View Full Version : Good Cheap Wine
I noticed that some people said they didn't buy expensive wine in the What You Won't Buy thread. I don't drink wine myself, but DH does and sometimes we buy it to bring as a hostess gift to dinners we attend.
Anyone want to share their favorite brand of reasonably priced wine?
E & J Gallo White Zinfandel or Grenache. Here it goes for about £5-6 ($8-9) and I suppose it might be cheaper over in the US since it's produced there.
Slightly sweet and very fruity. I love sweeter wines, but they tend to be the ones that experts turn their nose up at!
Robert Mondovi's Woodbridge White Zinfandel. About $6 locally.
An old stand-by is a Trader Joe's product, 'Charles Shaw', especially the Cabernet. It costs $2, and was dubbed 2-buck Chuck, though in some parts of the US I hear it sells for $3. It first came out in about 2000, and TJ's was selling it so fast they couldnt keep up with the demand. You could see many people literally buying several cases at a time. It was produced from a California wine glut and it was good. In blind taste tests it scored higher than bottles selling in the $70-80 range. It was served at large galas - at the time it was considered quite chic.
It is still sold for $2. They carry several varieties. A cabernet, merlot, chardonnay, another white, and maybe another. Both whites are weak tasting IMO. Over the years many think the quality is not as good as it was in the beginning, and that's possibly true. And regardless of its initial reputation, many are simply put off by the very low price. I don't know - I'm still working on the cases of cab I purchased in 2000. This older wine is very good IMO, I'm just not that much of a drinker. Give a bottle of it a try - it is only $2. :)
There are many other 'good', inexpensive wines out there in the $5-6 range at TJ's. If you have a TJ's near you, go in and ask their wine guy what he would recommend.
Costco is another place to shop for better inexpensive wines, including their Kirkland brand. I tasted a Kirkland Malbec from Argentina the other day and though it was really good. I think that bottle was $7-8.
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=141&d=1294381296
iris lily
1-23-11, 12:20pm
;)It all such an individual taste. Mira, please don't bring me any of the sweet fruity chit!
I am currently kinda stuck on Columbia Valley cabernets (state of Washington) and my go-to brand is a Columbia Crest cab. They have several in different prices, but this one, on sale, is $11.99.
For a cheap unremarkable yet not offensive wine, TJ's Shaw product is fine.
Any local wine is bad news unless you live in California or Wahsington states.
Even on sale, $11.99 is not what I would consider cheap for 'home drinking'. Maybe for a hostess gift however.
Speaking of sales, to save even more, many grocery stores will offer an additional 10% off if you buy 6 bottles of wine. They don't have to be the same. Many stores have special little totes for this.
Any local wine is bad news unless you live in California or Wahsington states.
Wow. I expect there are many wine producers and consumers that would disagree with your generalization. :|(
ps. While I drink it and think it good (at least the older stuff), I would never bring TJ's Charles Shaw as a hostess gift. Never. Unless it was a joke. While there are many that actually can discriminate between fine wines, there also are a great many wine snobs out there who only see price. But I guess that's true for everything.
From the Concha y Toro vineyard, their Castillo Diablo Carmenere is really good.
So is Santa Ema's reserve Merlot. Both of these are under $10 and are really good. You can find them in grocery stores. They are Chilean wines.
My DH gave up spending tons of money on expensive wines and is very happy with these.
Even on sale, $11.99 is not what I would consider cheap for 'home drinking'. Maybe for a hostess gift however.
Speaking of sales, to save even more, many grocery stores will offer an additional 10% off if you buy 6 bottles of wine. They don't have to be the same. Many stores have special little totes for this.
Wow. I expect there are many wine producers and consumers that would disagree with your generalization. :|(
ps. While I drink it and think it good (at least the older stuff), I would never bring TJ's Charles Shaw as a hostess gift. Never. Unless it was a joke. While there are many that actually can discriminate between fine wines, there also are a great many wine snobs out there who only see price. But I guess that's true for everything.
