Barely Under $10: Accomplice Shiraz

I've been sans car for the past five days, so I haven't been able to casually drive to the store to pick up a bottle of wine like I sometimes do. (Yep, with the car in the shop, I've been racking up my frequent MARTA points — and MARTA doesn't exactly drop you off in front of a nice wine shop).

The car's headlight is fixed as of this afternoon — glory, glory Hallelujah.

So I swung by a cute little shop in Inman Park/Lake Claire called The Mercantile to pick up a bottle of something red and tasty. It was between a $10 granacha and a $10 shiraz.

Feeling like I heard once that shirazes are especially tasty in the summer, I went with the latter. I also must admit it's bottle design was cute — and the screw top was also part of the persuasion.

Specifically Accomplice Shiraz (2009). This Australian shiraz is smooth, simple, fruity and a little oaky... though it doesn't taste as bold as the cabernets Dan and I usually go for.

See what Deal's Direct has to say about the vintage here. (Too bad we don't live in the AU, or else we could buy this red for $59.99/case).

Another Wine Under $10 That Doesn't Suck

It's a varietal called a malbec. It's from Argentina. It seems full-bodied (if I understand what that means) and has a fruity flavor (but not in an overpowering kind of way). It seems to go well with about anything we put on our table — but that's probably the non-wine-expert side of me saying that...

And best of all, it's $9.  See more info from Cheap Wine Ratings.

If you don't find this wine, check out the malbecs at your local store. Many are delicious and affordable. A white grape varietal from that region that's also delish is torrontes.

Chhhheck it out.

New Blog Category: Wines Under $10 That Don't Suck

Introducing a new category for my blog: Wines under $10 that don't suck. 

I'm no sommelier, or even someone who can give a coherent review about wine that uses the right terminology — so I'll leave the real reviews more for the experts — but I can tell you if I do or don't like something I've tasted. (In the meantime, I'll try and work on my wine-describing skillset...)

Enter Beaulieu Vineyard California BV Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ... A tasting note on Scrugy tells us this about the red:

Color: Ruby Nose: Very fruity, with black and Bing cherry, followed by some fresh herbal notes. Palate: Medium-full and while not complex, has very good "quaffer" characteristics of tasty red fruit with some brambly blackberry underneath.

BV is a rather widely-carried wine. I found it at my local grocer for $7.19.