Cheap, good wine

I bragged about my ability to zero in on good $6.00 bottles of wine on another thread, and Aaron Deacon has tossed down the glove. I haven't the energy to be comprehensive here, but let me give a couple of good choices. First, from Citra, the Budweiser of Italian wines, the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a real bargain at about 5 bucks. Like most of these cheap reds, give it some air before you gulp it down. Even cheap reds benefit from some "counter aging," so pull the cork about 15 minutes before imbibing. Another good cheapy is Alice White's Cab/Shiraz blend (the green label). I'll also take a moment here to postulate my wine selection theory, particularly valuable at "superstores" like Sam's, that you should buy wines based on the label. That is, buy wines with attractive or unusual labels. It's at least as reliable as any other rule of thumb, and also has some reason behind it. That is, if a winery cares enough about its product to create a unique and aesthetically pleasing label (rather than just slapping the name on the bottle), they may care a bit about the aesthetic value of the product in the bottle. Bonny Doon is a neat example of this, and there are hundreds of others out there. Just my 2 cents' worth.[/b]

I saw in another thread where JiminLoganSquare is a self-proclaimed "master at finding $6.00 bottles of wine that are worth drinking".

Such a bold claim demands accounting, and I call on Mr. JiLS, in the name of all that is good and holy in the state of Indiana, to prove his mettle forthwith. (And if you care not to share in public, for fear of the swarms of LTH die-hards swooping down and either removing your precious treasure from the shelf or unintentionally driving up the price, feel free to just send me your new email newsletter. ) I, for one, find myself drinking $6/bottle wines quite often, and I'm always on the lookout for new tips.

A discussion on the listserv a while back got into some Trader Joe's wines. A lot of TJ wines are $6/bottle or less. A lot of them are also quite crappy. I find myself buying four or five at a time, hoping for one or two hits that justify a second purchase. One such wine has been the Cerrina Nero d'Avola, $4.99, not bad. Drinkable. That's really about all I ask at this price point.

I tried the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo by the same producer, and was not impressed. Actually, this is a place where I think it would also be useful, if anyone cares to do so, to catalog bad TJ wines, because knowing which ones to avoid is the real key.

Another $4.99 wine I've been drinking of late is Tratto II Chianti from Binny's. Incidentally, Binny's, at least the downtown location, also has a bunch of Albrecht Alsatian wines (Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Tokay Pinot Gris) marked down to $6-8 a bottle. I think they are mostly 2001s.

And one candidate in this category that seems to be on permanent hiatus from the area is a Spanish red called Borsao. This one was more than just drinkable, which probably explains while you can't find it anymore. Still, I'm hoping people will share.

[Edit: Wow, Jim snatched the gauntlet just as it was hitting the ground, and we both responded in new threads within a few minutes of each other. I have merged my thread to Jim's. I'm also going to ask that people bold the wines they name in this thread, to make it a more useful resource. If no one minds (and please pipe up if you do), I'll go ahead and add bolding to Jim's and others if I get a chance.]

I've had no luck at all with Trader Joe's wines; the one's I've had were cheap and tasted cheap, but then again, I've only tried three or four of them. So here's a couple of $6.00 wonders you might want to try: 2001 Veramonte Merlot and 1998 LAN Crianza. I thing Costco has them both in that price range. I apologize if you have to drop a couple more bucks. Anyway, these are both good mouthfillers, strong berry and even a bit of structure in the Veramonte. If you can find the Hogue late harvest riesling in the under-$7.00 price range (again, I think Costco has it at that price), you've got another winner.

Hmm, my threshhold has gone north of $6 bottles, based on not liking too many of the things I've had. For me, it's $9 bottles.

I have two basic ways to achieve this:

1. Buy Spanish wines.

2. Go into Fine Wine Brokers, 4621 N. Lincoln Ave., and tell 'em what I like (peasanty wines) and what I want to pay. There are plenty of small producer French, German, Italian, Chilean, whatever wines in that range, and I've never found a method of choosing them that beats asking the guy who's actually tried them.

