Best 10 wines under $10
Value, not prestige, is the new watchword in the wine world. Here, 10 bottles under $10 that smash the stigma of cheap wine.
UPDATE: Check out our new 2011 list of 12 wines under $10 »
CALITERRA 2008 SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVA
(Casablanca Valley, Chile)
A vibrant, easy-drinking sauvignon blanc that combines green nettle, lime and herbs with citrus spark and pineapple. $9.95. LCBO 110049.
CASAL THAULERO 2008 MERLOT CABERNET SAUVIGNON
(Abruzzi, Italy)
For under $7, it’s hard to do better than this surprisingly complex bottle with lifted smoky notes, vague blackberry, licorice and earthiness. $6.95. LCBO 621953.
CASTAÑO LA CASONA 2007 MONASTRELL
(Yecla, Spain)
Full bodied and soft, this red hints at elegance that’s rare for the price range. $8.95. LCBO 143743.
CASTILLO DE MONSÉRAN 2008 GARNACHA
(Cariñena, Spain)
A fruit bomb with red licorice and strawberry-rhubarb pie flavours. $8.95. LCBO 73395.
CONO SUR 2008 VIOGNIER
(Colchagua Valley, Chile)
A perfect summer sipper that has incredible complexity for the price. $9.95. LCBO 64287.
DFJ VINHOS PEDRAS DO MONTE 2007 CASTELAO
(Terras do Sado, Portugal)
Lovely cedary spice and strawberry jam make this an LCBO favourite. $9.95. LCBO 565762.
FINCA FLICHMAN MISTERIO 2008 MALBEC
(Mendoza, Argentina)
Misterio’s malbec is sturdy and complex, with spicy oak flavour. $7.80. LCBO 28803.
LA PUERTA 2008 SHIRAZ
(Famatina Valley, Argentina)
This vintage full of classic syrah flavours has remarkable depth and body for a $10 wine. $8.95. LCBO 614636.
MEZZOMONDO 2007 NEGROAMARO SALENTO
(Apulia, Italy)
A rich, smooth wine with a nose of chocolate, almonds, leather, forest, ripe currant and plum, and the top-selling European red at the LCBO. $8.95. LCBO 588962.
VINHA DO MONTE 2007
(Alentejo, Portugal)
A medium-weight New World–style red with clove and chocolate notes. $9.95. LCBO 621813.
Colle Secco should have made this list!
It’s hard to leave out the big seller Fusion shiraz/malbec from Argentina at $7.45!
Has anyone tried “Passion”? It’s a Portuuese wine costing a mere $7.95. It has a great nose and terrific for those every-night-of-the-week meals!
Can’t get my head around Fuzion…tried them all a few times and all I get is plonk. I don’t know what the excitement iws about. I’ve tried almost everything on David’s list and they are stellar.
Anyone know good S.A. wines for under $10.00?
Nothing from Ontario?
Under $10 from Ontario is not a pretty picture.
I totally agree. Fuzion does not live up to the rep everyone is giving it. Tastes like vinegar!
The new Fuzion vintage is way better than what everyone was raving about. I truly think the reviewers were given another version of Fuzion because they never would have said it was good.
But as someone else mentioned, Passion from Portugal is one of the best “value” picks I’ve ever tasted.
Great list! Of those mentioned above, I think that the 2007 Open Cab2-Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot V.Q.A., Niagara is an amazing value!
Cheers,
Natalie
http://www.nataliemaclean.com
Nat Decants Wine Online
I would agree with the other posts about the Fuzion being overated, but the Fuzion Vintage is a different story and well worth the $10!
All of the wines mentioned are heavily subsidized by their respective countries’ governments.
Its called ‘dumping’.Those wines are so loaded up with doctored grapes – particularly Fuzion, that anything under 10.00 I wouldn’t drink.
Scale back on how much you drink – and put that coin toward a decent Ontario VQA wine.
There is so much crap wine out there that lists like this one are good guides for us consumers so we don’t waste our money on poor quality products (important in this price range but even moreso in the $10-20 range – hey 10 bucks is 10 bucks).
BTW, Fuzion has become undrinkable – who knows where they source their grapes from, they MUST be buying from other growers to keep pace with increased production, I suspect they can’t keep the quality up.
