I love this little WineBerserkers bubble, but just had to share what wines more “normal” people are wonderfully enthusiastic about, from a friend’s Facebook post asking for favorite “red wines under $30.”
Here’s a rundown and some key quotes on folks’ recommendations, which are mostly a who’s who of the supermarket wine shelf (some bottom shelf, some top). Which of these would YOU endorse? (I haven’t tried hardly any…)
Yellow Tail Sangria
Stella Rosa Black
Apothic Inferno
Winking Owl Cabernet
Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin
Beringer Merlot
Justin Cabernet
Robert Mondavi Cabernet aged in Bourbon Barrels
Meomi
Educated Guess
Substance
Barista Pinotage
Decoy Cabernet
JaM Cabernet
Roth Cabernet
Josh Cabernet
“anything from Molly Dooker or Peter Lehmann Wines - if you want a big, juicy, dark Aussie shiraz I am partial to the Molly Dooker Boxer Shiraz. Peter Lehmann is a little more delicate – and affordable.”
Cooper and Thief - “Bourbon barrel aged red that changed my life.” “One or two glasses and you’re done lol! 17% alcohol and almost a fortified wine, but dang it’s delicious!” “100% right”
19 Crimes - “I like it bc it’s not tooooo dry… Now, I enjoy a dry red BUT sometimes I want something easier to wind (or wine😎) down with.”
Flipside Red - “I bought it exclusively because of the label design and its become my go to”
Then a comment or two that were more berserker-y:
Lapierre Raisins Gaulois - “cherry blossoms, blood orange peel and a touch of baking spice!”
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso or Barbera d’Alba, Altesino Rosso di Montalcino, Cass Mouvedre, Round Pond Kith and Kin Cabernet and Maysara 3 Degrees Pinot Noir are all great values.
Costco Cotes du Rhone
I will only comment to say, we all started this insane obsession drinking similar wines. I can actually remember drinking a Peter Lehmann Shiraz and liking it.
Dude. You could have asked before creeping on my Facebook and posting it here!
We are not normal.
Sad thing, there are some really compelling wines for under $30. Hell, this is where I drink most of the time!
Can even plenty of $25 gems in our lame ATL market.
The list you posted is for wine shopping at Publix.
OT
Sometimes I feel happy to be Italian. Here is a very partial list of wines under 30$ (27 €) in my supermarket:
Produttori del barbaresco barbaresco
Adriano barbaresco
Nervi gattinara
Banfi brunello di montalcino
Sella e Mosca marchese di Villamarina
Mastroberardino Taurasi
Ratti nebbiolo Ochetti
…
And if we look closely there are bubbles within bubbles within bubbles. But then that is part of what makes wine a fascinating hobby as opposed to the commodity it is outside the bubble. I do chuckle sometime though when we clearly over think some bit of wine world minutia.
It also amuses me how my family and friends consider me a total wine snob yet here I feel like quite the neophyte.
I have tried Robert Mondavi Cabernet aged in Bourbon Barrels, 19 crimes and it just happens Im currently drinking Beringer merlot. I like the 19 crimes most. Other 2 I would not buy again.
Ridge Three Valleys
Hudelot-Noellat Bourgogne
Poduttori del Barbaresco
Vajva Nebbiolo
Domaine des Moirots
Charvin Vin de Pays or Cotes du Rhone
Fosse Seche Saumur
So, I guess I am not normal. Learned that a long time ago.
I remember liking a Peter Lehmann Shiraz years ago as well. I don’t know what I’d think of it now, but I’m not sure it’s vomit emoji bad. I’d guess it’s probably a lot better than Mollydooker or any red wine aged in a bourbon barrel!
One of the ‘biggest challenges’ being a part of this wine biz is to constantly think OUTSIDE of our industry to get an idea of what the ‘general public’ thinks about wine and what they drink. It is an every day challenge for me, and one that I cherish. Yep, I can geek out here quite often and dig it, but I am equally adept and telling folks in my tasting room NOT to knock white zin (and no, not the Turley stuff) because if that’s what someone likes to drink, please don’t make them feel bad about it . . . just as I don’t want making fun of me if I want to order grilled fish at a steakhouse.
A slide drift - I had an artist in over the weekend that doesn’t drink much wine. Some of her patrons like to take her out to dinner and they often splurge on ‘expensive wines’. She couldn’t understand it and felt that it was silly to do so. I turned to her and asked if it was equally as silly that someone would pay her $15K for a painting when they could go into Ethan Brothers and pick up a poster for $15. Point made and taken.
I think I’ve been subconsciously aware of this for some time, but if you followed it exactly, you wouldn’t be buying wines like Jermann or Badenhorst, for example.
This jarred my memory…went back several years in CT and found this note from a 2009 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s: “The nose initially smelled of canned Vienna Sausage. It took me awhile to place the smell, but yes…I remember my sister loving the little canned buggers as a child.”
Here’s to the Not Normals!
Hi Marco
It’s funny you should post that, because I was thinking that I never see Mastroberardino Taurasi Radici in Italian supermarkets any more, whereas they seemed to be in many of the small city centre supermarkets during previous visits. Certainly none in CRAI or Carrefour on a recent trip to Torino. Which supermarkets still carry it? Esselunga, CONAD, Bennet, …? I do like that there are normally a good selection of local wines, so based on that list I’m wondering whether you’re based in Piemonte?
Regards
Ian
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But then that is part of what makes wine a fascinating hobby as opposed to the commodity it is outside the bubble. I do chuckle sometime though when we clearly over think some bit of wine world minutia.
).