This is mainly a method for one-man shops-- same thing with Howard on Belmont, the late lamented Wine Crier, etc. You can get good advice at Sam's but it tends to start at $30 or $40 a bottle. On the other hand, just walking around the sections where cheaper wines are found at Sam's and reading the little tags can produce finds in that price range-- look in the aforementioned Spanish and Chilean sections, as well as parts of France that aren't Burgundy, Bordeaux, etc. (I drink a lot of Rhone wines-- I like them for being a little rough and spicy, I've traveled there enough that I at least have the beginnings of a handle on the area and who the major producers are, it's possible to kind of know a finite area like that without devoting your life to wine.)

Well, yes, most of the wine I buy is significantly north of $6.00. But I still take a certain joy in finding those $6.00 bottles. Regarding Spanish wines, YES! I often just go down the aisle and buy one of every Spanish red in the sub-$20 range. I've had a great deal of pleasure from those harvesting sessions.

Mike G wrote:Hmm, my threshhold has gone north of $6 bottles, based on not liking too many of the things I've had. For me, it's $9 bottles.

Yeah, but $9/bottle, there's no challenge. I think both of your strategies at the $9 level are good ones, but as you suggest, you don't need too much help there--random stabs in Spain, South America, or small, good wine merchants' inventory have quite a high rate of success. Still, I'm happy to hear your real winners.

At $5-6 there are mostly really bad wines, but there are a handful of decent, drinkable wines, and there are also, on occasion, some really good wines.

Now if you don't mind spending $9-10, maybe decent/drinkable is too low a standard. But really good for $5-6 should still get you excited. And occasionally I'll find a cheap pinot grigio for $3-4 that I wouldn't buy to serve at a dinner party but is a nice way to pass summer afternoons for $35 a case, as opposed to say, $120 bucks a case.

On that last note (not $3-4, but passing away what remaining summer afternoons we have), I enjoy the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, a slightly effervescent Portuguese wine with a low enough alcohol content (7%?) to make it exceptionally suited to drinking large quantities on hot summer days. I think it runs about seven bucks.

Cristalino Rose Cava (Sparkling Spanish wine), $6/bottle at Sam's. Surprisingly dry, great for Summer, goes well with most light fare and Asian food. I've passed this off as gift wine, even though that standard seems to be at least $15/bottle. I know it tastes great, but still feel like I'm passing counterfeit money when I arrive at a dinner party and give the host a $6 bottle of wine, dressed in a bag and occassion that pretends it's more.

Rich4 wrote:Cristalino Rose Cava (Sparkling Spanish wine

You know, to be honest, the pink Cristalino is a bit too sweet for me, though I love pink sparklers. But Cristalino Brut is a great call, easily my favorite cheap bubbly, and certainly on par with many $15/bottle offerings.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:I apologize if you have to drop a couple more bucks.

I don't mean to be too rigorous about the $6 price point. I sure don't want people not to post about a great bargain wine that costs $9, or heck, even $20. I certainly don't mind spending more and am happy for any good value. I still plan to try your recommended Cigar Zin.

I'll need to try the Veramonte...I've liked both the LAN and the Hogue late harvest riesling.

When I go for cheaper wines I find myself tending towards bottles that are labeled as "table wines". Of these, I am most addicted to Ca' del Solo "Big House Red" and Big House White from Bonny Doon Vineyards. These usually fall in the $7-$8 range at Sam's.

(I'm no good at describing wines, but I'll just say that I really like these).

They're screw-cap wines, and sometimes come with a little tag extoling the virtues of screw-caps over corks.

Best,
EC

eatchicago wrote:Ca' del Solo "Big House Red"

This wine was first recommended to me by a wine merchant in San Francisco on our honeymoon five years ago. Neither of us had seen it before, and were grateful when it started popping up around town. It's sort of fallen off our radar after a couple years of regular drinking, but thanks for the reminder.