Oh, agreed, $11.99 isn't "cheap" in my book but it's a decent price. The OP didn't specify what "cheap" means.
There are plenty of drinkable $8.99 bottles in the grocery stores like Yellow Tail and Fish Eye. Our grocery store gives a 10% discount to a buy of $6.00, too. But we've got a huge liqour warehouse a few blocks away that is fabulous.
But I remain firm that Missouri wines are a waste of time unless you are making a social outing to a winery. The Norton grape is the best Missouri can do to produce a dry red, and the decent Nortons are $20+. Compare that to Austrailia, Argentinia, Chile, Washington state, California, etc for reds well under that price and tell me why I should drink this slog from my home state.
I am now drinking more beer than I've ever drank because I am tired of cheap wines being served at parties or fundraisers. I can't distinguish between beers and so I am ok to drink anything.
Iris Lily, Are you referring to Sam's? DH always used to stop there when he was in Chicago.
Iris Lily, Are you referring to Sam's? DH always used to stop there when he was in Chicago.
No, this one is a liquor-only place called Randall's. I don't know if it is a chain.
$2 buck Chuck is now $3 everywhere I go, but have not checked home base CA if still $2? World Markets is the East Coast name for the chain. Aldis Food chain is in the same family as TJ/WM (Brothers who share US distribution system) and they have dependable $3 (CH Shaws but labelled diff, so maybe can slip in lesser hostess gift?), best are limited European selection (German sweeter whites specially) at best price I have seen ($7-12).
Larger cities have wine warehouses that can have excellent deals, but as others have mentioned the best deal is rarely the cheapest wine by price. Fun for some are small boutique operations... there are a few that are not garage type $100+ ... that play with wine drinkers palates.
Goats do roam brand in South Africa is one example, though no longer single wine side business fun for owners... they make their version of old French standards, with a twist. My fav is Bored Doe (Bordeaux) which matches the blend of old claret type I learned to love as child yet... something is not as remembered, one diff note... will not ruin it for you. Fuller bodied than any modern reds in its price range or more (try and candle it, just diffused ruby colour is all you get), can stand up to any red meat. Just a classic for $10 (as low as $8 in DC).
OK back to work...
TJs does now have something else that's $1.99, there's a red and a white. Vola something or other. It's yer average table wine, totally nondescript but inoffensive.
I am so not a wine officianado, so I just drink what I like. Usually the Beringer zin. I did find a muscato, made in the Golan Heights, when I was traveling that I loved. The winery said they did import to the states, but I just can't find anyone here who carries it. Anybody able to steer me in the right direction? I've checked with kosher wine sellers, and even they can't find it.
$2 buck Chuck is now $3 everywhere I go, but have not checked home base CA if still $2? World Markets is the East Coast name for the chain.
Yes, it's still $2 in Cali. :) We have both a World Markets and a TJ's here in town. They may be owned by the same people, but they are not the same type of store. Here anyway. TJ's is almost only food and beverage, and our World Markets is sort of an upscale Pier 1 with furniture, decore, dishes, lotions and jsut about everything. The only food is packaged or canned stuff from around the world. And wines of course, but not as good a selection as TJ's. And no 2-buck Chuck. Or 3-buck Chuck. ;)
World Market did have a great deal on a really nice, inexpensive champagne a few years ago right after New Year's. There it was $4, and online the same champagne, same year was $14 plus shipping. I bought a case. Love the bubbly.
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=136&d=1294375923
DH is in the wine biz so always bringing home inexpensive, tasty stuff. Almost always Chilean or Spanish reds for around $7 or 8. I will ask him later for some brands.
Yes Gina not even same store concept in other areas, but if looking for certain products it is the only equiv. TJ/WM and Aldis carry best price on European chocolates but WM has far more selection and higher priced choices as eg. Aldis will have an item or two featured non food, that I had seen in WM a month earlier in Santa Fe, last time it was nesting teak stools with side tables.
