Wino

From Matthew Latkiewicz's Stained Teeth: A Column About Wine:

For some reason, I hear this a lot: "I don't know anything about wine." This is a silly thing to say. Frankly, there is nothing to know. People may try to convince you that wine is somehow like skilled labor or a subject in school, two categories full of things to know, but wine is not like that. You can learn about how wine is made, about the regions and the traditions, but none of this is necessary when actually using wine. I don't know anything about how books are printed and bound, but this does not keep me from reading. You see? The doing has nothing necessarily to do with the knowing.

I drink cheap wine. Partly, this is because I am a student. Partly, this is because I can't tell the difference between a cheap bottle of wine and an expensive bottle of wine. Okay, wait. I take that back. I can tell the difference between a $2 bottle of wine and a $50 bottle of wine (mostly by the hangover); but once you get over $8, it's pretty much all the same.

Mostly, though, I drink cheap wine because I do the doing, but I don't know the knowing. You know?

I almost always choose my wine by the label, which is, in a way, like choosing a book by the cover. But, you know, I choose books by the cover. So there you go. I like these cheap wines:

Then again, sometimes I drink my wine with Pepsi, so you might not want to take my word for it.

Tell me, do you have any favorite cheap wines for me to try?

Comments

[bethany Coffey]

it doesn't have the most eye-catching label , but my inexpensive fav is Mirrasou Pino Noir...

[lissa]

I like cheap wine as well. I'm a white drinker though and my fave is really any pinot grigio.

Awhile ago at the California State Fair and Commercial Contest Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck won over 350 other wines for best Chardonnay!

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3372578

[Leah]

I totally agree! I love wine, and I know nothing about "legs" or any of that crap. I try and pretty much buy stuff in the $8-12 range (tho I got lucky with a $6 bottle this weekend).

I like smoking loon, but my favorite cheap wine thus far is Turning Leaf's cabsav. I can't recommend their other varieties, since I pretty much just drink cabsav in my reds.

Also, I've found that pretty much any Riesling I drink is great, especially a Johannesburg Riesling.

At grocery stores here in Michigan, you get 10% off if you buy 6 bottles at a time. I often go and buy 6 different bottles, try them over the course of a month or so, and then go back and buy 6 bottles of the ones I really liked. That way, I build up wine tastes, and I get a touch of a discount. Plus, I love trying the "on sale" wines that have won awards -- one of my local grocery stores picks 10 wines a month, lists the awards they've won, and puts the wines on sale.

[janet]

I like cheap wine with cute labels too! Don't you think designing wine labels would be a great job?

[Jennifer Berthiaume]

This is a perfect post to share the wine that I saw a few weeks back and immediately thought of you! Take it for what it is, because I found it a Wal-Mart... and it was definitely closer to the $2 than the $50. I think it should just be good enough to show and never drink!

WineWineWine

...unless in desperate situations, of course!

[Shea]

I am an expert on cheap wine, being a hopeless bargain hunter and having decided to drink every Sauvignon Blanc in my local liquor store. That said, here are a few of my faves: Pinot Evil Pinot Noir (about $7), Nobilio Sauvignon Blanc (about $10), Rosemont Cabernet-Shiraz (about $8), Kris Pinot Grigio (about $10), Smoking Loon Viognier (about $8) and Greg Norman Shiraz (about $11). Phew. Oh - and if you want a good cheap bubbly, Ballatore Gran Spumante ($5.99!). ...And scene.

[Jenna]

Great post! I am a cheap wine afficionado as well! I recommend Yellow Tail Shiraz (anywhere from 5 to 12 dollars) and Ravenswood - both delicious and well within my budget :)

[dee]

Matt and I get excited when we buy a bottle of wine that has an actual cork. We pretend that we have a clue about wine and feel pretty cool for a moment or two.

[katie]

i love yellowtail merlot...if i remember correctly it's about $7-8 a bottle, and it is delicious

i have to confess that i totally love sutter home white zinfandel even though every wine connoisseur says white zinfandel is trashy...whatever! it's delicious and cheap!!

[Lani]

If you like white wine - I usually go with the $8 ($6 if you use your safeway club card) bottle of: Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso Bianco Pinto Grigio.

It's cheap. It's dry. It does the job.

[LPW]

I totally agree with you and posted about this only a couple weeks ago! I am generally a white wine drinker, and some of my favorite cheapos include: Bella Serra, Fish Eye, and Little Black Dress.

