About the Top 100 Inside Our Tasting Department How We Pick The Top 100Liz Thach, Ph.D., a professor of management and wine business at Sonoma State University in California, has tasted a lot of exquisite—and expensive—wines. “But I also love finding a great bottle for $8,” she says.That’s why we asked Thach, who has been a judge in about a dozen wine competitions, and other experts for advice about finding quality wines at affordable prices. This is what we learned: Thach says that 30 percent of wine buyers are overwhelmed and confused by the number of wine types and brands on store shelves. To complicate matters, many wine shoppers are cowed by what they describe as the pretentious aura and cloying commentary surrounding wine. “Is that bottle worth $100? “But wine preference is really subjective and you shouldn’t be intimidated, because it’s easy to get a good bottle of wine for $10 to $20.” So don’t listen to wine snobs. Declare your right to find whatever you like.

And since it’s better to fall in love with a wine you can afford long-term, try inexpensive ones first, then work your way up the price ladder until you find your next best combination of price and magic. What better way to confirm the truly populist nature of wine than by buying it at Costco, the largest retailer of this product in the U.S.? Prices are typically lower than at other stores. Wines from Costco’s private label, Kirkland, offer exceptional value. The 2011 Sonoma Chardonnay ($7), for example, is a Consumer Reports Best Buy in our Ratings. Costco also provides another service to overwhelmed consumers by offering only a limited selection of quality wines. “, which has been reviewing wines sold at Costco, most of them $20 to $25, since 2008. And if you want to experiment with fancier wines, Costco is a great place to get them at a lower price than you’d pay elsewhere, Cullen says. He reviewed a 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape that cost $80 at a Costco in the Atlanta area but $100 in a shop just across the street.

Note, however, that differing state laws prevent Costco and other large chains from selling wine everywhere, which limits this money-saving option to 36 states. Check our buying guide for reviews of red, white, and sparkling wines as well as information on food-and-wine pairings and serving temperatures. Also, find a wine chiller for storing your best bottles. American wineries produce 72 percent of the wine consumed in the U.S., but you can score significant savings on many quality imports. , are Argentine malbec, Chilean cabernet sauvignon, Riesling from Austria, Beaujolais, Chianti, verdejo from Spain, chenin blanc and pinotage from South Africa, and cabernet, sauvignon blanc, and shiraz from Australia. Shop for bargains online and its Best Buys Wine Finder tool. It asks what type of wine grape, region, and price range you’re looking for, then searches more than 9,000 price lists of wine stores, wineries, and wine auctions around the world (but mostly in the U.S.) to find the best quality-price ratio based on wine-rating scores.

“Sometimes I can order a bottle of wine from New Jersey and have it shipped to California at a better price than if I bought it here,” Thach says. has also started selling wine shipped directly from 500 wineries to consumers in the 16 states and the District of Columbia that permit it. big wine glass funny picsWhenever you buy online, watch for shipping costs, which can be free or considerable depending on the site. buy organic wine onlineBuying by the case might get you a break on shipping costs and maybe on the wine itself.best way to ship wine bottles Be a skinflint in restaurantsbest organic wines in the world Order the least-expensive or second-lowest-priced varietal you prefer on the wine list, says Karen MacNeil, author of the best-selling “Wine Bible” (Workman Publishing, 2000). best wine schools in france

That’s often the most popular choice, and restaurateurs don’t want their customers to have a bad experience—even when they’re being thrifty. A second option is to look for restaurants that let you to bring your own bottle. Some restaurants charge a corkage fee, which pays some overhead costs and gives them some profit from your savings.best wine classes nyc 2014And a little intimidating? Sure, it's a deep and complex subject, but unless you're a philosopher with a vineyard, wine is simply about enjoying what's in your glass. We’ve built our entire wine department on this philosophy. Mix and match with reds, whites and everything in between — and get 10 percent off when you buy six bottles or more. Zinfandel is a popular grape in California, although it appears to have originated in Croatia, where it is known as Crljenak Kastelanski, and southern Italy, where it is known as Primitivo.

