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Five great bargain wines you’ve never heard of
October 30th, 2009, 6:55 am · 20 Comments · posted by PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Todd Johnston, in his element at Hi-Time's tasting bar.
Contest alert: Answer our booze trivia and get a free set of new Coke bottles. Details at end of post.
I have a friend who breaks out in a cold sweat every time he has to buy wine for a party.
When he looks at the endless rows of bottles, it’s like trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Oh, he knows the high-end names – the Silver Oaks, the Nickel & Nickels – but he wants to buy reasonably priced wines that taste as good as some of those giants that mere mortals can’t afford. Hey, who doesn’t?
Booze on a Budget is here to help out with the first in a series we plan to bring back regularly: Five great, affordable wines you’ve probably never heard of.
On Wednesday we talked to Costa Mesa seller Hi-Time’s Todd Johnston, one of the friendliest and most approachable wine experts in O.C. A few of his picks:
Gran Familia 2006 Rioja ($9.99): “It’s an a-maaaaazing wine – really crowd pleasing. You can give it to the average Joe who likes the big-fruit stuff, but it has intricate complexities too. I’ve tasted it at parties where they’re serving all $10 wine, which I’m afraid is pretty common these days. This wine blows them all out of the room, and it’s a hit with both the novice and the expert.”
Bodegas Arzuaga 2007 La Planta ($13.99): This Tempranillo is one of the best bargains in Spanish wines, which used to be an excellent value but are getting pricier now that they’re being discovered. Says Johnston, “Most of the stuff this guy makes is super high-end Riojas. The dude is famous for driving around Spain in his Ferrari. When we got this wine it wasn’t anything special, but it’s had time to sit there for a year. Wow! What this wine has done in a year is absolutely astounding. It reminds me of a northern Rhone wine. It’s 100 percent Tempranillo, not a tannic grape, but it’s a full-bodied wine. It’s got grilled meat overtones, along with briary, brambly, brushy stuff going on.” A great winter food wine, Johnston assures us.
Foxglove 2008 Central Coast Chardonnay ($10.99 online, not available at Hi-Time): Johnston, a bit of a rebel, doesn’t often have much good to say about California wines. “I’ll take Washington over California any day,” he told Orange Coast Magazine. But he’s mellowed slightly and now has a few California bargains to recommend, including this low-priced Southern California chardonnay. “These days I think a lot of the California winemakers are kind of starting to back off and not over-style their wines. This one is like Chardonnay used to taste and should taste. It’s light, not oaky. I think it’s going to give Edna Valley and Hess a run for their money.” Wine critic Robert Parker gives it a 91 and the top spot in his “Fifty Super Domestic Wine Values” list.
Beaucanon 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon “Longwood Branch Vineyard” ($19.99): For those who can’t get through the winter without a big, manly Napa cab, this one will give you that Silver Oak feeling while keeping the piggy bank unbroken. “That winemaker has been making great wine up there forever, but he had really bad representation down here,” Johnston said. “Finally he said, ‘The (heck) with it, I’ll do it myself.’” It’s the real deal, Johnston says. “You won’t hear any complaints from the Cab snobs when they taste this one.”
Paraiso 2007 Pinot Noir ($15.99): “A couple years back we had it at the wine bar,” Johnston recalls. “These people came in and said, ‘Hi. We own Paraiso Winery up north’ – kind of weird since I had just included it in our tasting. I liked them right away and when I tasted it, I loved their wine too. The newest vintage scored 92 points from Wine Spectator – not too shabby.” Unlike most of the others, this wine has been discovered, Johnston said. “We’ve gone through four pallets in two months, but we have more.” Johnston says Paraiso is much more crowd-pleasing than most Pinot Noirs (“it’s not stinky and barnyard-y”) and it’s the only reasonably priced Pinot from the prized Santa Lucia Highlands. “I really think this wine competes with Pinots twice its price.”
Got your own wine bargain favorites that you’re willing to share? Let us know!
****Contest question: How many bottles of wine are in one pallet? (The first person to email Paul Hodgi
ns with the correct answer gets a free set of new Coca-Cola aluminum bottles. DO NOT post your answer in comments.)
