AOL Picks Best Cheap Wines
Most major media seem to ignore inexpensive wines, so we were delighted to see AOL Food picking “Top Wines for $5.99 or Less.” This is definitely the area we like to mine for hidden gems, so we read their picks with interest and will definitely seek some of them out in our local wine stores in the coming weeks. Here are their top picks for cheap wines:
- Trader Joe’s Coastal Cabernet - red - $5
- Amaicha Torrontes - white - $5
- Banrock Station Shiraz - red - $6
- Barefoot California Merlot - red - $6
- Barefoot California Chardonnay - white - $6
We reported on Banrock Station Shiraz back in February, and liked it fairly well. We haven’t tried either of the Barefoot varietals they recommend, but we did try Barefoot Zinfandel and Barefoot California Syrah, and found the Zin particularly appealing.
It’s great that quality sub-$10 wines are getting some attention - we can only hope to see more press on this topic.
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December 10th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
[...] When Barefoot Merlot made AOL’s Best Cheap Wines list, we knew we had to try it out. We’d tried a couple of their other reds in the last year, Barefoot Zinfandel and Barefoot California Syrah, and liked the Zin more. While I’m not sure that I’d put Barefoot Merlot in my top 5 list for cheap wines, it’s certainly a worthy entrant in the category. Immediately after uncorking, the wine seemed a bit bland; a short breathing period seemed to open up the flavors quite a bit. The aroma is mild, with weak berry and leather notes. The flavor is more assertive. Barefoot Merlot is medium-bodied, with blackberry and mocha notes, well-structured tannins, and a moderately lengthy finish. The balance in this sub-$7 is impressive. [...]
December 12th, 2006 at 8:48 am
[...] We promised we’d report on Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, the only remaining red wine from Barefoot Cellars left for us to try. This cab, like Barefoot Merlot, made AOL’s Best Cheap Wines list. Like the Merlot, I’m not sure that I’d put Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon in my top 5 list for cheap wines, but it’s certainly a good value in the $6 - $7 range. The aroma has blackberry and cherry notes, with an unusual baking bread note that’s a bit yeasty. The flavor isn’t quite as bold as we’d like in a good Cabernet, but it’s reasonably well balanced. Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is medium-bodied and juicy, with strong cherry notes augmented by blackberry leading into a moderately spicy finish. [...]