Unexpained les in normal sentence structure

Question

3Les _________ que prueben un vino Ribera de Duero. We recommend that you try a Ribera de Duero wine.(HINT: Conjugate "recomendar" in El Presente)Question:When I saw the "les", I had thought that recomendar might have been an inverted verb (like gustar)..... but.... apparently not.So..... why is there a "les"??? Transitive verbs require a direct object pronoun..... but.... les is an indirect object pronoun!recomiendorecomendorecomindorecomendamos

Accepted Answer

Les is an indirect object pronoun in this sentence. It is there to tell you to whom the recommendation is being made. The wine is the direct object the thing being recommended. The sentence is saying we are recommending the wine to you. 
It may be an idea for you to review the lesson - Pronombre de complemento indirecto

Answer

Hola Andrew
You can use the verb "recommendar" as "recommending something to someone" (this is what Marsha explained before) or as "recommending someone" (for a job, for example) as in your examples:

Él la ha recomendado (a ella) para el trabajo. 
He recommended her for the job.
Es importante que ustedes recomienden a la aspirante. 
It is important that you recommend the applicant. --> It's important that you recommend her --> Es importante que ustedes la recomienden.

In this case, you can see a direct object pronoun "la" (not le) indicating that the person is the direct object: "what/who is recommended" (not to whom)
Saludos
Inma

Answer

Les recomendamos que prueben un vino Ribera de Duero.

We recommend that you try a Ribera de Duero wine.

I understand that les is an indirect object

I understand the purpose of indirect objects.....

But..... the English translation does not have an indirect object!

If you left out the "les", would you still have a proper Spanish sentence.

If not, then why not?

Answer

If you left out the indirect object pronoun in spanish it wouldn't be clear who you were making the recommendation to.

The indirect object pronoun is implicit in the English translation. It would sound a bit strange if we said, - I recommend to you that you try the wine.

Answer

Here are 3 Spanish sentences using the verb "recomendar" without an indirect object pronoun:

Él) la ha recomendado (a ella) para el trabajo.He recommended her for the job.
No puedo recomendar un voto afirmativo.I cannot recommend a "yes" vote.
Es importante que ustedes recomienden a la aspirante.It is important that you recommend the applicant.

Answer

As none of the sentences state who the recommendation is being made to.

Answer

Thank you Marsha and Inma!I understand that when you use recomendar to recommend something to someone that you need to use the indirect object.....But.... what about my 2nd example above:No puedo recomendar un voto afirmativo.I cannot recommend a "yes" vote.How is this different from the original example:Les recomendamos que prueben un vino Ribera de Duero.We recommend that you try a Ribera de Duero wine.In both cases, someone is recommending someTHING to someONE, aren't they?

Answer

Hola AndrewThis sentence: "No puedo recomendar un voto afirmativo."is more neutral. You don't always need an indirect object pronoun. It would be necessary to see the context but it sounds like it is not directed to anyone in particular (hence the omission of a pronoun). He/she is talking "in general" here.Inma