Favorite locally available white wine for under $5?

So I'm passing through Indy yesterday and decide to stop off at Trader Joe's to get a couple cases of Two Buck Chuck, and as luck would have it, no wine sales on Sunday in Indiana. I know what we all think about that so let's not even get into it. I also know some of you wouldn't drink $2 Chuck if your sanity depended on it.

But it got me thinking, this crew probably does know of better whites than old Charles Shaw for under $5/bottle that I can buy right here in town. I'm the kind of guy that likes to drink (yes, I drink not sip) wine a heck of a lot more than I like to talk about it. So I'm not too cool or whatever to pick up a name brand (did I mention I drink $2 Chuck?) and I have just enough class to pick out something a little tastier for serious company. OTOH, call me old fashioned, I like to have my wine come out of a bottle not a box-although I'm curious about which boxes might be worth worth a try. Are decent wines really coming from boxes? I keep hearing they do, but I have my doubts. I do realize the irony of this coming from a guy that drinks $3 bottles of wine.

Suggestions? Foodies what is your favorite $5 white and where can I pick up a case?

Thirsty in Crescent Hill,

GR

[Robin Garr]

Greg, I may just be too much of a wino, but my cutoff point for quality wine any more is more like $10 than $5. It requires a certain capital investment just to put good wine IN the bottle, and the producer has to take a little profit home at the end of the day.

That said, though, if you're in Crescent Hill, get to The Wine Rack and ask the boss man, John Johnson, for his advice. If he's got anything drinkable for $5, he'll tell you so, and it will be drinkable.

For the record, Two Buck Chuck was only $2 in California. It's $4 elsewhere. And being bulk wine, sourced from various producers, no two lots were alike. Rumor had it that the first one, the one that got all the publicity, had a little something special in it.

I will use 2 buck chuck to make Sangria.

I have the perfect solution for you. BOXED wine. Now don't laugh, I am not talking "Franzia".

Kroger liquor carries this

http://www.blackboxwines.com/wp-content ... wines.com/

It is right under 20 bucks, making it about 4 bucks per bottle.

Several other wine makers are offering boxed wine as well. There are a few Austrailian wine distrubutors with boxed wine as well.

I know the wine snobs will flame me, but that is okay . I love really good wine and grew up near wine country...but at times, I just can't afford it! There are a TON of awesome wine choices in the 10 dollar range.

That said, though, if you're in Crescent Hill, get to The Wine Rack and ask the boss man, John Johnson, for his advice. If he's got anything drinkable for $5, he'll tell you so, and it will be drinkable.

Yea, I love that store. He's extremely knowledgeable and has picked out some unbelievavle wines for food pairings. But he's a wino too and I can tell you right know his definition of drinkable and mine will probably differ.

For the record, Two Buck Chuck was only $2 in California. It's $4 elsewhere. And being bulk wine, sourced from various producers, no two lots were alike. Rumor had it that the first one, the one that got all the publicity, had a little something special in it.

I guess you're not tellng me anything I didn't know, but It's so funny...when I serve Shaw I actually get compliments! Sincere compliments from people who I thought might know better. When I tell them what it is there is usually some back pedaling, which, of course, I take great pleasure in.

The truth is that so many people that enjoy wine know so little about it that you can get away with serving almost any white that is good and cold. Of course I've yet to try to serve it to a professional food critic that hosts an internationally known wine web site...and frankly I'd know better .

As a side note: I find Shaw's reds completely undrinkable. Nasty. Straight up. Probably because they aren't served cold!

[Robin Garr]

I know the wine snobs will flame me, but that is okay . I love really good wine and grew up near wine country...but at times, I just can't afford it! There are a TON of awesome wine choices in the 10 dollar range.

Not this one! I actually recommend Bota Box to wine geeks, although in fairness, I think it costs about $30 for a four-bottle box. That's still a darn good buy.

[Robin Garr]

Of course I've yet to try to serve it to a professional food critic that hosts an internationally known wine web site...and frankly I'd know better .

Actually, Greg, I wrote a fairly positive report on the early Two Buck Chuck. Here's my column from back in 2003:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvis ... 0120.phtml

That said, though, the producer of Charles Shaw, Fred Franzia (not Trader Joe's, he just sells it to them) is a "controversial" figure, and I guarantee you he's not going to sell anything for $2 that's not making him at least a $1 profit. You do the math ...

