You have $15 and a thirst for a good wine: What do you recommend?

[LynneSin]

and no - 5 bottles of Boone Farm does NOT count as an answer!!

Me - I'll take a bottle of Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc



http://www.grahambeckwines.co.za

South African is producing some of the best wines out there! The pinotage rules if you're looking for a red instead

[terrya]

1. Kendal-Jackson Merlot.

Well, actually, a bottle will of that will cost about $17...but it's worth the extra couple of bucks. :-)

[Callissto]

10. Kendal Jackson Chardonnay

They make an excellent chardonnay as well.

[underpants]

2. 5 bottles of Boone Farm

Screwtop=quality! :thumbsup:

[LynneSin]

7. I see you're a 'classy' guy. Does your wife know how classy you are??

:eyes:

[GOPisEvil]

3. Washington Hills Reisling. Or Chateau St. Michelle Reisling.

Both are Columbia Valley, 2001 vintage. Both are under $10.

[Richardo]

6. Chateau St. Michelle also has a great 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

Lot's o' berry notes. :thumbsup:

[GOPisEvil]

11. Chateau St. Michelle makes good, inexpensive wines.

I don't think I have had any truly bad wine made by them.

[Richardo]

13. Mrs Richardo is a big fan of the Reisling, too.

Nice and dry, not overly sweet.

[redqueen]

16. Mmmm... Riesling

Thanks for the recommendation... I don't know much about wine, so next time I'll look for that.

[demnan]

4. Anything from Australia

they make good cheap wine down under!

[Magrittes Pipe]

14. Like Penfold's Grange?

:shrug:

[rucky]

44. YES

that was my pick.


Or if you have a Trader Joe's in the area, La Boca Malbec from Argentina is the best 3-dollar bottle of wine you'll ever have.

[Magrittes Pipe]

45. Gimme a $15 Grange, and I'll give you...

...I dunno, something in return?

I'll sell it and buy you a pretty.

[BeatleBoot]

5. Louis Jadot

Beaujolais

[scubadude]

8. If you live in California

get 5 bottles of Two Buck Chuck. If you live elsewhere 4 bottles are about $15. Charles Shaw Wines are great! I absolutely love the Cabernet.

http://www.traderjoes.com/new/chuckshaw.asp

[Magrittes Pipe]

22. Aw, dude...

...I wouldn't even cook with Shaw Cabernet!

I'll be fair and say that I haven't tried any other "Two-Buck Chuck." But my experience with the Cabernet has not really made me want to.

[Richardo]

9. I'll make a note of that - I like the Sauvignon Blancs...

:9

[plcdude]

12. Redwood Creek

anything from this winery is fantastic. Frei Bros. Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite.

[HuckleB]

15. Capçanes Costers del Gravet (Spanish Red) ...

Other good selections...

Airlie Muller Thurgau (Oregon - Willametter Valley)

Marques de Cåceres Vendimia Rioja (Spanish Red)

Marques de Cåceres Rioja (Spanish White)

[northzax]

17. today?

I'm going with a Bauer Bruner-Vetliner. a lovely Austrian White, comes in a full Litre bottle for under 12 bucks.

As for a red? eh, too hot for red. Find me a nice Greek Rose, Kir-Yanni makes a lovely one.

[MercutioATC]

18. Coppola Diamond Series Zinfandel

mmmmmm...

:)

[Worst Username Ever]

19. 5 bottles of night train, 5 bottles of thunderbird

Combine in 5 gallon bucket, cure under the radiator for three days, enjoy.

[Magrittes Pipe]

20. La Vielle Ferme -- an unclassified Southern Rhone wine...

...(they have red, white, and rose bottlings, all good) made by the Perrin brothers of Chateau Beaucastel fame. $7.

Several Cotes-du-Rhones -- Guigal and Louis Bernard are pretty consistently good. $10-12

Any number of cru Beaujolais, Duboeuf is a respectable negociant (in this sense, anyway): Moulin-a-Vent or Fleurie are winners. $10-$12

Several of Rosenblum's single-vineyard zins can be found for $15 or a hair more -- also, if you like zinfandel, Italy's primativo is the same grape -- A Mano makes a great primitivo for about $8.

The Loire valley makes outstanding Sauvignon Blanc-based whites and Cabernet Franc-based reds in the $15 range. Sancerre for the former, Chinon for the latter, many good producers.

New Zealand is home to outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, both of which can be found for around $12. It's also an up-and-coming region for Pinot Noir (best pinot for the price). You can't go wrong with Brancott (available everywhere, as it's NZ's largest wine producer).

Good Aussie shiraz has come up in price, but if you like the Syrah flavor in a more rustic, old-world style, go for a Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage. About $15

Many, many more. There is a lot of good, inexpensive wine in the world.

[LynneSin]

21. I love Brancott - always a bottle in my fridge

:bounce:

[Magrittes Pipe]

FRIDGE!?!?!?!?!

YOU ARE A WINE MURDERER!!!

Seriously, the vibrations in your refrigerator will kill the wine. Of course, if you only leave it there for a couple of days, you'll be fine. ;)

I also hope you let it come up to about 50 degrees before drinking it. The citrus and gooseberry of a good Marlborough SB will be lost if it's too cold.

