What's the best cheap wine?
Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel is the best cheap red at about $12 and Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling is the best cheap white at about $10, and both taste like they cost twice as much.
Cheap wine has a bad reputation it mostly earned in the 1990s. Today the $8 to $13 shelf is full of honest, tasty bottles from big producers who know exactly what they are doing. The trick is skipping the ones that hide behind sugar and picking the ones that just taste like good fruit. These are the bottles we would happily bring to a friend's place.
Reds
1. Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel
about $12ZinfandelDrink this one
Jammy, a little peppery, and way more personality than the price suggests. The bottle to grab for burgers, BBQ or pizza night.
2. Alamos Malbec
about $10MalbecGood buy
Plummy and smooth, with just enough grip to stand up to steak. Argentina does cheap Malbec better than anyone.
3. Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon
about $11Cabernet SauvignonDrink this one
A proper Cabernet without the proper price. Dark cherry, a little toasty, not too heavy. Great with anything off the grill.
Whites
4. Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling
about $10RieslingDrink this one
Crisp, citrusy and clean. It works with spicy takeout, salty snacks and most of a holiday table. Check the label says "Dry" if you do not want any sweetness.
5. Matua Sauvignon Blanc
about $11Sauvignon BlancGood buy
Zippy New Zealand white that tastes like grapefruit and cut grass. A cheaper cousin of the Kim Crawford style.
Pink and bubbles
6. La Vieille Ferme Rosé
about $9Grenache blendDrink this one
Dry, light, strawberry-ish French rosé for under ten bucks. Buy two, it goes fast.
7. Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut
about $12Cava blendGood buy
The black bottle. Spanish bubbly made the same way as Champagne, at a fraction of the price. Great for mimosas, fine on its own.
8. Riunite Lambrusco
about $8LambruscoIt's fine
Fizzy, slightly sweet, served cold. Sounds like a joke, tastes like a party, and it is brilliant with pizza and ham.
Good to know
- Look for the grape, not the cute label
- Bottles named after a grape (Malbec, Riesling, Zinfandel) are usually more honest than ones named after a mood. Mystery "red blends" at this price often lean on sugar.
- Argentina, Spain and Washington punch above their price
- Land and labor cost less there than in Napa, so the same $10 buys a better bottle. Malbec, cava and Washington Riesling are the easy wins.
- Chill cheap reds for 15 minutes
- A slightly cool red tastes fresher and hides any rough edges. Room temperature in most apartments is too warm for wine anyway.
- Prices move
- These are typical grocery shelf prices. Your store, your state and the week of the sale can swing them a few dollars either way.
More lists
Last checked 2026-10-04. Selection and prices vary by store and state.