There are lots of things your parents teach you as you grow up. Like "don't talk with food in your mouth", "look both ways before you cross the street" and "don't buy cheap wine, it'll give you a headache!" I cannot argue with the first two, but there are exceptions to the third. Having been spooked by this "Great Recession" I have lately been sneaking around in the "big bottle section" of my favorite stores – I usually wear some sort of disguise, hoping to avoid detection – but, I have to admit, I have found some surprisingly enjoyable wine at prices that will work with almost any budget. You can see where I'm going with this. But this time we had lots of different wines, white and red, so we tasted over several days, comparing similar wines, with food. We put a limit of $20 for a 1.5 liter bottle (equal to two regular 750ml bottles), but really found hardly any wines over $15. Big bottles are not necessarily a sign of inexpensive wines. You can order your Bordeaux futures in magnums if you like, but you will pay a slight up-charge.

But we are looking at these wines as bargains, and some drank like wines costing twice as much! You will probably start seeing some of these better wines packaged in 3-liter boxes (bag-in-the-box), which would be a good thing, as the wines will keep longer and take up less space.best common wine brands On to the tasting! beer and wine festival 2016Starting with the whites, some of which were simply Vin de Table without even a vintage, others familiar labels, only in larger bottles.best cheap wine from paris We liked several whites made with Sauvignon Blanc, and of course Pinot Grigio is always a crowd-pleaser. best wine spas worldwide

When it comes to wine – like most consumer goods– it is only natural to equate price with quality, but that is not necessarily the case. We found several decent wines that would be under $8 (for a standard bottle), and a few even under $5! best white wine in new zealandIt helps to know what to serve with a particular wine and proper serving temperature will enhance a wine's personality – reds about 62°-65° and the whites typically 40°-45°. best wine for alcoholicsWe found nice everyday Chianti that would be perfect with pizza or pasta; Syrah that would be fun with burgers, grilled meats or a pork tenderloin; and Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that were nice with a pan-seared New York strip. The most interesting wine turned out to be an "in-house blend" of our two favorite reds (St. Martin Merlot and Redwood Creek Caberent) that seemed almost like mid-level Bordeaux.

So, for parties, family gatherings, and mid-week quaffiing these wines can make a lot of sense and keep you on budget. When working with the big bottles you can either keep in the fridge, or decant into standard bottles and re-cork to preserve freshness. I like a VacuVin closer to seal opened wines. It can work well for 3 to 5 days. Pay attention to the large format bottles and find your everyday favorite. All these are locally available wines, but email me if you need help finding them. We would like to hear about your favorite wine and where you found it. St. Martin 2008 Sauvignon Blanc *** Best White France $12 Sauvion Cler Blanc, VdT *** Another Favorite! Folonari 2008 Pinot Grigio *** Best Pinot Grigio Italy $12 Rene Barbier Mediterranean White *** Best Value White! Redwood Creek 2008 Cabernet *** Best of the Reds California $10 St. Martin '07 Merlot *** Nice Earthy Red! Falling Star '08 Malbec *** Best Value Red! Conte Priola '07 Chianti *** Perfect with Pasta Italy $15

DuBoeuf '07 Beaujolais-Village *** Dependable Wine! Columbia Crest 2004 Shiraz *** Good Value! Columbia Crest 2004 Merlot *** Well Developed! Our four-star rating system and how it might compare to the Wine Spectator 100-point scale: ** Very Good (85-88) *** Very Good/Excellent (88-90) All ratings are only the opinions of our tasters and not meant to offend your personal favorites. Back to the WebWineMan index pageThe Guide to Ridiculously Large Bottles of Wine, from Magnums to NebuchadnezzarSEE MOREShort on time and grabbing a bottle of wine at the supermarket is your only option?  Finding an interesting bottle can be tough, but there are some tucked in with the ordinary. Supermarkets deal in wines as beverage — predictable, mostly the entry level wines, produced in quantity, from well-known brands. Forget about stumbling across a hidden gem or a natural wine from a small upcoming producer.The wine selection doesn't vary much from supermarket to supermarket.

Most of the labels come from a few big companies that either own or distribute a large roster of wines. However, you can sometimes find deals. Right now Albertsons is running a promotion — buy six wines and get 10% off. And they don't all have to be the same wine: You can mix and match. Most wine shops give a similar discount on full cases (12 bottles) of wine.At the Albertsons in Culver City, the first thing you see in the wine section are long shelves stocked with 1.5 liter bottles. That’s the same size as the double bottle or magnums winemakers often use for their best wines. That's because the large format bottles are wonderful for aging wines. Don't get too excited, though. Here, the large bottle is just a container: no aging involved. You’ll find Sutter Home White Zinfandel, for example, or Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon in this section with some big bottles going for as little as $6 or $7 — just a little more than Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck. There's an old-fashioned Chianti bottle wrapped in straw, and Riunite (remember that brand from the old television commercials?)

Lambrusco, the fizzy red wine from Italy’s Lombardy region — in jugs! The store also carries a big inventory of inexpensive and popular brands like Australia’s Yellowtail, and California’s Turning Leaf and Barefoot.Move on to wines in normal 750-milliliter bottles. At first glance, it looks as if the selection is quite large, but the same labels pop up over and over again. Someone used to shopping in dedicated wine stores may find it hard to find anything that sticks out in terms of quality or value. But there are some wines that are good value — and that would be fine on the everyday dinner table. If you want to take advantage of that 10% off for six bottles, here are our picks. Note that prices listed are before the 10% discount. 2013 Louis Jadot Beaujolais (France) $11.99A basic Beaujolais from the wine region of the same name in southern Burgundy and a good buy at the price. Jadot’s Beaujolais-Village, at about a dollar more, is an even better buy. Both are fruity, easygoing reds, perfect for the barbecue, with a burger or a roast chicken.

2012 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon (California) $14.99 Napa Valley producer Joel Gott makes excellent high-end Cabernets in the $50-to-$60 range. Tasting of blackberries and herbs, his entry level Cabernet is serviceable, drinkable — and affordable. NV LaMarca Prosecco (Veneto, Italy) $14.99Start out an evening with a glass of this Prosecco. This fresh, clean sparkler from Italy’s Veneto that has a touch of citrus and flowers. You can also add a splash of orange or peach juice to make a Bellini.2011 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay Monterey County (California) $13.99Chalone has always made leaner Chardonnays in the Burgundian style. This one is crisp and balanced, with touches of citrus and oak. Break out a bottle for that salmon you just put on the grill.2012 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel Sonoma County (California) $13.99From Sonoma’s pioneering Zinfandel specialist, this gutsy red is packed with the flavors of blackberries and spice. It’s actually a blend of 80% Zinfandel with smaller amounts of Petite Sirah, Syrah and Carignane.