More Booze & Beverage stories:
(Top photo by Rose Palmisano, The Orange County Register)
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I’m not much of a wine person but when I have to get some, I’ll usually go into Ralphs or similar store and first look for the bottles with the highest regular price but with the largest Ralphs club discount price for that week.
right on! the only way to buy wine…
Cotes du Rhone and Barbera’s, especially from 2007, are fantastic bargains. Also, many great whites at bargain prices are starting to show up from Spain and Italy especially Godellos and Vermentinos.
Agreed on the Cotes du Rhone. Perrin Reserve (available at Trader Joe’s, Fresh N Easy) usually sells for about $6.99 and is just fabulous for the price.
Fresn and Easy has a Spanish Cava my wife loves on sale for $4.99, usually $6.99. Great apertif when it is hot or when eating something spicy.
Another way to get cheap deals on wine is find something you like at Total Wine, that is on sale or at a cheap price, and use their $10.00 off a $50.00 purchase coupon.
I discovered Spanish wines when I began boycotting California products due to the states discriminatory constitution. They are really a great bargain right now and there are many wonderful finds.
pretty unusual way to “protest” while living in California. I’d just move. are you not going to shop at the grocery store or fill your car with gasoline in California anymore because the government might derive some tax revenue from it? good luck with that.
boy, that’s a defeatest attitude. I suppose you thinking conserving water/ electricty, recycling etc. is a waste of time since everyone doesn’t do it.
OK back to the FUN topic…
Thanks for the budget wine tips! Love a Bargain/ Value during this economy!
Sidney any names for the Barbera’s? ummmmmm
I conserve a lot and recycle. one has nothing to do with the other.
by not buying California wine, he’s mostly hurting the small business owner, definitely not the politicians. and certainly not the people who voted Prop 8 into law.
that’s your assumption. For all you know; the CA Wine Association etc. supported Prop 8. Bottom line… there IS a reason the poster isn’t buying CA. wine for a political/personal purpose. Perhaps the entire Gay community/supporters are’nt buying CA wine. I say good for him believing that it starts with ONE! I know my NOT shopping at Wal-mart doesn’t put that much of a dent in the greedy corporation, but at least I feel I am being ‘active’ instead of a quitter.
Know of any great Barbera’s?
I am opposed to Prop 8 (I think it’s discrimination plain and simple). I voted NO on Prop 8. But, I agree with bpsqwerty here, it is an unusual way to protest. Bryan did not say that he was only boycotting California wines. He said he is boycotting California products. What’s the point of that? I can see boycotting specific things. For example the Mormon Church or specific companies that directly contributed to the Yes On 8 campaign. But to just simply boycott California products in general makes no sense.
The best cheap one is at the Wine Exchange for $9.99:
SANT’AGATA 2007 BABY BARBERA D’ASTI
At a higher price point I also like:
SPINETTA 2006 CA’DI PIAN BARBERA D’ASTI
Egri Bikaver from Hungary - a seriously full-bodied red. Usually under $10.00.
I used to buy Louis Latour Ardeche at Wine Club for an incredible $4.99 a bottle. Very balanced and drinkable white from a Grand Cru house. It was our “house wine” in the warm months.
My go to inexpensive wine is Concho Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere - Trader Joes, roughly $7
I’ve had great luck with whites from Chile. Inexpensive, but interesting.
Red Diamond cab and 337 are two wines I will buy when the budget allows. They both are $10 or under. I find them very smooth and not too fruity.
Maybe not a true budget wine but Costco and Total Wine both carry the Ghost Pines Cab for under 15 bucks and its truly fantastic. Ive had a hard time finding low budget winners lately but Sprouts had a wine called Villa Mt Eden that was under 4 bucks that easily passed for a $20 plus wine.
On another note-Kudos to the Register….this cheap wine thing should be a weekly if not monthly offering. Ill be a volunteer if you like!
You’ll be surprised at Stater Bros. Douglas Hill that sells for $2.21!
I’ve been drinking a great little Cab from Paso Robles called Vina Robles for under $20 here in NJ. Check it out. It’s worth it