The last one my bf brought home because he thought the bottle reminded him of me, but he absolutely hates it and calls it vinegar. But, a couple weeks ago I saw it featured in Glamour or People or one of those magazines, so it can't be that bad, right?!

[Nicole]

Next time you are in Atlanta I will personally buy you a bottle of my favorite local, delicious, CHEAP wine. x

[Heather]

I really like sweet wines so I love Sutter Home's Moscato wine and it's under $8. If you like Reisling, you will love this.

[Leanne]

That's great-- I'm in the same boat, and pick my new wines by their cool labels, too! Smoking Loon and Red Bicyclette are two of my favorites ... they each produce a reliable, rich Syrah.

If you're up for a nice, full-bodied red (No snobbery, I swear! It just expands in your mouth ... that's what that means, right??), try Milton Park Syrah. It's normally around $15 and is wonderful.

[Helen]

Yum. Yellowtail Shiraz and the Two Buck Chuck Cabernet Sauvignon are consistently good and (most importantly) always cheapo.

[Jen]

For white - Barefoot Pinot Grigio ($5.99)
For red - Cobel Merlot (Costco or Total Wine - $8), Luna de Luna (Cab-Merlot blend) for $6

Yum! SO many cheap new wines to try!

[Tendrils]

Trader Joe's Charles Shaw (AKA Two BUCK Chuck!) We love the Merlot! Yummm..........

[Karen]

I agree! Trader Joe's wine is amazing for the price. The Chardonnay is excellent as well (and I don't even really like Chardonnay!)

[Jamie]

I do not know much about wine. I am also a student so I will take these cheap wines to heart when choosing and not breaking the bank!

[kalle]

definately Bare Foot sav blanc. delic! i always call it Big Foot by mistake, and in fact was about to click "post" when i caught the mistake. whew...good save!

[Pamela]

Believe it or not, we have wineries in Missouri! If you can find it outside the midwest, Stone Hill Vignoles is an excellent white wine for $15.

Another fave is Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck -- fantastic!

[nicole]

Two Buck Chuck is a staple around our house. I also like Screw Kappa Nappa (cause of the name). Really, as long as it tastes good, I'll drink it! xoxo

[Unnaturally Blonde]

I feel the same way about wine. Anytime I order a glass I feel like there are people watching and laughing at my selection b/c I don't know anything! I'm definitely a cheap wine fan, or anything that just tastes good. Here is the website for the cheap wine that I like.

www.carolinavineyards.com

[Dawn]

Another vote for Yellow Tail Shiraz! And here's a little tidbit: Two Buck Chuck is also sold as Crane Lake. ;-)

[PerfectlyPlumpPreppy]

I enjoy the Big House Red you feature on your page (I got that for Christmas this year). When it comes to Chardonnay I really enjoy Barefoot from NY. Also, Salmon Run Riesling from NY is pretty great too.

[Brooke]

YELLOWTAIL!!! The Shiraz/Cab split is my faaaaavorite, but they're all good and SO CHEAP! Everyone else is right about the Trader Joes tasting pretty good - but seriously, that stuff makes me want to shoot myself in the head the next day... worst headaches I've ever had came from Trader Joes... maybe I'm just drinking too much though. ;)

[Sarah]

I love plonk (aka wines under $12 a bottle)! I drink WAY too much wine to be spending $20/$30 a bottle but I have discovered some really great inexpensive ones that could definitely fool you into thinking they are one of the more expensive ones.:

Pomelo Sauvingnon Blanc
Rex Goliath 47 Lb Rooster Pinot Noir
Meridien Charonnay
Toasted Head Chardonnay
Barefoot Shiraz
Fish Eye Pinot Grigio

enjoy!

[darci]

thank goodness there is someone else that is with me on this! i hate going to really nice dinners and everyone expecting me to know or care about wine. i don't. the cheaper the better........and i like it sweet. because, really, if i wanted to drink something that was just sooooo good it wouldn't be wine. i like the affect! ;-)

i love lambrusco riunite. i think it's like $10 a bottle and they also sell it in mini bottles of 4 as well for the same price. i like any riesling for the most part. target has some "good" wine with dots all over it....can't think of the name now, but the bottles are pretty as are the corks.

[wine custom label]

Nowadays, the possibilities seem endless. One reason, I submit, is that with little access to the classically great wines, yet with a public thirst for greatness that far exceeds that of 30 years ago, importers, distributors, sommeliers and consumers themselves have been compelled to seek out wines that nobody paid attention to 25 years ago, if they even existed.