I bought a bottle of Gallo of Sonoma Merlot and it's quite yummy. I'd rank it somewhat far above Yellow Tail.
It was on sale for $7.00/1.5L bottle.
It was on sale for $7.00/1.5L bottle.
An inexpensive (yet quite tastey) Merlot...
- Thread starter N8 v2.0
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Cheap wine lovers............ UNITE!! 
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I am also a cheap wine lover
there is nothing wrong with loving inexpensive wine.
In Europe, it was common to just enjoy a $4 bottle........nobody was expected to get all analytical about it .
there is nothing wrong with loving inexpensive wine.
In Europe, it was common to just enjoy a $4 bottle........nobody was expected to get all analytical about it .
Well, that and in Europe you could get a *VERY* good bottle of wine for $4. Especially in Italy and Spain.........MudGrrl said:
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true that. in the states, i can't barely find a bottle of wine for cooking under a fiver.
And the old adage holds true - don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink.narlus said:
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Yup, Concha y Toro (Chile) has a quite reliable cab. Helps if you dig tannin (which I do). The CA cabs I've had are good, but don't warm me up the way a Chilean doesspincrazy said:
I gave a bunch of different Yellow Tail for Christmas, but have only tasted the Chardonnay, which I liked (with bourbon pork tenderloin).
Discovered a little winery just a few miles from home (whodathunkit on the TX Coast?). Didn't like the stuff they did w/CA and other TX grapes, but their own Blanc du Bois, Noveau Jaquet, and port were all quite yummy. The Jaquet got popped w/some gumbo and some grilled duck. I had to restrain myself, as I'm hoping to save the rest for some pasta (its apparent true calling).
Which CyT cab have you found to be the best? They have Casillero del Diablo, Explorador, etc., etc., etc........Fathead said:
That winery must be huge.
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I don't think I've tried them all. I first got hooked on the stuff when it was the house red at a Houston [gasp] wine bar. I think that was just plain CyT cab. For a while, all I could find of theirs in stores was a merlot or a cab/merlot (yuck). I can drink merlot w/a rare enough steak, but don't enjoy it standalone like I do cabernet.SkaredShtles said:
The Explorador is what I find in stores now. I'll have to try the Casillero.
Do you like one over the others?
gotta disagree w/ you slightly here. you don't want absolute plonk, but my wife made beef burgundy (too lazy to type the french) and the recipe called for a good quality bottle. so i tossed in a $25 or so bottle of jadot (gevrey-chambertin? or beaune? can't remember) and while the meal was great, i'd be hard pressed to think that a $10 wouldn't have tasted the same. for deglazing, do you really think it matters much?SkaredShtles said:And the old adage holds true - don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink.
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plus, i hate to pour stuff i'd drink into a pan.
Well, see - I drink the $10 bottles. I guess I'd try to avoid using a $15+ bottle of wine for cooking. That said, there are tons of <$15 bottles that are good for drinking and you don't have to worry about "wasting" them in a cooked dish.narlus said:gotta disagree w/ you slightly here. you don't want absolute plonk, but my wife made beef burgundy (too lazy to type the french) and the recipe called for a good quality bottle. so i tossed in a $25 or so bottle of jadot (gevrey-chambertin? or beaune? can't remember) and while the meal was great, i'd be hard pressed to think that a $10 wouldn't have tasted the same. for deglazing, do you really think it matters much?
plus, i hate to pour stuff i'd drink into a pan.
And there used to be this Chilean pinot noir that I liked that was <$12 and made great beef burgundy........ damned if I can remember the winery, though. :mumble:
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I can't say. I've had both the Exp and the Casillero, and I remember the Casillero being quite nice. Trouble is, I can't remember what year it was......Fathead said:
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yeah, pinot noir is pricey. the french stuff was expensive before the euro turned the dollar into the peso, but even the CA/OR/NZ stuff is spendy too.
for cooking wine i think i use the same stuff n8's got listed.
for cooking wine i think i use the same stuff n8's got listed.
Yeah. I guess my point would be don't use a wine to cook with that you wouldn't consider pouring into a glass and drinking........narlus said:
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A friend of mine is a wine distributor and he says that unless you are really wine afficianado spending more than $15.00 is a waste. There are far too many good wines under $15 (under $10 for that matter) that it is simply a waste of money.
He gave us a case of Jest Red wine. Its called a California Table wine and its excellent. I think it goes for $7.00 a bottle from the grocery store.
He gave us a case of Jest Red wine. Its called a California Table wine and its excellent. I think it goes for $7.00 a bottle from the grocery store.
Problem is, you can't become an afficianado if you never buy really great (read: expensive) wines.DRB said:
Of course, I don't really care to become an afficianado, so your friend's advice speaks volumes to me.
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That adage is meant to steer people away from cooking wines you find in supermarkets, which frequently have salt in them and can be simply nasty.SkaredShtles said:
...or so I've read.
Drinking the cheap stuff will allow you later appreciate great wines. When I first got into wine I bought bottles over $20, which was stupid in retrospect because I didn't have a base set of taste experience for comparison.SkaredShtles said:Problem is, you can't become an afficianado if you never buy really great (read: expensive) wines.
Of course, I don't really care to become an afficianado, so your friend's advice speaks volumes to me.
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And there's no reason to drink a $20 bottle when you just want a glass with dinner on a weeknight.
I agree with spincrazy that Chile and Australia will give the best bang for the buck. Especially Chile. Argentina has some awesome reds at reasonable prices as well. Norton merlot is a good one for $7.
but a good wine, i mean a really good wine, is something else altogether.
i broke out a couple of my last remaining '97 Ridge Geyservilles over the xmas break. man did they taste good. they also showed the benefit of cellaring to my father-in-law.
i broke out a couple of my last remaining '97 Ridge Geyservilles over the xmas break. man did they taste good. they also showed the benefit of cellaring to my father-in-law.
Its good to have a friend who works for Beringer, I scored 2 cases of 1999 Howell Mountain Private Reserve Merlot
@ $15 a bottle
@ $15 a bottle
Or to keep them away from Riunite.........Silver said:
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I've got an '89 St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe that is begging to be opened for a special occasion.........narlus said:
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nice!
i think the oldest wine i've got is a '93 brunello, bought when we went to italy. i've got a couple '95 bordeaux and '95 barolos which will be in deep sleep for another couple of decades. maybe i'll bust 'em out for my son's weddings.
i think the oldest wine i've got is a '93 brunello, bought when we went to italy. i've got a couple '95 bordeaux and '95 barolos which will be in deep sleep for another couple of decades. maybe i'll bust 'em out for my son's weddings.