Let’s talk about cheap wine. Most of it is bad. Not just bad, but nasty. I’m not a snob. I spent my first years of legal drinking proudly guzzling three-litre jugs of Carlo Rossi. I loved the label (a watercolour portrait of Mr. Rossi fondling a bunch of grapes) and the price (just $22.99 a jug). It was the total package – with a handle. And, as Mr. Rossi claims, “If you can’t taste the difference, why pay the difference?” Even then, though, I knew it was bad. And I bet you can taste the difference, too. While the culture of wine elitism is totally lame, so too is its counterpoint. That it’s enough just to say “I like what I like and that makes it good” is mental. It’s the sort of thing salespeople and day-drunk soccer moms say. It’s also not true. Go ahead and like what you like. Just know that there are well-made and poorly made wines and that the field of cheap wine is littered with the latter. They are the junk food of wine. “Wine drink” rather than wine.

Franken-wines cobbled together in corporate labs from bulk wine, bags of sugar, and beakers of Mega Purple. This presents a dilemma for the thrifty, yet quality-conscious drinker. Thankfully drinking well cheaply is not an impossible dream. Price does not dictate quality. Expensive wines can be crap. Cheap wines can be great, though that’s rare. Generally, a dollar saved equals a corner cut. This makes good, cheap wines the unicorns of the wine world—more myth than reality. Just enough of them exist to keep the dream alive. It’s why the first question people ask after finding out I’m a sommelier is inevitably “What’s a good cheap wine?” Everyone’s looking for their unicorn.  My methodology for finding these wines was simple. Filter by price, lowest to highest. Stop at the first wine worth drinking. It took 93 wines– a sea of Sawmill Creeks and Painted Turtles – to arrive at the steady-as- a-rock Jose Maria Da Fonseca Periquita, the quintessential red table wine from Portugal’s Setubal Peninsula.

This rustic, but balanced blend of Castelao, Trincadeira, and Aragonez has been in production since 1840ish. That’s a long time.All wines seem fancy when served from a decanter. That thing’s for nerds. Buy a glass decanter, or grab the nearest iced tea pitcher, and pour every bottle of red you serve into it. A bit of air helps this Spanish stalwart made from 40- to 60-year-old Monastrell vines show its dark fruit and dried herb character. From that hotbed of fine wine production—Hungary—comes the first, best, cheapest white in BC: Dunavar Pinot Grigio. top 100 wine in chinaThe transparency of white wine makes it more difficult to hide wonky winemaking. best wine in australia 2013Good value whites ought to be clean, straightforward expressions of fresh fruit. where to buy wine in seattle wa

The Dunavar is exactly that. It’s got a simple melon and citrus thing going on with just a bit of spritz to give it all a lift. This old vines Grenache from France’s famed Cote du Rhone region is named for the Tarasque, a mythic turtle/dragon hybrid beast that terrorized the local countryside. To my eyes, on the label, it looks more like Bowser got sick of waiting around for Mario and just ate that goddamned Princess. But that’s neither here nor there. food and wine top 100 recipesWhat is here is a shockingly elegant, bright, and juicy red raised entirely in stainless steel and concrete by acclaimed winemaker Aaron Pott. best wine with olive oil pastaBuy all of this before it, too, becomes legend.red wine brands that start with r

I’m not sure what’s “Reserva” or “Especial” about this wine. It’s cheaper than the other two Cono Sur Sauvignon Blancs at the BC Liquor Store. Dressing up a simple table wine with fancy words is a classic cheap wine move. In Chile, as is generally the case everywhere but Europe, ‘Reserva’ is just a marketing term. This classic cool climate Sauv Blanc—all crisp citrus, grass, and tropical fruit—is special, though. For the price, it’s super drinkable, varietally on point, and complex. It’s not transcendent, but that’s not the point. The point is that it’s cheap, and it’s tasty. And that’s more than enough. *Note: None of these wines are Canadian even though most of the cheapest wines in BC can be found in the Canada section. That’s because these wines are Canadian in name only. They’re international bulk wines bottled in Canada and therefore ‘Made In Canada.’ That’s stupid and should not be encouraged. David Stansfield began his wine career as a teenage cellar hand twenty years ago.

Today, he’s an independent sommelier, the Wine Director at Vancouver Urban Winery, and co-host of the popular Sunday School wine school.Welcome to Last Week’s Column: The Sequel. If you missed the earlier instalment, here’s a recap: wines under $20. Today’s selections, however, skew more toward the mainstream – no roussannes or aglianicos, in other words.I remember when, in the 1980s, $10 was the great divide between the rich and the rest of us.That psychological price barrier persisted for a long time. But the quality pickings below $10 have grown slim. That’s especially true in British Columbia, where import prices give new meaning to “Rocky Mountain high.” (Note that one red listed here sells for $16.95 in Ontario and $21.99 in B.C.) On the bright side, we have learned a few tricks over the years to enhance the flavour of bargain bottles, however one might define “bargain.” Big glasses: A large bowl that tapers inward at the rim helps amplify aromas and focus nuances into the nasal cavity, where most of the “tasting” takes place.

