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The Gaucho Club Malbec 2007 750ml Mendoza Argentina

The Argentina Malbecs are becoming a favorite of the frugal wine drinkers because of their excellent taste to price value.

The Gaucho Club Malbec is excellent. When I first uncorked this I expected to be disappointed… The price was cheap, the label looked a little cheesy to me and I thought here is a poor play on the Argentinian Gaucho used to ride the Malbec craze.

Woops! Totally wrong. The first Malbec I had tried was very good and $16.99. This one at $9.99 with a $2 off coupon making it $7.99 was better. I picked mine up at a local Publix supermarket.

If you like Cabernet’s, Zinfandel’s or a Shiraz you should give this Argentina Malbec a try.

Your taste buds will be delighted and your wallet will be estatic.

This wine was the Las Vegas Reviews Wine of The Week.

~ The Frugal Wino

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Charles Shaw – 2 Buck Chuck – wines just sold the 400 millionth bottle of the $1.99 wine.

Sounds like a Frugal Wine to me.

Their one high speed line can bottle twice the amount of the entire Napa Valley.

Picture below is a case of the most Frugal Wine you can get. A $1.99 a bottle of 2 Buck Chuck Merlot. It’s actually ok (sorta)  if you get a good case. At some locations it is up to $3.99 per bottle.

However the “Cellared and Bottled by Charles Shaw Winery, Napa CA” leads many to believe it’s Napa Valley wine when actually that’s just where it’s cellared and bottled. The case/bottles we viewed did not have the Napa name on them. Seems this was resolved in a court case that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Not all the grapes are from Napa. California law requires that any wine labeled with the Napa Appelation have at least 75% Napa grapes in them.

These Charles shaw two Buck Chuck wines come in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. They are labeled as blends with no info on the source of the grapes or the percentage of what grapes are using in the blends.

Two Buck Chuck reviewed.

Not going to report tasting notes on these 2 Buck Chuck wines – blends. I will just say they are drinkable and can serve as an inexpensive table wine for daily use for those on a budget. Typically unremarkable.

That said…

The press has given many of them good reviews, they have won some awards and they have definitely developed a cult following.

Right now I’m sipping Chateau Ste Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley 2004 Washington State at $11 on sale, usually $13. Is it 5 to 6 times better than the Charles Shaw Merlot? No. Is it better? Yes but not $9 better.

and that’s where I think the Two Buck Chuck brand shines in value.

Still if you try different brands you can easily get a good bottle of Merlot like Alterra or 3 Blind Moose for $9.99 that is 6 times better than the Two Buck Chuck Merlot. Also better than the Chateau Ste Michelle. You just have to try different apellations, brands and shop around.

You may get lucky and get a very good case of Charles Shaw. From looking at reviews and heated forum debates it seems consitency or lack of plays a large part.

Hate it or love it the Charles Shaw brand sold exclusively at Trader Joes grocery stores has shook up the wine world.

This article about it all is an excellent readCharles Shaw The Two Buck Truck controversy.

Finally Gary Vaynerchuck Reviews Them All as Only he can do!

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Ahhhh Old Vine Zinfandel’s. We really like these.

We have already reviewed our poll winner Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel and we loved it. The review will be posted soon.

This Old Vine Zinfandel was so good we decided to do a shoot out between three popular “Frugal” Old Vine Zins all paired with a favorite BBQ Rib recipe.

The Old Vine Zin Shootout…

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel vs Bogle Old Vine vs 7 Deadly Zins Old Vine.

We have had BBQ Ribs two nights in a row now, but we love ribs as you can see in the pictures below.

If we can get the technical (legal gobble dee gook) in order we will run a contest to win an Apple ipod for who can guess the winner, second place and third place.

Look for more info soon

The Frugal Wino

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Right now enjoying a bottle of The Seven Deadly Zins.

An Old Vine Zinfandel from the Seven Best Growers in the Lodi appellation of California. Very drinkable!

Really opens up in the glass over an hour or so.

Almost hyperventilated sniffing the developing nuance with this one lol Good stuff! Soon to be reviewed in an Old Vine Zinfandel video shoot out. Gnarly Head vs Seven Deadly Zins vs Bogle. That will be a good day!

This one is pretty smooth, I prefer a bolder Zinfandel like Gnarly Head but…

if you are a bit shy of a bold Zinfandel try this.

Review from Playboy.com

A sip first reveals a somewhat spicy cinnamon taste, then ripe berries and plum. A long finish, and some tannins caress the tongue and throat.

And, like a phenomenal dessert, you’ll feel your taste buds wanting more as soon as the last rush of flavor has vanished.

Beware the high alcohol content (14.9 percent): This stuff is sinfully potent, too.

http://www.playboy.com/style/reviews/drinks/02-27/

The Frugal Wino

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