Lucky Number Seven

Seven Red Table Wine (NV)
$15.99 (3L) @ Copp's Grocery Store

Brian sez: Bodegas Osborne (pronounced os-BOR-nay by Iberians), long-famous for producing sherry, is also responsible for placing the iconic bull silhouette billboards that dot the Spanish landscape. However, since the Spanish government banned advertising alcohol on billboards some years back, Osborne was forced to remove their company name from them, leaving most tourists to assume they are simply decoration.

Seven is made by Octavin (possibly rhymes with "octagon"?)-- you might already be familiar with some of their other grocery store wine offerings, e.g. Pinot Evil, Big House and others. Between having had decent experiences with Octavin products in the past and knowing Osborne's reputation for producing a solid product, I figured I'd give Seven a shot.

A blend of seven different grapes (I see what you did there, Osborne...), Seven is reminiscent of a young, red-fruit-forward Crianza that you could pick up for a couple Euros in any Spanish taps bar.

At this price point, it's no surprise that it doesn't have much complexity on either end and as we found out last night it doesn't hold up to chili, but it makes a perfectly adequate Triscuits and cheddar accompaniment and I wouldn't turn down a second (or third) glass if you served it to me at your holiday party.

Julia sez: It's okay.

Binary scale rating: 7. I mean 1.

Pinot Noir? Pi-YES Noir...

2010 Yellowtail Pinot Noir
$5.89@ Copp's Supermarket

Brian sez: Okay, maybe not Pi-yes, more like Pi-sure. It doesn't really even *taste* much like Pinot, but it's got some round red fruit and an easy finish. I bought it to make boeuf bourguignon since it was the cheapest (semi-) respectable Pinot the store had, and was pleased to discover it's actually drinkable.

Julia sez: I want more.

Binary score: 1

Score!!

The CWC staff visited its favorite local chain grocery store tonight (Copp's on Fish Hatchery Rd.) for an epic food procurement session and spied a mad deal on Black Box: $9.99 for 3L in a couple different varieties. Usually it goes for around $20 or a little more, so after checking the CWC archives (binary rating of 1!!), I threw it in the cart, even though I suspected it was a mismark (it was away from the beer/wine section on a special display with some Ravenswood Zinfandel at the same price-- a much more logical offering).

When I got up to the checkout, I made sure to watch the price when the cashier scanned it. When it came up $22.99, I told her I was pretty sure it was marked as $9.99, but wasn't going to make a big deal out of it and asked her to just take it off the bill. A manager had to come over to delete it (buying alcohol after 9pm somehow necessitates this extra step) and she sent a bagger to check the price in the wine/beer section just to be sure... He returned and reported that the price was listed as $22.99 there, but at that point another shopper in line behind me spoke up and said they saw the $9.99 display on the other side of the store, too. Without another word, the manager deleted $13.00 from the bill... Nice!!

The only downside-- after inspecting the receipt upon arriving home, we found a $3.76 mystery charge for 2 lbs. of yucca root (I never cook Euphorbiaceae after Labor Day!!)... Probably not going to fight that one... : )

¡Viva Montañana!

Marqués de Montañana Viura
$3.99 @ Trader Joe's

Brian sez: Man, this is just a great little treat. Sure, it might be a hair too fruity or sweet for some folks, but there's just enough acid in there to keep it sane. A little floral, a little tropical and sure to be great with the stir fry chicken and bok choy I'm just about to eat.

Julia sez: It's good for cooking.

Binary scale rating: 1

Guenoc, Guenoc... Who's there?

Guenoc 2008 Victorian Claret
$9.99 @ Jenifer Street Market

Brian sez: Some red fruit, maybe just a little tannic, this is a great wine for steak night. Very Bordeaux-y if you're in to that kind if thing.  It's on the high end of the CWC budget, but still very much in the range for a Saturday night wine, I think.

Julia sez: Deep punt.