Urs, why would a bankrupt government like Argentina “heavily subsidize” Fuzion exports??? The bodega in Argentina gets only about a buck a bottle for their efforts, the rest is the import agency profit and govt. taxes/profit (shipping is not much due to the high volume).
PS. don’t forget CITRA montepulciano d’abruzzo, quite old world style and complexity for less than $10. Way better than Fuzion.
We went out and bought the list last night.
CASTILLO DE MONSÉRAN 2008 GARNACHA tried it first.
Delicious :)) We really enjoyed it.
Looking forward to the rest.
So we boutht all 3 Fuzion’s, nothing to brag about.
We also bought Passion as someone mentions it deserved
to be on the list ! WRONG ! awful :(( Maybe if we
needed to get some paint off the walls !
The top ten list is good for a reason ;)) Thank you !
Monte Cheval Vranac from Montenegro should be on the list. Retails for $9.20. Medium garnet, earthy fruit flavour,leather, with a hint of plum and spice. Surprisingly good for something so unknown. Much better than the Mezzomondo Negroamaro Salento or the other European wines mentioned here.
Yes the Monte Cheval is inexpensive but quite flavourful for a wine at that price point. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something cheap & tasty for casual drinking.
Totally agree with you on Citra, Crush. Definitely a good value wine.
Wish they had more whites on this list. I really like Montalto Pinot Grigio and it would just make it under $10 at $9.95.
Crush, Fuzion exports millions of bottles to Canada. I don’t know how they do it either even though the Zuccardi winery is supposedly the largest in Argentina. Must be buying grapes from other wineries as well. I agree with the Monte Cheval from Montenegro being a good bargain for under $10. It has a nice fruity finish with no sourness whatsoever or watered down like most southern European wines.Also, anything Spanish is good.
penascal tempranillo is a good buy at 9.95
Ehi… what about MONTALTO, the rich, full body Nero d’Avola red from Sicily? Great wine for a little price.
Here’s a handy link to all of wines and their availability at your local LCBO.
http://www.winealign.com/wino/bryanmccaw/toronto-life-10-best-wines-under–10
La Chamiza Cabernet-Merlot from Argentina is a great buy. Retails for $7.95!
Ok , so i am not about to pretend that i am knowlegeable about wine but the list was intriguing so i tried the castano la casona monastrell 2007 from Spain, sorry i was not impressed seemed a little harsh and too acidic, i have purchased red wines from Peelee Island wineries right here in Ontario, that seemed smoother and better quality for the same price.
I have found a red wine in certain LCBO’s in the Ontario Craft section, 100 % VQA under $10.00 that is soft fruit forward and easy drinking, Palatine Hills Estate Lakeshore Red 2008.
I can’t believe Menage A Trois was not on that list. I usually find it for $8, and this wine is surprisingly smooth with a dark, rich berry overtone.
Folie A Deux- Menage A Trois Red
They were all good. Every one of them. I’m going to throw up now, please excuse me…
Ahh yes! Menage a Trois. Fantastic Cali red. Have one bottle remaining. Can’t purchase at LCBO anymore. Any suggestions???
yellow tail!!!its Australian for wine :) so good, $7.49 at the place down the street from me!!
Monte Cheval is great for the price, $9.35
Not one Ontario made wine on that list
Is there a VQA wine in Ontario that regularly retails for under $10? As for the list, I have tried several and generally serve many of them as everyday house wines or for parties where I need ‘cheap and cheerful’ wines for the masses. I agree that the CASTILLO DE MONSÉRAN is a great wine for sipping and a definite fruit bomb. As for criticisms such as the CASTAÑO LA CASONA, please keep in mind that wines are enjoyed best with food and sometimes an acidic wine is going to pair best with a food that requires that acidity to help balance out the richness which a more soft and fruity wine won’t deliver.
I’m not a big fan of the Fusion red but I the white and rose are decent wines for the price. Sure you can spend $3 more for something like a decent VQA Inniskillin Chardonnay but if you are buying by the case it adds up (for the monet saved I can buy myself a real treat :-). Keep in mind that prices in Canada are higher than in most parts of the wine producing world. Well, cheers to all my fellow wine aficionados!
