7 Under 7

Merrily Wine Tasting on a Tiny Budget      
In California, we can get good wines pretty dang cheap. They're often on sale or regularly priced for under $7 -- Trader Joe's, Henry's, and Vons all have good deals. But are they any good? We asked a few friends to bring over a favorite wine that cost under $7 in a brown paper bag. Then we got to blind tasting.

We compared way more than seven wines -- eating cheese, chocolate, and crackers in-between sips -- then compared notes. The ratings were all over the board.

The Ratings: Seven Wines Under $7 Guests gave each wine a star rating, 5 being the highest score. Here's how these fared. Menage a Trois red wine 07 Gato Negro chardonnay (everyone was shocked they liked chardonnay) Black Mountain "Fat Cat" cabernet sauvignon 05 Abrazo del Toro Spanish red (we think this one will get better over time) Chateau St. John merlot 05 (those who loved this one were surprised it was a merlot) Walnut Crest pinot grigio 07 3 Blind Moose chardonnay The first two on this list were rave reviews, the others were all about the same. But none were total bombs.

The Standouts Menage a Trois - This was the first bottle emptied, people used words like: fun, full-bodied, fruity, peppery, sweet, complex, and yummy. Slow Paseo - Organic, kosher red table wine with a snail on the label (hidden behind the skull and cross-bones, not many people tried it). Funky, roasted peanuts nose. Spicy and just plain different tasting. Was great with chocolate and raspberries. Side-Notes As far as wine tastings go, we did everything wrong. We mixed varietals and regions, and we didn't drink light to dark. But no one cared. And it was super fun.

Be smart, safe, and healthy. Drink in moderation. Don't drink and drive, seriously. Especially when you've been drinking lots of delicious wine. We thank you.

Thursday Happy Hour (aka Happy Hour Thursday) provides cocktail recipes, happy hour ideas, cheap wine reviews, music mixes, virgin drink alternatives and more to help make your Thursdays extra special. Just because we like you.

Copyright © 2009, Pybop, LLC (for thursdayhappyhour.com). All rights reserved.

The Ratings: Seven Wines Under $7 Guests gave each wine a star rating, 5 being the highest score. Here's how these fared. Menage a Trois red wine 07 Gato Negro chardonnay (everyone was shocked they liked chardonnay) Black Mountain "Fat Cat" cabernet sauvignon 05 Abrazo del Toro Spanish red (we think this one will get better over time) Chateau St. John merlot 05 (those who loved this one were surprised it was a merlot) Walnut Crest pinot grigio 07 3 Blind Moose chardonnay The first two on this list were rave reviews, the others were all about the same. But none were total bombs.

The Standouts Menage a Trois - This was the first bottle emptied, people used words like: fun, full-bodied, fruity, peppery, sweet, complex, and yummy. Slow Paseo - Organic, kosher red table wine with a snail on the label (hidden behind the skull and cross-bones, not many people tried it). Funky, roasted peanuts nose. Spicy and just plain different tasting. Was great with chocolate and raspberries. Side-Notes As far as wine tastings go, we did everything wrong. We mixed varietals and regions, and we didn't drink light to dark. But no one cared. And it was super fun.

Be smart, safe, and healthy. Drink in moderation. Don't drink and drive, seriously. Especially when you've been drinking lots of delicious wine. We thank you.

Thursday Happy Hour (aka Happy Hour Thursday) provides cocktail recipes, happy hour ideas, cheap wine reviews, music mixes, virgin drink alternatives and more to help make your Thursdays extra special. Just because we like you.

Copyright © 2009, Pybop, LLC (for thursdayhappyhour.com). All rights reserved.

Comments

[Wendy]

This was SO MUCH FUN! I want to do it weekly- okay, maybe quarterly? I loved pretending I was a wine snob. And I loved the no rules.