usually a safe place to start. Cabernet Sauvignon have a much more "tannic" (if that's a word) taste to them and are typically stronger and much more full-bodied. They usually aren't the best place to start your wine tasting experience...
Give me a while and I'll get a nice, cheap starters list for you. I've got a group of friends that keep a list of bottles under $20; there are some astounding wines from California, Oregon and Washington in the US as well as Australia, Chile, Spain and Italy that won't destroy your budget and are a sheer pleasure to drink.
I rarely pay more than $40-50 for wine anymore; I got into the high-dollar crap for a while and to be quite honest, I have a hard time discerning the difference in taste and bouquet of these vs. some of the "cheaper" wines on the market.
A couple off the top of my head:
Smoking Loon Pinot Noir (can't remember year). Probably $13-15 a bottle. Good solid Pinot.
Wynns' Cab-Merlot-Shiraz '01. Maybe $20-30; haven't shopped it lately. Damn-best tasting blend to be found.
Estancia Merlot (year doesn't matter much). Don't pay more than $16-18 if that. It's cheap, but good.
Cabernet Sauvignon is tough, because this is one wine I do pay bucks for. Have to think on that one...
More to come.
