Two Buck Chuck, but Six

November 19, 2017 2:31 PM

I am looking for a cheap, decent red wine as a stable for our liquor cabinet. Give me your best recommendations of bottles between $0-$10!

We don't drink often now that Baby Kitty exists, but it would be good to have some stable bottles of wine in the house. We really liked Brancott Sauvignon Blanc and used to get it for $6 a bottle. Then they entered into a partnership with Marriott hotels, and now the same bottle is $14. Jerks.

We would love something similar for a red (and a new replacement white). We tend to prefer dry over sweet. We are partial to Cotes du Rhones and Cabernet Sauvignons.

For whites, we generally like Australian Sauvignon Blancs and Pouilly Fuisse.

What are your favorite bottles that are relatively inexpensive, ideally between $6 and $10?

posted by Suffocating Kitty to Food & Drink (30 answers total)

We keep going back to the Paxis Red Blend from Portugal, available from Costco, etc., around $6-$7/bottle. Might be fruitier than you're looking for, but if you try it and don't like it you're only out a few bucks.

Actually, if you're near a Costco that sells wine, you could buy 5-6 bottles of different cheapish things and try them all, then know what you want for next time.
posted by arco at 2:42 PM on November 19, 2017

If you can find them, Pepperwood Grove has good wines, both red and white, for about $6 a bottle.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:50 PM on November 19, 2017

My local (Northern California) Trader Joe's carries a few Australian Shirazes in the $9 +/- range. The gimmicky looking "19 Prisoners" label Shiraz is nice, and is near the dry side. (Their Red blend is not at all dry.) Near the $4 end, Grifone Primitivo (essentially an old-vine, Italian Zinfandel) is an interesting red to sip (after letting it breath for a while). It's big without being fruity in the way of many California Zins.
posted by dws at 2:57 PM on November 19, 2017

For whites I like the French white Oisly Thésée (it’s a Touraine Sauvignon Blanc). I can find it under $10 at Whole Foods. I find it consistent and clean.
posted by vunder at 3:05 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

I like the Broadbent Vinho Verde, which I can generally find for around $9-$11 ... I think. I'm bad at remembering numbers, but I'm cheap, so I rarely go more expensive than that.
posted by bunderful at 3:15 PM on November 19, 2017

Oh and I also really like the Chateau St Michele dry Reisling. I have to really look for it but in CA it’s under $10 and in Washington it’s like $7 on sale.
posted by vunder at 3:17 PM on November 19, 2017

If you have a Metropolitan Market, their $10 red blend is my go-to.
posted by matildaben at 3:24 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Farnese Fantini Sangiovese is usually under $10 at my local grocery store, and it's my go-to for taking to holiday gatherings or pairing with Italian food.

I also like the Casillero del Diablo Merlot is good, but might be a little over $10.

The Yellow Tail Shiraz is also completely drinkable and pretty cheap last time I looked.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 3:28 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

la vieille ferme makes a pretty solid red blend, that also comes in box form.
posted by Dr. Twist at 3:28 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Both Big House Red and Pedroncelli's Friends Red are really solid red blends. Big House is much more of a fruit bomb, where Friends is a bit drier, but they're both well worth the $10 or maybe $11 that they're usually priced at.
posted by pdb at 3:44 PM on November 19, 2017

Apothic Red, $7.50 in Cali.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 3:59 PM on November 19, 2017 [5 favorites]

I came to put in a plug for the Yellow Tail Shiraz Green Eyed Monster mentioned. Their Pinot Noir isn't bad, either. Both are in the $7 range ‘round these parts.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:34 PM on November 19, 2017

The Bulgariana red blend is eminently drinkable. But if I can't find it, I'm also generally happy with the Rex Goliath Pinot Noir that's generally on sale for like $6 at Safeway every other week.
posted by General Malaise at 4:40 PM on November 19, 2017

Another vote for Rex Goliath Pinot Noir . I can usually find it for $6, sometimes less. It's really tasty for the price.
posted by slagheap at 5:04 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Bota Box ain’t bad. Not the Black Box brand, Bota Box in the brown boxes. The Zin and the Cab Sav are all right and the price cannot be beat.
posted by kerf at 5:54 PM on November 19, 2017

Apothic Red has ended up being my go to. It ranges from $7 to $10 and is (kind of alarmingly) consistent. Twisted old vine Zinfandel is good too.
posted by mygothlaundry at 5:57 PM on November 19, 2017

We enjoy the Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot. It can be had for about $9 at my local supermarket.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:27 PM on November 19, 2017

My house red is Cocobon's red blend, available at Safeway and Trader Joe's for under $10.
posted by scrubjay at 6:49 PM on November 19, 2017

Yellow Tail Shiraz I my absolute favorite.
Anything from Bogle. Although that is a little pricier.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:08 PM on November 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sauvignon Republic from Trader Joe's is a fantastic Sav Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and is $7.99 and would be a steal at double that price. Dry and so delicious!
posted by quince at 7:53 PM on November 19, 2017

I had a Bogle Syrah from Trader Joes recently and found it surprisingly good. I think it was $9. Good enough that I'll pick up a couple bottles next time I'm there. I do generally like Syrah, though.
posted by amanda at 9:54 PM on November 19, 2017

It depends on what you like, but there's a lot to like among cheaper wines. Here are a few of my favorites (mostly dry, spicey, smokey):

McGuigan Merlot
Pepperwood Pinot Noir
Fat Bastard Shiraz
Wolf Blass Shiraz
Campo Viejo Tempranillo

I don't like Yellow Tail, Barefoot, or Robert Mondavi, FWIW.
posted by stinker at 11:37 PM on November 19, 2017

Seconding scrubjay with Cocoban's red blend.
posted by sarajane at 4:27 AM on November 20, 2017

some random fella at a Trader Joe's once thrust a $5 bottle of Nero d'Avola into my hands, and it was an excellent cheap table wine. Since then I've sought out Nero d'Avolas (that's an italian grape, not a brand), and they're usually under ten bucks and pretty dang reliable.
posted by entropone at 8:01 AM on November 20, 2017

Thirding Apothic Red. We've drunk more of that in the last year than all other reds combined, probably. We don't like Apothic's other blends as much. Found at Wegman's, Harris Teeter, and Trader Joe's in the DC area.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:37 AM on November 20, 2017

Also at Trader Joe's is La Finca Tempranillo and Malbec, both of which are both good and cheap.
posted by eclectist at 9:07 AM on November 20, 2017

This Costco 2016 Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages is only $7. I usually go for the $10-15 red blends but this is as good as any of those I've found.
posted by sapere aude at 9:55 AM on November 20, 2017

One measure of cheap cabernet mixed with an equal measure of bargain merlot equals two measures of faux Bordeaux...
posted by jim in austin at 10:33 AM on November 20, 2017

I usually go to the French section at TJs and get whatever they have that's between $5-10, usually a Bordeaux from a recent year. Nothing that will change your life, but still a lot more interesting than most of the new world wines.

And I agree that Bota Box is pretty decent, the old-vine Zinfandel has a nice flavour that I haven't ever found in a box wine before.
posted by lettezilla at 10:36 AM on November 20, 2017

Jacob's Creek wines are generally drinkable. I like their Shiraz/Cabernet blend -- very dry, maybe too dry for some, but I find a lot of the other wines listed here to be way too fruity to be enjoyable.
posted by nixxon at 2:06 PM on November 20, 2017