It is a lot to ask in 2015: where to find a good bottle of wine for $10 or less. Prices inevitably go up over time, and so does our wine sophistication, which has collectively improved since the days of straw-basket Chianti. Yet in many instances a sawbuck can still score you a decent bottle of red, sometimes with some change coming back your way.
Call these reds what you like — everyday wine, old reliable, vin de casa. When you find one you really like, buy a case of it. Get to know it well. You will always have a bottle to pull when guests come over, and you will always have a bottle to take to a party without having to stop and shop.
When you hand a bottle to your hosts and tell them that it is your go-to wine, that you endorse it, it seems that much more special to them. Your stamp of approval tells them that you did not just scamper into a grocery store and lunge at the first display you saw.
Would it be great to hand someone a really nice, really expensive bottle of Burgundy and tell them that it is your go-to wine? Sure. And if you have that kind of dough, congratulations on your life of hard work and luck. But if you are just starting your wine journey, or you’ve been on the path for a while but don’t mind saving a little jingle, you might take a look at these wines.
Chile is (still) a good place to start for good inexpensive wine, but the road to bargains could take you just about anywhere you want to go in the wine world — over to Argentina, up to California, across to France and Spain, and back down to Australia. How they grow it, pick it, make it, bottle it and ship it from there to here (regardless of where there and here are) for less than $10 is beyond me.
We don’t need to be reminded of the simple truth that commodities rise in price over time, and there are still people alive who remember a time when purchasing water in a retail store was impossible. Let’s not ask too many questions about the economics of wine, and let’s just enjoy the product, shall we?
The 2013 Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($9) is made by Concha Y Toro, one of Chile’s biggest and best wineries. Expect green pepper, blackberry, plum and a touch of oak in a wine with some young, grippy tannins and a full body. Decant it and let it slosh, and then drink it with a steak or some blue cheese. Or both at once.
From the famous Mendoza region of Argentina, the 2014 Alamos Malbec ($10), offers up ripe raspberry, candied fruit, white pepper and spice. Naturally, pair it with a steak and participate in what is practically the national sport of Argentina — eating red meat and drinking Malbec with it.
The 2013 Santa Rita 120 Carmenere ($9) is a great representation of Carmenere, the wheelhouse grape of Chile, and the 120 series is named for the 120 soldiers, who, after a day of fighting for Chile’s independence rested overnight in the Santa Rita cellars. It’s a fitting tribute. Herbal and earthy, with a tinge of green pepper and a silky texture, you could pair it with chicken or lamb, or some ripe cheeses at the end of the night.
Look for the diamond shape on the label of the 2013 Rosemount Estate Shiraz ($9), and expect a medium- to full-bodied explosion of raspberry, licorice, plum and a touch of oak. Made from 100 percent Shiraz from South Australia’s McLaren Vale region, this wine cries out for just about any meat from the grill with some char on it.
France’s famed Rhone Valley is the birthplace of the 2014 La Vieille Ferme ($8), a blend that is definitely more of a food wine than a straight-up sipper. Pair it with lamb — a classic — or a hearty stew. The wine’s herbal qualities, dark fruits and long finish might make you pause to reflect between bites.
The 2014 Borsao Garnacha ($9) is made from 85 percent Garnacha (aka Grenache) and 15 percent Tempranillo, two of Spain’s greatest grapes. A peppery nose leads to spices and even some mocha at times. Its soft mouthfeel would allow you to drink this wine all night on its own.
I would stop short of characterizing the 2012 Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir ($10) as Burgundian but it does lean more toward the Old World than the jammy fruits of a lot of West Coast U.S. Pinot Noirs. It starts with black cherry and takes a slow journey to spice town. Pair it with salmon or lamb.
The best thing about $10 wine is, it costs $10. If you don’t like it, it has set you back about $2 a glass. If you do like it, it’s not out of the question to buy a case and make it your go-to. Gotta start somewhere.
Check back occasionally for more reds and whites for $10 or less, $15 or less and $20 or less.
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