Past Issues: Bargain Wine, apr/may 2005 --
Spring Reds

In this monthly feature, we spotlight those wines that offer great bang for the buck -- under $15 bucks, to be exact. Here you'll find our everyday wines, house pours, and occasionally a great new find. Have a favorite Bargain Wine? Tell us about it at editor@wineskinny.com! 

Gearing up for warmer weather ahead? Here are a handful of great transition reds - nothing overly heavy here, just fruity quaffs that will work equally well with pizza or burgers or a light supper of your favorite cheeses and a green salad. All are readily available and under $15 bucks a bottle. Enjoy!

Argentina:
San Telmo 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza ($7). Distinct barnyard aromas lace red cherry and berry fruit, with milk chocolate and hazelnut accents. Medium bodied; interesting, especially at this price. Ready to drink now.

San Telmo 2003 Merlot Mendoza ($7). Really liked this wine -- heck of a deal! A great pizza wine, with loads of acidity. Quite Chianti-like, actually. A deep spicy, earthy nose introduces light- to medium-bodied red berry and mineral flavors, with sky high acidity. Delish! Ready to drink right this second.

San Telmo 2003 Shiraz Mendoza ($7). Deep spice aromas and flavors lace red berry and plum flavors. Good concentration. Dusty tannins emerge on the moderate finish. Interesting! Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 02/05)

Australia:
Black Swan 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia ($8). Slurpably good, with smooth red cherry and berry flavors accented with a pleasing array of baking spices and toasty oak. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 01/05)

Black Swan 2003 Shiraz South Eastern Australia ($8). A pretty little wine, with smooth blackberry and spicy oak flavors supported with racy acidity. Easy quaff and good with food. Heck of a deal! Ready to drink now.

Lindemans 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia Reserve ($10). Appealing blackberry and currant fruit is juicy and fresh, with an edge of tartness, picking up mint, vanilla and toasty oak notes through the focused finish. Quite nice, particularly at this price. A good match for grilled meats and poultry. Ready to drink now.

Lindemans 2002 Shiraz South Australia Reserve ($10). Very nice winemaking here - at a great price, with balanced blackberry and raspberry fruit mingling with herbal and vanilla oak notes. Appealingly smooth and with a lingering finish. Ready to drink now.

McWilliam's 2003 Merlot South Eastern Australia Hanwood Estate ($11). Milk chocolate and red berry and plum aromas and flavors pick up toasty oak, vanilla and a touch of herbs on the finish. Offers a freshness that is appealing. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 01/05)

McWilliams 2003 Shiraz South Eastern Australia Hanwood Estate ($11). Decent vibrancy and peppery kick to the red currant fruit. Medium bodied, moderate finish. Ready to drink now.

Wyndham Estate 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia Bin 444 ($10). Nice bang for the buck here, with juicy red cherry and red plum fruit on a nicely concentrated frame that includes leather and clove accents, finishing with toasty oak. Ready to drink now.

Wyndham Estate 2003 Shiraz South Eastern Australia Bin 555 ($10). Ripe and fleshy, with cinnamon-laced black currant and cherry fruit. Finishes with a wave of vanilla oak. Easy to drink and a good price. Ready to drink now.

California:
Glass Mountain 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon California ($8). Light blackberry and pretty herbs and spice in finish. Easy, but not stupid or sweet. Might even be nice with a light chill in hot weather. Tasty! Ready to drink now.

Glass Mountain 2001 Merlot California ($8). Rich, smoky vanilla scented red cherry and blackberry are quite nice, especially at this price point. Ends with a rolling wave of vanillin oak. From Markham. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 02/05)

Stone Cellars 2001 Shiraz-Cabernet California ($8). All the warmth and ripeness of a comparably priced Australian Shiraz, with rich, concentrated red currant and cherry fruit accented with mocha and black pepper. Easy to drink now.

Stone Cellars 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon California ($8). Smooth red cherry and blackberry fruit are laced with touches of spice and toasty oak. Easy and appealing and ready to drink now.

Woodbridge 2002 Merlot California ($8). On the simple side, yes, but still appealing. With moderate, soft blackberry and cherry flavors laced with touches of warm spice, dark chocolate and toasty oak. Nothing cloying or candied. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 02/05)

Italy:
Bella Sera 2003 Merlot Delle Venezie ($7). Strong cherry vanilla aromas introduce moderate red cherry and berry fruit laced with light herbal and spice notes. Good pizza wine. Ready to drink now.

Check out previous Bargain Wines selections!
This now-fabulously-named column used to be called Easy To Find One Figure Wines, for reasons that we cannot currently remember but were surely enthusiastic about at the time. Anyhoo, check out our Past Issue Index for more great value-priced wine selections!