Budget Vino

BudgetVino.com's 10 best budget wines of 2009

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to name what I believe to be the 10 best budget wines of 2009. These wines will always deliver, and will never disappoint. I unfortunately have not had the time to review all of them on BudgetVino.com this year, but rest assured that I (or in the case of the whites, my friends) have consumed many bottles of each numerous times, and think they are all fantastic. They each offer incredible value for their modest prices.

Since some of these wines are lacking a BudgetVino.com review, I am including a link to where you can get more information on each wine, or buy a bottle if interested. Please note the stated vintage for each wine in the list, as I’ve found the quality of some of these wines to be extremely year dependent. For example, the 2006 Cellar No. 8 Cab is a big disappointment when compared to the 2007 offering.

I present the list in no particular order

1. Chalone Vineyard 2007 (Monterey County) Chardonnay

http://shop.safeway.com/dnet/RichProductInformation.aspx?promo_window=1&bpn=189055812

2. 2008 Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1048553

3.  Cellar No. 8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=cellar+no.+8&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=cellar+no.+8&N=0&ProductID=15431

4.  St. Francis Red 2006 (48% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 3% Zinfandel and 6 % Mixed Blacks (Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Alicante, Malbec)

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=st.+francis+red&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=st.+francis+red&N=0&ProductID=19591

5. Peachy Canyon Incredible Red Zinfandel 2006

http://shop.safeway.com/dnet/RichProductInformation.aspx?promo_window=1&bpn=189051141

6.  Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=liberty+school&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=liberty+school&N=0&ProductID=753

7. Castle Rock Pinot Noir Monterrey 2006

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=castle+rock&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=castle+rock&N=0&ProductID=21796

8.  Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?D=bogle&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Dx=mode%2bmatchall&Ntk=All&Nty=1&Ntt=bogle&N=0&ProductID=759

9. Pascual Toso Malbec Maipu Valley 2008

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1046680

10.  2006 Monte Antico Tuscan

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1046246

Think a wine should be added to the list? Agree or disagree with my choices? Leave a comment and let me know.

 

A party pleaser- Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to my friends Ivan and Alison's house for their daughters 5th birthday party. Every year there are more and more children, and the party gets louder and louder. The adults become more bystanders than participants. My friends and I hide in the living room, sip wine, and talk about how poorly behaved everyones children are. 

Knowing that there would be a large collection of young children at the party, it was imperative that there was enough wine for all the adults to make it through the 3 hours of festivities. I emailed Alison earlier in the week and realized that she was going to need some backup bottles. Given we were going to have pizza and rich snacks, I knew a Cab would be the best option. My choice this time- Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon. I bought the 2007 Paso Robles vintage back on Thanksgiving, and it was well received. Not wanting to take any risks, I picked up a couple bottles, then headed over to the party. As assumed, the wine went over really well. People generally liked that it was a little on the heavier side, was not too dry, and had a nice smooth finish. All in all it was a party pleaser. I liked it so much that I just bought another bottle for dinner tonight!

Safeway is currently selling the Liberty School Cab for $12 a bottle, but I've also seen it go as low as $9. At $12 it's still worth the money.

Recommendation- Definitely buy it

The perfect budget wine for a Thanksgiving day!

I have always believed that gluttony is a dish best served with wine. In the U.S., if there is any day that defines gluttony, it has to be Thanksgiving. Christmas might bring its feast, but it never reaches the level of absurdity that Thanksgiving delivers. What other day do you eat dinner at 2pm, only to plan to eat leftovers by 7? It’s a day of 2 dinners, potentially some football, and hopefully a lot of wine.

This year, I am responsible for picking up the wine for Thanksgiving. In deciding what to purchase, my challenge is that in a room of 20 people, there’s bound to be different palettes and preferences. I don’t want to buy too many different wines. I would rather settle on 1 staple.

After careful deliberations, I have made my decision.

This year, I am going out on a limb, and declaring that the perfect Thanksgiving wine is Castle Rock Pinot Noir. This wine is a high quality budget Pinot (a rare feat indeed). This wine strikes the perfect balance. It is not too heavy, and definitely not too light. It will pair well with mostly anything that happens to grace your dinner table.

Knowing the drinkers that will be at dinner, I will definitely be buying a large quantity of Castle Rock Pinot Noir this year. If you decide to follow my lead, definitely let me know what you think- once you wake up from your food coma of course!

Great bargain wine article in the San Francisco Chronicle

A great article about bargain wines written by Jon Bonne of the San Francisco Chronicle. His bargain recommendations may be a little more relevant to those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area, but a good piece of journalism nonetheless.

The link to the article is found here

Let me know if you've ever had any of the recommended wines. Curious to hear your thoughts.

Thanks Jared B. for sending this my way!

The perfect budget beverage to bring to a Sunday brunch- Cava and OJ

This past Sunday, my friend Melissa invited me to join her and some friends at a nearby park for an ad hoc brunch. It was pretty last minute, but I was hungry, and it was so darn nice outside. I should have stayed home and worked, but I convinced myself that a few hours away from my laptop wasn't going to hurt me in the long run. 

