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good cheap wines?

Started by Mark Schlipper, July 24, 2005, 08:08 PM

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Mark Schlipper

Hey all,

I've recently gotten myself a taste for red wines (particularly Syrah/Shirazs) and well, being a pragmatic man I don't like the idea of paying over $12 for a bottle (ok, I'll go to $15 if the label is cool ;) ) and prefer to keep it under $10.  And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.   So I thought it'd be fun to share our findings.   Seeing as how wine is as subjective as music, itd be nice to have a sentence or two about why you like or dislike the particular selection.

SO ...

Goods:

Smoking Loon 2002 Syrah - like most syrah, rich and chock fulla berry goodness, and smooth like butta.  

EXP 2001 Syrah - a little pricier (got it on sale for $12), but really good.  It had some different fruitiness than most syrahs Ive had, like a fig kinda thing on top of the berry.  It added a dark funkiness to it, like mushrooms on a burger.  Plus they get bonus points for not wrapping the top, just a wax plug on top of the cork :)  

Not so good:

Porcupine Ridge 2004 Shiraz - the first bottle I just dumped.  Just had too much rough edge too it.   I expect a little burn from my scotch, not my wine.  

Gregg Rivers

We have a friend that works at a Liquor Store in Memphis. He's also Italian AND he LOVES wine! He's turned me on to a red wine that I love as well! Lorval Merlot. Delicious and it's only about $10.00 a bottle. Try it. (It's a French wine....but it's good anyway! HA!)

felix

I like the Yellow Tail *Austraila* shiraz the most.  I think it's around 15 to 17 for those big bottles of it if you go to a costco other shoppers club.

I just go to a wine dept. and look for the cheapest, oldest brand of wine.  Sometimes I get lucky- sometimes I don't.

Most of the time I have found that the more I spend, the better the bottle.  I like Ferarri (Italy I think) white wines/chardonay's the most.

I'm not much of an authority- I just know what I like.

smoggrocks

the syrah/shiraz wines have really gained in popularity, and i've noticed their price is starting to reflect that. i used to be able to choose from a range of new zealand picks for about $10-13, and now they're closer to $20 and above.  

for a real bargain, there's always black opal. at $8 a bottle, it gets the job done, but i find it a little too harsh.

D'arenberg Stump Jump is really nice. round, mellow, earthy notes, good with just about any food. 10 bux. [though it's a grenache/shiraz blend]

Annie's Lane Shiraz, also a varietal, is very nice. lots of berry flavors, easy finish. very drinkable, as they say. it's about 14 or 15 bux.

one that i think is totally overrated is Changeling Eden Valley [i forget who puts it out]. it got really high ratings, but i must've gotten a bum batch, coz i thought it was really nasty and bitter. not worth my 40 bux!

i'm getting back into rhone wines. while many of them are astronomically expensive, i can still find good bargains from time to time.

you know, i tried edumacating myself about vino several years back, and just got confused. so many differing opinions about what's right, what's wrong, what glass to use, whether the trend toward regular bottle caps is bad or good. i just decided to let my tastebuds decide. it's worked fine thus far.


ok, im done wine-ing. :-X ;D

Bart Elliott

I like Merlot, so I'll have to check out the Lorval.

I also like most Shiraz ... so I'll have to look into those suggestions as well.

I wish I had something to recommend. I don't drink wine often enough to really recommend one ... but the real reason is more along the lines of not finding something that I was really crazy about. Basically not enough consistent experience to draw any conclusions or suggestions.

Gregg Rivers

A white that I've grown fond of is Behringer Sauvignon blanc. The 2001 was a great vintage but I've found the 2003 is not nearly as good! It runs about $14 bucks a bottle. The 2001 vintage is a very good domestic.

smoggrocks

ooops -- i forgot to mention another option just in the 'red table wine' category, and that's Boucheron. it's sold in one of those 750 ml [or larger?] bottles, and it rules.

usually, i just use it to cook, and take little nips as i go along, but it's perfectly great by itself. they make red, white and chardonnay, and for $7.99 for a huge bottle, i consider it a great value.

hey, man -- if it's good enough for the french, it'll do for me!


chefdoug

  I am also liking Shiraz alot but I have been leaning towards Pinot Noir lately. I really like many of the wines Austrailia has to offer, particularly any of  the Rosemont Estate wines. The Shiraz is really nice as are some of the Shiraz blends. I had this one Pinot Noir(Aussie wine) not too long ago, can't remeber the name of the vineyard, but the bottle had a blue lable and simply said "Bin 333"

Another good Aussie vineyard is Lindemans(sp?), nice Shiraz. I also tried a Shiraz called Little Penguin, I think I paid $11 for it.

