OK, how about cheap (inexpensive) wine?

I'm not a wine drinker but the wife is. The last few years she's really gotten into local wines, we've had several small wineries start up. Probably 6 within 50 miles. She does a few tours a year, tries a bunch and comes home with several bottles. Don't know what she buys or what she spends.

 

i used to work at Total Wine Corporate, so i picked up a thing or two. i dunno what state you're in, but if you HAVE a Total Wine in your state, you can go on their website, look up the store you're going to, sort by type of wine/price/rating... and it will show you reviews on the wines, price, as well as their exact location in the store.

me and my girl really like Cabs, so what we would do, is sort for Cabs, then sort by "highest scores by professional or whatever its called", then pick out stuff in the $15-30 range that got scored really high by like Wine Digest or something, and give them a try. purchase a box or 2 (9 per box) and just keep them so we could expand our knowledge and try new stuff. there's lots of stuff in the 90's score wise in that price range. lots of good wines.

my favorite right now has probably got to be Stag's Leap. but it might be a little more than you were looking to spend. Bogle as mentioned is pretty good, Decoy is pretty good. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is always a solid go to if you want something white. Oyster Bay is a pretty good and cheap New Zealand Sauv Blanc. i can give you a dozen or so others that i really like when i get home (i take pictures of the bottle so i can remember for later if i ever want to try again). one of the best wineries i've ever been to is in Charlottesville, VA called Barboursville. every single wine there is dope as shit. i like their stuff better than even a lot of Napa or Chile stuff.

 

my situation exactly. I will drink them, but I'm not great at discerning the differences like she is. luckily, there are lots of local wineries in our area

 

their winemaker is an Italian dude (name's escaping me) but yeah their Octagon is pretty dope. won best of Virginia a couple years running IIRC. the wine scene in VA is getting legit in some areas, unfortunately the real estate is so expensive overall that in order to make a profit and keep doors open there are an awful lot of wineries that just produce ball-sweat...

Veritas, Blenheim, King Family are all good in Charlottesville area. Montfair is a lesser known winery there. they had a sparkling a couple years back that I'd have put up against anything under $500 from Champagne. My favorite VA winery though is Rosemont which is in down next to Lake Gaston, right off I-85. it's down in the land of sweet wines and while they make some of that (see above comment about keeping the doors open) their winemaker was trained in Napa at OShaunessey, uses a French consultant, etc. Really incredible juice...anyone cruising down 85 near the VA/NC line who likes wine should go by...it's like 10 minutes of the interstate.

 

This is helpful. I like Stag's Leap and will buy from time to time, along with several other nicer bottles from around Napa/Sonoma etc. Still though, looking for something inespensive that I can enjoy on a regular basis- drinking BVs and Stags Leap and Rosenblum every week would make me broke, quick. Hell, my current favorite is a BV Clone 4, but that's a once in a blue moon kind of wine. I had a Bogle Old Vine Zin (2013) last week that was a bit disappointing, but there are a ton to choose from, so maybe I'll try another. Definitely going to try the search feature on total wine.

 

19 Crimes and Mark West Pinot are my go-to's in that price range.

Also, try out Cameron Hughes wines. Apparently it's a bunch of over-runs or whatever that are sold Un labeled. I guess they're like 50 dollar bottles for 20. Chwine.com.

GF and I haven't tried it out yet but we're getting ready to order some up.

 

yea i'm in the same boat. even with the money i make i can't be buying $80 bottles of wine and shit all the time. Silver Oak is another one where I was like, cotdamn! haha. i honestly haven't really been drinking at all for the past few months for no reason at all really, but even with Cabs being on the more expensive side of things compared to some others, i still feel like if i try to keep it to under $30, there's still a ton of good stuff in that range. for Cabs, if i go on the site right now and keep it to <$50, i can tell you i enjoyed: Clos Du Val, BV. Columbia Crest H3, Mascota, Radius.

 

2 buck chuck is actually a decent wine and used to drink it after the first gooder bottles gone.

 

2 buck chuck is actually a decent wine and used to drink it after the first gooder bottles gone.

 

I wouldn't stress over it. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/apr/14/expensive-wine-cheap-plonk-taste

 

The only brand I haven't seen mentioned is McManis. They're in the $15-$25 range, I equate it to Bogle. My wife loves their Viogner (sp?).

 

Just because it may be true for most people who attended this particular science festival, doesn't make it true for ALL people. I would venture to guess that a low percentage of this sample of people would consider wine-tasting an interest that they actually pursue. The sample was in no way representative, since it was a bunch of scientists (as a scientist, I have no problem admitting that most of us are nerds with no interests outside labwork). Also, just because an unpublished study found this result- doesn't make it true. Hell, even published work isn't always right. Look at the rescinded paper that led to the anti-vax movement. I publish papers in chemistry and neuroscience journals, and serve as a peer-reviewer in the publication process. Trust me when I say, even in the hard sciences- there's plenty of stuff that gets published that's complete horse shit.
< End serious rant about not-serious topic >

 

i'll second that. i've had three or four of their varietals. each was quite nice for the price. don't think i've paid more than $12 for any of them, either.

 

I used to be into cab's but many of my friends just thought they were too strong. Lately I found Malbecs to be a tad less than a serious cabernet and generally appreciated my most. I don't have a favorite, they're almost all from Argentina so I just sample around...price is right in your range.

 

What alternate woman universe are we in right now!? WTF. Wine?? WINE????

 

says the guy who lives in the town famous for the fruity red rum punch known as the Hurricane...

 

If you find Cabs to have too much body, try some pinot noirs.

 

What do you suggest for reds in the box? I've found I'm a Shiraz- Australian and Malbec-Argentina lover. Like those better than Cabs or Merlots.

What works best for me is going to Costco and looking what is rated at 89 or higher and buy the cheaper ones. I will usually spend between 10-18 a bottle doing it that way, and usually will get stuff 92 points or better. Had something decent the other day that was 92 points and only $7, can't remember the name.

I'm with you guys on the great bargain Scotch or Bourbon is. I never really drank it, till I recently started my no carb diet, and quit drinking beer.

 

Regular wine drinkers looking for cheap/affordable wine should give this site a look.
www.nakedwines.com (legit site - not a click bait or NSFW site)
- price savings on acct of minimal advt / no middle man etc. I've had good luck so far.

 

Which one? There is Stag's Wine Cellars (famous winners in the 1976 Paris showdown) and Stag's Leap Winery. Both make good wine, but neither produce anything near 10 dollar bottles though.

OK that's twice in a few days, so I'm calling you out.

<edit> Damn. Papa beat be to it, but I bet he figured it was coming. And autocorrect doesn't change something spelled correctly, so that doesn't fly.

OT: I'd suggest Bogle Pinot Noir. From 10 miles south of me in Clarksburg.