need wine help

[djmom]

I am not good at wine, although I sure do manage to drink enough of it. I should take a class, I know.

I need recommendations for inexpensive wine. By inexpensive I mean preferably under $10 a bottle. Whenever I have people over I never know what to get as some of my friends are wine lovers.

The occasion would be having girls (5 or more) over for wine and appetizers. Or a casual party for 20 or so. When we have another couple over (or go there), the deal with our little group is pretty much bring your own, which really works out well.

I don't do fancy parties, but the food would be usually smoked meat of some sort-pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin or salmon. For the girls coming over just some cheese and dips or a tart or something like that. (They never eat anything anyways.)

So I will usually get J. Lohr Chardonnay, which is more than good enough for me, but I hate to always have the same thing and it is usually about $12-15.

I would love suggestions for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon blanc also. I just buy random Pinot Noirs (do have one very very cheap one that I think is pretty good) and I usually get Nobilo sauvignon blanc and I have no idea if it is any good or not because I am a red wine lover.

HELP

We do have a Trader Joes close by if that helps with your recommendation. I need something that is easy to find too!

I would love to get to a point where I just have one favorite of each kind and I can get a case.

And the cheaper the better. I am not about labels. Just want something that people will enjoy and not be horrified with my selection.

So need Pinot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. And if there si something trendy and new I would love to hear if it isn't expensive.

Thanks in advance.

[PA Girl]

Red Cliff Sauvignon blanc is pretty good and it is under (in PA) or close to $10 a bottle. It is either Australian or NZ

[Lulu76]

I have a couple Pinots for you. That is my go-to red, and I ALWAYS get a bottle for Easter and Thanksgiving.

My favorite is Aquinas Pinot Noir, but it is about $12 a bottle. HOWEVER, my liquor store guys recently recommended a wine called Pinot Evil (rhymes with "See no evil" lol) and it is about $7 and pretty good. My friend who is a total wine snob had two glasses.

Last summer, my go-to wine was Twin Fin Pinot Grigio (my ex-boyfriend AKA "Free Liquor Guy" used to work for them and said I would like it. I did.) I think it was under $10 and fruity and delicious.

I was getting a great $3 (don't laugh) bottle of Chardonnay, but my liquor store says there is no more of it to be had. However, they did give me a new one that they said was just as good that is four bucks. I will check at home and see what it's called.

When we were on St. John we tried the Menage a Trois wines (I think they have a red, white and rose) and they were good and right around $10, I think.

I read a book one time about finding the best wines on a budget, and I am ALWAYS on the search for decent everyday wines under $10 a bottle (under $5 and pleasant makes me very happy). Box wines (don't laugh again) are economical and some of them are actually pretty darn good. Banrock Station, Hardys, Black Box are all getting some great reviews. I drank Killer Juice last summer, and it's $16.99 for the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine (and it lasts a month, which is good for me because I never seem to drink a whole bottle fast enough by myself.)

If you have a Trader Joes, you really can't go wrong with the "Two Buck Chuck" for an everyday wine.

I don't know how they do wine sales where you are, but I have made friends with the wine experts at a few liquor stores and find if I tell them what I'm cooking and give them a price range, they never let me down.

[PA Girl]

Kiwi Sauvignon blanc is another decent under $10 wine. Regular price at our state store is 9.99 I bought out our local liquour store when it went on sale AND had a $1.00 coupon.

We do a lot of entertaining at our house and wine doesn't last long with our friends around so I am always looking for a good buy that is different from the same-old same-old choices at our state store.

[Lulu76]

I never seem to drink Sauvignon Blanc, so I am going to have to try some of those recommendations.

[PA Girl]

I just got so sick of the overly oaky fakey taste of a lot of the less expensive Chardonnays (available in my area) and started to gravitate towards other dry whites.

While it is closer to $20 a bottle, I am really liking Kim Crawford SB right now.

[djmom]

I just got so sick of the overly oaky fakey taste of a lot of the less expensive Chardonnays (available in my area) and started to gravitate towards other dry whites.

