I can't drink anymore, but when I did $20 was fancy for me.

Ridge,really?!

My reps are trying to push it pretty hard atm, had their zin yesterday and the chard last week. I don't see it......it's not bad, but it's not that good imo.

Did the Educated Guess last night based on this thread. Pretty good stuff. Not the best, but a pleasant $18 bottle.

Ridge is not the typical jammy Zinfandel you may be used to. They make zin in a style that has potential for some limited aging, so I can see why it wouldn't appeal to some.

+1 on the Ridge Geyserville Zin

The Chard was terrible...

Had "A" Zin yesterday the Ponzo. 94% Zin 6% Petite Sirah.



If y'all like them that much, I'll give the another chance. Maybe they have just presented poorly recently or in relation to the rest of the tastings.


Thanks!

I just had a red blend from Dreaming Tree from Dave Matthews for $13 and it was damn good for the price.

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Ridge,really?!

My reps are trying to push it pretty hard atm, had their zin yesterday and the chard last week. I don't see it......it's not bad, but it's not that good imo.

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I would disagree with you. the Geyserville is annually one of the best bargains at $33 per bottle in the world of wine. you say "their zin" but they make several. most are field blends that are usually less than 75% zin so aren't called zin.

I have never tried a white from them. what do they make?

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The Geyserville is definitely a field blend. Until about 2 years ago, they didn't know what all was in the vineyard. There was a 1% "other" that they couldn't identify until they DNA tested the vineyard. But whatever was originally planted in that vineyard has worked for decades, because it's a consistently good wine.
Ridge makes a Chardonnay, but it's more Burgundian in style than California.

This is a great thread! Below is my list of most often purchased daily wines. If anyone's familiar with any of them I'm interested in similar or better suggestions. My top end is SLWC Artemis/Chappellet Signature/Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cab ($45-60) range but those are not daily wines for me.

Cloud Break Merlot $8
Columbia Crest H3 Cab $10
Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno Superiore "Vigna Montetinello" $14
Mascota Vineyards La Mascota Cab $14
Tesoro della Regina Chianti Classico Riserva $15
Paso Ranches Cab $16

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not all are winners, that's for sure. But it never hurts to keep a watch on it and cherry pick.


(note: I haven't bought from them in years so I'm not sure what they are selling these days. My worst ever wine mistake was not buying Petrus at $400 from them during the recession)

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I buy a lot of wine from WTSO, and BSD is correct you must be choosey. Here is my advice:

1. Their strength is Europe and Austrailia, and their weakness is California. The domestic wineries recommended on this thread are way better than WTSO's offerings. Look to WTSO for your Italian, French, and Spanish everyday drinkers ($15-30).

2. Have the discipline to only buy wines that have ratings posted from the major publications (Spectator, Advocate, Galloni, etc). This will dramatically improve your hit rate. Ignore the Jonathan Neumann ratings, he's an owner of the site and is just trying to sell product.

Happy hunting!

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Investing in a variety of high quality wine glasses and a good wine fridge has done wonders for my enjoyment of wine.

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So right.

#stemwarematters

Woodridge kegerator gets me through the week....usually

My first 6 bottles of Carlisle Wine (3 Petite Sirah and 3 Sirah) are getting shipped this week thanks to the recommendations from this thread. Looking forward to trying these!

The absolute best Chardonnay I've ever had in that range is Mer Soleil Reserve from Caymus Winery in Napa. I discovered it while out in Napa doing some wine tasting tours.

It's around $35+. I don;t drink it every day because it's outside my budget. But if I could afford to, I would.

Outstanding!

Llano Sweet Red.... $5.64 at HEB. Serious. It's mostly sugar but I like it..... a lot. Go ahead and laugh.

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Llano Sweet Red.... $5.64 at HEB. Serious. It's mostly sugar but I like it..... a lot. Go ahead and laugh.

