Daily Vino? Yes, please! (But WHEN to buy?)

Consumer guru Clark Howard had a short article on WHEN to purchase wine. It turns out that some number crunchers determined the best day(s) to buy wine! Interesting read, click HERE to read the article. I definitely concur that Sam's Club or Costco are great places to purchase wine. They always have an interesting selection; some 'common' wines at great prices, but also some 'different' selections as well. Give it a shot! Of course, the best time to drink wine is daily, as red wine is great for your 'good' cholesterol (as with anything, in moderation!). Cheers! Bo

Another wine blog to share!

I just learned that there is a blog about wines found at Costco (Thanks to Clark Howard!). I love the wine selection at Costco and some of the deals are amazing (and the Kirkland branded wines are actually quite yummy!). Someone else shares the love; try CostcoWineBlog.com by clicking HERE. Note: I had a lot of issues with pop-ups when I tried to read a full post--my workaround was to click on the story immediately after I clicked through (e.g. before the annoying pop up). ENJOY!

California Wine Month meets the "Official" Wine of California

Time is running out to celebrate “California Wine Month” (yep, I’m a little late since it started 24 days ago…). With that in mind, why not celebrate the “almost” Official Wine Grape of California, Zinfandel. In 2006, then-Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have declared Zinfandel the “official” grape of California. His reasoning was that it would be ‘wrong’ to single out just one varietal. In some respects, he’s correct as Cabernet is incredibly popular and well-regarded dating back to the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976 (which scored CA Cab’s on par or better than top Bordeaux wine—Sacre bleu!), not to mention all the Chardonnay produced there. However, I feel that Zinfandel is very deserving as it has a very special place in the history of wine in California—as well as the United States!

In 1829, “Zinfendel” was imported from Europe to a nursery in New York. From there, it was sold in Massachusetts. Zinfandel made its way West thanks to the Gold Rush of the mid 1800’s. Zinfandel’s origins are believed to be based on Italian grape Primitivo or even two different Croatian grapes, Crljenak Kaštelanski and one called Tribidrag. Regardless of the grape names, scientists have confirmed through DNA testing that Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same. By 1878 Zin was the most popular varietal planted/produced during California’s first wine boom. Like Europe, most California vineyards were destroyed in the late 1800’s when the phylloxera epidemic took over. Luckily some Zinfandel vines survived because they were isolated or planted on resistant rootstock. In 1900 most vineyards were replanted, with Zin being the most common varietal—until the 70s’.

We blame a lot on the 70’s—fashion, disco, big hair. One thing to add to that list? White Zinfandel. I do blast White Zin a lot due to its bubble gum flavor and that crazy pink color but there are 2 major things that White Zin managed to do: one was to save Zin as a financially viable grape, as many were plowing their vineyards to plant suddenly popular Cabernet and Merlot, so White Zin saved many vineyards due to its popularity. The second thing? Honestly, it introduced wine to the masses. Dare I say that White Zin is a gateway wine? No, I’m not making the ‘smoking pot leads to heroin use’ analogy, I am simply saying that if someone tries ANY wine (and likes it) and continues to ‘explore’ wine, that is awesome, even if it is white zinfandel leading the way!

A white zin drinker may not change their ways, but they may try another “sweet-ish” wine like Riesling or Moscato. From there they may try a dry white, such as Sauvignon Blanc or even Chardonnay. What’s next? Well, maybe they will continue to ‘think pink’ and try a rosé as the process is similar (leave the skins on the juice to impart more color but MUCH less residual sugar). From there? How about a nice Pinot Noir to start, then onward to Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. By the way, all of this was a nice ‘stair step’ list of ‘from light to heavy’ wines; give that a shot and see how your exploration goes!

But back to Zinfandel, probably my favorite. Why? While it does have a high alcohol content, the fruit makes the wine very approachable. In fact, you can easily sip Zin solo but when you add food, it’s not so overpowering like many heavy tannin wines like Cabernet. It’s as if Zinfandel was made for another great American pastime—grilling! BBQ is yummy with Zin, spicy foods too. So while “California Wine Month” comes to a close, we are just about knee deep in tailgating season so why not bring a little Zin to your next event? No, not the girly pink stuff; be manly and grab one of the 3 R’s (Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Ridge), which represent some of the best-known Zinfandel producers/pioneers). Each of the first two have inexpensive entry-level wines (Vintner’s Blend and Vintner’s Cuvee come to mind). From there, try some of the Ravenswood ‘County’ Series—you’ll be amazed by the differences between their Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Amador county designates! All three make excellent single-vineyard wines (perhaps I’ll discuss the differences between “California”, County/Region and Vineyard designations next time) but the price rises (base Zin’s start around $8-10; County wines $15 to 20 and single-vineyards are $20-50+).

