Well, it’s January and I don’t know about y’all but I am broke. Assuming I am not the only one dealing with holiday bills it seemed like an appropriate time to focus on value wines. I have riffed on the perception of inexpensive wines before and I can tell you that this tasting event cemented the notion that people equate cheap wine with bad wine.
Case in point: Value wines was the least attended Wine Tribe tasting thus far. Coincidence? I think not. But the fearless tasters who did show up can attest to the fact that we found a few decent wines that drank well beyond their price tag.
To prep for the value tasting I went on a mission to find the best wines I could for under $10. I talked to the wine department managers at Trader Joe’s, Cost Plus World Market and Metropolitan Market. I also asked My Wine Tribe’s Facebook community for suggestions. Here is the resulting lineup—or should that be wineup?
– ![GetAttachment[1]](https://mywinetribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/GetAttachment1.jpg)
Maggio 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from California was recommended by the folks at Cost Plus World Market and retailed for $10.
– Red Diamond 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, also from California, came from a fellow Wine Tribe member and is available at most grocery stores for $7.99.
– St. Somewhere 2011 Malbec is from Argentina. I can not find a website for this wine and suspect it is made especially for Trader Joe’s. It retails there for $9.99.
– The Wolftrap Syrah, Mourvedre, Viognier 2011 is from South Africa’s award winning winery, Boekenhoutskloof. It was recommended by the folks at Metropolitan Market and retails for $10.99 (Oops, went over my $10 limit.)
– Chateau Mayne Guyon 2009 Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, $7.99 a bottle at Trader Joe’s.
As usual, we did a round of sniffing and tasting without food, and then a round with food. Interestingly, we all gravitated towards the same wines, but we differed in how we perceived the wines and in our choice of favorites. We were missing members of the Accessible Tribe, but I think I know what they would have liked.
Balanced Tribe members preferred The Red Diamond Cab. They detected aromas of pine and spice, and tasted sulphur and smoke. Tribe members found the wine a bit dry and bitter but all agreed it was the best of the lot. Their second favorite was the Wolftrap Syrah, which paired nicely with food.
The Developed Tribe also preferred the Red Diamond Cab, with the St. Somewhere Malbec coming in a close second. For the Cab, Tribe members reported sweet spice, cherry pie and smoke on the nose, with tastes of leather, plums and cloves. The Red Diamond Cab is a very drinkable wine, with or without food. The Malbec delivered scents of strawberry jam, honey and figs, but presented a confusing taste profile: Initial hints of molasses and orange gave way to a sour finish. Odd, but not horrible. Tribe members also noted the wine’s pleasing body and good mouth feel.
As usual, the Complex Tribe had high expectations and failed to fall in love with any of the value wines. (Big Red found them all “drinkable but unremarkable.”) Regardless, the Complex Tribe’s leading pick was the St. Somewhere Malbec. They enjoyed its toffee and brown sugar aroma and its spicy earthiness. This tribe also appreciated the level of tannins but found the wine a bit flat. Their #2 wine was the Red Diamond Cab, all leather and smoke and dry plums, if somewhat syrupy.
A couple of notes on the other wines:
The Maggio Cabernet was very drinkable but very light for a Cab. Most everyone commented on its light berry and pear aroma. The Complex tribe thought it tasted like Kool-Aid. This is the wine I think the Accessible Tribe members would have liked for its smooth lightness.
Although the folks at Trader Joe’s highly recommended the Chateau Mayne Guyon 2009 Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux none of us loved it. It was dry and dusty with pronounced tannins. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
Thanks to the Wine tribe community for sending in suggestions. Per those suggestions, here are a few more value wines you might want to try:
– DiLorenzo Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo and the Lot 25 Cabernet Sauvignon (from Liz in the Balanced Tribe)
– Mont Pellier Cabernet, Cocobon Red Blend and Grifone Toscana 1967, all from Trader Joes, and the Cupcake Red Velvet (from Suzanne in the Developed Tribe)
– Hess Select Chardonnay (from Rebecca in the Balanced Tribe)
– Anything from Black Opal (from another Stephanie in the Developed Tribe)
Please send us your under $10 favorites—and here’s to great wine drinking in 2013. Cheers!