Haven’t tried any of the above. I’m not a big wine-atic but you can get some really decent, and decently priced, wines at Trader Joe’s. Definitely under $10.
If I hear one more time how lovely Fusion wine is I shall scream. That is like calling L’Ambiance a nice wine. Sigh, anyway if you are willing to spend exactly $10.00 do try McGuigans Black Label Shiraz. Now that is a lovely wine! Cheers!!!
Although I’m entering this conversation well after the January 2010 publishing date of the article, I’ve discovered that the:
CALITERRA 2008 SAUVIGNON BLANC RESERVA
(Casablanca Valley, Chile) @ $9.95. LCBO 110049
doesn’t come up on the LCBO website and that the LCBO #110049 is actually NOW assigned to:
Sandbanks Estate Baco Noir VQA @ $14.95
Does anyone know what happened here? Any advice on how to get this Chilean wine at the LCBO? Doesn’t come up ar all!
Thanks Mike P
fyi
You have missed one of the best sellers, California Grey Fox Cabernet Savignon. Its great on its own or with any meal menu. Sells for $7.95 a bottle.
I think Barefoot Cab is great value at $9.95….it definitely has that big California feel!
Cheers!
It’s sad that for decent (quaffable) wines we have to astronomical prices ….thanks to the LCBO and it’s illustrious merry band of McGuinty pinheads!
Most $15 – $20 wines at the LCBO sell for $6.95 – $9.95 at Costco, Tops and other supermarkets right across the border! And a lot of good value wines from across the world we can’t get here since the LCBO ‘decides’ what wines we should drink…..hmmm, I wonder why that formula doesn’t work in the private sector….
Oh well, I believe I will have another drink!
Misterio was brilliant when it hit the scene, but just as Fuzion plummeted downhill when they increased production to meet demand, so has this one!
PKNT Carmenere
Los Cardos Malbec
Red Guitar Navarro
My top 3 picks for $12 and under
Try Australian wines.Great Shiraz and Chardonnay from $6.99.
I have tried to like Fuzion and I just can’t… It’s a terrible wine and o have no idea what the hype is all about. I have yet to find a good wine under $10. One of my favourites is yellow tail Cab Sav. Can anyone recommend a wind that is similar to this one for under $10.
Aaah, I love living in the UK.
I can pick up a bottle Of St Emilion Grand Cru for around £5 (’bout $8)
You really have no idea what good wine really is heh heh heh :-)
mezzomondo is awesome sold tons at work also sterling is good for its price.
Try South Africa “Obikwa” shiraz, not bad for under $10.
Try South Africa “Obikwa” shiraz, not bad for under $10 !
Passion from Portugal as stated is a great wine for an everyday glass with dinner. If you live in a small town you may not be able to get it but you can order a case of 12 from your store and at $7.85 a bottle it won’t break the bank and you can pick up your box within a week….ENJOY
Naked Grape: Shiraz
Roughly $10 a litre.
Ogio Primitiva from Italy $8.95
Super delicious!!!
How about a pinot grigio – any thimg good for $10 range?
Or any other good whites in this price range?
Frankly, coming from a small village outside of Humpback Twins, Newfoundland, all we had to drink was Broadsword’s Lactate Butt Ale and Jacques Vermin’s Blah Shiraz red wine. Or hot tomato juice with aftershave and Worcestershire sauce. The place was too small and too remote to get anything else but what was made there. The items mentioned tasted not unlike week-old, used chip grease & Bardahl stop-leak radiator treatment. I’ve recently tried Fuzion, however, and I have now determined that our village beverages were, indeed not that bad…..
I intend to try every single one of these selections. Thank you very much! Very helpful.
Just bought for part several boxes of the L’ambiance white wine. It has always been fine, and thought would be a great economical option….HOWEVER….3 out of the 7 boxes all tasted old and like it was growing, fermented. GOOD LUCK IN TRYING TO REACH ANYONE. I have tried calling, and the number listed is out of service area….and look on the net…there is NO CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THIS PRODUCT!…..SO BE FARE WARNED…DO NOT BUY A PRODUCT UNLESS THEY BACK IN AND ARE WILLING TO GIVE A CONTACT FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE…..I MEAN COMMON.