There are also a lot of Zin-blends out there (nicknamed ‘kitchen sink’ blends as they have many varietals, typically Zin and syrah-based). But again, there are many different producers and many different regions as listed in the ‘county’ designates above (don’t forget awesome Paso Robles juice!). So give Zinfandel the respect it deserves—even the pink stuff, albeit begrudgingly… Let me know your thoughts and share your Zin adventures with me! Cheers, Bo

Just say no to wine snobbery

I received a marketing email from one of those review websites talking about wine shops, wine bars, etc. It listed several of their favorite local wine shops/wine bars/restaurants and gave a few details about some of them. Most of the reviewer comments referenced a desire to learn about wine and lauded their shop/wine bar/restaurant for not being pretentious or 'snobby'. As you've caught from most if not all of my posts as it relates to wine snobbery, THAT'S WHAT WINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT DAMMIT! Wine is meant to be approachable and enjoyable--not 'I'm so smart that I can tell that this wine came from an east-facing slope on a mountainside in Sonoma County'. (don't laugh--there are people out that who can tell that stuff and it's pretty darn cool and amazing!). Let me flesh that out a bit, actually. While a true sommelier should have an incredible grasp on wine and of all things wine, the average consumer just wants something yummy to drink and/or go with their meal. ME TOO! If you go somewhere and they don't know what they are serving (and don't give you help/ideas) it's time to move on--find a place where the servers have PASSION for their food and drink!

A friend recently took us to one of ATL's high-end steakhouses. The wine list was on an iPad and obviously was incredibly broad and would have been in a very thick binder if printed. For most people, that would be fear-inducing and would commonly result in either a blind pick of something that sounded familiar or a selection of something they did know about but was very pricey (take "Silver Oak" as an example--nothing against it, as it is a great wine, but like KJ Chard, it's just a well-known wine that gets tossed about as 'incredible' among people with deep pockets and 'some' knowledge of wine--there I go, being a snob). The thing about wine is to try things. Maybe it's not the best time to experiment when facing a $50-75 bottle at a restaurant but go to your local shop or liquor store (or even grocery/warehouse club!) and see what's out there. Yes, you'll find a ton of cheap blends with colorful labels (a favorite of mine being Apothic Red for around $8 or $9) and some silly 'critter wines' (e.g. wine labels with some animal on it meant to make it seem 'cute' so you will buy it. Not my typical choice). By the way, I'm sure if I had asked, I know the staff at that steakhouse would have helped me if I was clueless-don't EVER be afraid to ask for help; most servers LOVE to share their favorites and most sommeliers love to share their ideas as well! Again, if not, vote with your wallet and go somewhere else next time!

Do you drink white wine? Try something other than Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. I wax poetic about Viognier; try a Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc--you don't have to spend a ton but try to focus on a specific GRAPE varietal. Ditto for reds--if you like Merlot, try a Cabernet; if those make you happy, you may love Syrah or (my favorite) Zinfandel. What about a lighter red like Pinot Noir or something funky like Monastrell/Mourvedre? Temperanillo? Once you decide you like a particular varietal then explore regions or countries and experiment some more. So now you have some CHOICES out there.

Once you get the varietal figured out (e.g. I love Sauvignon Blanc), as noted, when you dig around you may realize how much you like a certain style (California SB can be a bit 'buttery' (unfortunately!) while New Zealand's are more crisp and acidic (hooray!) as they should be). SO if you like the crisp style of New Zealand (such as Marlborough region), the next time you see a wine list with a Sauv Blanc from that area you can feel confident in ordering it even if you have not heard of the producer. Same thing with reds; a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in California (or Carneros) is a great region--the more you try, the more you learn and then that list becomes much less scary.

