market brand search

[pennillez]

hey,
im just a poor student looking for a decent cabernet sauvignon obtainable at a local market. my last purchase was talus 1997, which didnt reach any higher ground with my taste buds. any suggestions?

[Innkeeper]

Hi Pennillez, and welcome to the Wine Board. Washington State offers a lot of bang for the buck. Try Columbia Crest, Columbia, and Hogue. For Californians starting with the most inexpensive Blossom Hill, Fetzer "Valley Oaks", and Napa Ridge "North Coast" for starters. There are also wonderful values from Chile, Australia, and France (the Vins de Pays).

[newsguy]

hi pennillez,

innkeeper is right on the money.

but i can offer you some more specific advice. i just happend to be in gainesville this past weekend as my wife was interviewing at UF's veterinary medical school. i stopped in the albertson's on archer road in that shopping center that's just east of I-75. you know the one if you go to UF as i suspect. anyhow, i noticed that they had about six bottles of the 1997 Gallo of Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon on sale for $8.99 (regular price is $10.99). if i hadn't recently promised my wife i wouldn't buy any more wine until this summer -- a long, sad story [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/frown.gif[/img] -- i would have grabbed all six bottles on the spot. this a very tasty wine at an unbeatable price. IMHO you can't find a better cab for the money, and i know those bottles were sitting on that shelf on saturday.

do yourself a favor. go in there ASAP and buy a bottle, try it, and if you like it as much as i suspect you will, go back and buy the rest.

if you wait too long, you might find them all gone. i'm guessing we'll be back in gainesville in two weeks to look at housing, and if those suckers are still there, i might have to sweet-talk the mrs. and grab them myself.

enjoy!

keith