.... TJ/WM and Aldis carry best price on European chocolates but WM has far more selection and higher priced choices as eg. Aldis will have an item or two featured non food, that I had seen in WM a month earlier in Santa Fe, last time it was nesting teak stools with side tables.
Just a note to say that the first time I had what was bad Swiss chocolate was something form TJ's. I didn't have bad stuff again for some years.
Lately I've learned: just stick to Lindt.
+1 on CathyA's Chilean choices. I have found really good wine for relatively inexpensive prices from Chile. I like 2 buck Chuck (here its 3 buck chuck) but I would be too embarrassed to bring it as a hostess gift. Same with any pink wine. The people who don't like pink wine (and I am one of them) REALLY don't like pink wine. A good real, non sweet rose (like from France or Spain) is great in the summer but I've seen people cringe when I offer them even though they are as far from white zinfandel as milk is from coke. If I can assure them its nothing like a white zin, they usually like it.
Sorry, but yes, I'm somewhat of a wine snob.
Yes Gina not even same store concept in other areas, but if looking for certain products it is the only equiv. TJ/WM and Aldis carry best price on European chocolates but WM has far more selection and higher priced choices as eg. Aldis will have an item or two featured non food, that I had seen in WM a month earlier in Santa Fe, last time it was nesting teak stools with side tables.OK, got-cha. I've seen the name 'Aldi's' mentioned here and there for years. Wish there was one in town.
As to chocolate, I actually don't buy much variety, cuz, well, I don't want it around. My favorite 'fancy' chocolate is See's mainly because it's in town. For 'everyday' I buy the large bars of 72% Belgian chocolate TJ carries. Really a good price for 'theraputic' hi-cocoa chocolate. I'm sure it's not the best, but it's quite good and price matters to me. ;)
I drink my own wine :-).
What kind(s) do you make?
When I was a kid, my dad made his own wine. Us kids actually crushed the grapes with our feet. In later years dad used more advanced methods.
My Parents still make their own wine from vinifera vines I planted as teen. We bought 5 types from Niagara ON Ag research station I was put on to at the Royal Winter Fair. Four types still survive today and produce decent to good wine. The Pinot Noir vines are as thick as forearms now from base. On avg they get maybe 8 5g carboys after racking? They bottle in 8oz glass twist top juice bottles so the one is perfect for a glass each at dinner.
The small press I bought to make apple cider and wine is still going strong 30 odd after years, so feel better about the heart stopping $60 it cost me in 70's from Italian wine supplier. 20g food grade plastic bins are used to let the grapes lees sit and primary ferment. After last racking the carboys are put in dark cool space to age and bottled when needed. The longer the better for stronger reds. The lighter red and whites bridges the gap.
40 gallons - that' s a nice amount.
Just this past fall I helped friends harvest their small pinot vineyard. We took the grapes to a small producer who makes the wine for other small growers. He does this in his backyard but has all the modern bells and whistles to make good wine. He was also making champagne. He gave us tastes of several wines he had made, and they were very very good.
It was most interesting and reminded me of my dad making it in the back yard and aging it in my folks converted basement/wine cellar. I have very fond memories of that. Just love the wonderful full smells of fermentation. :)
There was no generational wine making tradition, but home base was in area where Uva Per Vino set ups sold Californian grapes by box to the many Italian neighbours, then in a few months their spaces were taken over by Christmas tree sellers. The smell during crushing and fermentation in garages was a pervasive wafting exp. When we planted ours they said not possible to grow "proper" wine grapes, but not long after Vineland Station produced our French crosses, they produced two italian ones and more people planted. Grape arbors were the norm within 10 years.
South facing back yards with arbors up against brick walls fair best. Where trellised climbing roses owned those spaces in 50's and 60's, now they fight it out with grape vines and espaliered peach trees. :)
I just finished reading "American Terroir" by Rowan Jacobsen, and don't think I can ever buy cheap wine again after reading how it's made in the chapter on wine. I usually buy 750 ml bottles in the $15-20 range. Living in Washington state, I can get lots of good value, great tasting wine for that price.
