I only recently got serious about red wines. I have found that I enjoy kicking back and drinking a bottle with my wife sitting out on our screened-in porch.

Anyway...are red wines < $10 worth purchasing? I am discovering that when I do drink a better bottle that going back to something relatively cheap from the grocery store just doesn't deliver that tasting experience that the more pricey bottles do. I favor Cabs and Pinot Noir.

Thanks,
Steve

Welcome. If you're looking on the <$10 range, you'll have to be very slective. In the $10-15 range, there are a load of great reds available. I'd suggest a recent vintage of Cotes-du-Rhone from a good producer or almost anything coming out of Jumilla, Spain.

I cannot help you for Cabernet or Pinot Noir under $10, but do agree with Board-O on his recommendations.

You can find enjoyable wines from Spain and Rhone ( CDR) for under $15.

below 10 its hard to find decent wines. 10-15, and say 10-20 has many great selections. Over 20 and you start getting iffy again. Not so much from quality, but value. There will be lots of wines in the 20-50+ range that are no better than what can easily be found in that 10-15 range.

If you are willing to consider other grapes, try some Garnacha from Spain. Borsao is a producer with tasty wines in that price range.

I'd agree that sub $10 for a red is difficult. I think for the $10-$15 range Washington is a good place to look too.

Thanks for the insight to everyone above. My taste buds are telling me the same thing: I am not enjoying the cheap wine at all now that I have come to purchase more wines in the $10-$20 range.

My wife and I look forward to opening an Italian Cab, acquired at a fundraiser, that carries a $54 retail price at our anniversary next month. I am anxious to discover how that wine compares to the $10-$20 Cabs I have been drinking.

Oh well...the additional money spent is all for a good cause! (i.e. our sipping enjoyment!)

What's the wine?

PH

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
What's the wine?

PH

I need to go home and look at the label again.

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:
What's the wine?

PH

My memory really is faulty. It is NOT an Italian red. It is a Calif Cab out of Napa, "Maclean" 2004.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
Welcome. If you're looking on the <$10 range, you'll have to be very slective. In the $10-15 range, there are a load of great reds available. I'd suggest a recent vintage of Cotes-du-Rhone from a good producer or almost anything coming out of Jumilla, Spain.

Ditto.

Go digging for a good Garnacha or Cotes du Rhone. Those are the best bets, and I most often avoid all Pinot below $10. It's quite a delicate grape, and when not given the right treatment, can turn ugly.

quote:

Originally posted by finz:

There will be lots of wines in the 20-50+ range that are no better than what can easily be found in that 10-15 range.

That is good to know. Can you please recommend to me wines less than $15 from the following regions that are better than wines priced up to $50?

Bordeaux ( red & white)
Burgundy ( red & white)
Champagne
Northern Rhone
Barolo
Brunello
Barbaresco
California Pinot & Oregon Pinot
Napa & Sonoma Cabernet
California Chardonnay
Priorat
Port
Sauternes

Thanks in advance.

Tired old quality price ratio!

That said, I can honestly say I much dislike Ace of Spades to Gaston Chiquet Tradition.

quote:

Originally posted by wine+art:

quote:

Originally posted by finz:

There will be lots of wines in the 20-50+ range that are no better than what can easily be found in that 10-15 range.

That is good to know. Can you please recommend to me wines less than $15 from the following regions that are better than wines priced up to $50?

Bordeaux ( red & white) no
Burgundy ( red & white) no
Champagne no
Northern Rhone no
Barolo
Brunello
Barbaresco
California Pinot & Oregon Pinot no
Napa & Sonoma Cabernet no
California Chardonnay no
Priorat no
Port no
Sauternes no

Thanks in advance.

You're welcome

yes i stand corrected, price is the only indicator of quality.

Napa Pinots
Sebstini, Clos du Val, Mondavi (60), Acacia Reserve (45), low values
Vallery of the moon 2010, Sean Minor 2009 4B, Saintsburg 2009 Garnet, good values (17-18)

Oregon Pinots
Erath 2009 Estate, Rex Hill 2010, 2009 JHV (35, 58), Redhawk Pataccoli (35), low values
Terrapin 2009 (16), Wine by Joe (13), Redhawk 2009 (18) good values.

Sonoma Pinots
Benzinger RRV 2009 (28), Lynmer, multiple types (70), Mark West 2009 Appelation RRV (25), Jeff Gordon (50), low values
Cameron Hughes 2009 lot 271, Kenwood 2009, Sebastini 2009 (14-18), good values

Chards
Schug 2010 Sonoma (24), Keller 2009 LaCruz (36), Frogs Leap 2010 Napa (26) Patz&Hall 2010 Hudson (55), low value
Sebastiani 2009, Kunde 2010 Sonoma, Wayne Gretzky 2010 (13-17), good values

Its just an exercise that there are no perfect rules when it comes to wine. Don't be quick to run off and buy higher priced wines because they are higher priced. Buy higher priced wines because they provide something you value.

finz:

I think you're confusing the point that W+a and B-O was trying to elude to.

Are there crappy wines > 60$? certainly. But why would we buy such plonk? These boards are certainly fast at pointing out expensive wines that don't deliver.

However from a reputable producers who have really fine honed their craft, price is actually a very good sense of quality.

A niepoort ruby is a good wine @ 16 dollars, but it would never hold up to a proper vintage port from the likes of Fonseca, Taylor, Grahams, Dow.

We had a blind tasting where a Lafite was snuck in, the crowd was a mix of 2 winos and 12 occasionally drink types (as evident by a little penguin and a yellow tail in the line up) and the Lafite was the hands down wotn.

and Btw, take the Rexhill pinot (like 15$?) If you've ever had a St innocent, seven springs special selection (60$) I'd seriously doubt you'd say the rex hill was a properly made pinot.

of course, but I missed the part where i said nothing at $50 is any better than something you can find at $15. Thats what w+a and board-o seemed to be implying I stated. sorry for the confusion, I'll try to be more clear next time.

quote:

Originally posted by finz:
of course, but I missed the part where i said nothing at $50 is any better than something you can find at $15. Thats what w+a and board-o seemed to be implying I stated. sorry for the confusion, I'll try to be more clear next time.

that wasn't the point.

the point was that best examples at 60$ will ALWAYS be better than the best examples at 15$.

I definitely will not disagree with that statement at all.

Nodagus,

In the 10-20 range, I have continuously enjoyed Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon, Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot,Marquis de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere....all from Chile. And, Catena Malbec Mendoza from Argentina. These can all be very, very good at times.

+1 on the Santa Rita

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
+1 on the Santa Rita

I don't believe that I've ever seen you post on this wine, and I'm certainly too lazy to do a search.

Somebody brought one to an offline in Florida last year. It's actually the only Santa Rita I've ever had, but I believe the concensus was it was one of the best wines of the night.

quote:

Marquis de Casa Concha

+1-These are a favorite value wine for me.