OK....what osuche can cull together in 2 minutes about wine. Much of it fact, some probably my own opinion....
If you can find 1997 or 2003 red wines from Napa, those were good years.
2000 was a good year in most French appelations.
Reds are generally classified by (1) the type of grape, and (2) the amount of tannins present in a particular blend. Something is tannic if you get that bitter taste on the rear of your tongue when you drink it.
Some people like this taste, others don't (I'm in the like category, but Mr Osuche isn't). Generally, the lighter/less tannic reds are better with light meals and the heavier reds are better with heavily spiced foods (think steak, Indian food, spicy Italian)
Common American varietals (in order of heaviness, less tannic -> more)
Syrah/Shiraz (although most American Syrah is a blend of grapes and not 100% Syrah)
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Zinfandel (Red)
Other than that, there are a lot of good blends....sometimes called "Table Wine" and sometimes called by a house name (something the vineyard made up)
I recommend you look for "wine tastings" in your area...local restaurants, some liquor stores, and (of course) wineries have them....Typically you can get a 1 oz pour of a wine to determine whether or not you like it. In the case of wine, it's no good if you don't *like* it...and everyone has a different palate.