Wildflower
1-23-11, 11:08pm
My Dad used to make his own beer and wine. It was pretty good.
I like Sutter Home Moscato wine. About $6 to $7 a bottle.
loosechickens
1-24-11, 12:02am
Two Buck Chuck is our usual purchase......still "two bucks" here in CA, but "three buck Chuck" most other places because of added transportation costs, Trader Joe's says.......
The good stuff is wasted on my sweetie, he says......he developed his wine tastes while doing his Junior year abroad from Georgetown at the University of Madrid, in Spain, where you just took your bottle to the corner bodega and they filled it up with red table wine for ten cents a liter........
Once we stopped at a vineyard, and the man was so nice and really gave us a nice tour of his little place, that we felt we really HAD to buy something, and the least expensive wine was over twenty bucks. I could almost feel my sweetie cringing, but he did buy some, kind of as a thank you, but admitted to me later that it didn't taste all that different to him, other than he felt like he was drinking money, hahahaha.
I'm more or less a teetotaler......(adult child of an alcoholic, so never wanted to even tiptoe into that alley, and figured that if I never drank I was safe), but I do use wine in cooking, but the Two Buck Chuck is fine for that.
We have friends who are sophisticated wine people, but we're just plebian, I guess.........
I depend upon a wine merchant in Seattle - 12th & Olive is his biz - as he has regular tastings and great prices. The owner, Steve, teaches at the local community college, and brings wine down to earth, no snooty tastings, it's all very fun, friendly and informative.
He also gives great price breaks to non-profits for their fundraisers. I have purchased many a fantastic bottle of wine from him for under $12. Then, every so often, we splurge on some really delicious something for, say, $15-20. And when we feel luxurious, there is an awesome aged port we get that is pricy.... around $30. But it lasts a very loooong time.
I really recommend that you find a wine merchant who loves what he does and can teach you about wines, if even just a bit. The 80's rep of this being s stuck-up rich person's avocation is just wrong. So here's my fav hint from Steve: when you serve wine with sweet stuff (dessert, chocolate, Sunday waffle brunch with mimosas, etc.), make sure the wine is just as sweet or a tad bit sweeter. Otherwise it will taste sour.
If you're looking for a reasonably priced but still very good sparkling wine, take a look at Gruet. $13-17 range here in Indiana. The Gruet people are in Albaquerque. Who knew great wine could come from the desert!
Blackdog Lin
1-25-11, 6:05am
I am so lucky that DH (like Bae) discovered winemaking 2 years ago. I adore (most of) his wines: they're just the right mixture of sweet and tang, and quite complex when aged (not that I give them much of a chance to age!). :D
He produces just from store-bought juices and concentrates, along with sugar and internet-ordered special yeasts/additives. He's gotten quite good at it, experimenting with the different yeast and juice flavors. I decided I didn't really like his apple flavor (too sweet), so he discontinued that one; his white grape cherry is very very good; and his plain ol' Welch's grape red wine is just superb!
Thanks for sharing, everyone! I wish we had a Trader Joe's nearby!
no trader joes; so out goes the two buck; i am allergic to salisylates; no salisylates in dry white wine but that for me is hard to drink; i buy whats on sale; everyones taste is different; oh this was funny; went on this cruise with my parents and they had this wine tasting class that i attended; me and three people who appeared to be wine coniseurires; can't spell anymore; anyway it was expensive wine; $40.00-50 a bottle which is expensive for me; and i didn't like any of them; taste wise; they swirled nicely in the glass; and had bouqet or whatever
when i was growing up; my first bottle of wine and what i first threw up on was BOONES FARM! lol;
i think everyone invests their money differently
when i was growing up; my first bottle of wine and what i first threw up on was BOONES FARM! lol; That and Ripple, lol. I don't remember if I ever tasted either - weren't they mixed iwth fruit juice or something?
