Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Decanter

Tough times, cheap wines

BEPPI CROSARIOL

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:55 PM EST 24/10/08

It's never been easier to drink down-market ...Read the full article

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

  1. M D from Ottawa, Canada writes: I would add Cono Sur Pinot Noir (amazing Chilean Pinot), Grey Fox Cabernet Sauvignong (California), anything from Torres in Spain; J. Boucheron from Chile, etc.

    I spent years drinking expensive wine, travelling to France, all the snobbery. Now I seek the best $10 bottle. There are good ones out there, keep looking!
  2. Rocket Doctor from Vanc, Canada writes: i find that red wine untempered by oak, even neutral oak, is hard to drink. but its cheap.
  3. Swifty J from Mtl, Canada writes: All else being equal I'll take unoaked over Chateau 2 x 4 and Clos Woodchip any day. (But I know it's inevitable you'll sometimes get some of that when you dabble at the low end.)

    M D, we don't get the under-$15 Cono Sur bottlings here, but I've found the more expensive Vision bottling to be decent. Agree with you about Torres, but again it's slim pickings on the inexpensive end of things.

    And I was amazed to find that the Fuzion white (a chenin/torrontes blend) is not only drinkable but pleasant to drink. Virtually unheard of in a white under $10.
  4. Rocket Doctor from Vanc, Canada writes: Neutral oak, meaning used oak barrels, allows a degree of exposure to air which tends, in my humble opinion, to make red wine taste like wine. red wine that sees nothing but stainless steel retains a degree of fruitiness that i don't associate with wine. its all a matter of your own palate. i agree that wines that are made in stainless steel but then subjected to oak treatments - to simulate the 'luxurious' taste of new french oak - usually end up tasting like lab experiments, australia being the worst offender in this area.

    correct me if i'm wrong headed, Beppi
  5. Compos Mentis from in the Rootin', Tootin' West..., Canada writes: Does anyone know if any of the wines mentioned are "cellar-able"?

    Or are they best suited to immediate quaffing?
  6. S Van GOOGLE from Wallis And Futuna Islands writes: The lab experiment of Australia wine is OAK CHIPS.. not essence or anything else that people talk about. Oak chips are put in Onion bags and added to wine like tea bags. Except in the tank prior to wine going in. After the prescribed amount for that label/brand wine is removed.

    Australia were the first quality/money country with Oaked(chips) and Unoaked Chardonnays. Sth Africa appears to be producing good quality/money like australia used. Chile/Arg is still up and down.

    $12 - Leapards Frog Cab -Sth Africa is one of my new cheapie favs..

    @Campos, any of the wines Beppi is recommending is not made for Cellaring.. there would be no noticable improvement in the wines at 3-5 years. SO Drink them/Quaff over 12-14 months..
  7. cheese sauce from wetaskiwin, alberta, Canada writes: I would use colte' 45 (a refreshing spanish merlot) or maybe grande ourson (a fruity french pino noir) and definetly any olde english product (from mexico).
    All of these wines come in a 40 ounce bottle and cost about 5$