Wine is meant to be enjoyed. I think of it as a journey--we've all had horror-show vacations; the same can happen with wine but if it's bad, you can send it back. If you hate it, you can try something else. It's all temporary and there will always be another glass or bottle out there! As 'the man' says: Stay thirsty my friends!

Wine of the Moment: Prosecco!

This week's wine is Prosecco. Oddly enough, Prosecco is a grape, a wine, and a place in Italy. While the grape is now called "Glera", the primary region where prosecco is produced is about an hour and a half north of Venice, in the Veneto region (commonly in Valdobbiadene--try to say that one fast!)

Prosecco is light and refreshing and is quite food-friendly like other sparklers Cava and Champagne. It is typically produced ‘charmat’ style (where secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks vs. ‘methode champagnoise’, the traditional in-bottle fermentation of fine French champagnes). As a result, prosecco is meant to be consumed young, typically within 3 years of bottling or it can become flat! As Italy’s most popular sparkling wine, the bulk of production is either Frizzante (lightly sparkling) or Spumante (fully sparkling). As a comparison, Moscato can be also frizzante but definitely sweeter, while champagne is more crisp but equally ‘spumante’ or fully sparkling.

Proseccos are traditionally dry, with creamy notes of peach. In fact, world-famous Harry’s Bar in Venice created a signature cocktail known as the Bellini, by mixing prosecco with white peach puree. Other characteristics of prosecco include notes of citrus, apple, baked bread with a hint of bitterness on the finish. As such, prosecco pairs with lighter fare, such as seafood (like smoked salmon; yum!), lighter balanced cheese, and pastas with lighter sauces or even fruit desserts such as sorbet or fruit tarts. Right now, as summer comes to a close, it’s perfect to sip on the deck watching the sun go down!

The final attribute of Prosecco, and perhaps one of its best features is the price—you can find most Proseccos in the $10 range. Mionetto is one famous producer; they have one line with a bottle cap (the “IL” line) that is $10 but they also have their ‘best’, named Sergio, after their founder. Sergio is more expensive and a bit tough to find but typically is highly rated by wine publications. I found a 92 point Nino Franco at Smyrna World of Beverage (LOVE that place) for $15 and Sam’s and Costco both have offerings in the $10 range. So pop a bottle of Prosecco this weekend and enjoy the bubbles! Cheers, Bo

CHEAPIE ALERT: Kroger has Apothic Red on sale this week for $7.99! See prior posts about this yummy blend!

A new fave, and it's "Hot to Trot"!

No horsing around: 14 Hands "Hot to Trot" blend is a winner! I picked some up at Sam's Club last week and found it to be a yummy, fruit-forward blend. What a great deal I thought for just over $10!


THEN I saw an old flyer from Bullock's and it's only $8.97 per bottle! Time to stock up a bit! Click HERE for a data sheet from the vineyard and click HERE to find Bullock's (Sandy Plains in East Cobb and off Barrett Parkway, east of I-75. This is a perfect BBQ wine (yes, I actually recommended something OTHER than a ZIN!) and will be great for your Summer parties. ENJOY!

Snob or Sale?

I get accused of being a wine snob. Au contraire, mon frere! While I do love wine, my perception of a wine snob would be someone who would turn their nose up at the inexpensive beauties that I tend to recommend. Sure, I'd love to drink something like Orin Swift's "The Prisoner" all the time, but I can't drop over $30 per bottle of wine. Even a "deal" like an email I received for a Mollydooker wine for around $20 doesn't help--that's just too high for my wallet these days. So am I a wine snob? Hardly! I do like yummy wines though; I just tend to buy more bargains--it's like 'hunting"--I love to find a great wine at an inexpensive price! So let's go shopping!

As noted before I love blends. I received a flyer from Bullocks (East Cobb/Woodstock) and found Apothic Red to be $7.97! Other winners include Monte Antico Rosso (a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet) is $8.97 (the 2006 was rated at 90 points per Wine Spectator), La Crema Pinot Noir is $15.97 (yep, that's 'high' but it's touch and go finding a 'cheap' Pinot out there that's as solid as La Crema). Finally, Ravenswood Vintner's Blend is a low $6.27. I know many other top retailers like Tower and Total Wine have similar pricing; get out there and shop!

