Cheaper but better Cabernets

Grand Estates is their general offering. They have some named bottlings at much higher prices. Columbia Crest in the Northwest's great secret for your everyday quaff. IMO great QPR. They often garner 90+ points from Wine Spectator (FWIW)

JB

in article 46ed607f$0$509$ snipped-for-privacy@news.qwest.net, Ronin at snipped-for-privacy@qwest.net wrote on 9/16/07 9:57 AM: Columbia Crest in the Northwest's

I'd ditto that. Columbia Crest has been a solid QPR wine for a long time. I also found Rex Goiliath in that same category, but not always8as consistent. In more limited distribution, and at slightly higher prices, is Paso Robles' Tobin James Cellars, which does a really great job in the $10

- $18 range.

Consumer Reports had an article on wines for $10 or less in their May

2007 issue. Their 2 best value picks for CS and blends containing it were the same Columbia Crest you mention and Rosemont Estate Shiraz- Cabernet 2004.

For Chardonnay they listed Alamos(The wines of Catena Mendoza) 2005, and Stone Cellars by Beringer 2005.

For Zinfandel, Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull 2004

For Riesling, Covey Run 2005

They listed several other kinds of wines.

Not everyone agrees with Consumer Reports for rating wines. They do hire outside wine tasters for their evaluations. In this case the ratings are for lower priced wines for those who want a good value, and it is here that Consumer Reports seems to do best. They have rated much more expensive wines in the past, and I think that they may get more people questioning their choices than for the choices for wines under $10. They only consider wines that have wide distribution in the US. Those in wine growing areas likely can find limited distribution wines as good or better than the ones CR lists.

The New York times just did a tasting of under $US 10 wines and found a few that were quite decent. Read at

.