    diabetic isnt it?
  8. L.B. MURRAY from !! from Canada writes: Globe's Beppi writes .... I've been thinking lately about building a recession cellar, a go-to list of bottles costing $15 or less that I'm going to feel better about sniffing, swirling and slurping as my retirement plan whirls down the toilet. .... _____________________________________ Recession cellar.... how depressing but here's good news for lovers of fine red wine. Have you tried the Australian Blackhorn Shiraz ?? At some of Quebec's Liquor Board warehouses, it's even sold in those 3-litre boxes for about 36 bucks or something. Put it in your fine cut crystal decanter and your guests will rave while they sniff and savour. No kidding. This should be available in Ontario and the Maritimes. Now, I'm still looking for some ''Grenache noir'' at some reasonable price for my ''recession'' ''cave a vin''.... I've also tried a nice scotch from Glasgow's Whyte & MacKay...It's all a matter of taste but this one's fine with me. Sniff, sniff, let's stop looking at the financial news and let's sniff and find something for our ''recession cellar'' ... -Some of us retired folks who were dreaming of luxury might well be dead and buried before this ''recession'' is over which makes me think, why not splurge on Pouilly-Fuissé and Glenfidich while we still can. Cheers! -And how about a ''Round the World Tour'' on Queen Mary 2 with private balcony... plenty of ''specials'' these days for those 2009 cruises. -
  9. L.B. MURRAY from !! from Canada writes: Globe's Beppi writes .... I've been thinking lately about building a recession cellar, a go-to list of bottles costing $15 or less that I'm going to feel better about sniffing, swirling and slurping as my retirement plan whirls down the toilet. .... _____________________________________ Recession cellar.... how depressing but here's good news for lovers of fine red wine. Have you tried the Australian Blackhorn Shiraz ?? At some of Quebec's Liquor Board warehouses, it's even sold in those 3-litre boxes for about 36 bucks or something. Put it in your fine cut crystal decanter and your guests will rave while they sniff and savour. No kidding. This should be available in Ontario and the Maritimes. Now, I'm still looking for some ''Grenache noir'' at some reasonable price for my ''recession'' ''cave a vin''.... I've also tried a nice scotch from Glasgow's Whyte & MacKay...It's all a matter of taste but this one's fine with me. Sniff, sniff, let's stop looking at the financial news and let's sniff and find something for our ''recession cellar'' ... -Some of us retired folks who were dreaming of luxury might well be dead and buried before this ''recession'' is over which makes me think, why not splurge on Pouilly-Fuissé and Glenfidich while we still can. Cheers! -And how about a ''Round the World Tour'' on Queen Mary 2 with private balcony... plenty of ''specials'' these days for those 2009 cruises. -
  10. pirapa tharmal from Canada writes: Some of the mentioned bottles can be cellered for 3-5 years, specially the Malbec and Shiraz. I have and I found them to age well.
    One "cheap" red I really enjoy is Cline Zinfandel. This one works well with Turkey too ..
    Agree with MD the Cono Sur wines are superb !

  11. Trudeau's Apricot poodle from Canada writes: That $3.00 a bottle wine is no better than the cheap stuff.
  12. Swifty J from Mtl, Canada writes: "red wine that sees nothing but stainless steel retains a degree of fruitiness that i don't associate with wine."

    Well, I've tasted some pretty expensive wine, aged in the finest oak, that had over-the-top fruitiness. The main cause was overripe grapes, not the vinification process.

    Then there are those reds that are meant to be simple, light, fruity and consumed young. Beaujolais Nouveau is the most obvious example. Hate the stuff, personally, but it has one thing in common with better wines that fit the simple/fruity/drink-young profile: no amount of aging in oak will turn it into something it isn't.

    As you say, it comes down to our own tastes. Personally, I find over-oaking (whether from chips, boards or barrels) the second most annoying stylistic choice vintners make. The first is the decision to make unbalanced, syrupy fruit bombs from overripe grapes. If I want Dr. Pepper, I'll buy Dr. Pepper.

    That said, you may have a point about aging in used barrels being beneficial for some wines. How can you tell, though? I've never noticed it on a label -- is it really something winemakers advertise?
  13. Francie Knowit from Canada writes: Just got back from touring the Niagara wineries. Although there are some very good wines, the prices for such start at around $19.00 and up, which for recession times is too high!! I will be looking for the bargains not above $10.00 per bottle. Don't think the current economic times bode well for the Ontario wineries, sure hope the government is going to give them fiancial support!!!
  14. Dee Picotte from Bolton, Canada writes: Speaking of saving, the best place to buy wine is directly from the winery, which saves you the LCBO mark-ups. I like Magnotta, they have a great selection. I've also ordered from their online store and had it delivered to my house. The actually have free shipping in October, which is a great deal considering the price of gas.
  15. gordon foster from Canada writes: Less than $15.00 a bottle? Don't inhibit yourself. Five dollar plonk is where it's really at.
  16. Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from Vancouver, Canada writes: Nothing beats two-buck Chuck; $1.99 Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's.

Join the Conversation, Leave a Comment

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!

Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top