I do remember a Red Foxx/Sanford and Son joke - what do you get if you mix champagne and Ripple? ... Champipple. :laff:
Winette, bottle top ... it was what we could afford and the girls liked at 17 (legal age then)... soda pop really. B&G Cote Du Luberon less than $2, as a staple, but the real story was a truly grand year Margaux or Chateau Y'Quem, or a decent vintage port of DGP's age, for less than $20 on special occasions ... ahh the 70's. At least I know why I am not spending $1,000 a bottle today as I did enjoy guiltily at $18 ...
What kind(s) do you make?
From grapes grown on-site, Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe, and a bit of Gewurtztraminer.
From fruit next-door, apple-pear, blackberry, raspberry.
From grapes from Yakima Valley, Cabernet, Cab-Merlot, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Riesling, and a bit of Port.
I love Madeleine Angevine! A friend owns a vineyard & makes a delightful MA wine. So, to me a cheap bottle of wine in under $20. I routinely buy wines in the $9-15 range. Like all quality foods, good wine is worth it, even if one buys it only once a year. I've never been tempted by the 2 buck chuck. Sounds awful... kinda like Hershey's is to chocolate.
One grocery store regularly has a 3/$10 deal so DH stocks up on those. Gallo is one of the brands that does this often. Some of the grocery stores have their own brands for close to the $3 buck chuck type thing...Fresh and Easy's whites are OK but the red is awful. Tastes like metal to me and even in stew I can taste it. After doing wine tours in western CO, VA, OR and yes, MO, I can firmly say that I am not picky at all about wine. I can drink sweet Rieslings, dry Cab Sauvs, and pretty much whatever in-between, $3/bottle to $150/bottle. If there really was a difference to me such as Hershey's vs good Swiss chocolate, then yeah I'd probably go for the better one. But wine is so random in pricing that a $20 bottle can be iffy while a $6 one can be great, depending on your palate and your knowledge. In a blind taste test, people actually prefer the fairly cheap stuff but switch preferences if told the price/brand. Experts often prefer pricier wines either blind or not. I think I'll stay an amateur. ;)
Beringer...specifically the Chenin Blanc...$4.97 at my supermarket...delectable, to my unrefined taste.
I found a sale of a California Chardonnay at 5.99; tasted quite good actually
i have no idea what they mixed in the boones farm but i think it came in different flavors; and i remember sanford and son lol
For a cheap unremarkable yet not offensive wine, TJ's Shaw product is fine.
Any local wine is bad news unless you live in California or Wahsington states.
Wow, I live in south central PA, and we have some phenomenal wineries around here.... Nissley, Mount Hope (home of the PA Ren Faire), Allegro to name but three of my favourites. I have drunk wine all over the world in all of those countries of the world, and the wines from the Allegro winery are some of the best I have ever tasted. They are about average of 17 bucks for a bottle, but they are entirely worth it. I have found many of the California wines to be.... awful! :( But, each to his own ;)
:)
Wow, I live in south central PA, and we have some phenomenal wineries around here.... Nissley, Mount Hope (home of the PA Ren Faire), Allegro to name but three of my favourites. I have drunk wine all over the world in all of those countries of the world, and the wines from the Allegro winery are some of the best I have ever tasted. They are about average of 17 bucks for a bottle, but they are entirely worth it. I have found many of the California wines to be.... awful! :( But, each to his own ;)
If you send me a bottle of Allegro I will be happy to sample it and give you my opinion, :~)and more importantly, tell you if it is a good value. I like rich, full bodied dry reds. Cabernets and Merlots are fine.. What does PA produce that is similar? In my state we have the Norton grape which is inferior, but there we are.
Some months ago I was forced to sample wines made in Illinois and they were lacking.
