What's your favorite cheap wine?

20 years ago

The Wal-Mart has inspired me to ask this question.

Specifically, what bargain bottle do you buy when you only want to spend a few dollars, but want to bring something drinkable to a cookout or party? Or when you can't justify paying much for something you're just going to have a glass of every day at home?

Unfortunately, Maryland's prohibition-era liquor laws prohibit the sale of wine in grocery stores, so I haven't had the pleasure of tasting either Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck line or Aldi's private label wines (both owned by the same German company, I might add), or some of the other cheapies that people have been talking about.

I guess my current ultra-cheapie fave is Foxhorn Merlot. The cork dork at a local liquor story was almost embarrassed when he recommended it to me last year, at $6.99 a magnum!

Featured Answer

christophersprks

20 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Blackstone style rich fruit aromas, elegant creaminess, supple oak flavors and round tannins. Blackstone Merlot is a perfect example of how each appellation contributes its own distinct personality to the final blend, creating a wine that is rich, elegant and full of luscious fruit flavors.
sells for $12.00 but I've have bought it for around $8.00 in the past

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Comments (121)

alisande
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
While buying wine in quantity for a party last year I stumbled upon the 2005 Casillero del Diablo Carmenere. Our PA state stores sell it (along with a merlot and a cab) for $9.99, but I got it on sale for $7.99. It's an interesting wine, rather unusual, and I was surprised at how much I liked it, considering the low price. I've since bought several bottles.

A review I read recently mentioned that the Wine Spectator had named it "Wine of the Week." The reviewer also said:

Very rustic and powerful. I enjoyed this wine, but I would be careful on who you serve this wine to - this will probably not go over well with casual wine drinkers.

Now I'll go read the other responses. Good thread!
pablo_nh
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Little Penguin ("tha F$#@!in Penguin" after a couple glasses) or Yellowtail Shiraz- two faves.
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ilovepoco
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Our usual plonk is Bear's Lair Cab from Trader Joe's - $4.99/bottle. It can't be just me, because I often have to get down on my knees to scrounge out a case from the wayback of the shelf.

Susan
builderbabe
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'm a real red lover.
Three Knights - $4.99 at Trader Joe's - has real nice black current, dark cherry tones
yellowlablover
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My husband and I just got into drinking red wine last fall and have tried many wines. The following wines can all be found under $15 a bottle and are our favorites-for a good everyday wine the cheapest of the bunch is Rock Rabbit Shiraz/Syrah (California)-can be found for around $7.50 a bottle, Terrazas de los Andes Malbec (Argentina) (under $10), Chalone Pinot Noir (California), MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir (California) and Bridlewood Syrah (California) (these last 3 run around $12-$15). These wines are all really good and taste more expensive than they are. I can really taste the difference between Bridlewood Syrah and Yellow Tail Shiraz for example. As you can probably tell we have discovered our favorite reds are Syrah/Shiraz and Pinot Noir! If anyone tries any of these let me know what you think.
tomato_man_grower
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My favorite reds are Macaroni Grill Chianti (California) and Yellow-Tail Shiraz (Australia). I also like Barbera de Alba (Italian, any label)to drink with pepperoni pizza. Barefoot Chardonnay is my favorite inexensive white.
naturegurl
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
What a great post - I wonder if anyone is still checking it? Thanks for all the great suggestions. I used to enjoy $25 bottles of wine regularly as my everyday wines, but having had to recently 'downsize' my budget changed that. During travels in Italy & France I was always able to find cheap local wines that were more delicious than the more expensive wines I got in the US. In fact, some of the best wine I ever had was in Venice, and it was poured into a big jug (that I provided) by a woman who operated out of what looked like a closet, selling her own homemade wine. Cost about $1.50 for a gallon and was outstanding!

After many trials and errors (mostly errors) The best cheap wine I have found so far is from Searidge, out of California. Their chardonnay, merlot and cabernet are all quite drinkable and surprisingly tasty. And even more surprising is that they are all $5/bottle! I definitely recommend giving them a try.

