The Coppola Merlot is very good, About $25.00 I think...

I would also recommend a Shiraz (red from Australia)- My favorite. Right now Jacob's Creek is about $15.00 (and has a pretty good rating) or I prefer Penfold's which is about $15-25. With Penfold's you can get also get what I call a "Shiraz blend" basically it also has other grapes like Cabernay or Merlot. It makes it a little mellower I think.

If you're looking for a dessert wine you could try a port (very sweet - for sipping), vintage port is better in my opinion. I cannot suggest a brand you should go to a local wine shop and they can help you.

If you want a nice, sweet dessert wine, you might want to try a good Reisling... delish!

You could always take a day trip to Huber Winery in Indiana (I think its 25 minutes from downtown Louisville) and do some wine tasting, where you can actually learn the difference between wines and tastes. Or maybe there are other wine tasting events in the area.

If you ever venture into Southern Illinois, there are several fun wineries there and the wine is really good. I prefer it much more than store brands.

Apple wines are also wonderful, as are other fruit wines.

GO GREEK!

Greek wine is yummy. It comes it cafters.

Anything in a box is definitely the way to go.

Franzia, anyone? :)

When searching for a wine that is not really great but not bad either... it's cheap... and you don't have to worry about it going bad.. Well boxed wine is just good like that.

Not something I'm going to swirl in my glass and comment about the "aroma" though...

Meridian merlot is a favorite of mine. It has a slight buttery aftertaste, and it's very smooth. The price usually falls around $15.

it's all in the geography
 

Here's a good rule of thumb: wines will usually taste differently according to where they are from. The classic way to divide it up is Old World (Europe) vs. New World (Cali, Austrailia, Chile, etc).

In my experience I've found that New World wines are sweeter (they harvest the grapes at a riper time) and less complicated (that's a soil issue). The one exception would be German wines which are usually *very* sweet. Some of them nearly taste like juice. Personally I like Old World wines but that's just me. They have a more complex flavor and I feel like I'm getting more out of it.

So if you are having a meal with big flavors get a red wine that has a full body (you should be able to ask the clerk about that). A Bourdeax -- i'm probably spelling that wrong -- would be a good bet. Shiraz (or Shiray) is generally considered a dessert wine as it's a bit lighter and sweeter.

If you're just sitting with each other and you want a nice wine that you can drink by itself, I'd recommend the Les Jamelles Merlot. It's a great French table wine that isn't expensive at all (I buy it for about 8.99) and tastes great.

Good luck and happy anniversary.