Lots of good suggestions. I agree that the whites will be MUCH easier to do on the original budget than the reds. Verdicchio, soave, and arneis should provide some options. For reds, I also agree that CA is probably not going to provide fertile hunting for your price range. Attorney Alfert recommends some bdx slightly above your price range that I think you’d probably like a lot. I’d also look to priorat; there are huge numbers of big, thick Spanish wines in the $15 (and perhaps below) price range that a thick-CA-cab lover might enjoy.
As for $50 CA cabs, there are innumerable threads on precisely that topic, so a little hunting there should turn up what you want.
Clay: Two things that are important here, both of which have been mentioned above but worth reiterating and adding a little context.
As a couple people have said above, there is a huge difference in what is available at the $15+ price point compared to the $10 price point. It all revolves around cost. it’s simply hard to produce a wine for $10 using responsible farming techniques (or buying from farmers who do), crafting a wine with care rather than a formula in mass volume, getting grapes from a better area, etc. It’s way more complicated than that, but both here and if you read online, you’ll find that people with experience think that the most important $5 jump is from $10 to $15. If your wine budget is fixed for now, and you really want to explore quality wine, I’d strongly advise buying a little bit less volume. Six wines at $17 is going to give you a lot more quality than nine wines at $11 or $12. (There are some, and some have been recommended above, but they are rare finds).
There’s more value in Europe than the U.S. Part of that is land price, part of it is our three tier system, part of it is the youth of the region, and there are other factors. But basically, $15 for a Spanish or Italian wine is going to get you a lot more than $15 from the U.S. This is even more relevant when it comes to Napa. Napa land prices are through the roof, and wine is priced accordingly. When people on this board talk about value in Napa, they are talking about the amazing job that some producers do to make a great wine for $60 instead of the more common $110. So my advice if you like big thick California cabs is to look for similar intensely flavored and relatively high alcohol wines from Europe. Gerhard’s advice of Southern France and Robert’s related to Spanish Garnacha are really good calls in this respect (as is the Argentinian Malbec call).
I didn’t have much of a budget when I began my wine journey either, but back then you could buy Los Vascos cabernet from Chile for $3.75/bottle! Perhaps drink less, but better? And you are really NOT going to find value in California at that price point, you’ll need to expand to Europe which has the best QPR of any region on Earth (and some of the worst as well). If you like big, rich wines, try an aglianico from southern Italy like the Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato. It’ll cost around 13-14 dollars. See if you like that style. Tons others like it.
I’ve never thought this. I think it easier to find quality reds at a cheaper price than whites. Most of the cheaper whites tend to be anonymous without any sense of place.
I disagree with this. I think one of the reasons that it is easier to find better, inexpensive whites is that they are often done in stainless steel, eliminating the cost of barrels, and allowing the grape and terroir to show. I tend to like high acid, crisp whites though, so I am probably biased.
Welcome to the board! And yep, prepared to be ‘overwhelmed’ by help and opinions!
I would head into some of the stores near you and ask for suggestions based on exactly what you’ve told us you’d like. I’d look into doing tastings at these stores if offered, and tastings at wine bars in the area to further narrow down what you like.
You can always take flyers and order from K and L or other retailers that have great choices at the price points you’ve mentioned.
And my guess is that there are loads of Berserkers in the area willing to share their wines and expertise as well.
True enough, but try to find character in these wines and they will be lacking. Most of the whites in the bargain category are not ones that will age very well and are made more for quaffing than something you would seriously cellar and learn from.
In the under $10 category I highly recommend the delicious La Vieille Ferme Blanc. I once put it into a blind wine flight and guesses were all at a much higher price point.
Moving up a little in price Muscadets from Marc Ollivier and Luneau Papin are ridiculous values as are Vouvrays from Pinon. All of these will be ageable for pretty much as long as you like.
I’ll pile on that California cabernet is going to be tough at that price point. I know some on this board have suggested the Charles Smith Cabernet from Washington as a low price point cab that delivers some quality. Washington state in general may have cabs, merlots and blends that deliver what you want for less money than California.
