# Recommend me a good common red wine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [June 9, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354 "2008-06-09T19:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/1 "2008-06-09T19:40:03Z")
I like to drink a little sometimes, and red wine sounds like as good a drink as any since it’s supposed to be good for your heart. What’s a good “supermarket” red wine? I look down the aisle and there’s a bewildering array of choices, most of them don’t say “red wine” at all. So what are the basics of what I need to know? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/2 "2008-06-09T19:47:07Z")
What’s your price range? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/3 "2008-06-09T19:48:13Z")
I like Blackstone Syrah (or Shiraz, I can’t remember now which they call it). It’s pretty cheap, too. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/4 "2008-06-09T19:54:44Z")
I’m a big fan of [Ravenswood Zinfandel](http://www.ravenswood-wine.com/wines/lodi_zin.asp). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/5 "2008-06-09T19:56:24Z")
Best combo of price/taste. Like $10. 😃 Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming. I should be able to find at least one of them around here. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/6 "2008-06-09T19:56:43Z")
Folie a Deux - Menage a Trois. It’s a blend of Zen, Cab and Merlot, reasonably priced at around $10 and it’ll appeal to almost anyone’s palate. You should be able to find it in your grocery as ours and most every one I’ve visited carries it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/7 "2008-06-09T20:19:22Z")
I’m fond of yellowtail Shiraz as a decent inexpensive wine. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/8 "2008-06-09T20:21:15Z")
Are there Trader Joe’s in Virginia? If so, try Two-Buck Chuck. Otherwise, Yellowtail produce a nice line, as does Gallo of Sonoma. ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/9 "2008-06-09T20:29:23Z")
I am a fan of Trader Joe’s French Market Merlot. It goes for about $4 in St Louis. It is a very pleasant drinkable wine thats a great compliment for most meals. Their Chardonnay is very good too if you want a white wine now and then. I am also a fan of [Bolla](http://bolla.com) italian red wines, their Valpolicella is my favorite - they generally go for between $8-$10. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/10 "2008-06-09T20:31:23Z")
Food Lion is the best we have close by. Otherwise it’s just small local stores. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/11 "2008-06-09T20:56:48Z")
Clos du Bois Merlot can be had for $14-18 per bottle around here (Phoenix). It’s my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/12 "2008-06-09T21:02:32Z")
[Reserve Perrin](http://www.perrin-et-fils.com/beaucastel/2005/08/cotes_du_rhone_.html) is one of my favourite reds, and usually in the same price range (Ontario prices are very different from US, so I’ll just say it should be within a dollar of so of the excellent Yellow Tail mentioned upthread) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/13 "2008-06-09T21:08:30Z")
Since I come from Australia, and since I lived for most of my life in one of the great wine-producing areas in the world (the Hunter Valley), I am, of course, biassed. However, I’ve rarely been disappointed by an Australian shiraz, and you can get quite reasonable brands of that in American supermarkets for $7-$10 per bottle (including the Yellowtail Shiraz that **Cheesesteak** mentioned). A bit more than that will get you a Rosemount Estate Diamond Label shiraz, and that a very nice wine. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/14 "2008-06-09T21:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=Cheesesteak] I’m fond of yellowtail Shiraz as a decent inexpensive wine. [/QUOTE] I’ll second that for an enjoyable shiraz with a decent body and aroma to it. Nothing complex, but it goes down well, and you can catch it for US$5-US$6 on sale. The Special Reserve is nasty, though; avoid it like the plague. For a modest step up, I really like the Bonny Doon Big House Red as a reasonable red table wine. It should run between US$9-US$12. There are a lot of very nice Italian wines based on [Sangiovese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangiovese) and [Primativo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitivo) (Zinfindel) varietals that are around the US$8-US$15 range. There are also some excellent Malbecs out of Argentina and Chile that are in or close to the sub-US$10 price range. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/15 "2008-06-10T00:18:53Z")
While we’re on the Shiraz train, I prefer the Black Opal over the YellowTail. Usually runs for about $8.00 and is my “go to” if I get stuck having to purchase wine from a grocer. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/16 "2008-06-10T05:54:18Z")
Craneford shiraz is really good if you are willing to go to the $15 price range. A really good merlot is Oyster Bay from New Zealand. It’s around $12. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/17 "2008-06-10T06:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Folie a Deux - Menage a Trois. It’s a blend of Zen, Cab and Merlot, reasonably priced at around $10 and it’ll appeal to almost anyone’s palate. You should be able to find it in your grocery as ours and most every one I’ve visited carries it. [/QUOTE] This is the one I came in to post. It’s really yummy and everyone I’ve served it to has said “wow, this is good, what is it?” ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/18 "2008-06-10T13:17:14Z")
Listen to \*\*lieu \*\*and \*\*Opal \*\*- they know of what they speak. You can’t go wrong with Menage a Trois. Red Truck is also good. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/19 "2008-06-10T13:20:20Z")
[QUOTE=Snickers] You can’t go wrong with Menage a Trois. [/QUOTE] Words to live by? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354/20 "2008-06-10T14:00:34Z")
[QUOTE=Snickers] Listen to \*\*lieu \*\*and \*\*Opal \*\*- they know of what they speak. You can’t go wrong with Menage a Trois. Red Truck is also good. [/QUOTE] Eh. I didn’t think it was that great. Rather ordinary, IIRC. Search out the old threads of the Straight Dope Wine Club in this forum. We talked about all sorts of cheap plonk. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-good-common-red-wine/452354.md?page=2)