Speaking of table wines, in Omaha recently at Sam's Club, I picked up a bottle of Kenwood Vintage Red 2001 for about $6.50. It was surprisingly good, and I'll get it again here if I see it. It's a mix of mostly zinfandel and some carignane.

Oh, and one popular, widely-praised cheap wine I don't care for: Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull.

Aaron Deacon wrote:A discussion on the listserv a while back got into some Trader Joe's wines. A lot of TJ wines are $6/bottle or less. A lot of them are also quite crappy. I find myself buying four or five at a time, hoping for one or two hits that justify a second purchase. One such wine has been the Cerrina Nero d'Avola, $4.99, not bad. Drinkable. That's really about all I ask at this price point.

Great thread.

I'm all for listening to your tips for under $6 bottles, but I do not have a great degree of confidence. I agree with Aaron's statement about TJ and their wines, that they may appear to be a good deal but seldom are, as lousy wine no matter how cheap has no value. On the other hand, I do agree on the Cerrina as a worthwhile BBQ/pasta wine.

I agree with the sentiments that if you spend just a bit more, and as Al E has said to me, go just over $10, the differences can be huge. The Domaine Chandon sparkling wines are very enjoyable and can be found for around $13. They especially go good with Asian food.

I agree with Mike about Spanish wines, but know next to nothing about them. I think S. American wines are great values, but again if you creep up and over $10, the quality increases greatly.

One cheap wine I am always happy with is Columbia Crest.

Rob

I am not a wine expert however we have had a lot of luck with Trader Joe wines - in fact for the most part, have enjoyed every one of them and have a few that we return to again and again as they are really good (and also happen to cheap, nice bonus).

In particular Arlanleon reserve 2000 is an extremely good Spanish red wine, I think at about $4.99 (maybe $6.99 don't actually recall, but very low price) at Trader Joes. We drank it one night without me revealing out expensive it was and the reaction was that it was a $40+ bottle of wine - definitely worth trying.

In particular our general strategy at Trader Joes is to try wines there from less well known regions - i.e. Spanish Wines instead of trying to find a French or Californian wine there priced inexpensively - so far at least that strategy seems to be paying of quite well.

Shannon

On that last note (not $3-4, but passing away what remaining summer afternoons we have), I enjoy the Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, a slightly effervescent Portuguese wine with a low enough alcohol content (7%?) to make it exceptionally suited to drinking large quantities on hot summer days. I think it runs about seven bucks.

You can often find vinho verde in the $4 range. As mentioned, it's a great wine for a hot summer day ... something about those low alchohol, slightly fizzy wines. Moscato being another great example. Sams has a couple in the 4 - 7 range. Last summer TJs had one for $3.99. The tall, slender bottles and often exotic labels make them look more elegant/expensive than they are.

Of course, there haven't really been many of those scorching days this summer ...

rien

I'll give another prop to Costco.

I ran across the lable Le Mouton Noir (Black Sheep). First, I bought the Cab-Shiraz blend, but then my heart leapt for joy, like a spring lamb, when I saw a viognier-chardonnay blend for about $7. The only other Vig-Chard blend I found previously was about $18 from Routas. My then GF chose it at Le Bouchon, after which I special ordered cases from WDC.

pd


[Edit, so excited to post, I missed the note on bolding the wine producers, fixed]

Speaking of viognier blends, I really like a Pine Ridge Viognier-Chenin Blanc. It used to be like $7-8 at Wine Discount Center--and I thought it was a real bargain at that price. It's gone up a few bucks, and it's $11 at Binny's and Sam's, but even at that price, I still buy it. It's a nice compliment to Thai food.

If you guys enjoy the vinho verde, you should also try the dirt-cheap, easy drinking white and rose Riojas from producers like Marques de Caceres. Usually about six or seven bucks.

For cheap but big reds, keep an eye out for Puglian Negroamaros. [Not to be confused with Nero d'Avola .] The next big thing.

