Walking through the wine store, you can get overwhelmed by all the information being thrown at you. Not only does each wine bottle have different looks and feels, but you also have different types of red wines to try. Should you go with a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot? How about that red blend sitting in the corner? Screw cap or cork? How do you know what to choose?
Not only do you have to judge a wine by it’s label, but you also have to consider price. It’s fairly common knowledge that the more expensive a wine is, the better it is. The wines I have listed below defy that knowledge and let you know that you CAN find a good quality wine inexpensively if you know what to look for.
The first suggestion I have for anyone who wants to try out a good red wine and knows their budget is to talk to the person at the counter of their local wine and liquor store. It has been my experience that they are trained to know what different wines taste like and, because they are familiar with their store’s inventory, they might have a particular wine in mind for you to try.
The wines I have discovered that I like the most were suggested to me by the employees at the wine and liquor stores in my area. From that knowledge, I have taken off in my wine-tasting as I now know what I like. That is the knowledge that tasting different wines will give you and I hope to impart through this article.
Below are five red wines that will help familiarize you in red wines if you’re a beginner. They’re not the cheapest wines that you can find, but they will definitely give you a great quality for the price. If you are an old hand at this, you may find something below to help you save money.
Please keep in mind that the prices are estimates only.
Red Diamond Merlot, Washington State, http://www.reddiamondwine.com/
Price: ~$12.00 per bottle
Winemaker’s Notes (back of Merlot bottle): Merlot is king in Washington state, where it’s considered the crown jewel of red grapes. That’s why we call our wine Red Diamond. It’s a shining example of carefully tended fruit gently made into a polished wine with softly-spiced black cherry, berry & plum flavors. And like a diamond, our Merlot goes with everything.
For an inexpensive wine, you can’t beat Red Diamond’s Merlot or their Cabernet Sauvignon. Having purchased glasses of both of these wines at local steakhouses, I was thrilled to find the bottles sold in my local liquor store and definitely for a lot less than I expected them to go for.
Insatiable Cabernet Sauvignon, California, http://www.insatiablewine.com/index.html
Price: Less than $11.00 per bottle
Winemaker’s Notes (from the website): Full and rich flavors of Black Cassis and Black Cherry dominate the broad pallet with a long, smooth finish. Underlying notes of vanilla and cola fan out on the expressive bold finish.
This Cabernet Sauvignon that was recommended to me and had an extremely high score from Wine Enthusiast (as I saw on the paper in front of it). Cabernets tend to have a silky smooth finish unlike Merlots which seem to never want to leave your mouth once they’re there.
Menage a Trois Red Blend, California, http://www.menageatroiswines.com/
Price: ~$12.00 per bottle
Winemaker’s Notes (back of bottle): A delightful blend based on three varietals – Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine was on sale when I found it and it was decorated with Mardi Gras beads so it was a little hard to resist. Once again, it had an extremely smooth finish and a fully rounded taste.
Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin, Lodi, CA,http://www.gnarlyhead.com/
Price: ~$14.00 per bottle
Winemaker’s Notes (back of bottle): “As the truck pulled up to the 80-year-old Zinfandel vineyard, my first impression was, “wow, those vines sure have some gnarly heads!” Thus began my love affair with Old Vine Zinfandel. Lodi has some of the oldest vines in California. Unlike modern rows of trellised vines, these old Zinfandel vines were grown as free standing “head trained” vines. Today they resemble wild bushes with twisted old trunks and branches that spread out in all directions sprouting leaves like unruly umbrellas – truly “Gnarly Heads.”
“Our grapes are hand-selected from some of the oldest and most respected vineyards in Lodi. Older vines produce fewer grape clusters, but the small berries yield concentrated fruit flavors characteristic of great Old Vine Zinfandel. Rich, dark berry flavors from the small grape clusters are balanced with French, American and Hungarian oak, which creates layers of licorice, plum, pepper and vanilla. This luscious combination provides a lingering and spicy finish.”
This red Zinfandel is a much stronger wine than the others on this list with a stronger finish to it. It’s definitely a wine to drink with food such as barbeque, ribs, pizza and more.
Bookwalter Red Blend, Columbia Valley, WA, http://www.bookwalterwines.com/bookwalter/index.jsp
Price: ~$20.00 per bottle
Winemaker’s Notes (back of bottle): 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 18% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot.
This wine has always been the story within the story of each vintage and represents our 22nd multi-vintage blend in 25 years. Each vintage in this blend is aged independently in small 100% French oak barrels. 66% of the wine from the 2006 vintage was aged for 1 year, 19% of the wine from the 2005 vintage was aged for 2 years, 6% of the wine from the 2004 vintage was aged for 3 years, and 9% of the wine from the 2003 vintage was aged for 4 years. By blending across vineyards, varieties and vintages, we create a wine with structure, pronounced aromatics and rich flavors.
This red blend of varietals should be filtered before drinking. The first unfiltered wine I had tasted, it has a reddish-brown sediment that to the beginner may look like dirt or earth. In my opinion, this is the best wine on this list, not too sweet, but just right.
