Cheap (but good?) wines?

[mjkacmom]

For the red, I'd go with cabernet, and most drink either white or red. I don't know how many are invited, or the timing, but 3 bottles doesn't sound like a lot (for self-pour, I'm betting 4 glasses per bottle).

 

[Huff]

For the red, I'd go with cabernet, and most drink either white or red. I don't know how many are invited, or the timing, but 3 bottles doesn't sound like a lot (for self-pour, I'm betting 4 glasses per bottle).

I love a good Cab as well but over the decades Cabs became the predominant red causing prices to skyrocket. For me, I find it very difficult to get a decent $10 bottle of Cab comparable in quality to say a $10 Zin (red) or Syrah etc. Other varietals are easy to find low priced yet still quite good.

 

[marmalade]

Where I live you can't buy wine or liquor in a regular store you have to go to a liquor store, so I don't know if they have the points listed in the grocery store or not.

But at the liquor store they have wines that are rated by points and anything rated over 85 points should be a good tasting wine, with lots under $10 a bottle. But if not Barefoot and yellowtail are good commercial wines that are very consistant.

 

[Evi]

Berringer makes some decent wines, don't know about their whites though. They are under $10 We always buy reds (merlot, cabernet sauvignon). Hubby does like whites, he likes Chateau St. Michele, reisling--it's a white, sweet though.

I tend to like Chateau St. Michelle wines also. They also have a few different ranges under the same name there cabernet sauvignon is really good and about $14 a bottle.

 

[decaff38]

Like the Little Penguin wines and Barefoot. I have had one called Double Dog Dare Ya that was very good. Shouldn't cost more that 6-7 a bottle.

 

[disneynan]

Berringer makes some decent wines, don't know about their whites though. They are under $10 We always buy reds (merlot, cabernet sauvignon). Hubby does like whites, he likes Chateau St. Michele, reisling--it's a white, sweet though.

I am actually sitting here with a glass of Beringer Muscasto which is a white sweet wine. It tastes very much like an ice wine, but is not as thick. Plus, the smaller size bottle is $8 and the large bottle is $13! I would highly recommend trying it if you want a sweet white.

 

[Colleen27]

Have you thought about going into a well-stocked local liquour store and looking at local wines? That might look a little "fancier" than spending the same money on a nationally-known cheapie wine brand (though I do personally enjoy both Barefoot and Two-Buck Chuck). It'll depend on where you live, of course, but here in Michigan there are a lot of regional wines available in the $6-8/bottle range that are rather nice, and they tend to go over well at parties in my experience just because they are a little off the beaten path.

If you're going with the national brands Barefoot Chardonnay is a great wine for the money, as is Charles Shaw (Two-Buck Chuck) Beaujolais (red, lighter and mellower than a pinot noir).

 

[crisi]

Have you thought about going into a well-stocked local liquour store and looking at local wines? That might look a little "fancier" than spending the same money on a nationally-known cheapie wine brand (though I do personally enjoy both Barefoot and Two-Buck Chuck). It'll depend on where you live, of course, but here in Michigan there are a lot of regional wines available in the $6-8/bottle range that are rather nice, and they tend to go over well at parties in my experience just because they are a little off the beaten path.

If you're going with the national brands Barefoot Chardonnay is a great wine for the money, as is Charles Shaw (Two-Buck Chuck) Beaujolais (red, lighter and mellower than a pinot noir).

I was thinking something similar - there are a ton of great cheap but relatively OBSCURE wines out there that people won't know you spent $5 a bottle on. Show up with Two Buck Chuck and almost everyone knows what the bill was for three bottles of wine. Or Yellowtail.

Another trick is - if the grape list hadn't been pre-determined - to buy lesser known grapes or "regions" - someone who drinks a little wine can tell a bad cab or chardonnay from a good one, but probably hasn't has too many vouvrays or carmeneres.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I see a lot have recommened Charles Shaw (2 buck Chuck) Barefoot and Yellowtail, but just in case those aren't available to you...

I think for the money, Cavit Pinot Noir is pretty good. I can usually get it for around $7 or so on sale, or about $9 when not on sale at the grocery store.