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+--- Thread: good values for under $4? (/thread-16397.html)
- aetre - 02-28-2004
Well, I broke the bank =) Spent well over $100 since I started posting here, so beck is telling me she wants good merlot, chardonnay, and shiraz (maybe cab?) for under $4 (well, she said $2, but I don't know if that's possible) we just recently bought a couple yellowtail's (had the merlot yesterday, that's so good) but for the next couple weeks I either get cheap stuff or I get nothing at all (her words!)
so I've splurged, now I gotta slow down a bit and pick a kind I can drink every day. I really, REALLY don't want to go without it, as it helps me with the food (I'm very skinny, and the wine keeps my appetite up for some reason)
btw, I've gained 5lbs since I started posting here! (120lb now)
anyway, recommendations for cheap good wine will help me out a bit =)
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the best things in life take most of life to accomplish.
- quijote - 02-28-2004
Under $4! That could be a challenge, but who knows--you might get some good recs. For about $6 you can get a good bottle of Vina Alarba, a Spanish wine that Dananne and others have posted on. In fact, Spanish wines often make really good budget wines, and many reds last for a few days if recorked well and placed in the fridge.
There are some very inexpensive California wines, such as the Bogle series (merlot, cab, petite syrah, etc.) The prices may tend more toward the $8-$10 range, though.
Covey Run makes some pleasant quaffers in the $6-$8 range. I recently had their Gewurztraminer--very nice.
In my local wine shop I've seen very inexpensive ($5-$7) bottles of Algerian wine, but I cannot vouch for quality--I'd rather stick with the Spanish reds.
Something to consider doing is buying a whole mixed case (12 bottles) of under-$10 wines: a couple of Bogles, a few Spanish reds, and an assortment of other goodies. The total price at first will likely come to the $90-$120 range plus tax, but if you shop at a good store (like Premier) you'll get a case discount of something like 10%. If you buy bottles one by one, you don't get the discount, but by buying by the case, you save some money over the long run, and you have a nice, diverse assortment of wines to get you through a few weeks.
[This message has been edited by quijote (edited 02-28-2004).]
- willp58 - 02-28-2004
We live not more than 70 miles apart. There is a local winery in Westfield by the name of Johnson Estate and they have some very good semi-sweet wine in gallons for 10.99.
Also they have semi-dry for the same price.
That is the best table wine I've had. The alcohol content is low so you can have a few and not get hammered.
BTW, most here will scoff at jug wine...go for it anyway.
- tandkvd - 02-28-2004
I agree with Q on the Spanish Reds. For price/quality they are hard to beat.
e-mail me at tandkvd@yahoo.com for some more info.
[This message has been edited by tandkvd (edited 02-28-2004).]
- aetre - 02-28-2004
thanks for the suggestions, I have to wait until tuesday to buy more (local market isn't open the next two days)
I'm stuck drinking turning leaf pino grigio (which is okay, but its more like flavored water for some reason)
buying by the jug keeps it fresh? that barbera that went bad on me made me paranoid, I feel if I open it I have to finish it that night (makes for some hard mornings-after lol)
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the best things in life take most of life to accomplish.
[This message has been edited by aetre (edited 02-28-2004).]
- wineguruchgo - 02-29-2004
"(which is okay, but its more like flavored water for some reason)"
The reason is called "over extraction" meaning instead of making the normal 5-6 bottles per vine, they are making much more.
I can tell you don't really like it, but it's a very valuable lesson to learn.
I agree with Willp58. See if you can get some local wines. New York State makes some great wines. Espically the Germanic Varietals. They may not be very expensive and you can broaden your base by drinking those.
Sweeter wines and spicy foods go really well together.
- Kcwhippet - 02-29-2004
WGC,
Johnson Estate doesn't make any wines with Germanic varietals. Except for a line of Cab, Chard and Merlot, all their wines are made from native varieties and French-American hybrids. Mostly sweeter Manischewitz type wines.
