My Favorite Wines

Okay, onto a lighter subject.

We had some friends over Saturday night, and apparently they have the same philosophy when it comes to wines. We can tell the difference between a $1 and a $6 bottle of wine. But, we can't tell the difference between a $10 and a $50 bottle. Self admittedly, we're no wine connoseur... connah... experts.

However, we do know what we like. Each of the following is cheap, but taste pretty dang good. Plus, they're not "hidden" gems you have to order from some remote town in northeast Massachusetts. You can find these at everyday spots like your local liquor shop, Wal-Mart, and Costco.

So, here's my current top-5 countdown (and I reserve the right to change it at any time).

• #5 - Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon ($10 - 750ml at Costco). Just had this on Saturday for the first time, and it's about as good of a table wine as you're going to find. It's drier than my other favorites, so don't expect a big "happy ending" with this. When it's off your tongue, the taste is gone.


• #4 - Clean Slate Reisling ($12 - local liquor store). I'm not too big on white wines, but Tara introduced me to it, and it's pretty dang good. Smooth and doesn't taste like the bark off an oak tree. We had it with seafood alfredo a while back, and it really did hit the spot perfectly.


• #3 - Beringer Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ($11 - 1.5l at Wal-Mart). Best with steak or beef. It's hearty, it's rich, and it's basically a meal unto itself.


• #2 - Franzia White Zinfadel ($12 - 5l at Wal-Mart). Smooth everyday chilled wine. We keep this bag-on-a-box on tap in the fridge every day. It's light, sweet, and is perfect for a half-glass after a long day.


• #1 - Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon ($7 - 750ml at Costco). It's a good, spicy Chilean wine. It's got a great rich, flavor and is definitely not for the dry wine lovers.