All-Purpose Wine Thread - anyone interested?

Still looking for a good red in the $9-12 range. I've been drinking an Amarone sold at Trader Joe's whic costs $15 and is fantastic for the price.

 

Webby, darn near any cab sauv from South Australia is a decent bet for about 10 bucks a bottle. Try Little Penguin, as previously mentioned. The shiraz is pretty good, too.

If you don't mind five bucks more, the Rosemount Estate grenache shiraz is very nice.

 

I've noticed a bit of a change with Aussie reds -- the quality of the $8-12 wine has slipped. It used to be that you could gobble up wine equivilent to a $20 Napa red for that amount. Now it seems that there is now a class of Aussie reds which is $8-12 and another which is $16-20. I need to do a bit more tasting to find the bargain.

On the higher end, opened up one of the best bottles in my collection this weekend -- a 1997 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cab. In the top 5 that I've had.

 

My wife and my sisters are big wine drinkers.
They really like the Duplin brand wines from North Carolina.
Good wine and a good price. Most are under $10 a bottle.
The wine is not sold in W.Va., but it is availible on-line. W.Va is one of many states to which they ship. I have been ordering wine for my wife from them for a last few years.

If you are looing from something different, try 'em.

www.duplinwinery.com

 

Are there any port/ice wine drinkers here? I've yet to acquire a taste for either ...

 

I'ved tried a couple of ice wines, Wollersheim in particular (out of Wisconsin), and it's not my cup of tea. Way too sweet.

Same thing with port. I can't acquire a taste for either, either.

 

One of my favorite reds is Dogajolo Carpineto, it's a Sangiovese and Cab blend, and I can get it at my wine store for $10. Very nice finish.

The store I buy from has a Wall of 100 with whites and reds, and all the bottles are $10 or under. Cheapest is $6.99. Pretty cool place to browse.

 

True about the Aussie wines. They're quite good. Everyone has found out about the good ones and now're we're literally paying the price. Plus, I think some wineries that became popular over here, decided to make a quick cash grab and put out a sub-standard $8-12 product under the popular label (Rosemount is a good example). What we used to get for that price is now in the $15-plus range with a more premium label.

Sucks, but I can't fault them for trying to make a buck.

I'm just happy that now my baby is born, I get my wine tasting partner back -- except the wine budget is now going toward Similac (2007 is a good year according to the little one).

 

Reviving this from the dead:

I'm attending a wine tasting party Sunday, and I'm bringing a bottle for the host, who prefers whites.

From this thread, I'll be looking for Gumdale from Australia and Evolution No. 9. Any other suggestions.

I might also get a bottle of Woodbridge by Mondavi ... that's a red, right? No, I'm not very wine knowledgable.

$10-$15 per bottle is what I'm looking to spend.

 

Woodbridge comes in whites and reds.

My own personal cheaper recommendations, based on my own palette:
Maso Canali Pinot Grigio
Chateau Montet Bourdeaux Sauvignon
Joseph Drouhin Laforet Chardonnay

All around $15, IIRC.

But yeah, Gumdale and Evolution would serve nicely too.

 

I'm a big fan of the Gnarly Head old vine zin. They've expanded and are now making a few other wines that I have yet to try, but the old vine zin is one of my favorite wines.
http://www.gnarlyhead.com/