Moms near and far may have differences of opinion on many things. But there is one thing nearly all moms can agree on wholeheartedly….WINE! Mommy juice, adult drink, nectar of the gods…wine can help us make it through another day without losing the very few wits we have left (all in a responsible, safe way of course!) And what’s better than a good bottle of wine at the end of a long day?? A decent bottle of cheap wine to end a long day! To save you some footwork, we joined forces to sample and rate a selection of cheap inexpensive wines. Never mind that we sampled out of paper cups, we believe you are sure to find your new “go-to” wine amongst this list of mommy tested and approved cheap everyday wines!
In organizing our wine tasting, we used these simple guidelines:
1) All bottles of wine had to cost $10 or less.
2) All bottles were to be purchased at a local, easily accessible grocery store/market.
Before we move on, let’s be very clear; we do not claim to be wine connoisseurs. We began our tasting with whites wines first then moved onto reds. We tasted each group in really no particular order. We rated each wine on a scale of 1-10 and wrote a brief description or comment about each. Following the tasting, all scores were averaged to determine each wine’s rating, as listed below. As you browse our selections below, you will surely notice that while our collective ratings reveal several “average” wines, each mom found her favorite out of the bunch. Best of all, we enjoyed a fun afternoon of wonderful company and some great laughs.
Whites/Sparkling
Du de Valmer Champagne – Rating: 5, Price: $10
A dry, bubbly champagne which would be great for making mimosas. Of our group of moms, this champagne was either loved or hated. One taster stated, “Too dry.”
Upper Cut Sauvignon Blanc – Rating: 6, Price: $9.99
This wine was light and crisp with a fruity finish. Would pair nicely with a light pasta dish or be a great drink on a hot summer evening. One taster commented “Very smooth.”
Clos du Bois Pinot Grigio – Rating: 5, Price: $9
A slightly sweet, refreshing white wine that would be pleasing to even beginning wine drinkers. One taster reports “I don’t usually drink Pinot Grigio, but I like this one.”
Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel – Rating: 5, Price: $5.87
While many of us agreed this wine is a first cousin to our collegiate drink of choice, Boone’s Farm, many of us were pleased with the sparkling, fruity taste of the wine. Many of us agreed, “Would make a good sangria.”
Reds
Carlo Rossi Paisano Red Blend – Rating: 6, Price: $14.99 (gallon)
This wine is quite the bargain. The large gallon jug it is packaged in can make pouring a little difficult (have a towel handy for spills). This wine is great for cooking and sipping while cooking.
Radio Boca Tempranillo – Rating: 7, Price: $8.99
A light red wine, with a sweet finish, this wine was a favorite of many tasters. One mom remarked, “If you like light red wines, this one is for you.” We also really liked the label of this bottle and thought it would be a nice wine to bring to a party.
Mirassou Pinot Noir – Rating: 5, Price: $8.99
Sweeter then the previous wine, this wine was pleasing to those tasters who prefer sweet wines. With a light finish this is a great everyday wine.
Neu Direction Malbec – Rating: 7, Price: $10.19
At a price point slightly over our $10 limit, this wins is worth the extra few cents. Taster’s comments included descriptions such as “Spicy” and “Bold”. This wine wouldn’t be a good choice for someone just starting to dabble in red wines, but it was very enjoyable.
Menage a Trois Red Blend – Rating: 7, Price: $8.99
A favorite of many and one of my personal go-to wines, this wine is great alone, with a great steak, and is really yummy with dark chocolate. A taster commented, “I would enjoy 8 ounces of that.” If you’ve never had this wine, buy a bottle (or case) today!
Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon – Rating: 6, Price: $7.99
One of the heavier reds we tasted, this wine was not as sweet as many of the previous reds. One mom said, “This is a good glass to have after the kids are in bed,” while another stated “It might be worth spending a few more dollars for a better bottle.”
Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon – Rating: 5, Price: $3.99
At the lowest price point of any wines we sampled, this wine was a little harsh tasting. Many of us agreed this too, would be a good wine to have on hand for cooking.
Rex Goliath Merlot – Rating: 5, Price: $4.99
Another very reasonably priced wine and very easy to find should you want to purchase a bottle. No one really had rave reviews about this wine and it was best described as “tart.”
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Of the many wines we tasted, collectively we were able to choose some that were a notch better than others. Our top recommendations are suggested based on wines that received the highest cumulative score. As a group we most enjoyed Upper Cut Sauvignon Blanc and the Menage a Trois Red Blend. But, our best recommendation…gather a group of your own mommy friends and host a simple wine tasting for a truly enjoyable time!
Buying half of these. We’ll see how this goes.