I am reminded of my cousin in Iowa who gets some sort of state subsidy to produce wine on his acreage. It is swill. I think it is a very bad idea for the State to be encouraging the production of this product.
I was impressed with the simplicity of local wines in Switzerland and the lack of fanfare in serving them. They weren't presented as world class wines, they were simple local prodcts that didn't ship far and were not intended to impress. I liked them.
Any local wine is bad news unless you live in California or Wahsington states.
I've had fine wine from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Michigan.
I find it interesting that nearly all the inexpensive table wine I've ever had is on the dry, acidic side, with very little top or end note. The local wines here are all very flavorful but extremely sweet. ??? Some mass producing blah-ness vs. not aging the wine long enough, perhaps? I'd have to agree I've had decent local wine from many states including the Anderson winery in Indiana, but not AZ.
iris lily
1-30-11, 11:22pm
I've had fine wine from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, and Michigan.
Please send me some and I will tell you what I think. Unfortunately, I am very rigid in my tastes and enjoy ONLY reds (white wine smells like cat piss to me.)
It's not that our local Norton is undrinkable, it is that it is a very poor value. For $25 I can buy the local mediocre product --or--have a wonderful array of choices from all over the world for $15.00.
Now if the local winemakers could make a comparable prodcut to my Swiss experience: light, refreshing, simple, inexpensive, I'd accept that, especially during the summer. BUt no--they are compelled to product lighter wines that are sweet. I don't do sweet.
Please send me some and I will tell you what I think. Unfortunately, I am very rigid in my tastes and enjoy ONLY reds (white wine smells like cat piss to me.)
It's not that our local Norton is undrinkable, it is that it is a very poor value. For $25 I can buy the local mediocre product --or--have a wonderful array of choices from all over the world for $15.00.
Now if the local winemakers could make a comparable prodcut to my Swiss experience: light, refreshing, simple, inexpensive, I'd accept that, especially during the summer. BUt no--they are compelled to product lighter wines that are sweet. I don't do sweet.I think you're just workin' it for a free bottle of wine! ;) I'd be curious to see what you think of the Trader Joe's $1.99 Sangiovese. To me it has no finish whatsoever, it just disappears like water. Not a thriller, but ... it's a table wine. For $2 I'm not expecting to fall in love. I do admit to liking their $5.99 Old Moon (red) Zinfandel quite a lot for such an inexpensive product, I'd rather have that. And AZ seems to have the same issue as Illinois, $25 Manischewitz.
:)
If you send me a bottle of Allegro I will be happy to sample it and give you my opinion, :~)and more importantly, tell you if it is a good value. I like rich, full bodied dry reds. Cabernets and Merlots are fine.. What does PA produce that is similar? In my state we have the Norton grape which is inferior, but there we are.
.
Iris Lily, I will gladly send you a bottle of Allegro! Message me, and we can figure this out.... :D Hell yeah!
I don't generally find the wines I like in the under $20 range, although there are a few. My curse seems to be that I like approximately the same thing as Robert Parker, the wine famed reviewer. As soon as he discovers a $12 gem and gives it a high rating the price jumps to $30 and I start searching again.
To the OP: as far as taking wine to a party, unless you know the crowd you may want to avoid sweet wines like White Zinfandel or really cheap wine like 'Two Buck Chuck'. Regular zinfandel is usually ok to take to a BBQ or party where the food will have a little spice. Ravenswood Vintner's Blend is fine and about $6 or $7 around us. There's a lot of decent shiraz from Australia (called syrah if from the US) that has a little more body than zin if you like that. I see lots at the store in the $6 to $10 range. Ask the people who work in your local store, they should always have suggestions.
oh that's a nice offer! But I don't make you do that. Seriously, it's pretty unlkely I'd like it anyway.
