<p>I’m not looking for anything in particular, I just thought it would be interesting to try other people’s go-to everyday bottles. </p>
<p>I appreciate good wine, but can’t afford to drink it on a daily basis. I have no problem with Yellowtail, Concha y Toro, and various other things for everyday that evidently would turn some of you pale with horror, but generally won’t go below that level. Except for 2 buck chuck. :D</p>
<p>This past weekend I got several reds that I hadn’t tried before in the $10-14 range. One was a Coppola Claret: disappointing for the $$. One was Italian Sangiovese at about $10: nice and lively, much better than the pricier claret. One was a California Pinot Noir that was normally $16.99 on sale for $12.99: this one was a standout. Well worth it at that price. (I was looking for an Oregon PN, but they didn’t have any.) Unfortunately I can’t recall the names of the last two, and H has already returned the bottles. I’m going to go back and see if there is any more of the PN on sale to be had.</p>
<p>You will have a lot of trouble finding an inexpensive ($10) Oregon PN. Oregon PN has to be 90% pinot noir by law and CA only has to be 75% so you can probably find a few closer to that price from CA. But even then if it’s 25% syrah or whatever they’ve blended it won’t really taste like pn. This is why I generally prefer OR pn although I do like several CA ones as well. They are not anywhere near $10 though ;)</p>
<p>Well, if you lived in TN, you could have Costco’s but still no wine dept. And no 2 Buck Chuck at Trader Joe’s either (stupid laws!) They’ve been trying to pass a bill to allow wine sales outside of liquor stores, but the liquor lobby does a great job of riling up the religious folk. But grocery stores can sell beer! (Different distribution laws.)</p>
<p>One tip: are there any wine festivals in your area? We have a few that are fundraisers for local charities. The tickets tend to be a little high (my favorite event is $85 but it’s completely tax deductible) but the sampling list usually runs to about 80 different wines. Fun night out and it’s an easy way to find new wines. The vintners (or at least their reps) are on site and will explain about each wine & give you a local price point.</p>
<p>Tried Beringer Chardonnay 2010 this weekend and really enjoyed it. ($11.99 @ Trader Joe’s.) If you like dry Chardonnay, you’ll probably like this one from Napa Valley.</p>
<p>My go to wine is Cavit Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. Comes in around $10 for the smaller bottle, $14 for the bigger bottle.</p>
<p>I also like Barefoot Pinot Grigio when I am feeling really cheap. Alice White Chardonnay is not bad either. If you want to be really classy the Corbett Canyon Pinot Grigio in a box tastes pretty good (but gives me a headache).</p>
<p>I brought some 2 Buck Chuck Chardonnay from Trader Joe’s to a friend and she still talks about how surprisingly good it was. We live in NYS and also cannot buy wine in the grocery stores so when I go back to PA in a few weeks to pick DD up from school I will be stopping at TJ’s for some.</p>
<p>I also like the Cavit Pinot Grigio and Fish Eye Pinot Grigio for ‘cheap’ white. I like the Linderman’s Bin 65 Chard (under $10) and Crane Lake Merlot at $3 a bottle (I buy it by the case for my red drinking friends) is a good alternative to Two Buck Chuck and readily available. I buy Three Thieves Bandit Pinot Grigio for outdoor wine (it comes in a Tetra Pak believe it or not).</p>
<p>No wine in our Costcos in Maryland, either. We do, however, have a HUGE wine, beer and liquor store near here, with excellent selections, and knowledgeable staff. Having said that, for our everyday wines, we buy whatever is </p>
<ol>
<li>Highly rated by the employees at the mega booze mart,</li>
<li>Has a fun label (“Pretentious? Moi?” Is not for us.)</li>
<li>Cheap</li>
</ol>
<p>Not a big white fan but my book club ladies and card club LOVE Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and we served it at D1’s wedding last year. Costco has it for about $10. We have also had a decent $10 Cabernet Sauvignon by Mirassou for an everyday table red. I watch for sales and pick up Estancia, Bogle, Louis Martini Sonoma and Chateau Ste. Michelle and a new one called Edna Valley from Paso Robles. You can usually find them on sale in that price range.</p>
<p>Ca Montini, an Italian Pinot grigio, has never disappointed. price generally 10.99 or more, and everyone I’ve suggested it to has liked it. There’s a Pinot Gris called A to Z that’s also very good and about the same price. Cavit’s not terrible, but these are much better.</p>
<p>Maybe someone here has better info, but I was told that “two buck Chuck” is purchased from various large vintners as overstock, so what’s in one bottle isn’t what might be in the bottle you buy a month later at the same store. And that if you get a great bottle you ought to go back and buy a case. The story my relative tells about driving a great distance to stock up on all thing TJ and sampling the wine in the parking lot to see if they wanted a case is probably family apocrypha…I’m sure nobody really tapped on the car window and offered AA cards. Pretty sure at least. But it makes a great story.</p>
<p>The red Two Buck Chuck…like the Crane’s Lake merlot is palatable in red, but stay away from the whites. Two Buck Chuck is made from a variety of grapes from different areas I think, but last I knew it was made and bottled by a winery under the Charles Shaw label.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right about two buck chuck (which is three bucks in our neck of the woods) being a blend of overstock. They usually do a decent job of producing a nice wine (reds moreso than whites, as has been pointed out) but agreed, the quality may vary. Still, its pretty decent for the price.</p>
<p>I tried Costco’s brand chardonnay just for the heck of it (Kirklands) and it wasnt bad.</p>