Here is a link that mentions some other wines owned by Bronco Winery, who ownse Searidge and some other bargain labels.
bud_wi
19 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Corvo. It is an Itallian table wine and I always find it at small Itallian neighborhood grocers.
joanr
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
For a very good Asti you might want to try Mondoro from Italy. It is our favorite Asti. We had it at our daughter's wedding and, yes, we ran out. Everyone kept coming back for more. It is light and refreshing and definitely goes down easily! It usually runs from $10-$13 a bottle but my son-in-law bought some at Costco for under $10.
dragontek
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
The best tasting cheap wine-and in a box (!) Is Almaden Mountain Chablis. Why? Its very dry, and has a decent fruity flavor. Makes an easy non pretentious house wine. At $10.99 for 5 liters- you cannot go wrong.

Another great buy- a bit above Almaden in flavor complexity, still in a box is Corbett Canyon Pinot Grigio- 3 liters for around $10-11 bucks.

Another great buy 750ml bottle is Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc -$6.99 a bottle. The Cabernet is excellent also.
linda214
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I discovered charles shaw wines.I usually drink the Cab.the chard won 2 gold medals this year. for $3.99 a bottle you can't beat it..I buy cases of it when I go.no not all for me. many of my friends buy 2 and 3 cases when they go to trader joe's. I have passed it on to people who have expensive wine tastes and have had some converts..for $3.99 (in NJ) it's worth a try.
jleek
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
hoping that someone would jump in again. I would like to know what the current favorites are.

Am trying many of the other suggestions TIA
mikeinmo
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'm not sure if this is new or not, but new to the stores here, but Gallo's Muscato is GREAT. $6.94 for the big bottle at WalMart.
scaldude
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My personal favorite "cheap wine" is Novella "Synergy", but Bronco Wine Company is the Uncontested Champ of Cheap Wines!

Charles Shaw (2 Buck Chuck) was very popular when it first came out, but it's really not very good and I burned-out on it quickly. Bronco's Black Mountain label, also available at Trader Joes, is WAY BETTER!!!
wild_rose_of_texas
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Greetings from Texas!

This is my first post on the wine forum. What a great little thread to start with, and get to know you all! We recently took a nice little trip into the Texas Hill Country, where there are wineries every few miles, and in downtown Fredericksberg there are wine tasting rooms on every single block. I was unfamiliar with most wines in general and Texas wines in particular........ it seems to have started a domino effect, now I am reading wine, drinking wine, and this evening, evening CHATTING wine ONLINE! Ha!

During that vacation we tried some wines from Texas naturally, and most were pretty affordable. I have lots of questions for you wine savvy folks that I'll save for a new thread, but to add to this thread I wanted to mention my recent finds that have been pretty good to my tastes"

McPherson Viognier
Zellebration from the Fredericksberg Winery
Sutter Home White Zinfandel (I know, I know, but it is still pretty good even if it's "pedestrian")

And the most surprising, very inexpensive white is one from Argentina, listed as a nonvintage wine, is called "New Age". Fruity and crisp. It was 8 bucks a glass at the B&B restarant, enjoyed it overlooking Enchanted Rock the evening of our anniversary. I contacted our local liquor and wine store (Spec's) when we got home, they ordered it for us, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was only 8 dollars a bottle! Tastes like a couple of whites I have tried that were 4 times that cost.

Thanks for all your information! I hope this thread keeps going strong, I love getting the ideas!

Allison
mandarinmint
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My boyfriend can only drink red wine. . .he's not a fan of white wine for some reason. I can probably see why. . .he likes more bold, robust flavors in his foods, and red wine definitely has a more complex and deeper flavor than whites.

And with that, my list is comprised only of reds:
2 buck chuck from Trader Joe's (Many find this wine undrinkable, but I find it a great base for making mulled wine in the winter)

Purple Moon shiraz/sirah is about $6

And don't forget BevMo! For buy one wine get the other for 5cents (basically it's buy one get one free), I find this a great excuse to buy my favorite wines in bulk. . .and the price usually averages out to $10 per bottle. The store also has a very good variety of wines, so this is also a great way to try different types of blends and wines from wineries all across the world.
christy2828
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My favorite cheap wine is Trinchero Concha y Toro cab sav/merlot. We love it, buy it by the case and one is generally sitting on my counter top. I am also in MD, and pay about $7.00 for the big bottle. Christy :)
coffeehaus
18 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
To paraphrase my sister, "Anyone can get a great wine (meal) for $100. The challenge is to get a great wine for less than $10." So, I have been trying to do just that. Wine in a box? Hey, the Europeans and Australians are way ahead of us on that one. Lately, I've been buying Banrock Station (Australia) Cab/Merlot blend for about $5/bottle, or in the 3 litre box if I'm buying for a crowd, or in winter when I'm making "Gluwein". Their Riesling isn't bad, either. Boxed wine makes a lot of sense in terms of avoiding oxidation.
christy2828
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Found another cheap one, Echelon Pinot Noir. Very nice! Christy :)
sfhc21
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Oak Leaf Vineyards at Walmart for $3 a bottle. Tastes as good as many $20 bottles out there. At the Florida State International Wine Competition, they were one of four wines out of 84 competing to receive a gold medal in the Chardonnay category.