But that's all red wine, and it's hot out there! You can also find a good value on Estancia Chardonnay at Bullocks ($7.97) and Brancott Sauvignon Blanc for $6.97 (look for any Sauv. Blanc from "Marlborough" in New Zealand and you can't go wrong). Pinot Grigio is a nice, crisp option as well and "Kris" Pinot Grigio is under $10 there too. Why not try something different? Other wines that beg to be left in the ice bucket can be found from Spain (Albarino) Viognier (Rhone or Central Coast/CA), and Argentina's Torrantes, as mentioned in Gil Kuler's most recent AJC article.

One quickie about wine glasses--yes, I can be a wine glass snob; check my previous posts about Riedel. Suffice it to say that I hate going to restaurants that have crappy glasses. One thing that can hurt you more than a cheap glass is a smelly glass! I've talked about this before--I have several types of glasses, from stems I bought for $5 at Cost Plus World Market (excellent!) to the same 'style' (e.g. for the same varietal of wine) that was given to me (Riedel's "Sommelier Series" that retails for almost $100 per glass!)--all the glasses are in a glass-front cabinet in the kitchen. EVERY time I pull out a glass, if I don't rinse the glass, it smells like the cabinet! If it wasn't rinsed well, it may also smell like soap. All I'm saying is that the glass should be clean, dry and not have residual odors. As over half of your wine experience is based on what you smell (yep, even over the taste itself!) you really need to do this before serving your wine! Give it a shot-take 2 glasses, rinse/clean one and try the wine out of both--you may be surprised at the difference between the two!

Good news/bad news with vino

Good news: found a new yummy wine at a reasonable price! Keep a lookout for Amitage, a lovely red blend from Columbia Crest Winery in Washington State. Here's some info on the wine; I believe it was under $10.

Bad news: I don't remember where I bought it : ( I am guessing it was a warehouse club (most likely Sam's?) but I am unsure. Once I figure it out, I'll let you know!

APOTHIC RED FANS: new low price at BULLOCK's in East Cobb!

TOTAL WINE FANS: they are doing the "6 mixed" sale again, through 4/30/11!

Cheers, Bo

Of Sales, Value and Wine to Drink!

I love shopping at various places, including the warehouse clubs (BJ's, Costco and Sam's), local shops like Sherlocks, Bullocks, or Tower, but if you've ever read my blog you know I'm also big fan of Total Wine & More. They have a great selection and some pretty solid pricing--my only consistent gripe is that they won't give a case discount on 'mixed' cases. If you buy an entire case of 1 wine, you receive a 10% discount (as with most retailers). Until the end of this month you can receive the same discount on only a 6 bottle purchase! Go stock up!
It's funny-is expensive wine 'worth it'? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. 2 thoughts on that: There is a very well-known brand that gets tossed around often--I won't 'go there' but back in my wine bar days, when someone asked if we had that brand I immediately knew that 1) they didn't know a lot about wine 2) they had some money and 3) typically they have friends who thought highly of that wine as well. It can be a bit of the "Emperor's new clothes" as the reputation is still there, but the quality (in my opinion) is not... For that same $80 I could easily blow that brand away.
As for the second case in point, I took a huge risk and bought a $60+ bottle of wine totally on faith. Yes, the same guy that tells you never to buy a wine for the label alone took a chance on buying an expensive Napa Cabernet solely because it shared the same name as our good friend's newborn (Congrats again J and Carol!) Their new son's name is Cade and when planning for a 'celebration' dinner for all of us, I was excited to see a bottle with the same name and knew we had to toast to the new baby with it! What an amazing wine, probably one of the best I've had in a while. So every once in a while I guess it's best to 'take a chance' and see what happens! So was it worth it? Even if it had been 'good', yes, it was worth it to share a special moment with friends--the fact that the wine was amazing was a bonus! Step outside the box a little and try something different than what your wine snob friends recommend--try something new and fun or go wild (like I did) and take a chance on something fun.
By the way--if you find yourself off Dresden (Brookhaven) you need to stop in "Pour" and have some wine. What a cool place (and fun, moderately-priced selections). Pour Wine Market is a pretty neat wine shop/wine bar that is not a chain (and it shows!). After a glass or two, Kaleidoscope is a fun restaurant (try the duck fat fries--trust me) and it's just a few doors down. Pour also offers craft beers if you aren't into wine (shame on you ; )

Wine Sale at Total Wine and More!

