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by Robin Goldstein and Alexis Herschkowitsch
This is the website for the new book, "The Wine Trials." Robin Goldstein conducted blind tastings of 540 wines, priced between $1.50 and $150, by more than 500 wine drinkers (some expert, some average).… About 100 wines under $15 beat their pricier competitors. Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon outscored a $55 bottle, and Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde, Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina and Marqués de Cáceres White all bested wines costing more than twice as much. This is a great book for novices, as well as more discriminating wine fans, and it's the most comprehensive resource we found.
by Editors of Wine Spectator
A number of wines costing $13 or less appear in this roundup of the Wine Spectator magazine's top 100 wines of 2007. Making the list is an impressive achievement, considering that editors selected them from… a pool of 3,500 wines that earned scores of 90 points or more in blind tastings. The following factors influence editors' decisions: Quality, value, availability and "excitement," which editors say is hard to quantify. Colombia Crest Merlot 2004 and Yellow Tail Shiraz 2005 are two of the most widely available wines included on the list.
by Editors of Wine Spectator
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Editors of Consumer Reports
In this older test, editors note that there are many excellent wines costing less than $20, but a good, inexpensive cabernet sauvignon is difficult to find. Experts with over 60 years combined experience… rate wines in categories ranging from very good to good. Unfortunately, the testers aren't identified, and we don't know whether the ratings are based on one person's opinion or the collective opinion of many people.
by Eric Asimov
Wine critic Eric Asimov evaluates 25 red wines for $10 or less with the help of the Times' panel, including Florence Fabricant and two wine experts. Asimov believes that there are better values in the… $10-20 range than in the $10-and-under range, and he cautions that you cannot expect much subtlety or complexity from wines in this price category. Two American wines appear on the list, but most of the wines are from Spain, Portugal, Australia and France. The top-rated wine is the 2002 Padre Pedro from Casa Cadaval in the Ribatejo region of Portugal. 2005 Domaine de l'Ameillaud and 2005 Viña Gormaz Tempranillo place second and third, respectively.
by Stephen Meuse
Stephen Meuse and three wine experts test 50 wines that cost $12 or less for their annual "Plonkapalooza." They find that most of the winners are European wines, despite strong competition from Australia,… Chile and Argentina. The panel also finds that the white wines they tested are a better value than the reds. Only one wine, a white, was chosen by all four panelists, the "creamy" tasting 2006 Willm Alsace Pinot Blanc from France.
by Eric Asimov
Eric Asimov argues that inexpensive wine should taste fresh, lively and assertive. He's also interested in wine with "personality." For this tasting, Asimov, Florence Fabricant and two others sampled 12… white and 12 red wines priced at $10 and under. The tasting's top white wine, the E & M Berger 2005 Gruner Veltliner from the Kremstal region of Austria, was delicious, with citrus and floral aromas, but tasters did not consider it complex. The runner-up white, the 2004 Saint-Véran from Domaine Delaye of France, was appealingly fresh but unpretentious. Asimov believes that sauvignon blanc is a "reliable area to explore" in this price range, no matter the country of origin. Spain and Italy, Asimov writes, are still go-to sources for good-value wines. The Perrin Reserve Côtes-du-Rhône 2004 was the top red wine. Asimov and his colleagues, including two restaurant wine directors, tasted these wines blind.
by Mike Steinberger
by Robert Whitley
After noting that a $13 wine from New Zealand, Nobilo Pinot Gris, won the Best of Show in white wine at the 2008 San Diego wine competition, critic Robert Whitley lists other wines that offer excellent… quality in the $8 to $12 range. First on his list of vineyards, which are ranked by preference, is Husch. Their 2007 Chenin Blanc and 2006 Chardonnay and Gewurtztraminer are "terrific value wines," says Whitley. Nobilo, Ventana and Bonterra vineyards round out the list. Whitley also considers wines from Banrock Station, Big House, Bogle and Michel Picard best buys. Whitley is the founder of Wine Review Online and the director of several wine competitions, so he clearly knows his stuff. It's not clear, however, whether wines were blind-tasted, and Whitley doesn't reveal his rating methodology.
by Robert Whitley
Critic Robert Whitley lists ten wines that "overdeliver on flavor and pleasure for the price." It's not clear whether these wines were blind-tasted. Whitley considers Concannon to be one of the most… underrated wineries in the United States. Jacob's Creek reserve dry Riesling is an astonishingly good value, and the dry reds and whites are also well made. Gallo Family Vineyards reds offer excellent value, and the subtle, crisp wines from Covey Run pair beautifully with food, according to Whitley.
by Robert Whitley
In this useful article, Whitley offers pointers for starting a wine collection. He advises would-be collectors to purchase a small number of inexpensive wines that will improve with age, but can be opened… without guilt while they are still young. Twelve producers are recommended including Beringer Founders' Estate, Crystal Valley Cellars, Fetzer/Five Rivers and York Mountain. As with other Wine Review Online articles, this one represents the opinion of a single expert, and we aren't sure whether wines were blind-tasted.
by Mike Steinberger
Mike Steinberger sampled 22 wines that cost $15 and under. Generally speaking, he found French wines lackluster and Spanish wines very good. Some of the Italian selections, including the 2007 Cusumano Nero… d'Avola, showed well. Steinberger asserts that it's a "struggle to find inexpensive domestic wines worth drinking." He suggests that you turn instead to foreign wines and regard the name of the importer as a sign of quality. To that end, he provides a list of 16 top importers, including Kermit Lynch and Polaner Selections.
by Tyler Colman
by Eric Asimov
The Dining section's wine panel found several wines to recommend of the blind-tasted 24 bottles, 12 white and 12 red. Eric Asimov calls Steenberg South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2004 "crisp, fresh, zesty and… balanced," while Veramonte Casablanca Valley, Chile Sauvignon Blanc 2004 is "bone-dry and refreshing." The Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2003 earned a respectable rating for its fruitiness. The top red is the J. Vidal-Fleury Côtes-du-Rhône 2001, described as "earthy and balanced." This article is outdated, however, and many of these are now hard to find.
by Robert Parker
Wine Advocate founder Robert Parker rebuts the notion that great wine has to cost a fortune, and in this article, he shares 10 inexpensive finds. The Vina Antigua Tinto 2005 (Argentina) is a red wine that… is a "stunning value," while the Bodegas Borsao 2003 Borsao (Spain) is complex, deeply red colored and fruity. Although this article contains a great deal of useful information, the wines are mostly of the 2003 and 2004 vintages and may be difficult to find.
by Mike Steinberger
Mike Steinberger samples box wines, which he says are more convenient than bottled wine for picnics and barbecues. The Dtour 2004 Mâcon-Villages (France) is "gently spicy," with notes of grapefruit and… pineapple. The Dtour 2004 Côtes-du-Rhône (France) has "depth and persistence," and Steinberger prefers it to the Mâcon-Villages. Three Thieves 2005 Chardonnay (California) is deemed a little too sweet but not bad, and Three Thieves 2003 Zinfandel (California) is a "classic American barbecue wine." Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California) has a "roadkill" nose, but it's otherwise enjoyable.
by Carol Emert
Carol Emert rounded up 31 boxed wines for this article, most of which were the new premium varietal types that come in 3-liter containers. Nine were good enough to serve to guests, according to Emert. Two… reds from the most expensive brand, Blackburn by Sonoma Hill Winery, were thin on the palate. Two Banrock Station wines earned excellent reviews, as did Le Cask Old Vine California Zinfandel. Peter Vella's white Grenache was panned for its "off" flavors, which included cat food.
by Mike Steinberger
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