I love wine of pretty much all types. I drink wine with meals almost daily, and I think it is a healthy thing to do. I can't however always afford to drink great Champagnes (which incidentally are very food friendly) like Cristal, Salon, and Krug, nor can I often drink wines like Lafite, Latour, and Penfolds Grange.
I only drink these on special occasions, very special occasions, as I'm certainly not rich!. Fortunately there is an abundance of really good inexpensive wine available today. Wine is better than ever before with modern wine making practices making a difference, both in the fields and in the cellar.
Some consistently good cheap wine values I often drink are below, and you can probably find them locally and inexpensively. Vintages don't matter much either; these are consistently good every year:
Freixenet, a Spanish Sparkling wine: Got bubbles? Actually almost any Spanish sparkling wine, called "Cava," rocks!
Zenato Pinot Grigio: This widely available Italian white is great with food and alone. Actually just about any Italian Pinot Grigio is very nice. I'd skip the much more expensive Santa Margherita as I find it rather tasteless and lackluster (although very popular due to great marketing). Remember the producer Zenato - all their stuff is good!
Columbia Crest in Washington: They make a bunch of great wine I get for about $8-$12 and sometimes less a bottle. Their Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are lovely, and their Two Vines Chardonnay and Shiraz are wonderful and even cheaper. I like everything they make.
Georges Duboeuf from France: Duboeuf has a range of food friendly reds. You can get them everywhere and they're good.
Rosemont, from Australia: A wide selection of wines, Red, white, and all great deals and great wines. Other Aussie values are Little Penguin and Yellow Tail.
I found a book that includes most of my favorites, the ones that are widely available and easy to get, and many more Actually 147 bargains - many of which I never heard of but that I can find locally and I like them all a lot, at least all I've tried so far!
You can also get the free Living It Up on a Budget: 23 Wines That Deliver Outstanding Quality for $10 or Less. Well worth getting and reading. Why not print a copy and copy it in your pocket?
Fool-proof Wine Values is a great short guide on wine with 147 wines like I ones I list above! I gave my mother in law one as a present and she serves better wines when I visit now, without spending any more money.
This is an amazing time for wine lovers. Modern viniculture practices and global warming has resulted in an ocean of really good wine, and this book (and Free Report) help you get the best values.
The bonus report, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Buying and Enjoying Wine in Restaurants…But Were Afraid to Ask!” really blew me away too. I never understood nor felt comfortable with buying wine in restaurants before, and I do now.
Click Here to check it out and get the free report on 23 widely available bargain wines. You'll be glad you did, and so will your friends and family!