Decanting: Contact with oxygen softens harsher elements and brings out the fruit. But you don’t need a decanter; just swirl in a (big) glass for a similar effect.Chilling your reds: This can make a huge difference. A quick detour in the fridge (say, 15 minutes) suppresses hot alcohol and astringency and lifts acidity. Much more than 15 minutes and most reds become muted.Warming your whites: We drink most whites too cold. Pull chardonnays and other fuller-bodied varietals from the fridge 20 minutes before pouring. Warmth brings out the complexity hiding below.Revelling in the deal: Keep reminding yourself that the qualitative difference between most $15 bottles and most $30 bottles is much less than a factor of two.Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2011 (South Africa)The Porcupine is a monster for value, as many Canadians have discovered. It’s made by a great South African estate with the tongue-twisting name of Boekenhoutskloof. On the label is an artist’s sketch of the crested porcupine, the local inhabitant presumably forced to live life without ever getting a hug.

The 2011 syrah is terrific, packed with dark fruit, black pepper, bacon drippings and spice – like a northern-Rhône syrah with more fat on its bones. Try it with stewed red meat. $17.99 in B.C., $13.99 in Alta., $17.30 in Que.De Martino Legado Reserva Carmenere 2010 (Chile)Ripe, with a raspberry core, this is well-crafted carmenere from a dependable producer, showing lots of herbal and earth tones and a smoky quality on the finish. Chunky and ideal for robust red-meat dishes.Small Gully Mr. Black’s Little Book Shiraz 2008 (Australia)A crowd-pleaser, to be sure. And at 15.2-per cent alcohol, one bottle might suffice for a crowd. Expect a mouthful of cherry juice, raspberry jam, vanilla and chocolate from this rich red, which finds good acid grip – and a whiff of not-so-welcome alcoholic heat – toward the finish.Fleur de Coucou Touraine Sauvignon 2011 (France)Touraine lies west of famed Sancerre in the Loire Valley and excels with the same white grape, sauvignon blanc, at typically half the price.

This gem is more exuberantly fruity than most Sancerres, with silky lemon and melon flavours leading the charge, but it delivers a strong essence of that prized flinty character for which Sancerre is famous. Try it with light seafood or young cheeses, particularly chèvre.Bellingham Chardonnay with a Splash of Viognier 2010 (South Africa)The name tells the tale. Chardonnay provides medium-full body and sweet apple, while viognier works its floral magic. A touch of spice and tangy acid give it lift.Tommasi Poggio al Tufo Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Italy)Tommasi is based in Veneto in the north, but the family bought an estate in the trendy Maremma district of Tuscany, from which they make this fine red, in 1997. There’s admirable tannic edge here in spite of the screwcap seal, which telegraphs early drinkability. I like the initial softness, which carries plum, spice and tobacco before the astringent tannins kick in. Try it with rare lamb, beef or duck. $21.99 in B.C.Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir 2011 (Chile)Vineyard workers get around by bicycle at Cono Sur, hence the name of this line of well-priced wines.

The 2011 pinot is among the best – and one of the few drinkable – pinots you will find at this price. It’s light-medium-bodied and silky, with fresh cherry and plum jam flavours enhanced ever so subtly by baking spices. Pair it with pork, poultry or grilled salmon. $11.49 in B.C., $11.99 in Sask., $11.99 in Man., $12.99 in N.B., $12.99 in N.S., $13.99 in PEI.Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (Chile)Richly fruity and concentrated for the money, this Chilean red displays a smooth core of cassis, then works in spice and charred cedar, with lively grip and a slightly dusty texture through the finish. Try it with rare beef or lamb. $12.99 in B.C., $11.24 in Sask., $12.99 in N.B., $12.99 in N.S., $13.99 in PEI.Tinhorn Creek Merlot 2010 (British Columbia)From a cold year but admirably ripe, this full-bodied red offers plum-like fruit, vanilla and satisfyingly savoury complexity in the form of cedar and tobacco against a firm acid backbone. Good for beef or lamb.Castillo de Monseran Garnacha 2011 (Spain)SCORE: 85 PRICE: $9.99 in B.C.On the sweet side, this soft, round red comes across with more of a gummy-bear, fruit-chew quality than in previous vintages, which I have liked.