If life were perfect, we would all be able to drink nice, expensive wine all the time. But it’s not. Instead, we have budgets. Like, wine under $10 budgets.
I decided to take an adventure to Total Wine and travel around the world (read: travel through the aisles) to find wines for under $10 a bottle. I wanted to get wines from a variety of regions and see how they all compared. I picked 10 bottles, and of those, would definitely buy 9 of them again!
Without further ado, here are my thoughts on each!
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Condado de Eguren Trempranillo 2013
This wine was my favorite of the bunch, and would be my first pick to purchase again. It was great right out of the bottle, and only got better as it opened up. It has a peppery flavor to it, and ends with a touch of sweetness in every sip. If you like “big” wines, you’ll like this one. It’s well-rounded in flavor, and smells delightful, too!
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Cren della Lepre Piemonte Barbera 2015
This Italian wine was a good one. It has a mild flavor, but isn’t sweet or fruit-forward. Lots of other cheap wines hide behind “sweetness”, but this one doesn’t at all! Even though it’s a cheap bottle, it is reminiscent of some “fine wines” I’ve had in the past that are full of body and have complex flavors. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy this one again!
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Kitchen Sink California Red Table Wine (Santa Rosa)
This wine is a blend of Zinfindel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Syrah. It has a smooth body too it and is an easy drinking wine. This one is also great right out of the bottle. The complex flavor of the Syrah really comes through at the end, which I love! It’s also nice to get a good California wine for under $10!
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Hermes Red Dry Wine
This wine is fruit-forward with a dry finish. It is from Greece, but reminds me of a California Pinot Noir in terms of its body. It is light in color and flavor, and goes well with light meals. It gets smoother and more flavorful the longer it is open, so this one is worth decanting.
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Nostrada Estate Wines Garnacha Campo de Borja 2015
This is an easy-to-drink, everyday wine. Like the Hermes, the flavor improves the longer this wine is open. It has a balanced flavor, and doesn’t overdo the fruit or tannins. This wine isn’t too dry and has a great finish overall.
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La Putere Recas (Romania)
Who knew good wines come from Romania? It’s little-known wine producing region, which may help explain the inexpensive price. This wine is very fruit-forward, and has flavors of cooked berries and blueberry in the first sip. It is a really unique wine—I’ve never tasted such distinguished berry flavors in a wine before. Even though I’m not a huge fan of fruit-forward, sweeter wines, I would buy this one again.
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Cruz Alta 2015 Malbec
This wine is smooth from the start, and easy to drink right out of the bottle. It’s not as full-bodied or “spicy” as other Malbec’s I’ve had, I would say it has a mild flavor overall. It’s a good weeknight drinking wine…nothing super special, but definitely not bad. I would get this again, but not for any special occasion. The tall, slim bottle is also really pretty!
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Domaine De Clairfont Rhine Red Wine 2015
This is a French table wine, and is light in flavor and color. This one also reminds me of a Pinor Noir. It has a peppery taste to it up front, and has a dry finish. I thought it was best the first night it was open.
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Happy Camper Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is sweet on the palate in the first sip, but has a dry finish. I would buy this one again, but would be sure to drink it the first night it was open. It got very sweet the longer it was open, and some of the flavors were masked by the wine becoming overly-sweet.
Wines I would skip (but are still worth mentioning):
1. Releaf Sweet Red Wine 2015
I know the label says “sweet red wine”, but somehow, I missed that when I bought it. Anyway, I decided to give it a try, and it is SWEET. Like, Reisling sweet. I thought I would mention it because even though sweet wines are not my preference, I still thought it had good flavor. If you enjoy sweet wines, you’ll likely appreciate what this bottle has to offer!
I’m no expert in judging wine (I like to think I’m an expert at drinking it, though). Making grand statements about wine can be daunting, especially when the wine-tasting culture is perceived to be so stuffy. With that in mind, I thought I would end by paraphrasing from my favorite wine documentary, Somm: Into the Bottle: “One of the most important things about wine is who opens it and their experience with it… It should create joy in your life, because your perception is what makes it special. Once you pop the cork and put the wine in that glass, only one thing matters: Is it delicious?”
If YOU like the wine, that’s all that counts!
Do you have a favorite wine for under $10? Let me know in the comments below!
Where are the whites?! Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand – best price at Total Wine.
That’s all material for a future post! I’ll add that one to my tasting list!
We love Trader Joe’s Cakebox Reserve Petie Sirah. So lush and jammy and yummy!
I haven’t tried this wine, I will have to put in on my list!