WINES UNDER $12

Closer to the bottom of this page (following the Dallas News wine article) is further information on red wines.  Enjoy the articles and may you always enjoy that glass of wine!  

If you are into searching for great wines that seem to be more expensive than what they really are (you know, to impress that date or the boss) then this is for you.   Fool proof wine values Click Here!

The following rss feed is interesting in that if you click on the very bottom link, you will be brought to a site that has all sorts of wine, food, drinks, information and pairing of different foods with different drinks.  This is an rss feed and we just found it quite interesting.  It is not a site that this Working Persons Wine Website will earn any revenue from so go ahead and take a look.  We hope you will stop back here though before you close down your computer LOL.

Everyone wants good information about wine and we recently came across this great article from the Dallas Morning News.  We felt this article was really worth sharing, so most of the following is ver batim from that article, and we give credit and thanks to the Dallas Morning News for their reviews.  This is about wines under $12.00 and some under $10.00 and we felt this was a particularly good time to share some good news with you.

"Chalk it up to the economy, or to just plain good sense, this month the wine panel indulged in a few good budget wines and found 7 gold-medal wines for less than $12.00. 

"We've flirted with them in prior tastings, marveling at how some bargain bottles hold their own with pricier picks.  But, until now, we had never focused exclusively on the under $10 category.  Some panelists begged for a little wiggle room - an  extra buck or two yields many more remarkable values - but we held firm to the rock-bottom price tier.

"2008 Darby & Joan Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia - Although now a classic cab, this rich, jammy wine is typical of Australia.  It bursts with ripe, dark berry flavors, spiced with juniper and licorice.  "It's tons of fruit barreling down", said Paul Pinnell, sommelier; owner and general manager of Dali Wine Bar and Cellar.  $9.99 per bottle available at Sigel's, WineStyles in Flower Mound and Watauga, Put a Cork in It, Shellman's Fine Wine and Spirits.

"PANEL PICK: 2006 Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State - This wine showed the most true cabernet character and proved a great value for a cab.  Berry and cherry flavors are laced with green olive, coaoa and vanilla notes.  "It's a good everyday wine for cab drinkers", said James Tidwell, certified wine educator; master sommelier, Cafe on the Green, Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas.  Widely available for $8/98 to $9.99.

"2007 Cortijo III Rioja, Spain - This easy-drinking tempranillo-garnacha blend reveals more personality than most budget wines.  It shows intense red-berry flavors, with classic tempranillo spiciness and silky tannins.  "It doesn't taste like a mass-produced wine", said Paul Pinnell.  $8.95 and available at Central Market, Sigel's, some Goody Goody and Centennial Stores.

"Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel, California - Not necessarily the best value in zinfandels, but a well-made, reliable wine nonetheless.  It bursts with blueberry and raspberry fruit, peppered with spice and bramble.  Paul Pinnell called this "a slam-dunk for a wine under $10."  Widely available for $9.99.

"Cristalino Brut Rose Cava, Spain - This affordable, fruity sparkler could even be a party wine.  Clean and refreshing, it delivers strawberry, raspberry and bright cherry flavors with a hint of sweetness and loads of lively bubbles.  Relatively low in alcohol, Blythe Beck executive chef, Central 214, called it "perfect for sipping by the pool".  $7.99 at World Market, Big Daddy's on Northwest Highway, Whole Foods Market, some Goody Goody and Centennial stores, Pogo's and Addison Wine and Spirits.

"2005 Parina Sparkling Shiraz, Australia - This fruity, medium-bodied sparkler rates as fun and interesting.  Rich and ripe, it holds dark berry, plum and black cherry flavors with a hint of sweetness.  A novelty wine that will many - but not all.  "It's kind of over the top", said Paul Pinnell.  $9.99.  Available at Goody Goody, World Market, Big Daddy's on Northwest Highway, Whole Foods Market, select Centennial stores, Put a Cork in It, Brian's Wines and More, Mr. G's.

"2005 Blackstone Merlot, California - This smooth wine shows nice complexity for a merlot of this price.  "The supple, black-plum fruit has an implicit sweetness that rounds out the wine", said James Tidwell.  Although somewhat generic in its flavor profile, it's a well-made wine for the money.  $8.99 and widely available.

"2006 Solaz Tempranillo - Cabernet Sauvignon, Spain - This tempranillo blend is impressive for the money.  The 20 percent cabernet component lends a structure and body uncommon at this price.  Juicy, with sweet oak notes of cinnamon and vanilla, it's a pleasing, well-made wine.  $7.99.  Most Kroger, Albertsons and Tom Thumb supermarkets, Big Daddy's on Northwest Highway, select Centennial stores.

"2007 Torres Sangre de Toro, Spain - Made of garnacha and carinena, this crowd-pleaser shows an elegance that belies its price.  Rich, dark berry and currant flavors are woven with hints of licorice and spice.  "Year after year, it gets consistently good reviews", said George Howald of Serendipity Wine Imports.  $9.99 and widely available.