This is a great discussion but it makes me a bit jealous; here in New Brunswick we have universal healthcare. Yes, and you might wonder what that has to do with good cheap wine? Healthcare and other social safety nets and so we have TAXES, including sin taxes like you wouldn't believe. So last year when I was working in Maine, I'd stop at the local supermarket and buy YellowTail for 5.99 on sale all winter. The same bottle is fourteen bucks here. Makes you think. I wonder how they price expensive wines? Nobody I know can afford them here.
This year I am not working in the US weekly, so cannot bring my two bottles across the border on a regular basis. I think I am going to have to learn to make wine. It was great to read about so many folks making excellent homemade wine. Does anyone have a reference to recommend?
On another note, wine from Australia for six bucks actually boggles my imagination. It travels halfway around the world in its glass bottle (I guess it is bottled at the winery) and arrives in, say, Maine, and can be sold for six bucks and everyone is still making a profit? How does THAT work?
leslieann I had a thought that may have no parallel in NB vs ON, but here it is. Yes sin taxes are higher, though lower on beer and wine vs liquor that is not a help when faced with plonk for $10+. Ten years ago NB had a flat + tax on wine per bottle so cheap was not the best deal vs middle of the road wines. This may not be true anymore.
The ON LCBO had some quirks you may find in NB... this part is the absolute guess as too long since I shopped there. When the LCBO lists a wine the price stays fixed for the duration of the supply. A number of times a sleeper vintage selling for $7-16 would get rave reviews in US (A Mondavi Woodbridge Reserve Cab that you know who featured as best vintage re-visited 3 years later, went to $50+ while still on shelves, till rush cleaned it out at $12 one fine summer--- our office alone counted for 40 cases http://www.simplelivingforum.net/images/smilies/8834%5B1%5D.gif ) So keeping an eye on Parker hot CA picks or South African new listings might be worth your while? Good Luck... the hunt is half the joy for me.
Also, again guess, The LCBO imports on contracts and does some bottling of its own from bulk... some of their Spanish Fino Sherries for example rank with brands three times the price.
http://www.nbliquor.com/documents/liquidation-list-February-2011.pdf
NB Liquor must have the least inspired web site, even for Gov't site? Some sales seem interesting... OK nothing inspiring. Good Luck
I like the Australian wines too - Yellow Tail. Little Penguin. To me, richer flavors than similar priced domestic.
Also, our local Whole Foods groups many of the wines by complementary food groups, including vegetarian, vegan and fish. Helpful if you want to bring wine as a hostess gift, and many inexpensive.
One of the biggest cost factors for many is wasting wine after opening the bottle. Look for Big House Red and Big House White boxed wines, which are outstanding. About $18-20 for a 3 liter box, which equals 4 bottles of wine, so under $5 a bottle and it stays fresh for about 2 months. Black Box boxed wines are premium California wines in the $22-25 range per box, for excellent Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Crappy boxed wines such as Franzia have given this packaging a bad rep, but it's really great packaging for everyday wines. In much of Europe and all of Australia more than half of wines for everyday use are packaged this way. Buy some Big House or Black Box and put it in a decanter and have fun fooling snob friends!
One of the biggest cost factors for many is wasting wine after opening the bottle.
Really? We've never experienced that at my house! ;)
Seriously, a nicer box wine is a great suggestion for people who like to have a glass now and then. We occasionally get to Denver and there is a VERY large liquor store there that must carry dozens, if not hundreds, of different box wines. Some are cheap junk, but some are very good. It really is a very sensible way to package wine. Like Kevin said, once it is in a decanter nobody will know the difference.
So I bought some Barefoot Zinfandel today. Apparently, it won a medal of some sort for consistent quality, proven value. Anyone try this?
I love red wine an it should not be dry. I get 1 liter = 0,26 gallon Kardarka or an equal from Spain for about 1,49€ = 2$. I would not spend more than 4$ on a bottle. And I opend one yesterday and drank half and tonight I will drink the other half, thats not hurting the wine. Since he likes to breath, he is still good tonight, or tomorrow. I personaly wouldn't like wine out of a box, but in Germany they don't come in boxes.
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