Binary scale rating: 1

Step One: Get a Box

Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008

Price: $22@Kopps Supermarket

Brian sez: Black Box has a pretty good reputation in the box wine world. Or at least, it was one of the first box wines about which I heard someone say good things. I'd had it once before thanks to friend of Cheap Wine Challenge, Corra, but I figured it was due for an official review.

Cheap Wine Challenge enjoyed this wine over the course of a week or so and it makes for a perfectly adequate-- if not somewhat uninteresting-- answer to the question, "Hey, what would you like to drink with dinner?" Round and relatively balanced, not too tannic with a little bit of black fruit and a little bit of spice.

Bottom line: Although I wasn't sad to see this one go and I won't rush out to buy it again, it's a passable Tuesday night wine.


Binary Scale Rating: 1

Maybe the koalas like it...

Down Under Shiraz, 2008
$3.33 @ Jenifer Street Market

Brian sez: This rounds out the "three for $10" deal I scored last week. Loyal readers (both of you) will remember that while the Crane Lake Pinot Grigio didn't really show well, I thought their White Zin was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the last member of the triumverate did not raise the team score. 

It's not the worst wine I've ever had, but I wouldn't serve it to friends. To be honest, it tastes too much like grape juice. My main complaint, though, is that it just doesn't have any of that big fruit that Australian Shiraz usually has.

Oddly enough, the two reviews I found online were pretty positive about it. Perhaps I got a bad bottle or maybe we here at CWC just have higher standards for our cheap wine... : )

Binary scale rating: 0

Pink is the new Red (Bonus Math Joke Inside!!)

Crane Lake White Zinfandel, 2009
$3.33 @ Jenifer Street Market

Brian sez: Best. Pink wine. Ever.

I bought this bottle as part of a "Three bottles for $10" deal when I dropped in to the Jenifer Street Market early last week. The Pinot Grigio from the same producer was a disappointment, so I wasn't expecting much from this bottle. I could not have been more wrong.

The standard I use to judge all pink wines is Susana Balbo's Rose of Malbec. If you haven't tried it, you owe it to yourself to grab a bottle (it should be pretty easy to find at most respectable wine shops) and enjoy outdoors with a plate of cheese and crackers before we exhaust this year's supply of warm summer nights. Forget what you think you know about pink wine-- this isn't Beringer White Zin...

Well, if Rose of Malbec is the standard, the Crane Lake is the first alternate. It's clean and crisp and tastes like crushed fresh strawberries. Incredibly refreshing without an overwhelming sugary finish. I could drink a bottle of this after mowing the lawn.

Now, I should probably give a caveat here: We took this wine camping this weekend and enjoyed it right out of the cooler, probably at a temperature close to 35 degrees-- not significantly colder than recommended serving temperature for cheap pink wine, but maybe enough to hide some of the sugary-ness. Anyway, for $3.33, I don't know how you'll find a more delicious and refreshing cheap pink wine. As such, Crane Lake White Zinfandel earns an unprecedented ONE FACTORIAL on the binary scale...

Binary scale rating: 1!

Trust the punt... (Reader participation post)

You know that depression in the bottom of a wine bottle?  That's called the "punt".  Did you know that?  I didn't.  I had to ask.  And it's still never been sufficiently explained to me what it's purpose is.  Anyway, one time Julia claimed that she could judge a bottle of wine solely on the depth of its punt.  Since she frequently makes things up, I was reluctant to believe this claim at first, but then I thought there might be some merit to it. 

I mean, ostensibly it costs more to produce a bottle with a deep punt or even any punt at all, right?  Slightly more material involved and I imagine there's an additional step in the production process.  So a producer who is only concerned with getting his cheap wine into a glass container in the most inexpensive fashion is going to choose a shallow-punt or punt-less bottle.  Or whatever.  I'm just hypothesizing here.  