That said, though, the producer of Charles Shaw, Fred Franzia (not Trader Joe's, he just sells it to them) is a "controversial" figure, and I guarantee you he's not going to sell anything for $2 that's not making him at least a $1 profit. You do the math ...

Same Franzia that makes the pink stuff? Now you're starting to ruin it for me.

I like Black Box. http://www.blackboxwines.com/
Pretty good and very reasonable. Keeps for 4 weeks too.

[Robin Garr]

Same Franzia that makes the pink stuff? Now you're starting to ruin it for me.

Okay, this gets even more complicated. Franzia Wines was owned by Fred's Family, but they sold it to Coca-Cola back in the '70s. Thereafter, Fred built a new wine production company called Bronco, and it's much larger than Franzia. But to answer your question, Fred does not make the Franzia box wine.

Got some extra time on your hands? These stories abour Franzia might amuse you ...

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/05/news/co ... /index.htm
(Wine geeks will note a couple of bloopers in this one that call the reporter's wine skills into question, but it's an effective portrait of Fred.)

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060501/franzia.html

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009 ... t_goodyear

Go to Shreck's Liquor Store on Newburg Rd.. They always have a large selection of closeout wines for $3.99 a bottle. Not all of them are great; however, the selection is ever changing and I have found some pretty decent wines in the mix.

Seconds to Shreck's. They've always had unusual closeout specials. I remember ten years ago, going through a bad breakup, and finding two cases of craft beer for five bucks a piece. Yesss...

Seconds to Shreck's. They've always had unusual closeout specials. I remember ten years ago, going through a bad breakup, and finding two cases of craft beer for five bucks a piece. Yesss...

I will go check that out!

Also if I ever find a wine, that just sucks...I make sangria with it . You can usually make the worst of wine palatable, with a sangria!

Westport Whiskey & Wine
1115 Herr Lane Suite 140
Louisville, KY 40222
502-708-1313

They are having a pretty big wine sale.

Kitfox Foxy White - Originally $9.99 – Truckload $4.99 – NOW $1.99
Point Concepcion Syrah Rose - Originally $13.99 – Truckload $6.99 – NOW $5.99
Box Car Rose - Originally $13.99 – Truckload $6.99 – NOW $4.99
Evergreen “We Can Do it” Oregon Rose - Originally $15.99 – Truckload $7.99 – NOW $5.99
Selva del Mora Toscana – Originally $13.99 – Truckload $9.99 – NOW $7.99
De Luca Vino di Tavola Bianco – Originally $9.99 – NOW $7.99
Chateau Tertre de Launay Blanc - Originally $9.99 – NOW $7.99
Sky Saddle Sonoma Syrah – Originally $33.99 – Truckload $19.99 – NOW $16.99
Spruce Goose Pinot Noir Juice – Originally $8.99 – Truckload $4.99 – NOW $3.99

Westport Whiskey & Wine

Kitfox Foxy White - Originally $9.99 – Truckload $4.99 – NOW $1.99
Point Concepcion Syrah Rose - Originally $13.99 – Truckload $6.99 – NOW $5.99
Box Car Rose - Originally $13.99 – Truckload $6.99 – NOW $4.99
Evergreen “We Can Do it” Oregon Rose - Originally $15.99 – Truckload $7.99 – NOW $5.99
Selva del Mora Toscana – Originally $13.99 – Truckload $9.99 – NOW $7.99
De Luca Vino di Tavola Bianco – Originally $9.99 – NOW $7.99
Chateau Tertre de Launay Blanc - Originally $9.99 – NOW $7.99
Sky Saddle Sonoma Syrah – Originally $33.99 – Truckload $19.99 – NOW $16.99
Spruce Goose Pinot Noir Juice – Originally $8.99 – Truckload $4.99 – NOW $3.99

Thanks Justin. Anybody tried any of these and are any of them good enough to buy a case for "emergency" situations?

[Robin Garr]

Thanks Justin. Anybody tried any of these and are any of them good enough to buy a case for "emergency" situations?

Tastes vary, of course, but I've been impressed with Kitfox wines (Kitfox Foxy White); and for my tastes, any Toscana red (del Mora Toscana) at that price would be a go, but it is that dry, tart Euro-style of red, if that appeals to you.