Total Wine & More is always a fave of mine but next month they have a sale on 'mixed' wines (one gripe I have always had with them is that you ONLY get a discount on full cases of the same wine). If you a minimum of 6 bottles, you get a 10% discount! They also tend to have a lot of fun value wines (e.g. under $10) and I recently had one called Daisy Chain "Ana's Red". If you can get past the girly label (light blue with a lot of yellow daisies) the juice is quite nice for around $8 (the blend in the 2008 is Zin/Merlot/Cab/Syrah and is quite yummy). Another one I have mentioned before is the Grand Pacific "Heritage Red" ($8)and the 2009 is a blend of Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

The only 'catch' (if you call it that) is that their true 'deal' wines (prices that end in 7, like Ravenswood Vintners Blend for $6.27!!!) are NOT part of the 10% discount as they have already cut the prices to the bone (try finding that price on Ravenswood at your local grocery--more like $9!). BTW--You've got until 2/26/11 and this offer is available only in GA per the email I received from them...

Have fun, stock up! Cheers, Bo

Wine and Freakonomics

Not sure if you've read the book Freakonomics but this is a funny twist on wine pricing and how high prices may or may not relate to quality. What really 'got me' was the fact that 'experts' who tasted the same wine (blindly, and more than once) had given wildly differing scores! Very interesting point of view. I find it funny to hear how one gentleman purchases wine (most expensive looking label, but under $15 a bottle--that would rule out most 'critter wines' that look silly!). Click HERE for the article. Enjoy!

Another warehouse club 'find'

Found another cheapie... online you can find Marques de Riscal Tempranillo for just under $10 (not that you can ship to GA but I digress--see my comments on HR5034 while you're at it) but locally I found it for $6.99 at BJ's Wholesale Club. Not a bad wine at all; great price and good quality. If you belong to BJ's, give it a shot! If you don't, you can typically get a temporary shopping pass (unlike the other clubs you can just walk into BJ's--they don't ask for a membership card until you check out). Enjoy your weekend! Bo

The A-list (+ one!)

I love wine (DUH) and you know I love a good deal (also DUH). Today I offer three wines that start with the letter "A" (oh great, now I hear the voice of Grover in my head...). In an earlier blog posting I talked about finding a great deal on a yummy wine called Aconga. The blend is 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 evidently scored 85 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine. The best thing? With your Kroger Plus card, the price is only $3.99 (though it's only $3.88 at the Mcfarland/Hwy.9 Kroger in Alpharetta)! One thing to note, however, there seems to be a limited supply of this wine so you better stock up quickly!

My second A-wine is actually called A by Acacia. Like many other producers, Acacia has several different product lines. Their single-vineyard products are their finest (and most expensive), but you can find the more reasonably priced "A" line in stores and restaurants. Their Pinot is great (around $20) but I love the A by Acacia "Red Blend" (much lower-priced, at around $10 to 12) as it is a Syrah based wine. You won't find it everywhere but it is worth looking for (or trying at restaurants).

My 3rd (and favorite of the 3!) A-list wine is called Apothic Red. I also blogged about this one previously (as did Gil Kulers with the AJC) and I can't get enough of it! Excellent fruit, but not a full-on, in-your-face 'fruit bomb'. Apothic LOVES spicy foods and is widely available ($8.73 at Sam's, around $8.50 at Tower and even Kroger had it for under $9 a few weeks ago!). Syrah and Zin? YUM!


Bonus wine--a week or two ago I was in the Alpharetta Costco, wandering through the wine aisle. A nice blend caught my eye--a bordeaux blend with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc and the final 33% Merlot. As the price was $15, I thought what the heck, I'll buy it (really, you had me at 33% cab franc). You may have read this old blog post about friends in the wine biz (and my 'heroes'), so you know how happy I was when I saw the names on the back of the bottle--Highway 12 Vineyards was co-founded by the guy who gave me my first job in the wine industry, Paul Giusto. Check out their website and try the wine--the winemaker is Michael Sebastiani (bet you've heard that last name before?) who I also worked with at Viansa ages ago. Kudos to them; the wine was awesome as well! Cheers!