Oak Leaf has turned into our everyday wine. Can't beat the value...
silversword
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Crane Lake is made by the same company as Charles Shaw (2-buck chuck) and is sold for $1 more here, well worth it. Their petite syrah is wonderful. Even got my grandfather in law drinking more than one glass, and he's a connoisseur.

The problem with two buck chuck is it is very inconsistent. Some taste good for a cheap wine, and some are vinegar-esque.

The Australian and Chilean wines are good value, as well as McManis (can be bought for $8-10 sometimes and is served at restaurants for $6-8 per glass usually)
organic_leopold
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Lately I've been drinking the Robert Hall Rhone de Robles red (around $11-13, depending on the store). Very tasty and smooth, has kind of a pinot noir feel to it...
rosesinny
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jumilla is a region, like Napa Valley. The wines are usually made from monastrell, maybe garnacha, and even cabernet, syrah, and tempranillo.

CUNE or C.V.N.E. is a company - one of the oldest in Rioja, which is also a region. The C.V.N.E. wine is tempranillo with a touch of graciano and sometimes manzuelo, although the Contino subsidiary did make a 100% graciano wine. That one is not cheap. The basic Contino is around $30 - $40 retail in the US. However, the basic level C.V.N.E. is around $12 US and it's just fine. In fact, Spain has many great buys around that price. I just got back from a week tasting wine, looking for things to import, and there is a lot of really good (and really bad) wine in Spain. It's good advice to look for those wines.
lindac
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ah! Diversity....what makes the world go around!
I see some pans on things I think are pretty good ( after all this is a thread about cheap wines) and some lovew ines I think are not so good.
A couple of my cheap wine finds are Herding Cats, South Africa Chenin blanc/Chardonnay and Sebeka Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc.
And....much as I hate to admit it....the Oak Leaf wines are pretty darned good!
I first bought a bottle because I was making a stew that called for 2 cups of dry red wine. *I thought, I'll try it, and for $3.00 if it's bad....I'm not out much. So I tasted it before I dumped it into the stew and it's more than decent!!
And I feel a lot better about recipes that call for a cup of wine....when I can use Oak Leaf, drink the rest....or toss it because it wasn't that expensive.
Linda C
Jonathan
17 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Kourtaki samos muscat, a great value Greek dessert wine. Goes well with peach pie. I forget exactly how much it cost, but under $10.
cecilia_md7a
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Who knew that when I started this thread more than two years ago it would still be active?

The same cork dork who recommended the Foxhorn Merlot (now branded as Gray Fox in some stores) recently steered me toward a california brand named Crane Lake. I've tried the zinfandel and it was pretty good. There have also been some good cheap Spanish wines out there lately.
cecilia_md7a
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
My mistake - I just realized that I started this thread more than FOUR years ago!
cecilia_md7a
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I also didn't realize that several posters have already mentioned Crane Lake. Perhaps they've just started distributing it here in MD and that's why it's new to me. Based on some recommendations in Consumer Reports and Cooking Light magazines, I've recently tried and enjoyed Mondavi's Woodbridge Zinfindel (seems harder to find than the other reds in this line), Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere, and Borsao Tinto Granache/Garnacha.
rosesinny
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
cecilia - congrats to you on this thread! I check every few months just because, well, I don't know. But it's a good thread.

About the wines you listed - I don't want to tell you how to find wine but Consumer Reports isn't where I'd look! Still, you have some interesting ones. Crane Lake, as far as I know, is from Bronco. That's the company owned by Fred Franzia who gave us Two Buck Chuck and a lot of other things, like ForestVille Vineyard, Montpellier Vineyard, Hacienda Wine Cellars, Napa Ridge, Forest Glen, Estrella, Napa Ridge, Sea Ridge, Coastal Ridge, Silver Ridge, and a few less common ones like Salmon Creek and Domaine Napa, mostly sold to restaurants.

