The Best Cheap Wines

Folie a Deux-- Menage a Trois--California Red Table Wine

Someone brought this to a party I went to a couple months ago, and I feel in love with the cutesy name (the wine is made up of three varietals: Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon). But when I drank it I fell in love with the taste— a nice balance of flavors without being too dry, sweet, or oaky. I searched high and low for the wine (the 2006 to be exact) and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I assumed it was expensive since they didn’t have it Trader Joe’s until I found it at Costco for about $8! Victory.

Big House Red-- California Red Wine

I had always seen this wine in the wine aisle at Trader Joe’s and had always been a little curious about it— I’m a sucker for artsy-looking labels and quirky names. I finally had it for the first time when I was at a friend’s beach house over the summer. We had the wine with some tri-tip for dinner and it was heavenly! It was bold and fruity— probably thanks to the various grape varietals they use to make it. Oh and did I mention it’s less than $10 at Trader Joe’s?

Honey Moon-- Viognier

Ok, so I bought this wine for the first time back in 2005 or 2006. I brought it to a friend’s party and it was so amazing (sweet and fruity without being too sickly) I ended up drinking most of it myself! (I know, this is probably a serious faux pas, but most the people there were getting buzzed rum and coke— I seriously doubt that anybody missed my viogner.) I haven’t tried any of the other “moon” wines (Tuscan Moon, Velvet Moon etc..) but I’ve heard good things. And at less than $8 a bottle, you might as well try ’em all.

Ferrari-Carano-- Fume Blanc

For my birthday last year I went wine tasting in Sonoma (something I HIGHLY recommend) and I went to the Ferrari-Carano vineyard and tasted a few of their wines in the tasting room. Some of their wines can get a little pricey, but the Fume Blanc, a refreshing white wine, is about $13 and it’s rather good.

Liberty School Cabernet

A full-bodied California cab with dark fruits and a little spice. This wine is cheap (sometimes it can be gotten for under $10), and it stands alone. Du-lish!

Kris Pinot Grigio

A few years back I bought this wine on a whim because I liked the label. My friend and I sipped this dry, fruity, Italian delight while watching “Second Hand Lions.” (Not as impressive as the wine, by the by…)
I was delighted to see a write-up of Kris in Food and Wine last year. Someone should really tell this winery that their wine is worth much more than $12.99. But for our sake, I hope it remains a Stateside secret!

Lindeman's Cawarra

Looking for an everyday red? This is not only a big bottle, but it’s THE best table wine you can buy, cheap — this 1.5 liter bottle can be had for under $15. Put it this way — we bought bottles of this stuff to serve at our wedding. We love the Shiraz-Cab blend best.

Manischewitz Wine

This is the stuff that G-d gets drunk on.

Box of Wine

“Once you pop, you can’t stop!”

Alamos Malbec

After being hooked on Merlot and then Pinot Noir, Malbec is now my new favorite red. And this one by Alamos is cheap and goooood. At around $10 a bottle (we stocked up at one of the New Hampshire Liquor stores when we saw it there for even less than that), it’s especially great if you’re new to Malbec and want to give it a try. (And, afterwards, when you become addicted to it and need to have it on hand at all times.)

Crios de Susana Balbo-- Torrontes

Another great Costco find!! (Praise Kirkland!) This wine is about $13, but tastes like a much more expensive wine. Most winos will tell you to head to South America or New Zealand to get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to buying wines and they’re probably right. This Argentine wine is crisp and sweet— delicious when served slightly chilled. It reminds me of my favorite wine Conundrum, but it comes at a MUCH friendly price.

Kim Crawford-- Sauvignon Blanc

As I’ve said before, I can be a bit of a label whore when it comes to buying wine, but I do have to say that in my experience the uglier the label, the better the wine. That being said, this tame-looking bottle of Kim Crawford packs a wallop. It’s one of the nicer Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had— perfect with chicken or seafood. It’s usually about $13 or $14— not as a cheap as a bottle of Charles Shaw, but it’s definitely worth shelling out the extra ten dollar bill.

Wine Cube!

Admittedly, the Target Wine Cube isn’t always that cheap, but the other day I found one of the Chardonnays on sale for $10 — for the BIG one. That’s 4 bottles of wine for $10 bucks. I couldn’t pass it up, and it’s pretty decent, apart from all the space it takes up in my mini-fridge.

La Boca Malbec

La Boca Malbec is another one of my TJ favorites because a) the bottle is so pretty and b) where else can you find a decent malbec for $3.99?!? Yes, $3.99! I brought it to a party last week and people were all “ooh malbec!”

Little Black Dress Merlot

THE FACTS: asting Notes: Aromas of ripe black cherry, red licorice,
plum, and sweet toasty oak along with slight
hints of perfume, cranberry and warm herb.
Smooth and rich mouth feel with hints of red
cherry, berry fruit, vanilla, and sweet oak.

OK, I’m not gonna lie- I picked up this bottle because I liked the title. I’m a sucker for the “cover” of anything. SO, when I actually had a glass of the wine I was surprisingly PLEASED. Not just a cute name. This wine is usually under the $15 mark, and so worth it.

Iron & Wine

Light and a little spiky. A bit of a sweet aftertaste.