I hope if you're interested in wine you'll take the time to find tasting events, and try to focus on a varietal or style at all the big events (that can be enough to tackle when there's over 200 wines to taste).

One problem with cheap good wine can is often that it probably isn't that consitant vintage after vintage - really that's hard for most winemakers, though you CAN get OK cheap wines like that year after year.

Also, don't forget to try to find AWESOME wines for $40 and under a bottle. Frankly in all my experimenting I find it generally necessary to pay at least $35 for a top-notch bottle. But the industry wants you to think that you have to pay more than $50 and usually more than $75 for the kind of wine you can get for $35 from lesser known producers and regions.

If you don't know where to find tasting events, best bet is to ask where you shop when they have bottles open for tastings. Also, DiCarlo Armanetti's has HUGE tasting events twice a year and Sam's Wine has some very large ones four times a year. Binny's has them quite frequently but more like 20-75 wines.

Most every wine shop will have something open on a Saturday, maybe only a few bottles, maybe more.

All I know is that I've had many different favorite cheap wines over the years, and the best I've found at tastings and sometimes don't last long before they sell out, but then another tasting finds me a new cheap favorite.

Nancy

Nancy Sexton wrote:One problem with cheap good wine can is often that it probably isn't that consitant vintage after vintage - really that's hard for most winemakers, though you CAN get OK cheap wines like that year after year.

...

All I know is that I've had many different favorite cheap wines over the years, and the best I've found at tastings and sometimes don't last long before they sell out, but then another tasting finds me a new cheap favorite.

Excellent points, both, which is why it would be nice to have a resource to identify current good buys and where to find them. It would be nice to get tips before the stash sells out, assuming you buy all you need beforehand.

JeffB wrote:If you guys enjoy the vinho verde, you should also try the dirt-cheap, easy drinking white and rose Riojas from producers like Marqes de Caseres. Usually about six or seven bucks.

Do you mean Marques de Caceres?

As someone who also laments the disappearance of borsao, ( I used to buy two cases a year of both the borsao as well as the plain vina borgia), i find myself going to wine discount center and trying all the Eric Solomon, european wine cellars, wines. He is an importer that concentrates on cheaper spanish and southern french wines, and they are always decent.
As a big fan of dry roses, I think that the las rocas from Spain, for around 8 bucks is great. two of my favorite spanish wines, guelbenzu azul and Castel de Remei Gotum Bru, have crept up from 8 bucks 4 years ago to 11 now. WDC tends to carry a lot of nice earthy Rhone wines in the 9-14 dollar range.
I havent had many australian wines in the last few years, because i thought that the spanish/french were better bang for the buck. Sadly, these have gone up in price quite a bit as the Euro has strengthened, so I may have to revisit the new world wines. I have found most american wines under $10 to be crappy, except for maybe the non-vintage Zins from rosenblum and Cline.
-Will

Aaron Deacon wrote:
Do you mean Marques de Caceres?

Is that not what I said?

I really should read this stuff before I post it.

I second the comment about what a great thread this is. If you spot a woman in a north suburban wine store with reading glasses on, head down, nose buried in printouts, stop and say "hi" because it's probably me.

JiLS...I like your correlation between a decent wine and a snazzy label. Did you help Bill Dailey write his column for Good Eating today?

Kim

on a related note to this discussion, my doctor just prescribed red wine as a way to control my high cholesterol. a while back, i'd have danced a jig at doctor-sanctioned drinking, but, alas, my heavier drinking days are behind me. now, i'm lucky if i can even get through a glass of wine every so often, let a lone 1-2 glasses a day. i was perfectly happy not drinking much.

so, what i'm in the market for is a red wine that is cheap enough that i don't wince when i get to the checkout counter (the cheaper the better) but doesn't taste so bad that my teeth will hurt. i was obviously quite delighted when i stumbled on this thread and plan on checking out several of the wines mentioned earlier. i'm realllly far from a connoisseur (and don't care in the least) but am partial to reds along the lines of a chianti or a pinot noir and less keen on cabernets. any further suggestions would be most appreciated.

