Out of about 100 wines, 50 will be undrinkable, 45 will be acceptable but boring, and 5 will be surprisingly good. These are the wines I bring in and promote. If you are on a budget, try these three wines. You won’t be disappointed.
Protocolo 2009 Tempranillo
$7.99
I’ve been drinking this wine for about a decade and it has always been delicious, but the 2009 vintage takes it to a new level. The grape is Tempranillo and the country is Spain. In fact, this wine represents Spanish wine to me. If you were walk into a Tapas bar anywhere in Spain and order the house red, you’d likely be served something like this.In style the wine walks a line between the traditional oak-aged wines of Spain and the modern smooth-fruit style. A good option for a ‘Tuesday Night’ wine, but an even better choice for simple meals.
I’m not alone in discovering this wine. Wine Enthusiast awarded this wine “#2 Best Value Wine of the Year.” Wine Spectator gave this wine 89 points. High praise for a humble price.
Marchese Montefusco 2010 Nero d’Avola
$6.99
The hot sun and cool breezes of the Mediterrean Sea make Sicily a great place for full-bodied jammy-style reds like Nero d’Avola. Nice purple colors and jammy blueberry fruit and nice tannins. A perfect red wine for BBQ, or red meat, or of course hearty Italian dishes.RiverView 2008 Chardonnay
$7.99
Chardonnay is the 2nd hardest category to search for value wine and so most people stick with mass-brands like Yellow Tail and worse. That is really a shame because, even with Chardonnay, good wine is available if you know where to look.RiverView delivers a nice balance of oak, fruit, butter, and smooth texture. In short, this Chardonnay has everything you are looking for and even competes well with many brands in the $10 to $13 range.
*All wine prices at Ohio Retail.