It's been a while since I plunged in to a good bottle of wine. With the hot weather of summer, it's been tons of grilled food and a nice assortment of high brow, snobby beer.  8)I sometimes get in beer mode and wine really takes a back seat.  

Oh and as far as  good cheap wines go, don't forget to but a few bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau when it comes out in November, the George Duboeuf can be had for about $8, the Beringer isn't bad either., check out some history of this traditional wine here.....
 http://www.intowine.com/beaujolais2.html

Mark Schlipper

Please do open it up to other kinds of wines too if thats your cuppa.  I can really only talk syrah/shiraz because thats all Ive been drinking.   But don't feel obligated to limit it to that.

I'd tried a number of Australians (Yellow Tail and Little Penguin both among others) and while I liked 'em, I always found the Californias smoother and easier.  

My favorite Aussie Shiraz was Buckley's.   Very nice.  I was at Trader Joes (kinda snooty grocery store for those that don't know) yesterday picking up a couple bottles for myself and got two people to buy Buckley's  ;D  

There was a French Syrah I liked too called Red Bicyclette, don't recall the vintage, it was a while back.   Very similar to a Californian one I liked by Pepperwood Grove.  Both easily 4 out of 5 stars.  

I still shop by label to be honest  ;D  There are so many options out there, and I have so little experience, that I have nothing really to guide me but the vintners sense of aesthetics.   Thats actually kind of how it started for me.  A bottle of Bonny Doon with a Ralph Steadman illustration was appealing, add to that the fact that I've been to the BD winery and I had to buy it ;D

Joe

I wannnna go see where they throw the fiiiiish....

::duck & run::

Tony

Smoggy, $8 for a Black Opal?  Got to move back to NYC,  I paid $5.75 for a glass this weekend.  'course, I was at the beach.  It's about $15 here, but this is Alabama, the State that prides itself on having the largest tax on liquor, wine and beer in the USA!!! Woo-Hoo.

I second Chefdoug and the Rosemont brands, they are very tasty for the price range.  I'm not sure if LUNA DI LUNA makes a Shiraz, but everything else I've had by them is good and solid.  I would follow any of the rec's here, as I've sampled them all (not at once, though!!) and they are all well made conservatively priced wines.  Happy hunting, I've always enjoyed the first sip of a new wine, it's like Christmas everytime    ;D

felix

I can't stand Luna di Luna whites- those are in the blue bottles right?  YUK

Mark, I bought a bottle of "Jacob's Creek" Shiraz 2003 (Austrailia) for 7 bucks to go with the Lasanza I made.  It's good stuff maynard.

Lots of antioxidants!

Tkitna

My wife and her friends drink a good bit of wine (like fish actually) and they buy Breitenbach's "Frostfire" a lot. Its a white wine though and its made in Ohio's Amish Country, but its only $8.00 a bottle and they swear by it.

(plus my friend and I are on our third batch of homeade wine. Green Apple this time. 24 more days and she'll be ready)

Jay Northrop

I am just curious as to what wines other cafe members like. Recently I have been more experimental in trying new wine. working at a liquor store does help as I am always present for sales man tastings. Thus far my favorite whites include

Gatao - Vinho Verde
Zed - Sav Blanc
Cavit - Pinot Grigio
Chateau St. Michelle - Riesling
And for reds...

Luzon - Spanish red
Matua - Pinot Noir
Woodbridge - Merlot
Yellowtail - Merlot

Thats just the list as of now. I am more of a white wine drinker but as of late I have been finding more and more reds that fit my pallet with a nice dry blend with a small but noticeable bite. And I prefer reds that have an oak taste but its very subtle and not as strong as some people may like.

Shane Stylianos

Well, if you like Cheap, you don't get much cheaper than Boone's Farm.  Now that's high class wine!!  :D

smoggrocks

i'll raise ya one --

Mad Dog 20/20!

as bumwines.com notes, it's "as majestic as the cascading waters of a drain pipe... beware: this dog has a bite to back its bark. you'll find this beverage as often in a bum's nest as in the rock quarry where the high school kids sneak off to drink.  This beverage is likely the most consumed by non-bums, but that doesn't stop any bums from drinking it!"

;D

Mister Acrolite

So far I've only had the white, but I bought "Fat Bastard" based solely on its funny name, and found it quite a decent white. I've got a botle of red FB at home, but haven't opened it yet. Still, you gotta love the fun of entertaining your guests by popping the cork on some Fat Bastard...

drummer1202

Boone's??
Mad Dog??
Thanks guys, now I have to go vomit!!!!


Ah - The memories!!! ;D ;D 8)

Shane Stylianos


Ranman

Quote from: drummer1202 on September 22, 2005, 12:34 PM
Boone's??
Mad Dog??
Thanks guys, now I have to go vomit!!!!


Ah - The memories!!! ;D ;D 8)

So anything in a bag?