Kwe730 wrote:JiLS...I like your correlation between a decent wine and a snazzy label. Did you help Bill Dailey write his column for Good Eating today?

Kim

No, and I guess I'll go read that column right away! Keep in mind, and I'm sure this is not news to anyone, a snazzy label often appears on a ho-hum or lousy wine, and conversely, Gran Cru Bordeaux labels are notoriously boring. And then there are some cheap wines with crappy or boring labels that are consistently delicious (e.g., Vital Information's recommended Columbia Crest wines). But if I don't know a thing about a "mystery wine" I spot as I cruise the aisles of the Wine Mega Mall, I find that I can at least improve my odds by going with interesting labels. (By the way, I'll note that two wines mentioned here, Ca del Solo "Big House" Red and White, have very snazzy labels -- typical of Bonny Doon, the producer of Ca del Solo.)

Aaron Deacon wrote:But Cristalino Brut is a great call, easily my favorite cheap bubbly, and certainly on par with many $15/bottle offerings.

I second that opinion - for special occasions (with those that appreciate fine champagne) i'll buy a nice $$$ bottle(rene geoffroy, dampierre) for the first bottle, but then it's cristalino from there out.

sharon

foo d wrote:on a related note to this discussion, my doctor just prescribed red wine as a way to control my high cholesterol. a while back, i'd have danced a jig at doctor-sanctioned drinking, but, alas, my heavier drinking days are behind me. now, i'm lucky if i can even get through a glass of wine every so often, let a lone 1-2 glasses a day. i was perfectly happy not drinking much.

so, what i'm in the market for is a red wine that is cheap enough that i don't wince when i get to the checkout counter (the cheaper the better) but doesn't taste so bad that my teeth will hurt. i was obviously quite delighted when i stumbled on this thread and plan on checking out several of the wines mentioned earlier. i'm realllly far from a connoisseur (and don't care in the least) but am partial to reds along the lines of a chianti or a pinot noir and less keen on cabernets. any further suggestions would be most appreciated.

I would suggest the Arlanleon wine I mentioned earlier in the thread - very cheap, available at Trader Joes, and extremely good - and I too tend to like Chianti and not cabernets. It is a Spanish Red, eminately drinkable and a great value.

As a one-time avid buyer of anything on clearance and at, or below, a certain price point, I have found that one ends up with a lot of junk in search of a gem. Now, I mostly buy wines priced between $9 and $20, though I will go up to $50 gladly for the right wine. I will not buy wine, or anything else, just because it is cheap. Been there, done that, and it is a false bargain.

Here are some thoughts:

Spanish whites are good buys. A few years ago one could get fabulous, world-class, Spanish reds for under $30, and very good ones for $10. That game, sadly, has played out for the most part. In addition to the prodcuers mentioned above, I think that Bodegas Montecillo and Muga, also generally produce some very high quality, inexpensive reds, though both also produce more expensive wines, and the reds are not as cheap as $6 any more. Still, if you run across any Muga, buy it and be happy. A little cheaper, I used to enjoy a couple of the Faustinos, which all come with a roman numeral on them. I never did figure out the meaning of the different ones, and forget which I liked. Cannot vouch for recent vintages.

I think southern France and northeastern Italy now offer better red wine values. Generally, I will buy most Valpolicelli for a fresh red, and Valpolicello Ripasso for something heartier (same wine, Ripasso is just aged on the lees of Amarone, which is also the same grape, just turned into raisins before fermenting - anyway, the Amarone lees give Ripasso a kick in the butt).

New Zealand whites are good buys. Mostly Sauvignon Blanc, but they are making some nice Rieslings. One can often find things between $6 and $10.

Hugel, an Alsatian producer, makes a blend which is showing up in restaurants these days. It costs $6-$8 and is quite pleasant. Typically, it costs the same per glass in a restaurant. Hugel's other wines are a bit more costly, but usually good buys.