What he does is buy grapes and/or juice cheap - there's a bad economy right now and an overabundance of grapes. He blends them together and puts out a wine. The point is consistency and the elimination of vintage, place and variety. He irritates a lot of people in the business but I kind of like him because it can be a pompous business sometimes.

Mondavi's Woodbridge is cool for the history - Mondavi bought what was a co-op of growers that started after prohibition and he renamed it Woodbridge. It's an inexpensive wine but I think time has passed it by and because Lodi doesn't get the press of Napa or Sonoma, you can find a lot of wine from the Lodi area that's not expensive and better than the Woodbridge. Eventually I suppose people will get as excited about Lodi and the prices will go up, but right now there's a lot of wine made up there. It's an area where Gallo buys a lot and so does Franzia for his list of wines above.

Concha y Toro is probably the most important winery in Chile - they're the biggest. Kind of like Gallo in the US. Like Mondavi, but unlike Bronco, they have a range of quality levels, from the basic to really expensive stuff. Some is from their own vineyards, some purchased. I got to have dinner w the winemaker when he was in town last year and we tried a number of the wines - I like the whites much more than the reds.

Finally Borsao. To me, that's the most interesting of all, partly because it's not a huge company behind it. It was founded in an area where they've been making wine for centuries - mostly plonk that wasn't going to be transported far. But they wanted to do something better. They have garnacha, and a lot of it. I think that wine is one of the outstanding values in the wine world year in and year out. Not the basic level, the level just above it called Tres Picos. In blind tastings I've held it consistently holds its own with wines from the south of France costing many times the price. It's like a good Chateauneuf du Pape or at least a good Cote du Rhone. It's an example of a producer using their own grapes and making the best wine they can from it, without a lot of trickery. I wish there were more people in CA doing that. There are, but they charge a lot more money for their wine. Too bad because I think CA can do it if they wanted to and could keep the price under $20 or even under $15. But there's no incentive to do that if people will pay $25.
afeisty1
15 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Another fan of Peachy Canyon Zinfandels. For a real treat, we enjoy Fratelli Perata also from the Central Coast region.

For everyday drinking we like Spanish Quarter Albarino-Chardonnay blend and last night was very pleasantly surprised with the Cab/Temperanillo blend. Both can be found for under $10.

Other everyday wines we also like Root:1 Cabernet, Santa Julia Viognier and Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc.
claire44
15 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
This is an absolutely amazing posting! I've been taking notes and can't wait to try some of these out! Thanks everyone.
qdwag
15 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Far from being a wine expert,some of the above mentioned wines are terrible..You DO get what you pay for..Of the aforementioned about the only one worth it's price is Crane Lake..You don't need to spend 20 bucks a bottle for decent wine,but less then 10 bucks is not a good price point vis-a-vie taste...12-15 bucks will get you good wine at a good value
tami_nutley_yahoo_com
15 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Just started drinking wine - love the reds - so far I really like Mï¿½nage ï¿½ trois which is a blended wine and is about 10 or less a bottle. I also like the Robert Modavavi blends. Also has been on sale for 7.99 a bottle. I love there is a place that I can get input on what is good at a decent price.
lindawisconsin
15 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Well for us, the Banrock Station wines are pretty good for the price.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the box wines you can get at Target! They are somewhat inconsistent year to year, but occasionally you get a lot more than you pay for. Check the awards chart on the shelf and buy the varieties that have gold medals. Not fine wines by any means, but good everyday wines.
Also I have been pleased with Beringer.
Chilipepper29
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
"Pinot Evil" brand Pinot Noir is pretty tasty! I just picked up 3 bottles a few hours ago (that's all that they had. Ha!). I'm sipping on a glass right now. It's a product of France. It has 3 monkeys on the front label, representing the 3 wise monkey proverb. The price has been $8.99 at Publix now for a while. 12.5% Alcohol.
musicgale
11 years ago
We buy a lot of Apothic Red at Sam's club for less than 9 dollars per bottle. They produced a blend last year called Apothic Dark (around Halloween) that was our hand's down favorite for daily table wine, and we are hitting the end of that supply.
lookintomyeyes83
11 years ago
musicgale, is there a way to pm you? I'm curious to learn more about your house!
musicgale
11 years ago
Hmmn- there used to be a way to get in touch before the merger... let me see what I can come up with-
sushipup1
11 years ago
Try "Your Houzz" in upper right corner, and the advanced settings in your profile.
Waverly
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I recently started buying Black Box wines.. yep boxed wine. I've had the Merlot and the Cab and the Malbec and I've liked them for everyday. I work in a hair salon and this is what we serve complimentary to guests and no one ever complains.
Waverly
11 years ago
in the $10-ish range I love Apothic Red, Alamos Malbec, Protocolo red, and for a white Fetzer Gewurztraminer
Pistachios (Zone 7)
11 years ago
I usually purchase in the $10 range and these two fit: Norton Malbec and Bartenura Moscato, the latter of which I can purchase for $11 at Costco. I'm not a huge sweet wine person, but that moscato is, for me, ridiculously delicious.
artemis_ma
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I am a dry wine fan but not a pucker-up dry fan. I love a good Sauvingnon Blanc, such as Starbourough or Est! Est! Est! -- both around $10 - $13 here in CT. For red, I love 337 (which is a blend), and I love the Spanish reds/riojas, such as the two less expensive LAN wines. (There's also a third LAN, it retails here for $45, so I've missed out on that experience!) I won't spend more than $17 on a red or more than $13 on a white. 337 is about $12 or $13, as is the less expensive of the LANs.

