Foodists

Cheap & Cheerful

I love wine. And as much as I wish I could always afford a Cakebread or a Rothschild, well, I can’t – hardly ever, really. So finding a decent wine under $15 is always a treat. I recently had an opportunity to test my tastebuds at a blind tasting. And I was certainly in for some surprises…

All wines at the tasting were under $15. And there were 109 of them! Some of my favs turned out to be old standbys. While others were completely new and will now be added to my repertoire. Note that I tasted about 15-20 wines – only reds – so there were likely plenty of others that could have made the list. But here are my recommendations, all available at BC Liquor Stores, in no particular order:

• French Rabbit Cabernet Sauvignon, France, 1L, $12.95 (yes, it’s the tetra-pak wine)
• Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa, $13.99
• Finca Los Primos Malbec, Argentina, $9.95
• J. Lohr Painters Bridge Zinfandel, USA, $13.99
• Trivento Reserve Syrah, Argentina, $14.25
• The Stump Jump Red, Australia, $14.99
• de Bortoli Petite Sirah, Australia, $11.99

Have your own recommendations to add? Please tell us about your favorite wine “best buys.”