Wine Enthusiast Magazine / February 2011 / Best Buy Cheat Sheet

Best Buy Cheat Sheet

Take this list of value superstars with you on your next shopping spree.

What labels stand out when you stroll the retail aisle looking for good wines priced at $15 or less? Many compete for your eye, clamoring for your attention with their loud colors, bold graphics, goofy animals or suggestive slang, but for experienced shoppers, it is certain names that tickle the memory—names of producers whose wines have given pleasure over the years without making purchasers wince when they arrive at the cash register.

To assemble this Cheat Sheet, we scanned our database of 97,000 wine reviews looking for producers who, in the past three years, have most consistently released wines that have earned Best Buy designations from our reviewers—wines that feature low prices relative to the quality in the bottle. For the most part, these are wines from large producers, who are able to bottle good wines and sell them at value prices because of economies of scale, but there are some exceptions. Most of the wines are widely available, and we have listed the importers for nondomestic wines to help you locate them.

Whether you’re looking for a single bottle to pair with a weeknight dinner or an affordable case for entertaining, the Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Cheat Sheet can help you steer clear of zany wine labels and guide you to sanity and savings.

For the cheat sheet, click here.

New to wine? Read more information about wine for beginners.