Happiness for $10 or less

[JODO 2]

September 19, 2007

WINES OF THE TIMES

Happiness for $10 or Less

By ERIC ASIMOV

HOW much do you want to spend on a bottle of wine? The intuitive answer, of course, is as little as possible. That stands to reason, except that the way people buy wine is anything but reasonable.

For most consumers, wine-buying is an emotional issue. The restaurant industry has a longstanding belief that the lowest-priced wine on the list will never sell. Nobody wants to be seen as cheap. But the second-lowest-priced wine, that's the one people will gobble up.

Buying retail is a slightly different experience. Most people don't feel as if their retail purchases are windows into their ignorant, miserly souls, the way they do in restaurants, and so are less inhibited.

Still, rationality doesn't often enter into buying decisions. For some, money is meaningless, whether that's true because of huge credit lines, daddy's millions or success in business. These people will buy whatever is most expensive. Others, in a vinous form of anti-intellectualism, insist that no wine can be worth more than — pick your figure — and that only dupes will spend more.

Whichever the case, the issue of value — the ratio of quality to price — rarely enters into it.

Leave it to the Dining section's wine panel to try to fill this vacuum. In a tasting of 25 red wines all $10 or under, we tried to pick out not only the best bottles but also the best regions to explore for good values.

Let's face it, you can find hundreds if not thousands of bottles in this price range, down to the lowest of the low. We cannot try them all and say, "Here are the 10 best." But we can give you some suggestions as to where to look, while offering up some good examples.

For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Jill Roberts, a portfolio manager for Valckenberg, an importer of German wines, and Chris Goodhart, the wine director of Balthazar in SoHo.

Tasting Report: Structure and Personality, With a Small Price Tag

Casa Cadaval Portugal Ribatejano , $8.99, ***

Padre Pedro 2002

Smoke, earth, cherry and spice flavors in a well-structured Old World wine (Importer: HGC Imports, San Jose, Calif.).

Domaine de l'Ameillaud France , $9, ** ½

Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2005

Mild tannins with attractive, lingering flavors of berry, cassis and olive (David Bowler Wine, New York).

Viña Gormaz Spain Ribera del Duero , $9, **

Tempranillo 2005

Fresh and juicy with a lively spiciness (Classical Wines, Seattle).

Georges Duboeuf France , $9, **

Beaujolais-Villages 2006

Juicy, fruity and floral. Decent Beaujolais best served chilled (W. J. Deutsch & Sons, Harrison, N.Y.).

Altas Cumbres Argentina Mendoza , $9, **

Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Lingering, jammy flavors of cherry and licorice (RV Distributors, Hoboken, N.J.).

Wyatt California Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 , $10, **

Big and almost over the top with dark fruit, oak and spice flavors.

J. Vidal-Fleury France , $10, **

Côtes-du-Ventoux 2005

Aroma of burnt rubber gives way to flavors of bitter cherry and spices (W. J. Deutsch & Sons, Harrison, N.Y.).

Domaine Monte de Luz , $7, **

Uruguay Tannat 2006

Rich and plummy with smoky, spicy cherry flavors (Baron Francois, New York).

Ravenswood California Vintner's Blend , $10, **

Merlot 2004

Fruit, floral and spice flavors; straightforward and pleasant.

Paringa , $9, * ½

South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

David Hickinbotham Individual Vineyard

Big and powerful with berry, oak and fruit flavors (Grateful Palate Imports, Oxnard, Calif.).

[Jasman0717 9]

Wine is good for you and less fattening than beer

[JODO 2]

Wine is good for you and less fattening than beer

Yep! A good meal without wine

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

they left two buck chuck out!

Daniel

:energetic:

[JODO 2]

they left two buck chuck out!

Daniel

:energetic:

Well actually they did mention in the article,but I did not want to copy it all. Here's the link though: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/dining/r...&ei=5087%0A

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

Even Two-Buck Chuck is palatable, though I wouldn’t insult you by telling you it’s good.

blast them!

Daniel

:energetic:

Edited September 20, 2007 by AnaAndDaniel

[Lansbury 19]

they left two buck chuck out!

Daniel

:energetic:

thanks that reminded me I must go to Trader Joes and restock

[Dan J 277]

http://wine.woot.com/ tends to have good deals on wine. Some states don't allow delivery though.

[mawilson 2,133]

HOW much do you want to spend on a bottle of wine? The intuitive answer, of course, is as little as possible.

That's counter-intuitive, if you want a good bottle of wine.

[JODO 2]

HOW much do you want to spend on a bottle of wine? The intuitive answer, of course, is as little as possible.

That's counter-intuitive, if you want a good bottle of wine.

Well I have tried two of those on the Times' under $10 list and they were pretty decent. I guess I will have to try some of the others and see if I like them or not. I think what they were trying to say is one does not always have to spend a great deal to get a good bottle of wine. I mean I have had excellent wine at a little trattoria in Trastevere in Rome for a little of nothing and picked up a great French wine while vacationing in Paris at a small shop for under $20, so I think it just depends on what you are exposed to and what one has access to and no to mention just one's preference.

Edited September 21, 2007 by JODO

[mawilson 2,133]

I think what they were trying to say is one does not always have to spend a great deal to get a good bottle of wine.

That's true, but it's still counter-intuitive. Intuition tells you that a better bottle of wine should cost more money.

[JODO 2]

I think what they were trying to say is one does not always have to spend a great deal to get a good bottle of wine.

That's true, but it's still counter-intuitive. Intuition tells you that a better bottle of wine should cost more money.

That's true,but luckily I think there are some deals to be had every now and then

[mawilson 2,133]

That's true,but luckily I think there are some deals to be had every now and then

Oh absolutely! A $10 bottle can taste much better than a $20 bottle, it's just counter-intuitive

[JODO 2]

That's true,but luckily I think there are some deals to be had every now and then

Oh absolutely! A $10 bottle can taste much better than a $20 bottle, it's just counter-intuitive

You're determined to right counter-intuitive about my cheap wine listttt

I hear ya.

[mawilson 2,133]

You're determined to right counter-intuitive about my cheap wine listttt

I hear ya.