Everyone's after Two Buck Chuck, the (actually) $3 bottles of red and white wine from Charles Shaw winery in California.
But he's easy to find because he's always in one place: at Trader Joe's (several area locations) which has an exclusive on the brand.
Trader Joe's makes a big deal over Two Buck Chuck, proclaiming high and low that its wines—a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay—offer both quality and value.
For example, a few months ago, Two Buck Chuck chardonnay went up against much more expensive California chardonnays in a blind tasting on a nationally broadcast morning show.
Who won in a joust between Charlie chardonnay and the likes of Far Niente chardonnay (around $50 at the winery)? Well, Two Buck Chuck, of course, champion of the frugal and value-conscious.
But a wine like Two Buck Chuck chardonnay —with minimal fruit flavor, a bit of residual sweetness and no oak treatment to speak of—is gonna shine next to a wine like Far Niente chardonnay that is high in alcohol, tastes like wood juice and is so full of flavor it's as if it were an extract.
It's an unfair test, especially in front of the everyday person (it takes a rare bird to appreciate the merits of Far Niente chardonnay).
But Two Buck Chuck really isn't good wine. Sometimes it's not even acceptable wine. The merlot, for example, reminds me of those vegetal and cooked Central Valley hardly burgundies that I guzzled in my youth.
The main problem with Two Buck Chuck is that he's lowered the bar too far and created the assumption that good wine can be had for $3 a bottle.
It can't.
But if you're willing to spend $8-$10 a bottle, and certainly if you're up for $15 a bottle, you can find terrific red and white wines that deliver on a lot of delicious flavor.
That's because, all over the world and during the past decade or so, winemakers have benefited from advances in winemaking and grape-growing that translate directly into good wine for less money. This is especially so in less-known areas of the world such as southern Italy or the more obscure regions of Spain and France.
Here are some of my favorite value wines, all under $10 a bottle, and from several countries. They are widely available at wine retail stores, but I buy mine at Sam's Wines & Spirits, 1720 Marcey St., Chicago, (312) 664-4394.
2002 Domaine des Amouriers, Vaucluse ($8): From a little-known area of southern France, this multilayered red made up mostly of grenache and syrah, is filled with gobs of red fruit flavors that seem to come in waves rather than all at once. Moderately tannic, it would make a splendid choice for a range of dishes, from chicken to beef or lamb, and even could take a chill.
1999 Taurino Salice Salentino, Puglia ($7): This wine has been hugely popular for years, and for good reason: the flavor to cost ratio is extraordinarily high. From Italy's heel, this smoky, jammy, full-throttle red has so much flavor, a sip is almost chewable. What's also nice about it is its high acidity—a feature of many Italian reds—which makes it especially beneficial at the table. This is the quintessential pizza wine, but would also do well with any other tomato-laced dishes and, obviously, red meats and sausages.
2002 Fairview Goats Do Roam, South Africa ($8): Yes, it's a play on Cotes du Rhone, and mimics that wine further with its blend of pinotage (a South African variety), cinsault, grenache and others, for a rich, spicy, heady, low tannin experience. The pinotage certainly adds a lot of color—you can barely see through the wine—but also much depth. I'd save this for cooler weather and its food, things such as roasts and stews.
2001 Penfolds Koonunga Hill shiraz-cabernet sauvignon, South Australia ($8): If there is one name that's a sure winner for Australian wines, it's got to be Penfolds, from its less expensive Rawson's Creek line, up to the more dear Thomas Hardy offerings. Koonunga Hill wines are in the middle. This blend is a delicious mix of dark fruit and berry flavors, just touched with oak aging, and moderately tannic. Like many Australian wines, it is so plump on the palate, it's like liquid jam. When you think hamburger, think of this wine.
2000 Osborne Solaz, Spain ($6): This blend of 80% tempranillo and 20% cabernet sauvignon is a big wine for the price: lots of cherry and currant flavors, a bit of tannin, good depth of color and cleansing acidity. It's a rustic red made in a clean, international style. Its best friend at the table would be a bit of fat, so pair it with grilled steak or pork chops.
2002 Domaine de Puoy, Gascogne ($7): All the above wines are red—it's a lot easier, actually to make inexpensive red wine than white—but this white from near the Bordeaux area of France is a treat. Made of the ugni blanc grape, it's got buckets of juicy, melon-like and pear flavors, crisp acidity for a tingle after the swallow, and no meddlesome sweetness. It would be delicious by itself or with a range of dishes from cold chicken salad to tuna fish sandwiches to grilled or sautéed fish.
While these wines are in general distribution, it may be that you have a difficult time finding some of them. In that case, begin to pay attention to the back labels of many wines, in order to follow which importers bring in which wines. Several importers of fine wines are worth their name alone: anything they touch is liquid gold.
Here are some of these people and the areas in which they specialize: Kermit Lynch (France), Leonardo LoCascio (Italy), Eric Solomon (France, Spain, Italy), Jorge Ordonez (Spain), Robert Kacher (France), Weygandt-Metzler (France), North Berkeley (France).
ee the front page, left side directory of www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com for Dining Out listings.