A new inexpensive fave-Apothic Red

As you know, I am always a fan of a fun blend at a good price--especially if it has something to do with Zin or Syrah! How about one that has zin, syrah AND merlot? It's funny, I had read about this wine AFTER buying it, but BEFORE drinking it. Well, finally had it the night before last and it ROCKS! Gil Kulers is totally on the money-two thumbs up--way up! Check it out online using this link. Cheers, Bo

(by the way--Gil's article said $14; I found it at Sam's Club for $8.73!)

Glorious Grenache!

Read this article to learn more about another one of my favorite wines. As you know I LOVE zinfandel, but GSM's or any other Grenache/Syrah blend is also a typical choice. Why? The ones I find tend to be less than $10 and you can also find pretty decent quality for that price. Cotes du Rhone may be a bit higher (around $15) but many Australian examples run less. "Garnacha" from Spain are also around $10 (give "Garnacha de Fuego" (Garnacha of Fire, baby!) a chance--complete with flames on the label)--great 'food' wines as well. Read the article for a more educated explanation (but higher priced examples) and run to your local wine shop (or even your grocery, believe it of not) to find some fun stuff! Cheers, Bo

Great offer at Total Wine & More through Sept. 11

While I love Total Wine & More I am always annoyed that they don't offer discounts on mixed cases (i.e. you do get a discount on a case of a single wine, but not on a 'mix' of wines). Well, I just got an email today that you can mix a 6-pack of wines and get 10% off! They have many fun wines for you to try (recent faves include the "Kitchen Sink" red blend for around $9 and Grand Pacific Red "Heritage Blend" (petite verdot, sangiovese and cabernet franc) for around $8). SO get out there and get shopping! I am betting this is a test for them to see if it will bump sales; let's show them that it's time to do this more often! Mix away!

Again, I'm not the only one.

This article talks about Cheap Wines and how that is becoming the new norm in wine shops. At the end of the day, there ARE a ton of 'good' wines for inexpensive prices. Stick around; I'll share what I find for ya! Cheers, Bo

Good and Cheap!

Can't come up with a better subject line than that... As you have no doubt noticed, I am not afraid to try a cheap wine. Caveat: I do tend to stay away from cutesy, hyped or 'overly marketed' wines, like "Critter" wines (wines that have a cute animal on the label to get stupid people to buy the wine based on the label alone). And have also noted that I don't always buy wines in the grocery unless I know it's a good price (typically on a wine I already know). So here's an end-cap with a Malbec blend at Kroger, marked down to $3.99 from $8.99 (got to love that Kroger Plus Card!). I think to myself, "Why not?" Well, it is actually pretty yummy! The wine label didn't look cheap and silly and it came from Mendoza in Argentina so its 'particulars' were solid, so for $3.99 it appeared to be a great deal. The wine is called Aconga and is an 80% Malbec 20% Cabernet blend. It drinks pretty well for a 2009, which I would have thought too young. If your local Kroger has this wine (at this price) I'd recommend buying several bottles--perfect BBQ or grilling wine (an easy-drinker as well). Cheers! Bo

Another tale from the darkside...

Okay, I have a confession, actually a couple of confessions. I bought an animal wine. Yep, a bottle of wine with a small animal on the label; designed to be chosen by a consumer who may or may not know about wine (but they think it's cute and buy it). The other confession? I bought wine at Wal-Mart. Yes, THE Wal-Mart. Let me explain...!

So I'm in my local Super Wal-Mart looking for a few simple items for our garage sale--Julia wanted to sell lemonade so I picked up a jar with a spigot, some ice and lemonade mix. Let me tell you, it's hard to find the *&%$ lemonade mix at our Super Wal-Mart--I even ran into a friend who was likewise looking for drink mix! Regardless, in my search for lemonade I buzzed down the wine aisle (quelle surprise?) as I'm apt to do, and found some familiar/common brands (no, I didn't expect a 'deep' selection and no, I didn't find it).

What I did find was a wine for around $5 that I figured 'what the heck' and bought. You ready for it? Lucky Duck Malbec--it didn't even have a vintage on it (guess that would have cost more?). I enjoy Malbecs from Argentina and the price was right and to be honest, I thought it was quite yummy! SO, if you're looking for an inexpensive red wine (and you're at Wal-Mart!) give it a shot! Look for the yellow duck on the label and consider yourself the lucky (and thrifty) one! Cheers, Bo