There's also a nice vino verdi, with just that hint of sparkle, that goes for $7 here -- about as cheap as one can get. I can't recall its name, but it's the one with a lot of blue on its label.

(We can't buy stuff like Two Buck Chuck in Connecticut, or anything other than beer or hard cider at supermarkets. So our prices for things are probably higher than elsewhere.)
spartanapples
10 years ago
I like Yellowtail wines. I tried a $4 bottle from Trader joe's (never again!). My best deal on good wine is a local winery that offers a case club membership. If I buy 12 bottles, I get them at a discounted price. I can mix and match the 12 bottles I choose to fill the case. They give free samples too so one can taste before purchasing. Most of what I get this way runs about $10 a bottle and their selection is good. Plus I am buying from a local winemaker!
Margaret Schultz
10 years ago
Now that I've moved to the southwest where the summers are HOT HOT HOT and the winters are mild, my consumption of red wine has drastically declined. I LOVE red wine... but I pretty much only have it in the winter when I'm braising or roasting meats. Spring, summer and fall are all about salads & grilling outside and drinking whites or rosés. I'm pretty much a rosé junkie now. Luckily the local liquor store has a huge selection. I'm partial to old world rosés because they have significant minerality and are very dry on the palate. Dark rosés are great even with grilled meats and lighter rosés are wonderful with poultry & seafood. One of my favorite combinations is a french muscadet with oysters. (That is one taste preference that hasn't changed: I still love cold water oysters more than warm water oysters).

French rosés are inexpensive, usually anywhere from $8 - $15 a bottle and are fantastic.
User
9 years ago
I know this is a verrrry old thread, but felt I must put an end to this madness. Life is too short to drink cheap wine.

And to the person who said "We always considered wine a food and therefore always buy cheap. " I can't imagine buying cheap food to serve my family and friends. Cheap is cheap.
sandycfrd
9 years ago
Some can't buy. ( better - best ) ... so instead of buying NONE .... I say buy what you can afford .
User
9 years ago
So, wines are categorized as bad-better-best? Would you eat in a restaurant with bad food just because you can't afford the French Laundry? No.
lindac92
9 years ago
Nel, you are equating inexpensive with bad....that's not the case. I have had some$25 wines that were just plain bad....and some darn good wines at $6 a bottle.
And I sure buy "cheap food" to feed my family and friends. They consider it a rare treat to have me make my baby lima bean soup out of that leftover ham bone and bread pudding out of that getting dry loaf of French bread.
And Pork loin chops are on sale for $1.99 a pound this week....pretty cheap. I wonder if I still have a bottle of that Merlot from chili to serve with them?
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
And no, I am not equating inexpensive with bad wine. I am equating cheap with bad wine. Cheap means not good value. Inexpensive means good value. Therefore you can have inexpensive wines that are a good value. When "cheap" is used, it is usually in a negative manner. For example, this shirt is cheaply made, meaning poor value, rough, seams coming apart. However, if you say, this shirt is inexpensive, it means that you will get a better made shirt (seams well constructed, good fabric, pattern matching) for a good price.

If your pork chops are very fatty with gristle and are on sale for $1.99, they are cheap. If they are lean with nice meat, they are inexpensive.

What's your favorite cheap wine?

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