As mentioned, for richer reds Spain is a good bet at an inexpensive price (also good for more classically styled or restrained reds at that price, particularly Rioja). Another good spot for inexpensive reds with a lot of body is Portugal. There are fewer on the shelves but they can offer interesting blends and some can often be found that are in your price range. Australia has always excelled in the bigger reds at low price category as well. The wines might eventually seem simple but if you want big fruit there is a lot of that. The south of France too Languedoc, Roussillon, etc., and also Cotes du Rhone.
Another thing I’d look for is a retailer in your area that has frequently closeout or clearance stock from distributors. This can take some sleuthing but that can be half the fun. Use Cellartracker when you buy to get an idea of the style of the wine; I’d suggest focusing on the notes people add for the wine and not the numerical score, particularly if there aren’t a lot of entries for a given wine. Searching here is also helpful. There are a bunch of threads here on “QPR” wines or “everyday” wines or some variation on that theme. Most of those aren’t big reds, but it’s also a good idea to branch out a bit and try new things.
Lastly, if you do dive deeper in you may want to prepare yourself for blowing that budget. The step from drinking a $12 cab to justifying a $25 bottle can be deceptively easy, especially if it happens incrementally. There is a lot of good wine out there under $20, and this board can help find it, but I think a lot of it is in a more old world style that is less
I generally like big, thick cabs but can’t afford them. . . . I generally stick to California wines, but am willing to experiment. I do like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and some Merlots but prefer Cabs.
If you stick to CA wines you’ll drink by grape variety. Don’t get hung up on that. And most people wouldn’t know the dif between a Merlot and a Cab if given them without being told. At your price point, it’s likely you’ve had a specific type of Merlot and the cheaper ones tend to be flabby and not too good. Same with Pinot Noir. I may be wrong, but I’m thinking la Crema, Meiomi, etc. Maybe not, but those aren’t really good examples.
I agree with some of the recs - look to Argentina Cabs and Malbecs although those wines have been creeping up in price these days. Chile makes good Merlot and even Cabs as well, but the lower end wines aren’t particularly good IMO as they tend to be both green and overripe at the same time. Australia used to be a good source, but it’s also moving up in price and again, you’ll be paying more than $12 for any of those.
But if you don’t worry about the varieties, the south of France has many wines that are relatively “big”, although not quite like Cabs. And there are a few from south Italy you might want to look for and especially Spain. You can find wines from the Ribera del Duero that are more expensive than many CA Cabs, but also many that are one third to one half the price that I’d drink in preference any day, and do. Napa Cab drinkers tend to get stuck buying Napa CA Cabs over and over but there’s wine that is often cheaper and IMO better elsewhere. That’s academic though, because at your price point, you’re not in Napa - it’s just not possible to get wine at that price. But you’ve discovered Lohr, which is not from Napa, so you’re on the right track anyway - look to Washington and other parts of CA.
For $8-$12/bottle, southern France and southern Italy are great places to focus on. I’d find a good local wine shop (NOT Total Wine) and go with their suggestions. If it’s a good shop, they should have several options in this price range that are not the mass produced stuff you see in supermarkets and hopefully bring in something new from time to time. Hopefully you can find a couple of good shops for greater selection. Buy mixed cases if there’s a discount. Even though I knocked supermarket wine, there are big exceptions. La Vieille Ferme was mentioned upthread. The white, red, and rosé are all pretty solid and can be found for around $7-$10, depending on your market.
Clay - I think JD has given you some solid advise. We do need to know what you like and what you’ve been experimenting in, to give you more granular information.
I’d add the following… cut down on quantity by a couple of bottles per month and up the ante on quality.
Try McManis Petite syrah. Usually priced between $9-11. Widely available, family owned but large production, and fits your description pretty well at that price point. Go for vintages with lower yield like 2015 if you have the option.
This is a good suggestion. Find a local wine store with a good rep/buyer who offers tastings. I think it’s far easier to learn about your preferences and wine in general when you can taste multiple wines at a setting rather than a single bottle in isolation. Also, view each bottle as an educational experience. Spend time thinking about the characteristics of the wine and jot them down. Half the enjoyment can be lost if you don’t pay close attention…
I have heard (but have not tested) that the varietal wines at Trader Joes are very well made for the price, and I suspect the price would be in the $10-15 range. Worth picking up a bottle next time you are in one?
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