Completely unprepared, I ran to the nearby Safeway, where I pondered what I should bring with me to the park. I walked the aisles a few times, struggling to make a decision. Then, as I was about to give up, I passed the alcohol section. Suddenly it hit me- Mimosas. I'd bring Mimosas. Everyone loves Mimosas!  (orange juice and sparkling white wine for those of you who have never heard of mimosas before). The question was, how could I get mimosa fixins for everyone, while also staying within a reasonable budget. The answer was a $7 bottle of Cava (a Spanish version of champagne/ sparkling wine) called Cristalino. 

A Budget Vino tip

When looking for budget sparkling bottles, Cava is usually your best bet. Your options are typically cheaper than your French or American choices, and the product is similar in quality and taste. 

Back to the Cristalino...

This Cava was perfect for a mimosa. In mimosas, orange juice usually overpowers the sparkling wine, so you don't need to go overboard. The Cristalino had the perfect quality, and it came at the perfect price. 

I never tasted the Cristalino on its own, so I can't comment on its standalone quality. What I can recommend is that if you're going to a brunch, bring a good OJ and a bottle of Cristalino Cava. Your friends will thank you, and so will your wallet.

VIDEO ALERT!!- "$10 (or less) wine"

Its been a couple weeks, and the Commonwealth Club finally posted the "$10 (or less) Wine" panel discussion on YouTube. Give it a watch if you have some time. It's pretty enjoyable if I do say so myself. Definitely let me know what you think. It was my first panel so don't be overly critical. :)

Panel Summary- article in SF Examiner

I was hoping to have a link to the Commonwealth Club panel to share, but it's yet to be loaded onto You Tube. The minute I the Club sends it too me, I'll make sure to post it. Overall, the panel was great fun. I'm curious to see what you all think.

In the meantime, here's a link to an article written about the event. Quick point about the article- it should have read "under $10." Not sure where the author came up with $12.

Enjoy.

Back to wine reviews this week....

Budget Vino selected to join Commonwealth Club panel on $10 and under wines!

I am really excited to announce that we have been selected to join a panel discussing $10 and under wines at the Commonwealth Club on August 26th. The panel discussion will be recorded and syndicated on NPR and other stations countrywide. 

This is a pretty big deal for us as The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The club was founded in 1903, and has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Erin Brockovich in 2001. Along the way, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have all given landmark speeches at The Club. Exciting!!!

I'll make sure to post a link to the recorded session as soon as I have it. Stay tuned.

Insatiable by name, but not by taste

A couple weeks ago, I was tasked with selecting some budget wines for a Minnesota style hot dish party. I knew there would be some serious cheese and meat, so some heavier wines were definitely in order. I was in a serious rush, so I ran to the Safeway grocery store a block away. While there, this random woman started talking with me about wine selections. At first, I had no idea what her motivation was, but then realized that she was a Safeway employee, responsible for helping shoppers in the wine aisle. 

She asked if I had ever tried a wine called "Insatiable." Supposedly, at only $6.50, it is one of Safeway's top sellers. The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, barbera, zinfandel and syrah. With a blend of so many heavy reds, I thought it would be the perfect wine for the hot dish madness. And, with a name like that, I wondered how I could go wrong. Turns out, it wasn't that hard. 

I got to the party a few minutes late, but was received well when I showed up with a bag of wine. When you bring alcohol, people tend to cut you some slack! I quickly opened the Insatiable, let it breath for a few minutes, then poured a couple glasses. Insatiable it was not. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. I felt a little cheated. Maybe the woman at the store hyped it too much. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic. Regardless, it really wasn't worth my time or money. It was heavy, but without character. It was just dull and boring. I was not left wanting more. They should really consider renaming this wine "Mediocre."

Recommendation- Don't buy it

Another great budget bottle- Pascual Toso Malbec from Argentina

A year ago, I discovered the incredible Pascual Toso Malbec from Argentina at a local San Francisco store- K&L Wines. K&L is arguably my favorite wine store in the world. I may have many more places to travel, but I seriously doubt I will ever find a place as incredible as this. Their selection is truly amazing, and it has no boundaries. From the most obscure wines to the mainstream, K&L has always delivered for me. 

I subscribe to K&L's email list, which often features wines under $10. When they featured this wine (currently their best seller of all time), I figured I had to give it a try. It was amazing. A little spicy, amazingly smooth, and beautifully rich in color. I was tempted to write about it, but felt it was such an obscure wine, that I would simply be tempting you all with something you might never have the opportunity to try. Then last Wednesday happened...

I went to Costco with my friend Sarah to grab supplies for my buddy (and her husband) Jared's 30th birthday party. As we were perusing the pretty robust alcohol section (my apologies to my Canadian parents and friends who have alcohol-less Costco's),  I was shocked to find this wine being featured at the end of the wine aisle. I convinced Sarah to grab a couple bottles, and of course I didn't leave empty handed. I got home and poured myself a glass. It was just as delicious as I remember it being a year prior. The new vintage was just as good as the old. A rare feat for some wineries.

While i'm yet to hear what Sarah thought, I'm confident that she and you will enjoy this wine. I encourage you to look for it the next time you hit up your local Costco. At $8.50 a bottle it is a true bargain.

Final Recommendation- Definitely buy it