Well, the long and short of it is that Julia's theory seems to hold up.  Seriously, try it.  Over the last year or so, I've tried to take note of the punts on bottles of cheap wine, and it sure seems that the better bottles *do* in fact have a bit of a punt to them, and the bad ones are generally flat as a pancake. 

So here's the reader participation part: next time you're drinking a bottle of cheap wine, channel your inner Wine Bottle Proctologist-- don't be shy.  Give it a little probe and see what you find.  I'd be willing to bet that the deeper the punt, the better the quality of the wine... Report back with your findings...

Crane Lake Pinot Grigio, 2009

Price: $3.33 @ Jenifer Street Market

Brian sez: I stopped by this neat little neighborhood grocery store the other day because:

a. I was driving past
b. I'd heard good things about it and, ultimately
c. I needed some sauerkraut

They had a special on two different labels-- $9.99 for THREE bottles.  Wow!!  This has CWC written all over it!!

My initial impression was not favorable.  None of the crispness that I like to see in a Gray Peanut (I think that's what Pinot Grigio means in English), and a little too much sugar.  Ultimately, it worked out as an okay compliment to our meal-- spicy gazpacho and Greek meatballs with blueberry and carrot salad.  There was just enough edge to it that it nicely cut through the dill, onion, garlic and mint in the meatballs.  Unfortunately, however, lack of balance and any real interesting flavor means this one is not a winner in the "Buy Again" category. 

Binary scale rating: 0

Binary scale ratings added!!

All (three) of our previous reviews have been updated with exciting new binary ratings!! 

I decided to incorporate an old favorite of mine-- the binary scale-- into the wine ratings... The binary scale is beautiful in its simplicity: Is it acceptable or not?   ¿Sí o no?  Would you or wouldn't you?  Important because-- let's be honest-- in the end, it's all black and white... There is no gray... 

Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008

Price: $19.99 (3L) @ Copp's grocery store
Brian sez: This is the most utterly unremarkable wine I  have ever tasted. There is nothing wrong with it, but there is absolutely nothing interesting about it, either.

Julia sez: I'm drinking it because it's in front of me.

And really, that about sums it up.  We'll try it again tomorrow at cellar temperature (tonight was at room temperature), but I'm not holding my breath.   Word to your mothers.

Binary scale rating: 0

Vintjs Sauv Blanc Update

We just revisited the second half of this bottle tonight with dinner.  It had been in the fridge with a vacuum stopper since we opened it a couple nights ago.  At 55 degrees, it was way too sugar sweet, but at ~35 degrees, a lot of that sugar was hidden and more of the acid came through.  Still not a great wine, but I guess like bad beer, mediocre wine served extremely cold can actually turn out passable...

Binary scale rating is still a zero, but after tonight's improved showing, it's *almost* a one.

Cheap Wine Challenge '010 Results

A few folks have asked for a repost of the Cheap Wine Challenge '010 results.  The top three finishers are listed below:
1. Trentatre Rosso, $5.99; brought by Ken L
2. Quail Creek Shiraz, $4.99; Roy T
3. Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante Sparkling Champagne; Melissa (friend of David and Jessica H)



Here is the entire field in order of arrival to the table, with name, price, contributor and number of votes:

1. Grand Cru Chardonnay; $6.00; Roman H; 5 votes
2. Little James Basket Press Red Table Wine; $15; Katie K; 12
3. Big House Red Red Table Wine; $10; Elise M; 8
4.Woop Woop Shiraz; $8.99; Ross N; 3
5. Villa Red Table Wine; $7.99; Bryon and Jocelyn Brennawitz; 3
6. Zaca Mesa Syrah; ??; ??; 7
7. Yellow Tail Pinot Noir; $6.99; Stephanie N; 5
8. Quail Creek Shiraz; $4.99; Roy and Lissie T; 7
9. Project Happiness Syrah; $5.99; Julia H; 1
10. Terra Roja Tres Pinos Red Table Wine; $4.99; Brian H; 5
11. Villa Red Table Wine; $8.00; Romman H; 1
12. Raymond Sauvignon Blanc; $12; ??; 1
13. Pinot Evil Pinot Noir; $6.99; Marilyn H; 1
14. Cartlidge and Browne Merlot; $9; Tom Z; 3
15. Chateau Ste. Michelle; $8.99; Kevin F; 5
16. Alice White Pinot Noir; $6.99; Earl H; 2
17. Elderton Cabernet Sauvignon; $18; Michael Z; 3
18. Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante Champagne; $9.99; Melissa; 14
19. Monasteriolo Cava Brut Rose; $5.99; David and Jessica H; 3
20. Domaine des Cassagnoles White Table Wine; $10.99; Jake H; 0
21. Scaia Rossa Red Table Wine; $11.99; Jake H; 3
22. Trentatre Rosso Red Table Wine; $5.99; Ken L; 12
23. Five Rivers PInot Noir; $9.00; Anthony F; 3

Target Cube Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2008

Price: $11 @ Target.  

Julia says: As we were doing our shopping at Target to get our new home set up, I eyed this little cube of wine. The price, the fact that it is made out of a corrugated box (the product I sell for a living), and most importantly two bottles of wine for $11, I couldn't resist. Brian thought I was crazy saying Target is not the place to buy wine. I love it. I little squirt after a long day of work was just what I needed!

Brian sez: I told Julia, "I think we can get a better value on wine somewhere other than Target."  Not the first time I have been wrong, nor will it be the last, I'm sure.  Surprisingly drinkable with round red fruit.  Best part: it tastes as good on day 7 as on day one thanks to the collapsing bladder that keeps air from oxidizing the juice.

Binary scale rating: 1!!  (That's not one factorial, I'm just excited about giving something a one...)

Vintjs Sauvignon Blanc, 2009

Price: $5.99 @ Trader Joe's
Brian sez: Meh, it's okay. Some decent citrus, but a little too sugar sweet for me. Give me a good crisp NZ Sauv Blanc over this any day...

Binary scale rating: 0

Welcome to Cheap Wine Challenge

I sure love a good glass of wine, don't you?  The only problem is that these days it's hard to justify spending much on a bottle of fermented grape juice what with the economy being in the toilet and all.  In an attempt to justify our continued oneophilia, Julia and I have taken up a new hobby: trying to find the best wine at the cheapest price.  It's actually been pretty fun.  There are lots of good deals to be had in the world of wine right now and plenty of lesser-known producers making great wine that doesn't yet command much of a price tag. 

But like any hobby, drinking inexpensive wine is more fun when you make it a competition.  As such, in March of 2010, we hosted Cheap Wine Challenge '010: a Celebration of Delicious Value.

Some three dozen people were present, with 23 bottles entered for judging. 

As guests arrived, wines were placed in an opaque, numbered bag to conceal its identity and each guest was given a scorecard and five (5) star stickers.  As guests tasted the anonymous wines, they awarded these stickers to the bottles they felt were most deserving-- one each to five different bottles or up to three (3) stars to a particularly amazing bottle. 

At the conclusion of the voting, the number of stars each bottle received was divided by its price in dollars. The winning bottle was Trentatre Rosso, receiving 12 votes and sold at $5.99, brought by Ken Luecke.  Ken's prize was three of our favorite cheap wines to take home with him. 

Fast forward five months...

While enjoying a tasty bottle of cheap wine with dinner the other night, we were struck with an inspiration: since the event was such a huge success, and we *still* love inexpensive juice, we decided to finally jump on the blogwagon (before it rides off into obsolescence) and publish our adventures in cheap wine drinking.  Additionally, maintaining this journal will also give us something to do during the long Wisconsin winter.  We might even expand into beerblogging or cheeseblogging.  Well, let the fun begin...


Cheers,


JPH + BAH