"2007 Penfolds "Koonunga Hill" Shiraz-Cabernet, Australia - This tasty blend was a close contender for the Panel Pick.  "It's a well-made wine, with supple, ripe fruit and excellent structure:, said Tidwell.  "The bright, expressive fruit flavors jump out of the glass", said Pinnell.  $9.99.  Widely available.

"2008 Lindemans Bin 99 Pinot Noir, Australia - Clean and elegant, this wine boasts juicy cherry and berry fruit with super-soft tannins and well-integrated oak.  "It's a solid, versatile food wine", said Howald.  At this price, you'd be hard-pressed to find a decent domestic pinot.  $7.49.  Widely available.

"2007 Cellar No. 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, California - This easy-drinking wine leans far to the soft side for a cabernet.  Still, it's a pleasant wine for drinking on its own.  It shows dark cherry and currant flavors with notes of vanilla and nutmeg.  Think of it as a red table wine and you'll appreciate it more.  $8.99.  Widely available."

Once again, we thank the Dallas Morning News for this article.  We hope you have enjoyed reading it.

Today we write on red wines. Not the pricey ones, because I cannot afford any of those on my meagre income. No, instead, we will talk about the less expensive, but tasty and enjoyable, and available red wines throughout the world. Some are available for shipping, some are not; some States and Provinces have rules and regulations that forbid or limit what they can sell or ship and to whom.

Ok, so let's start with a Shiraz, which is my favourite at this point in my life. We tend to have wine every evening with dinner when possible and so we go through a fair amount of it. Our current love is a boxed (yes, boxed) Shiraz by Peller Estates - it is a combination of California reds boxed to appear that they are from British Columbia, Canada, but we believe that is a false impression. False, or not, it is still a very drinkable wine and we do like it. The vintners are a bit concerned that this type of packaging may take away from their livelihood but I am of the belief that those who can afford the better priced wines will continue to purchase the better priced wines. And that, my friends, leaves these really good boxed wines for the rest of us.

The box we buy is a 4 L and if priced in Arizona at around $25.00 or so, perhaps less, which is about $5.00 a bottle if it were in glass. The price in British Columbia, Canada, is around $40. and sometimes you can find it in the BC Liquor Stores on sale at around $36.00 or a little less, plus deposit, of course. Recycling is big in Canada and you will find that these fees are added for a lot of goods in containers that can be recycled. And, at $40 per 4 L, that would be an average of about $7.50 per bottle.

I was rooting around the internet just the other day and did come across some really informative blogs and items from others so am going to include some of their thoughts here for you to think about. If you happen to be one of those people who have a little more information than what I found, please feel free to add it so all can enjoy the updated news.

3L box of Cotes du Rhone called From the Tank. Vignerons de Caractere is another Cotes du Rhone but apparently hard to find any more. Less money than From the Tank, we are told. The French Rabbit pinot noir is also quite acceptable according to one of the writers. Red truck now does a 3L barrel for around $30. They also have an organic Oregonian red. It or the Pinot Evil are both great choices for 20 bucks a box or about 5 a bottle. 3 L.

Daniel Boulud's "boxed wine" was given a huge thumbs up by one reader but when I researched it further, I was unable to find it in the box. The website is quite comprehensive and has wonderful choices on it but I felt they were too pricey for this writing so none have been given any space. That is not to say that some of you would not enjoy having a peek at the site (I know I enjoyed looking around there). http://www.danielnyc.com/store.html and then visit the wines from this point if you wish. It will actually take you to another website.

Alandra red from Portugal also was approved by some readers as a drinkable red - I could not find it in the box, though, I have to admit. $20/3 L according to the reader.

My family and I also like Banrock Station shiraz in the box which is produced by the Hardy winery in Australia. I have heard from others that do not care for this but like many things, our tastebuds cannot all react the same way. Roughly $18 for 3 L.

Jean David Organic Box $39.95/ 5 liter box (perhaps this is a misprint and is a 4L?) and goes with almost everything, according to the article I read on it.

It was interesting to note, when I was researching, that the 3L box was introduced to "reflect the wine inside" to be a better quality wine than what was being produced in the 4L containers. Does anyone really see any difference? I have tried both sizes and various reds within, and I could not say that the smaller box held any better wine than the larger one. But, what do I know?

Here is one contributed by one of the readers: 2008 Poderi Zanusso Sant' Andrat Bianco and Rosso. Each box holds 3 liters and costs about $29 ($7.25 per bottle). Apparently this is an organic Italian wine and very good.

Santa Rita Medalla Real 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $19.99 and Hahn Estates 2007 Meritage 16.99 are all that I have to contribute at this writing.

If you wish to bring me up to date on any of these wines and where they can be found, or if you know of some boxed reds you really are fond of, please contact me at accessoriesniche at shaw dot ca.  Please reference the wine update when you write.  It has been fun so far to bring you up to date at least a little bit on boxed wines and how economical and tasty they really can be.  I feel sorry for those who feel there are no good wines in boxes, don't you?