[LynneSin]

27. I make many trips to my local wine store

they don't last long

[Kellanved]

23. Hmm, probably a Cahor

or a a good Rheinhessen Grauburgunder; maybe a white Rioja. Of course €15 is what one would pay in a Restaurant; so either three Bottles or I'd use the remaining €10 for cheese :evilgrin:.

[Magrittes Pipe]

26. A nice Mosel Spaetlese -- even the bad producers made good wine...

...in 2001 and 2002.

[Kellanved]

36. I'm no friend of Mosel wines

Many are almost like lemonade. I know that there are excellent ones, but choosing a mid-priced Mosel (in a Restaurant or a shop) is considered something akin to Poker.

Well, for German white wine I prefer Rheinhessen, Baden or Franken.
For non German whites I would consider Bourgogne Alligote (with Cassis), White Rioja or a Grüner Veltiner (Austrian).

[Magrittes Pipe]

39. A lot of that depends upon the vintage and the producer.

You can't go wrong with J. J. Prum (though we're talking about more $$$ in that case), and you can't go wrong in a 2001 wine (as long as the vintner is at least semi-competent). The vineyard itself is also critical in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer area, as anyone who's ever had a Piesporter can attest. :puke:

[northzax]

40. you are obsessed with White Rioja, aren't you?

only problem is that it is hard to find on this side of the pond, unless you have a particulary decent wine shop. But you won't find it at your local grocery.

[Kellanved]

43. not really

But if I want to buy a good white, that's what I usually pick. And I need a decent wine store here as well: supermarket wines are overpriced and often damaged (wrong temperature, too much light,...). Not to mention that very few supermarkets have a good selection.

Anyway: if you find one (for a sane price that is), try it ;-).

[MissMillie]

24. Go to your local liquor store

and look at the number ratings on each wine.

92 or better is a premium wine, and sometimes, believe it or not, you can get them for less than $15. You just have to look for them.

don't drink anything rated below a 70.

[LynneSin]

25. my wine store won't sell anything rated that low

nor will they sell that crap junk wine like Mad Dog or Boone Farm.

[northzax]

33. sounds like you need a better wine store

to me. Find one with a buyer who knows something about wine except for the numerical ratings.

[Magrittes Pipe]

29. Depends upon who's doing the ratings.

Read various publications (Wine Spectator, Wines and Spirits, the Wine Advocate), try various wines, and find a reviewer whose tastes are closest to yours.

Then you'll know someone whose numerical ratings you can trust. I've had HORRIBLE 85+ rated wines, and TERRIFFIC 80-ish point wines. It all depends upon who's doing the tasting -- even though they all try to leave their biases behind, they can't.

[northzax]

31. good point

most ratings come striaght from the palate of one Robert Parker. Unfortunately for me, I don't share a palate with Mr. Parker, while I can appreciate his rankings, I would place wines differently (which is great, since I can be content with a wine he'd rank in the mid-80s, and save a chunk of change.)

[Magrittes Pipe]

35. My areas of interest coincide with Parker (especially in the Rhone valley)

But he likes a blockbuster, vin nouveau style, whereas I tend to prefer a more austere, terroir-driven wine.

I do like the "Advocate" better than the "Spectator," though -- all those ad dollars can't be healthy for impartiality. ;)

[northzax]

38. I mean I read them, sure

but rankings? baloney. (of course, since I deal in wine for a living, I am a little biased) and since I rarely pay retail (again, sell for a living) I guess I can afford to be snobby about it.

I would pay attention to Parker only if I was buying wines for investment purposes. Otherwise, I drink my way through a vintage to figure out what I want. I realize this is not a luxury many people have, so I'll shut up now =)

[Magrittes Pipe]

41. So, can you get me a job?

I mean, I have a fairly educated palate, and I am willing to work very hard if by "work" you mean "drink."

In that case, I work hard anyway -- I just don't get paid for it!

[KurtNYC]

28. St Francis Chardonnay or a Barbera D'Alba

and $4 to spare

[Magrittes Pipe]

30. Ooh! I forgot Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Riserva! Try the '97.

$15, and the fattest mouthfull of Temperanillo you'll find.

[HuckleB]

32. It's good stuff, but you must live in a bargain wine area.

$15 is a sale price, at best, for a '97.

[Magrittes Pipe]

37. Discount Liquors in Milwaukee.

They do a lot of volume. They keep their prices low.

Of course, there's one nearby store that has 2001 Guigal Condrieu la Doriane for under $50.

I'm not telling you which one that is. ;)

[Caution]

34. Justin Vineyards 2003 Sauvignon Blanc

https://secure5.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?CS=justin&RowID=12&All=



very very yummy and reasonably priced.

Highly recommend Justin and their Isosceles is simply divine (though pricey).

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

42. Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz

[Mrs. Venation]

46. Some of My Favorite Vineyards

Caymus -- everything they bottle is extraordinary
Hogue -- they bottle a very nice Chardonnay
Duckhorn -- the best Sauvignon Blanc I ever tasted
Ponzi -- try their Pinot Noir
Adelsheim -- never had a bad wine from this vineyard
Seghesio -- fabulous old vine Zinfandels
St. Francis -- wonderful Cabernets, Merlots and Claret

[Xipe Totec]

47. Toasted Head

Under-rated white zinfandel from California.

Packs quite a wallop.

[BlueStateGirl]

48. Madfish Shiraz. It's a tasty little Australian number and at $13 a bottle

it's easy on the wallet.