Is it any good?
Straight answers on the bottles you see at the grocery store. What it tastes like, whether it’s worth the money, and what to eat with it.
Reds
- Bogle Zinfandelabout $12Zinfandel
Yes, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel is one of the best reds you can buy for about $12: jammy, peppery and full of flavor without tasting cheap.Drink this one - Bogle Petite Sirahabout $12Petite Sirah
Yes, Bogle Petite Sirah is a great value for about $12: a dark, inky, full-bodied red that tastes far more expensive than it is.Drink this one - Columbia Crest Cabernetabout $12Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet is one of the best-value Cabernets in the grocery store: balanced, dark-fruited and honest for about $12.Drink this one - Duboeuf Beaujolaisabout $13Gamay
Yes, Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages is one of the best Thanksgiving wines you can buy: light, bright and fruity enough to work with turkey and every side on the plate.Drink this one - Catena Malbecabout $18MalbecYes, Catena Malbec is one of the best Malbecs you can find for under $20: rich, plummy and smooth, with more depth than most bottles at the price.Drink this one
- Louis Martini Cabernetabout $20Cabernet SauvignonYes, Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet is a classic, well-made Cabernet for about $20, with real grip and dark fruit that tastes like a much pricier bottle.Drink this one
- La Crema Pinot Noirabout $25Pinot Noir
Yes, La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is one of the best grocery-store Pinot Noirs: bright, silky and genuinely balanced for about $25.Drink this one - Apothic Redabout $10Red blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon)
Yes, Apothic Red is on the sweet side for a red wine: it is smooth, jammy and slightly sweet, with vanilla and mocha flavors, which is exactly why so many people love it.Good buy - Alamos Malbecabout $10Malbec
Yes, Alamos Malbec is a good, easy red for about $10: juicy, plummy and smooth, and one of the best cheap Malbecs on the shelf.Good buy - Ruffino Chiantiabout $10Sangiovese
Yes, Ruffino Chianti is a good, food-friendly Italian red for about $10: bright, tart-cherry flavored and made for pizza and pasta night.Good buy - 14 Hands Cabernetabout $11Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, 14 Hands Cabernet is a good, smooth everyday red for about $11, with ripe dark fruit and a soft, smooth feel that makes it easy to drink.Good buy - Stella Rosa Blackabout $13Red blend
Yes, Stella Rosa Black is a sweet, lightly fizzy, low-alcohol red that tastes like blackberries and is meant to be served cold.Good buy - Josh Cabernetabout $15Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, Josh Cabernet is a good, crowd-pleasing red for about $15: soft, ripe and smooth, though it is rounder and a touch sweeter-tasting than a classic Cabernet.Good buy - Bread & Butter Pinotabout $15Pinot Noir
Yes, Bread & Butter Pinot Noir is a good, smooth, easy-drinking Pinot for about $15, softer and a bit richer than a classic Pinot Noir.Good buy - Meiomiabout $22Pinot Noir
Meiomi Pinot Noir is technically a dry wine, but it is very ripe and jammy, so it tastes noticeably sweeter and richer than most Pinot Noir.Good buy - Decoy Cabernetabout $25Cabernet Sauvignon
Yes, Decoy Cabernet is a polished, smooth Cabernet for about $25, a nice step up from grocery basics when you want something that feels a little special.Good buy - Barefoot Cabernetabout $7Cabernet Sauvignon
Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is fine for the price: a simple, soft, fruity red for about $7 that works for parties and cooking, but it does not taste much like a classic Cabernet.It's fine - Yellow Tail Shirazabout $7Shiraz (Syrah)
Yellow Tail Shiraz is not a sweet wine, but it is soft and very fruity with a little sweetness to it, so it tastes sweeter than most dry reds.It's fine - Riuniteabout $7Lambrusco
Yes, Riunite Lambrusco is a sweet, lightly fizzy red that tastes more like grape soda for grown-ups than a dinner wine, and that's exactly why people like it.It's fine - Dark Horse Cabernetabout $9Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark Horse Cabernet is a fine budget red for about $9: dark, fruity and fairly smooth, though it is simple and a little rough at the edges.It's fine - 19 Crimesabout $11Red blend
19 Crimes Red Blend is a fine, easy-drinking red for about $11: smooth, fruity and a little sweet-tasting, though it is more fun for the label than for what is in the glass.It's fine - Ménage à Trois Redabout $11Red blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)
Ménage à Trois Red is not a dessert wine, but it is soft, jammy and sweet-tasting for a red, sitting somewhere between a dry red and Apothic.It's fine - Mondavi Private Selection Cababout $12Cabernet Sauvignon
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet is a decent, smooth everyday red for about $12, but it is a separate, cheaper line from the Napa Mondavi bottles and tastes like a simple, fruity grocery Cab.It's fine - The Prisonerabout $50Red blend (Zinfandel-led, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Syrah)
The Prisoner is a rich, crowd-pleasing red, but at about $50 you are paying a lot for the name; if you love its jammy style, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel gets you most of the way for a quarter of the price.It's fine - Caymusabout $95Cabernet SauvignonCaymus is worth it if you want a big, plush, instantly impressive Napa Cabernet for a celebration, but at about $95 it is a splurge, and there are better values if you are buying for flavor alone.It's fine
