We’ve all got our favorite bargain priced gems that provide far more enjoyment than others in the same price range. Here’s my contribution:
El Portillo Tempranillo - Argentina - New Cuyo / Mendoza Region
This has been one of our favorite everyday pour selections for a long time.
Houston Price: $8.94
Red Truck is a blend, very tasty. It runs about $8-9 a bottle, and everyone who shares a bottle seems to love it. I also enjoyed their Pinot Noir, but do not recall the price.
Mine is probably Montes Cabernet (Chile). I can usually get it for about 8 or 9 bucks.
I notice BevMo carries several El Portillo wines, but not the Temperanillo. Most are about $15, though. Too bad, because several of their wines are in the “buy one, get the second for 5 cents” category. I’d definitely give it a try at your price, or the 5 cent promotion if it was $15. I do drink a lot of Mendoza region wines and they’re usually pretty good values.
The only other El Portillo I make a point of keeping in the rack is their Malbec Rose, which is priced here the same as the Tempranillo - $8.94
(BevMo does have this one listed in their on-line catalog with the 5 cent deal)
Here’s a link to the Rose as well
flickster, this is uncanny. I was actually thinking of starting a similar thread, but didn’t have a lot to mention that I haven’t already talked about here. Well, why let that stop me?
Jacob’s Creek - Reserve label (Australia). I think that I found out why the 2004 Reserve wines were favorably priced for me. They were making room for the 2005, which have now hit the shelves (at about $13). Nevertheless, back then their Cabernet, Shiraz and Riesling Reserve label wines were on sale for $10. Again, skip this winery if it doesn’t say Reserve on the label.
Penfolds (Australia). I’ve been happy with anything I’ve had from them. The Rawson’s Retreat label is usually nicely priced and the Penfolds Koonunga wines seem to also have a good price to them.
Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha (Spain). Prices seem to range from $10 to $12 for this one, but one place close to me carries it for $10 as a non-sale price, so case discounts are applicable which make this even cheaper. Unoaked, lots of fruit.
Los Vascos Cabernet (Chile). Bottled by the Rothschild family, so in the style of a Bordeaux. There is also a Reserve, but I was quite happy with this one. One bottle had a nasty bottle stink after opening, a bit like burning truck tires, but it cleared off after decanting and was very drinkable.
I’m on a few mailing lists (the emails are at home, alas), and recent ones have mentioned some nice value wines. I’ll post their suggestions when I can.
For cheap and tasty we never seem to go wrong with the already mentioned Penfolds (however their more expensive “Bin” series is also wonderful) but I have to give mention to Ravenswood. It seems to always be on sale and it’s an easy fallback for us when we want a huge cabernet in the sub $10 range.
I’ve downed quite a few bottles of Ravenswood Old Vines Zin in my day. You can usually get that for about $12 if you shop around. And I recently had some of their Chardonnay, which was pretty good, too. I’d give them a thumbs up for Reds. Penfolds is pretty reliable, but they have a lot of really high priced stuff, too.
A good value Pinot Grigio is Estancia. I can usually get it for about 8 or 9 bucks at Safeway. And I really like the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. For that, I usually get his cheaper brand, again for about 8 or 9 bucks.
Can’t remember what I paid for my last bottle of Cousino Mocul Cab at BevMo, but I’m sure it wasn’t more than $15 or so. That was very tasty.
I like Smoking Loon’s Pinot Grigio which is about $10 at Safeway, and Bogle’s Old Vine Zin, around $12-$14.
Is Tokay wine still available?
I recall Jack Kerouac and associates quaffing large quantities in the “On The Road” and other novels.
I did get to sample it while in Sweden but this was Hungarian wine. Quite cheap but most enjoyable.
Not a patch on it’s big brother Tokajii Szamarodni and Tokajii Aszù but quite palatable anyway.
Darn, always seem to leave something out when I post to these wine threads.
The Bogle recommendation above reminds me of what I consider to be one of the best values around - Bogle’s Petit Sirah. I understand that it is now getting some good press, but I was picking it up for $10.
Casal Garcia Vinho Verte White (Portugal). This can be picked up for a song, usually $5-$6, and is quite refreshing in the summer.
I’ve started to get into wines from the south of France, trying different Côtes-du-Rhônes and hoping to work up to a nice Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The name that I keep coming up with is Perrin. They make the well respected Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Vacqueyras Perrin Les Christins (Wine Spectators Top 100 list for two years running), a Gigondas and many others. For this thread, however, they make the Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône Reserve which I like a whole lot. Usually in the $10-$11 range around here, although I think you can get it cheaper.
Myglaren, I’ve seen some cheaper Tokays around, but definitely not at “Beat” prices. 
Last year I picked up some Royal Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos (2000 I believe). I opened one at New Year’s just out of raging curiosity. Very very nice, but I’m putting the rest away in a cool dark basement for my retirement.
You could use it for surety on a second mortgage. Or possibly fund your retirement on it. Last one I saw of those was I believe around £3,700 and there were only 13 half bottles left.
I’ve been drinking a bit of C-d-P lately. Not sure which exactly, but it usually sells for about $40, and one of the stores around here often has it for 20. When they do, I pick up a bottle or two. It’s very nice.
That is the extent of my experience with French wines.
Well it definitely wasn’t one of those! I hope I didn’t get the name wrong.
This is the one that I was talking about, although I picked it up for less that $30.
I wouldn’t have to work up to it if I could get it for $20. I picked up some Beaucastel from Costco at $75, which is $10 to $15 less than I could find it anywhere else. From all accounts it won’t be ready for several years, by which time I hope to have educated my palate to make it worthwhile. I have a small area in the basement for wines that I plan to enjoy in my retirement. It would be the cruelest joke if I don’t live that long… However, red wines are said to have anti-oxidants, so my wine education is really an investment …
I agree with this Smoking Loon makes some of the most varitial correct wines under $20. I am never afraid to bring a bottle to a party especially their pinot.
The Smoking Loon Viognier was a popular recommendation of one of our Wine Club member last year. Seemed rather elusive to locate for some but received good reviews from the ones that did. I have made a point of keeping some on hand ever since and with a local price of $7.36 it is a good value indeed.
I must have got the wrong batch then - the least I have bought it for was £37 but not the Royale and not a vintage either.
Might I recommend a Nuits St. George. You won’t find it in the bargain bins and I couldn’t hope to guess at the cost in the US. Cheaper ones go for around £16 here - about $30~35 but market forces may dictate a different price level there, couldn’t say really.
It’s always difficult when the conversation turns to less expensive wines - we have a different tax structure in Ontario, so I have to double check the prices of wines already mentioned to see if my ideas are going to be in the same ballpark.
One of my favourites is Chateau de Gourgazaud which is a beautiful, full red.
And for white wine, I’ve never been disapointed in any Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of NZ. Oyster Bay and Shingle Peak are two of my favourites.
One of the things I like about the LCBO is the Vintages section - I go in every couple of weeks and buy between 8 and 12 bottles aiming to average $15 a bottle. There are lots of wines in that price range, one can go cheap on 7 bottles and splurge a bit on the 8th, and it exposes me to a whole range of great value, well, for our province, anyway…
Sebeka Cabernet Pinotage, South Africa. Pinotage is a yummy varietal, unique to South Africa, very forward and deeply fruity, mellowed by being blended with Cab. About $9.