Do you really have to buy expensive red wine to get good red wine?

Question

I really like this $10 bottle of Ernesto and Julio Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Jackson Triggs Merlot for $11.50. I hated Piat D'or though.

Answer 1

I agree with Lisa's answer but would like to add:

Many wine shops also have tastings on a regular basis. I know of several in my city that will even do impromptu tastings on any given day, so you can try new wines that way. We do have an annual Wine Festival here [in Cincinnati, OH], but the cost is more like $60, and it's only once a year -- long time to wait if you want a good wine NOW.

I, too, have tried very expensive wines and very cheap ones, and it all depends on your taste. If you're drinking Cab and Merlot, then you probably wouldn't like a Pinot Noir, Beaujolis or lighter red. If you're willing to spend a few dollars and experiment, then I would recommend trying some/all of these:

Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel [it's a red, not a white Zinfandel which is total crap, so never waste your money on it] -- there are several varieties that get progressively more expensive. Start with the $9 bottle. However, I prefer one "level" up -- the Sonoma Heritage. It's just slightly more expensive but worth it, I think.

Barefoot -- this wine is CHEAP [like $6/bottle], but it is shockingly good. I actually do not like Merlot, but I LOVE the Barefoot Merlot. My husband and I drink it all the time [well, not lately since I'm pregnant!]. And did I mention how cheap it is??? It's won a lot of awards, too. You may also like their Cabernet Sauvignon. It's pretty easy to find, too.

Yellow Tail -- can't go wrong with their Shiraz, but if you can find it, check out JackaRoo's Shiraz and Big Red blend [it's Cab, Shiraz and Merlot]. Should run you about $8/bottle, and both are very, very good.

Wishing Tree -- makes an excellent Shiraz. It's closer to the $15 mark but well worth it. Shiraz is one of my favorite reds, and I've tried many. Wishing Tree is at the top of the list.

Have you ever tried Sangiovese? It's a red Italian wine similar to Chianti. Give Danzante a try. It has a ballerina on the label and will run you around $12/bottle. Goes great with pasta and red sauces.

The Charles Shaw wine [aka Two Buck Chuck mentioned by others] at Trader Joe's is okay; however, it costs more at MY Trader Joe's, so I think Chuck has upped his prices. Still cheap, but for the money, I would go with Barefoot ANY day.

In summary if you truly want a good, decent, CHEAP wine then buy a bottle of Barefoot Merlot -- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Answer 2

Expensive Sweet Red Wine

Answer 3

It's like asking if only expensive chocolate is good chocolate. Some people love Godiva. Some people love Hershey's. It all depends on your tongue. Every one of us has a different tongue. Some of us like salty, some of us like sweet. If I recommended a sweet red wine to you and you hated sweet drinks, you would hate this wine even if it was a $100/bottle super high end wine. On the other hand if you loved sweet wines, you might think this was the ultimate drink in the world and lust after it night and day.

I highly, highly recommend going to a wine festival in your neighborhood. For a low entry fee (say $30) you can go in and try literally hundreds of different wines. Bring a notebook, you'll never be able to remember them all :) Choose a category - say cheap reds. Now go from table to table trying all the reds under whatever dollar amount you set. Write down which you hate and which you love. You should end up with a good collection of wines you personally love, which are in your price range.

It is pretty much impossible for any other person to tell you what wines you will like. We are all quite different in the way we taste things. So even if I sat here and listed my favorite wines in the world, you could hate them. And if you listed your favorites, I might not like those. That is why we are all wonderfully unique human beings :) And it's also why thousands of wineries can stay in business, because each of them fits a certain group of people.

Lisa Shea
WineIntro.com

Answer 4

Some expensive wine is terrible, and some inexpensive wine is really very good. The best cheap red wine to come along in a few years was the "2-buck Chuck," Charles Shaw available at Trader Joe's.

Answer 5

I don't think that you have to buy really expensive wine in order to get good wine. That being said, I really don't like Gallo, but that's just personal taste :) Try Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon. It's one of my favorites and it's not costy at all. Their Shiraz is also really good, and if you want to splurge, get Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz ($17.00 or so) - it's yummy!

Answer 6

not at all, my favorite red wine is lambrusco and it's pretty cheap. when we're having a dinner party we buy it by the gallons. it's only like $10 or $12 for the large bottles, and $24 something for the gallon. My mother normally hates wine of any kind but she loves this stuff. pick n save has it a lot.

Answer 7

You don't have to spend a lot of $.But my motto has always been,Life is too short to drink cheap wine!
Very rarely am I impressed with wines under $20.
I have drank wines going back to 1792 and I must say nothing beats a Burgundy with about 60 years of age on it.
Drinking some high-end wines is as memorable as driving your first Italian sports car or your best sexual memory.
It's just grape juice!!!

Answer 8

No and if you are going to buy a red and not spend alot pick a Merlot. They are a bit hardier, full bodied grapes and make a better cheap wine then other grapes.

Answer 9

Absolutely not...I have found that a good wine can be found at bargain prices and by local winneries...It depends on where you live ofcourse. I'm from CA so we have tons of vireity.

I personaly enjoy Julio Gallo, not to mention that I have purchased it for 8.50/bottle

Answer 10

Some cheap wines are surprisingly good like 10 buck chuck, whatever's good to you because they're all made basically the same.