Cheap White Wines
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier
Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling
This inexpensive beauty is well known for being on of America’s most popular Rieslings on the market. It brings plenty of stone fruit and citrus elements to the forefront. It is best paired with spicy Asian cuisine, or enjoyed straight out of the bottle… (I mean glass)…
Cheap Red Wines
14 Hands – Hot to Trot Red Blend
This wine is a favorite of mine. In fact, I like all of the 14 Hands red wines. Hot to Trot goes down easy, pairs well with most meats, and if I didn’t know I was paying less than $10 per bottle, I would think that it was expensive based on the taste. It’s on the lighter side, so I’ll often drink it with chicken or pork… or whatever really. I’m not picky.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
Another fabulous cheap red wine that tastes like a million bucks. Also around $10 per bottle, you can’t go wrong with a Robert Mondavi. I like their Pinot Noir and Merlot as well, but the Cab is favorite of mine. Usually, I’ll stock up on these bad boys and just keep them around the house.
Apothic Red
One of my recent discoveries, Apothic Red is a full-bodied red with an interesting woody finish. Since it’s a bit heavier, I prefer to drink it with steak, but it has sweet notes, so it pair well with dark chocolate if you’re into wine with dessert. They sell it at Costco, so you can buy it in bulk for a decent price. In the regular supermarket, I think it costs about $12 per bottle.
2010 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Petite Sirah
If you’re indulging yourself with a heavier meal (let’s say, ribs and mac and cheese…) this full-bodied, Petite Sirah should be your go-to option. This one packs in some hefty, desserty flavors — imagine blackberries, and oaky vanilla ice cream topped with an alcoholic caramel sauce. Ok, not really. But these flavors do hit your palette with a punch. Keep this $9 bottle around for when you are entertaining or throwing a dinner party. Your guests will never know that you spent less on the wine than the Hors d’oeuvres.
Cheap Sparkling Wines
Cupcake Prosecco NV
Cupcake Vineyard’s Prosecco is a decent buy if you’re looking for something bubbly. This light sparkling edition brings hints of citrus to the forefront with a solid acidity from beginning to end. I imagine myself sitting on a porch somewhere, cheersing glasses with my girlfriends, without a care in the world…
La Marca Prosecco
The robin’s egg blue label adorned on this recognizable bottle reminds me of springtime, baby showers, and pool parties. Althpugh it’s not the best Prosecco on the market, it’s not too sweet (which is something I prefer) and it is widely available at most grocery stores. It goes great paired with fruits and brie, and also makes a nice gift. And for roughly $12 per bottle, this bubbly beverage offers a lot in the way of bang for your buck.
How to discover your next favorite bottle
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Trial and error is the best way I’ve found to dig up good, inexpensive bottles. Once you find something you like, for the love of god, don’t forget what it’s called or what the bottle looks like because you’re likely to never find it again (if you’re anything like me…).
And if you’ve come across a wine in a restaurant that you love, take a picture of the label, save the cork, or take a note. If you spent less than $40 on the bottle, you can probably find it in a grocery store for under $20.
Also, check out Costco.
As I mentioned before, they carry Apothic Red and a ton of other great cheap wines. They even have a rating system to help you figure out which wines are “considered by experts” to taste good. The best part? It’s typically cheaper than purchasing from a grocery store, and you don’t even need a Costco membership to buy booze, so stock up!
Are there any wines that you love that I didn’t list here? Please share them in the comments. I’m always down to try out new wines and would LOVE to hear about what you’re drinking 🙂
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