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Spanish reds are a. Great value . You can spend a lot on some labels. Look for wines from Jose Ordonez or Juan Gil.
Great importers like Eric Solomen or Ole'.
Ole has a $16
Priorat LaCartuja that is outstanding.

Love Juan Gil. Atecca is another good one.

http://m.wine-searcher.com/find/mer+soleil+rsrv+chard+santa+lucia+highlands+central+coast+california+usa

Buy online.... ~40% off your $35 number.

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http://m.wine-searcher.com/find/mer+soleil+rsrv+chard+santa+lucia+highlands+central+coast+california+usa

Buy online.... ~40% off your $35 number.

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thanks for the info but...

they don't ship to Texas.

lots of prices online don't mean anything in Texas. legally, no retailer is supposed to ship here although some will and do.

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lots of prices online don't mean anything in Texas. legally, no retailer is supposed to ship here although some will and do.

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They can legally if they have a retail location in the state. Which ends up defeating the point, since then their prices aren't really any better.

Somehow the actually wineries get around this, not sure of the mechanism. But again, they don't generally have the best price, at least for things I buy.

I have found Total wine has pretty good prices around here (Dallas.) Central market is not terrible or price or selection. World market and Sam's are pretty good for the 20 and under stuff, but selection varies considerably.

We enjoy the Cameron Hughes Cab Lot 500 for an everyday wine, about $23.

-Girard Artistry
-Inkblot Cabernet Franc by Michael David (like right under $50).
-Meyers Spitfire Oakville Cab mid $40s?
-Stags' Leap Petite Syrah is always crowd pleaser. I think you can get that at most HEBs.
- Palazzo Della Torre, Italian red blend. Usually under $20. Good stuff. Easy to drink
- belle glos Pinot noir is solid...Etude too
-pieropan Soave - nice crisp Italian white

All good selections. The Pallazo might be the best Sunday Sauce wine pairing I've ever come across.

I enjoy the Orin Swift "Locations" wines. They are all well under $50

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I enjoy the Orin Swift "Locations" wines. They are all well under $50

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Ahhh yes. I know Texas wines catch a lot of crap...but I really enjoyed the TX location from that line.

I paid $160 for a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle at a restaurant once. I thoroughly enjoyed the cab, so I decided to pick up a bottle from the store the next day. For $15 you can have a bottle of one of the finest cabernets out there.

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I paid $160 for a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle at a restaurant once. I thoroughly enjoyed the cab, so I decided to pick up a bottle from the store the next day. For $15 you can have a bottle of one of the finest cabernets out there.

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Unless this was some charity event, there's no way a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle Cab was $160 at a restaurant. Even with an insane markup, it shouldn't of been more than $45-50.

Agree. Generally see around a 3X markup from what you could buy it retail.

I have had good luck finding good wines in the OP price range by taking waiter's recommendation at decent restaurants. The bottle is $50 - $100 at the dinner, but ends up being a go to. Found Molly Dooker at a steak house in Vegas and it has been our favorite since.

Getting those recs is a good way to expand your list. (Remind self to keep a actual written list for the hundredth time.)

Some Old Worlds:

• Domaine de la Poire Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine - $15-20 with $35 mags
• Domaine du Gros 'Nore Bandol Rose - $35-40
• Grosset Polish Hill Riesling - $40-50

We don't drink a lot of red. There are some great non-vintage Champagnes in the $30-50 range, especially from the smaller producers. Also, any 'RM' labeled Champagne is a grower-producer. Not many in our price range, but we do come across a few and they're must buys for us. Pierre Moncruit is the only one I can think of right now.

And any twist top Gruner Veltliner you can find. Not a better beater dinner wine.

Remembered another good <20 choice - Ghost Pines Cab and red blend.

We drink mostly only Reds. My Dad's GF makes fun of him for liking Rose, calls it "Baby wine."

Storyteller "Got Away" Cab is FANTASTIC for around $15.

Same with Josh Cabernet at around $15.

For a cab that is a notch above those two... Josh's dad, Joseph Carr, is incredible for around $30 a bottle.