While it is closer to $20 a bottle, I am really liking Kim Crawford SB right now.

just googled it, it looks like that is $11.97 here at our wine store. that is doable...

[Carolyn]

Some whites I have been enjoying this summer are:

Kunde / Sauv. Blanc around $12-13

Joel Gott / Sauv Blanc $13

Dry Creek / Fune Blanc $12ish

just a tab over the $10 budget but don't know how that translates to your state?

I tried the 2 buck Chuck (white) recently and it was way too sweet for me! I did finish it ... GREAT buy tho!

for Pinot Grigio/ Kris $12

I am a big fan of Ravenswood Zins too
either Zen of Zin or Estate Zin $12ish.
I even go w/ some of their pinot's even tho I think they do a better job on zins.

[PA Girl]

I just got so sick of the overly oaky fakey taste of a lot of the less expensive Chardonnays (available in my area) and started to gravitate towards other dry whites.

While it is closer to $20 a bottle, I am really liking Kim Crawford SB right now.

just googled it, it looks like that is $11.97 here at our wine store. that is doable...

Wow, that is a great price. I ordered a case, on sale, and it was $15,99 a bottle. PA prices are higher....

[Lulu76]

I have only had the red on the "Two buck chuck" (which actually costs three bucks in Michigan), and it was pretty darn good for a three-dollar bottle of wine.

The Chardonnay that I used to get for three dollars was called Tisdale. My folks can't get it here anymore, but maybe it's different elsewhere. My friend who is wine snob had two glasses of this too, so it can't be all bad. (That's how I judge all wines.)

[loria]

ANakena chilean sauvignon blanc--about 8.99 --great everyday wine

[Anthony]

My friends are telling me I have become a snob since moving to Italy, but as I learn more and more about wine, I really believe you can't drink a "good" bottle of red for less than $10. Quickly what I mean is this - if you want something where there was any care in the growing and cultivation of the fruit, where it was treated well along the way, aged (at all) and then bottled and shipped - it is impossible to hit that price point. For $10 and less you are getting mass produced, farm grown, machine picked, and pressed with leaves, bugs, stems, etc. type of wine. Or, wine that was bought already pressed and just bottled (and a lot of times just reading the back of the label will tell you - if it says "Bottled by" or XYZ "Bottling Co." you should avoid it) by someone else. Is it drinkable? Most of it is - but a miss or bad bottle could be huge. I would honestly rather abstain at this point, than risk drinking something where you really have no idea of (and believe me - you have no idea what could possibly be in a $9.99 bottle of red!) what is in the bottle.

White is different - especially with straight to stainless fermentation and bottling. You can get in for under $10 - but you still have to do your research.

Anyway - just MHO. I have been writing about some small wineries and the wine business is general on this site: http://www.florencewinemerchants.com/

I can tell you one thing - wine bargains are coming. There is a glut of higher end wine, and consumers are going to see better prices via sales, and/or new labelings (producers are creating second labels to avoid name/brand destruction). If you can stomach moving up occasionally to buy a $20 bottle that was originally $40, you should be able to taste the difference... although shenanigans go on at that level too

[cypressgirl]

Guess I'll stick to Vodka.

[djmom]

Thank you for all the tips!

I just got back from the wine store. Intended to buy some of your suggestions, but ended up coming home with completely different. Hopefully I was steered correctly by the "wine guy". He was keeping me in or below my range, price range, whcih made me trust him a little.

Guess what Loria- before I saw your post I got the Anakena-it was $7.99 here! 4 bottles

Then I got D'autrefois Pinot Noir $9.99 3 bottles

Then I asked for something new and summery and good with sushi or rare tuna...he recommended Mendoza Station 2008 Terontes. Whatever the heck that is! It was only $5.99 so I said what the hey and got a few of those too.

Anyone besides Loria try any of these?

I have a friend from Ohio coming to stay while our daughters go to camp. Then having a girl party with her old friends from before she moved.

So that is why I bought so much (although I am perfectly capable of drinking it myself!)

[djmom]

Anthony, I am sure you are correct about the reds...If there were bugs in my wine I would probably just say it tasted like a notes of coffee grounds or something like that.

I REALLY need to take a class!