I’d like to propose a challenge to the board to list some go to daily drinkers for under $25. There have been many topics for recs on cheap(ish) daily drinkers but… now here’s the caveat: they have to be relatively ubiquitous or at least available to buy with relative ease. There are often recommendations for wines that are on mailing lists with long waits or tiny productions with limited distribution, etc… The recommendations also presuppose that the prospective buyer has grocery stores but does not always have access to a high quality wine shop nearby but does have a computer and a credit card. Also the under $25 limit is set because I know how recommendations on the board tend to under estimate real cost and I’m really looking for under $30. (So there’s a little extra room for a widely available grocery store/Costco wine for $30 since there’s no shipping costs)
Let me set the stage for a few scenarios where this recommdations would be handy:
Let’s say you have only “special occasion” wines in your cellar and you are too cheep to drink even your Bedrock Sonoma County Zin without a commensurate occasion.
Say you are traveling and you find yourself in need of something and you have access to only small town wine shops and grocery stores. You want something good and cheap to take to a BYOB joint or to a relatives get together but you’re not gonna find Carlisle at the local Super Kroger.
Or let’s say you need to recommend to a friend a good red who would never spend more than $20 on a bottle but wants something good for a special occasion for which they will pry open their wallet and shell out a maximum of $25 ($30 if you convince them it will be the best wine they’ve ever had before).
Feel free to answer (or not) however you like and I’ll start:
Cabernet
H3 $12 - always pretty solid and available everywhere on earth
Michael and David Freakshow $20 - decent grocery store wine
Rhone/Syrah
Costco Côte du Rhone $7 - best $7 Rhone I’ve had (limited experience)
Jones of Washington Estate Syrah $20 - local and a favorite of mine
Zin
Marietta Old Vines Lot 62 $13 - I always have a few of these around
Seghesio Sonoma Co Zin $20 - good backup daily Zin if Marietta is unavailable
I’m sure there are more I will think of later. Please have fun with this one.
If shopped wisely, Loring Pinot Start Rita can be purchased for that price and it’s a rocker. Hardin Cabernet is another QPR show-stopper.
Find anymore of the 2013 Biggie Hamina PN around for $20 and you have something special.
I’ve been looking for Hardin around here unsuccessfully. I’ll have to order some to try soon. I couldn’t agree more with Loring but they aren’t easy to find offline. Your recommendations are always appreciated.
I haven’t enjoyed Louis Martini when I’ve had it but Clos du Val is a good one and it always seems to be on sale when I see it.
I haven’t had the Ravenswood OV in a few years but I’ve heard some complaining it’s gone downhill in recent years, does anybody here know this to be true?
Ridge Three Valleys, $20 - $25
Chateau ste Michelle h3 $12
Orin Swift Saldo $21 or so at Costco
Second the Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling under $6 at Costco
Las Rocas Garnacha $12 or so
Bogle Phantom $15 at Trader Joe’s
Chappellet Mountain Cuvee
Buehler Cab 2012 The 2013 needs a good 2 hour decant but it’s good for sub $25
Clos du Val Cab 2013
Daou Cab 2014
Ch. St. Michelle Indian Wells
Bogle Petite Sirah $8 Costco/ $10 grocery store - I had avoided this one for years because I’ve been burned many times by cheap PS but I had this at a church group dinner party (ironically the host serving this lives among vineyards in WA wine country but serving cheap CA grocery store stuff) and was pleasantly surprised.