Zinfandel produces powerful, spicy reds with forward raspberry and pepper notes. It can also be used to produce a semisweet rosé (blush) wine called White Zinfandel. You can use Wine Enthusiast’s online Buying Guide to find the top-rated Zinfandel among our extensive Zinfandel wine reviews and easy-to-use database. Our Zinfandel reviews will give you a general idea what to expect from wines made from Zinfandel, and will help you find one that best suits your needs.Chile is known for producing wines of exceptional value, but that’s not to say Chilean wines don’t also include outstanding bottles to boast about. As a new world wine region, with 2,700 miles of coastline along the frigid Pacific Ocean, Chile produces wines that are both fruit-forward factor and herbaceous, similar to French wine. It’s no wonder then, that French wine producers from Bordeaux have invested heavily in the region, making it their home away from home. Find out about Chile’s 7 most important wine varieties, how they taste, and what specific regions to seek out if you’re hoping to find great quality.

Once you know what clues to look for on the label, you’ll consistently find great wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely-planted grape variety in Chile. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon typically produces a lighter colored, less tannic style of Cabernet Sauvignon, with juicy flavors of black cherry, plums, smoked bell pepper, and (on some more refined examples) mint and pencil lead. Great Value Regions: The majority of the best value wines are labeled as Central Valley (Valle Central) wines. This vast valley actually encompasses a number of subregions, including the regions of Maipo, Colchagua, and the Maule Valley. Find a top-value Chilean Cab by seeking out the higher quality vintages, many of which are under $20. Fine Wine Regions: The Maipo Valley is well known among experts for its bolder styles of Cabernet, outfitted with darker notes of blackberry and cocoa powder. For a more elegant, Bordeaux-styled Cabernet, Colchagua and the Rapel Valley offer wines with black fruit and pencil-lead-like minerality.

Vintages to Seek Out: 2009 and 2011–2014 all produced excellent quality reds, particularly 2009, 2011 and 2013. Keep in mind that 2015 was a hot year, so you might find these to be slightly more tannic. Top Chilean Wine Brands Seven major producers in Chile control over 55% of Chile’s wine. This small handful of brands includes Concha y Toro, San Pedro, Montes, Emiliana, Veramonte, Lapostolle, and Santa Rita. Still, you can find many excellent independent producers, championed by importers such as Vine Connections, which specializes in importing several independent brands. Chilean Chardonnay delivers the tropical fruit flavors you find in Californian Chardonnay, but Chile’s Pacific coastline and the cool ocean breezes give its wine an added extra burst of acidity. Expect minerally notes of lemon, pineapple, baked peach, and meringue, along with a long, creamy, spiced finish. Great Value Regions: The larger regions of Maipo and Aconcagua offer great value Chardonnay.

Just $11–13 should buy you a bottle that is a charming example of Chilean Chardonnay. Fine Wine Regions: Spend $17+ and you’ll get into the finer examples of what Chilean Chardonnay has to offer. Within the Aconcagua Valley, there are several sub-appellations including Casablanca Valley, San Antonio Valley, and Leyda Valley. Also, to the North, Limarí Valley has come out with a couple of outstanding examples and in the deeper south, Malleco Valley produces elegant Chardonnay with lean notes of starfruit and minerals. Vintages to Seek Out: The years 2014, 2013 and 2012, produced outstanding Chardonnay. While 2015 wines may be a little flabby, 2016 has the potential for good quality whites (but not reds). The Wine Regions of Chile Knowing where to find great Chilean wine has a lot to do with learning the country’s major regions. Take a look at the map to familiarize yourself with Chile’s wine regions. Buy Map View Map Chilean is exactly where to look for awesome value, zesty, minerally Sauvignon Blanc.

Even the country’s best Sauvignon Blanc wines are usually under $25. Wines exude lemon-lime, white peach, and grapefruit backed with a long, racy, stony finish. These Sauvignon Blancs will usually echo a riper style of white Bordeaux. Great Value Regions: Much of the best Chilean Sauvignon Blanc grows alongside Chardonnay in Aconcagua including Casablanca, San Antonio, and Leyda Valleys. You’ll also find some intriguing stuff from Colchagua Valley and, believe it or not, to the far north in Elqui Valley where the vineyards line small, sun-protected steep valleys. Vintages to Seek Out: As with Chardonnay, 2014, 2013 and 2012, produced outstanding quality and 2016 also has great potential because white wines were harvested prior to the late-summer rains. The grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carménère, Petit Verdot, Malbec and sometimes Syrah are blended together to create Chile’s own version of the classic Bordeaux Blend. These blends produce some of the finest wines of Chile and you’ll often see them labeled with a made up name (such as Auma, Alpha M, Don Maximiano, Aluvion, etc.).