- Two Buck Chuckabout $4Cabernet SauvignonTwo Buck Chuck Cabernet is drinkable for about $4 but thin and forgettable; for a few dollars more you can get a much better red, so it's best saved for sangria or cooking.Skip it
Whites
- Ste. Michelle Dry Rieslingabout $10Riesling
Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling is mostly dry with just a whisper of fruitiness, much less sweet than their regular Riesling, and one of the best food wines you can buy for $10.Drink this one - La Crema Chardonnayabout $22Chardonnay
La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is one of the best grocery-store Chardonnays: rich enough to feel special, with enough freshness that it never gets heavy.Drink this one - Rombauerabout $40Chardonnay
Rombauer is worth it if you love big, buttery Chardonnay, since it's the bottle that defines the style, but if you're not sure, try Bread & Butter first for less than half the price.Drink this one - Barefoot Moscatoabout $7Moscato
Yes, Barefoot Moscato is very sweet, fruity and easy to drink, and at around $7 it's a good buy if sweet wine is what you like.Good buy - Matuaabout $10Sauvignon Blanc
Matua Sauvignon Blanc is a good, budget-friendly New Zealand white: crisp, citrusy and refreshing for around $10.Good buy - Ecco Domaniabout $10Pinot Grigio
Ecco Domani is a good cheap Pinot Grigio: light, crisp and easy, and it gets you most of the way to Santa Margherita for about half the price.Good buy - Oyster Bayabout $11Sauvignon Blanc
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a good, crisp New Zealand white that tastes a lot like Kim Crawford for a few dollars less.Good buy - Stella Rosa Moscatoabout $13Moscato
Yes, Stella Rosa Moscato is sweet, lightly fizzy and low in alcohol, which is exactly why it's so easy to love.Good buy - Josh Chardonnayabout $14Chardonnay
Josh Chardonnay is a good everyday white: soft, fruity and lightly creamy, less heavy than the really buttery California bottles.Good buy - KJ Chardonnayabout $15Chardonnay
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve is a good, reliable California Chardonnay: ripe, a little creamy and a little sweet-tasting, and it's the same every time you buy it.Good buy - Bread & Butter Chardonnayabout $15Chardonnay
Yes, Bread & Butter Chardonnay is properly buttery and creamy, just like the name promises, and it's one of the cheapest ways to get that style.Good buy - Kim Crawfordabout $15Sauvignon Blanc
No, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc is a dry white; the passion fruit and grapefruit flavors just make it taste juicy rather than sugary.Good buy - Santa Margheritaabout $23Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita is a clean, pleasant Pinot Grigio, but a lot of the price is the name, and you can get a very similar glass for half the money.It's fine
Rosé
- La Vieille Fermeabout $9Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah
La Vieille Ferme Rosé is one of the best cheap rosés you can buy: dry, crisp and fruity for under $10.Drink this one - Fleurs de Prairieabout $15Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault
Fleurs de Prairie is a good, dry Provence rosé that tastes a lot like Whispering Angel for several dollars less.Good buy - Sutter Home White Zinabout $6Zinfandel
Yes, Sutter Home White Zinfandel is a sweet, fruity pink wine, and at about $6 it's fine if sweet is what you're after.It's fine - Whispering Angelabout $23Grenache blend
Whispering Angel is a genuinely nice, pale, dry Provence rosé, but you're paying extra for the name, and Fleurs de Prairie or La Vieille Ferme get you very close for less.It's fine
Bubbles
- Kirkland Champagneabout $22Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot MeunierYes, Kirkland Signature Brut is real French Champagne and one of the best bubbly deals in the country, tasting much closer to the big-name bottles than its price suggests.Drink this one
- Veuve Clicquotabout $60Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier
Veuve Clicquot is genuinely good Champagne and worth it for a gift or a big moment, but for your own toast, Kirkland's Champagne at Costco gets surprisingly close for about a third of the price.Drink this one - Freixenetabout $11Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada
Freixenet Cordon Negro is a good, cheap, dry bubbly from Spain that's made the same way as Champagne, which is why it tastes crisper and drier than most bottles at its price.Good buy - Mionettoabout $13Glera
No, Mionetto Prosecco Brut is dry and crisp; "brut" on a bubbly label means dry, though the fruit gives it a friendly, easygoing feel.Good buy - La Marcaabout $16Glera
La Marca Prosecco is a good, crowd-pleasing bubbly: fruity, light and a touch soft, and it's the easiest bottle to grab for brunch or a toast.Good buy - Chandonabout $22Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
Chandon Brut is a good California sparkling wine made the same way as Champagne, with a richer, toastier taste than Prosecco for well under Champagne prices.Good buy - Korbelabout $13Sparkling blend
Korbel Brut is a fine, affordable California sparkling wine for toasts and mimosas, though it isn't true Champagne and tastes simpler and a bit fruitier than the real thing.It's fine