Wine

1993 Columbia Crest Merlot

This wine is an excellent example of a damn' good buy. Here in good ole' NYC it costs between $10.99 and $12.99, but the 'rents were able to get in in NJ for $9.99 a bottle. It's really worth the money. It is drinkable now and has an intensity of flavor that you simply don't find in a wine this inexpensive anymore.

1993 Hess Select Cabarnet Sauvingon

An excellent under $10 Cab. Its not overly tannic, so it can be enjoyed now, but it could last another year or two easily. Dry, with good flavor to match the light tannins. Recommended.

1995 Rosemount Cabarnet/Shiraz

Well, it appears as if those Australians have done it again. I was able to find this wine for $5.99 at my local discount liquor store(if you can call it that in NYC). The shiraz adds a touch of fruit to the dryness of the Cabarnet. Not that this wine is sweet, it isn't, its just that there is a distinctive cherry/berry taste to this wine that I enjoyed. For the money, I don't think that you can go wrong.

1994 Rosenblum Contra Costa County Zinfandel

Another good under $10 wine buy(you'll begin to notice that under ten dollar wines will be a theme on this page). With good Zin's getting more expensive all of the time(I can actually remember a time when I could afford some of the Ridge Zinfandels), it's nice to see an inexpensive yet drinkable wine on the market. This wine won't top anyones list of the most distinctive zin's on the market, but it's far from the bottom, offering a welome change from drinking cabarnet and merlot all of the time(just try to find a good inexpensive Pinot Noir - it you know of one, e-mail me, please!!).

1994 Rosemount Shiraz

This wine, at $8.99 a bit more expensive than its sibling the Cab/Shiraz blend, still represents an excellent value. It has more gusto(i.e. tannins) than the Cab/Shiraz blend so it might appeal to wine drinkers who prefer a more "heady" wine. This wine could probably benefit from some(but not alot) of aging, maybe a year or so to soften it a little. Not that it really needs it, it is perfectly fine to drink now. Another great under $10 bargain from Australia.