Russell Graham, of Bonny Doon, makes numerous wonderful wines for a low price. In additon to those mentioned, his Rose, Vin Gris de Cigare, and Pacific Rim Riesling are also quite nice. And he deserves all of our support both because he is a fun guy and is so committed to fun, quality, inexpensive wines.

I have been exploring central California wines, and have found some decent wines in the $8-$15 range (better than the more expensive ones for the most part, which tend to be overdone). My summer wine of choice this year has been the 2002 Claiborne & Churchill Central Coast Dry Riesling. But it does come in at about $12 a bottle, so it exceeds the target (though it seems pretty perfect for me).

I like Vinho Verde, and think one is safe to buy it whenever you see it.

Trader Joe's buys and sells wine on price, and I have not been happy with their wines. I have some good friends, and fellow wine lovers, who love TJ. But I fear they are primarily price driven in this passion.

One approach to all this is to find a wine merchant one trusts, and just let them present you with choices at your price point once a month. Take home a mixed case and try them out. If you give the store some ideas of what you like, and how much you want to spend, I am sure they will be happy to prepare a case so that all you have to do is pick it up. When you find a delightful one, buy a case and share it with all of us. Heck, I will be happy to meet you for dinner and buy a bottle or more. Call it the "do-it-yourself wine club." I am currently doing this with a couple of places, but will be cutting back in a little bit as the wines are piling up...

The other two ways to go about it is to track importers and buy wines from an importer whose other wines you have liked, as they tend to have a house style and price point, or to follow particular winemakers, such as Bonny Doon. But one can evolve into these approaches after working with the wine store first.

Some thoughts - hope they are of some use.

foo d wrote:on a related note to this discussion, my doctor just prescribed red wine as a way to control my high cholesterol. a while back, i'd have danced a jig at doctor-sanctioned drinking, but, alas, my heavier drinking days are behind me. now, i'm lucky if i can even get through a glass of wine every so often, let a lone 1-2 glasses a day. i was perfectly happy not drinking much.

There is a spirited discussion developing on the health benefits/risks of drinking wine, and you can follow that discussion over here. But I don't want to lose this good, cheap wine rec from MAG:

MAG wrote:

I second that opinion - for special occasions (with those that appreciate fine champagne) i'll buy a nice $$$ bottle(rene geoffroy, dampierre) for the first bottle, but then it's cristalino from there out.

The best inexpensive sparkling wine that I have found is the Pierre Jourdan Cap Classique from of all places South Africa. My husband and I first had it while in South Africa for our honeymoon, it has recently become readily available at Sam's and Binny's.

(Incidentally, I'm experimenting a bit with splitting threads. Since I'd kind of like this eventually to be a resource more than a discussion, maybe being moved to Useful Stuff, I moved off the tangent to another board. If anyone wishes to comment, for better or for ill, please start a topic on Site Chat, as I'd love to hear more input.)

Cheers,

Aaron

LTH,

My inexpensive wine purchases are, like most everyone, hit and miss. Typically I buy at Sam's on Marcey Street, Costco or Howard's Wine Cellar. In the past I mainly used Howard when I was not price sensitive and wanted the perfect wine for a meal or occasion, never thinking Howard would stock, or be interested in, $6-$10 wines. I was wrong.

I have had excellent luck with Howard over the years just by giving him context and price range. By context I mean sense of occasion/food to be served.

I don't have specific brands to recommend, with the exception of Placido 2001 Chianti. I was at Minelli Brothers last week, picking up a couple of steaks, fresh mozzarella and olive salad, when I checked out a wine salesperson was chatting with the owner. He recommended the Placido, it was $6.99, so I bought a bottle to go with dinner. My wife, whose wine palate is more highly developed than mine, liked the Placido quite a bit and was surprised it was so inexpensive.

I picked up a case from Minelli yesterday, they even gave me a slight case discount. YMMV

Enjoy,
Gary

Minelli Brothers
7780 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
847-965-1315

Howard's Wine Cellar
1244 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
773-248-3766

Sam