- Innkeeper - 02-29-2004
There is currently a wine glut in California, Australia, and several other worldwide regions. If one keeps one's ear to the ground and eyes open, some great bottom feeding can be done. For example Roberto is currently offering Lakeville Ranch Maxwell Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 1999, Lake County for $2.99 a bottle. Last week in a local wine shop (Blue Hill) we picked up a Brancott Merlot Reserve 1999 for $9. This is half the price being currently offered at Sam's in Chicago and at the Southern Hemisphere Wine Center in Huntington Beach. Not under $4, but an excellent buy.
There is a lot of wonderful wine being offered day in and day out in the $6 - $7 range, so big bucks are not necessary to enjoy nice wine.
[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 02-29-2004).]
- aetre - 02-29-2004
So what do you guys drink daily at the dinner table? like, a kind that you always just 'pick up' when you go out to these places?
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the best things in life take most of life to accomplish.
- Innkeeper - 02-29-2004
A lot of good stuff at $13 and below, and most under $10. Check out the Best Buys/Steals thread and the Spanish thread and go back a year on both. You will find dozens of great recommendations on both threads.
- wineguruchgo - 02-29-2004
KC,
I wasn't talking about the specific winery, I was talking about the Finger Lake Region and the wines they make.
I grew up in NY and pride myself on the fact that my first wine wasn't White Zin, we drank the sweeter whites from "upstate".
If I remember correctly they were pretty reasonable when compared to other wines out there. Not sure how they are priced now though.
- Thomas - 02-29-2004
Even the so-called NY Native wines at under $4 a bottle would be a hard trick to pull off--but I guess possible somewhere.
aetre, I cheat on my daily wine buys; I own a shop so I get the stuff at wholesale...but I never skimp on wine or food when I have to pay full price. I always go for what I will like, dollars be damned!
within limits, of course.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 02-29-2004).]
- aetre - 02-29-2004
lol foodie!
ok I got a small list here (none of which are $4 =P) but they are cheap enough I can swindle her for the time being:
red: 2001 Bleasdale shiraz/Cabernet Sauv. ($6.99) (89pts)
*actually, reading more about bleasdale, Premier is freaking out over the quality of it for the price...there was a $15 Cab and they said it was almost impossible to find that value domestically*(not that I would know)
Alice white (all kinds red, and chard) $5.99 (none are rated though)
obviously the yellowtail...
and finally this one: 2001 Buena Vista sauv. blanc $6.99 (90pts)
good? no?
EDIT: thx innkeeper, I'm on my way...
[This message has been edited by aetre (edited 02-29-2004).]
- Innkeeper - 02-29-2004
Good. Particularly the Bleasdale selection(s). Both the lower price blend and the $15 cab are favorites.
- thewoodman - 02-29-2004
Back to the $4 question, I have had a lot of hits in that range . I have been bottom feeding myself recently. First, you have to find things when they are on sale, like a recent Trader Joes closeout. I got the following, which were all not half bad, there recently. Emeril Red Table Wine (3.99), Casaterra Malbec (2.99), Covey Run 1999 Cab (4.99). At my local supermarket, which has an impressive wine department, I check what's on sale each week. The past two weeks I've gotten Kenwood Vintage Red at $2.99 and Delicato Shiraz at $2.99. Needless to say these go fast when they are available, and they are 3-4 bucks more when not on sale.
You don't have to resort to two buck chuck and his cousins if you shop frequently.
- dananne - 02-29-2004
I've had some hits and misses around that price point from closeout bins (but I've learned to be a bit careful, as I think sometimes that's a way to get rid of wines that have had some issues, like improper storage).
Otherwise, look for some Spanish wines. Penescal Castilla y Leon Tempranillo I found at $4.99 (not on closeout). It recently got a WE 85 Best Buy, and I found it to be a quaffable one. Sometimes I've found Vina Alarba and Borseo Campo de Borja at $5.99. Bodegas Castejon Vina Rey Barricas Tempranillo was $5.99 and Cristalino Cava (either their Extra Dry Rose or their Brut) is a steal at $5.99.