Because of the wide range of potential blending varieties, the flavors range a bit, but the general taste profile offers up rich flavors of plum and dried blackberry or raspberry, with savory accents of olives and pepper, as well as a mineral-tinged, smoky finish. Great Value Regions: The Central Valley offers exceptional values for the Bordeaux blend. Of course, you can find excellent values from Maipo and Rapel Valleys if you keep your eyes peeled Fine Wine Regions: Maipo has shown to be the place to look for Cabernet Sauvignon but there are some excellent producers now coming from Los Lingues in Alto Colchagua and Aconcagua offering equally stunning wines. Vintages to Seek Out: The years 2009 and 2011–2014 all produced excellent quality reds, particularly 2009, 2011 and 2013. However 2015 was a hot year, so you might find these to be slightly more tannic. Chile is Phylloxera Free Nearly all of Chile’s vineyards are planted on their own rootstock, a feat which very few regions can attest to due to the near-worldwide infestation of the vine mite called phylloxera.

At first, Carménère was thought to be Merlot when it was first transplanted into Chile. Thankfully, this little mistake is likely what saved Carménère from extinction. Carménère has a similar profile to a light-bodied, juicy style of Merlot with plum and black cherry fruit along with mild tannin. What makes it different than Merlot is Carménère’s high prevalence of an aroma compound called Pyrazine which gives wine more savory flavors of black pepper, bell pepper, and cocoa powder. This is an absolutely fabulous food wine and one of Chile’s treasured grapes. Great Value Regions: The Central Valley of Chile grows the majority of Chilean Carménère and many high-value wines have Rapel, Cachapoal, or Colchagua Valley on the label. Be sure to seek out great vintages for exceptional quality in the value category. Fine Wine Regions: The finer examples of Carménère have been found in tiny areas within the larger Rapel Valley area including Peumo in Cachapoal and Apalta in Colchagua.

Keep your eyes open for these sub-appellations. Syrah is an important grape in Chile and is only just starting to make waves in the wine community. These wines are distinctly more elegant (cool climate) in style and consistently offer up spiced meaty notes along with red or black plummy fruit. Tannins can be bolder in Chilean Syrah, which is one of the reasons this wine has become so intriguing as of late; it also has the potential to age very well. Regions of Interest: Within the Central Valley, the region of Rapel Valley (which includes both Cachapoal and Colchagua Valleys) has consistently shown some of the finest examples of Syrah from Chile. Beyond this, you’ll find Syrah also grows alongside Chardonnay and produces several lush and plump examples from Casablanca and Leyda Valleys (in Aconcagua). Some of the best values are found in the extreme wine growing regions including Elqui, Limarí, and the Choapa Valley (in Coquimbo).However 2015 was a hot year, so you might find these to be slightly more herbaceous and tannic.

If you love Pinot, then you likely already know about the great-value varietals coming from Chile. Chilean Pinot Noir offers plush flavors of black cherry, plums, subtle allspice (sometimes verging on beef bouillon), and floral aromas of bergamot, with a creamy, spiced finish. Pinot Noir from Chile is often round and smooth with low tannin. Regions of Interest: They say everywhere where Chardonnay grows also makes great Pinot Noir, and Chile is no exception. The best regions tend to be towards the coast in the Aconcagua region including Casablanca, San Antonio, and the Leyda Valley. Still, there are some intriguing finds from Limarí Valley in Coquimbo, Bío-Bio, and the Malleco Valley in the South Region that are more delicate and floral; for a Pinot fanatic, these up-and-coming regions are definitely worth a try. Vintages: The years 2009 and 2011–2014 all produced excellent quality reds, particularly 2009, 2011 and 2013. Outside the popular varieties there are 2 up-and-coming varieties from Chile that the explorative wine lovers will definitely want to know about: