Good value red wine

[Suzanne]

I buy cheap red wine for cooking - my criteria is that it has to be at least palatable if it is to end up in my sauce for meatballs, coq au vin or beef in red wine. So I bought a bottle of Tesco Australian red wine and tasted to make sure okay for cooking. Have to admit it is comparable to the Aussie reds I have paid £7 a bottle for and its only £2.78. I have tried to see if one of the ingredients is antifreeze or similar - but no it just seems to be a good basic blended aussie wine - so if you are interested pop along to Tesco - it's got an orange label and just called Australian Red wine.

PS I have to admit I feel a bit odd recommending Tesco or any other big supermarket or anything that has travelled such a long distance. But I suppose i am not as environmentally friendly as I supposed... I do buy free range chicken by the way!

[Suzanne]

[pg]

Suzanne

We must have been thinking along the same wave length! I too bought the 3-litre Aussie red from Tesco yesterday after I realised we had no wine left (a rather shameful thing to admit for a wine columnist). And I have to agree for the equivalent of £2.70ish a bottle this is very good - fruity, a bit of tobacco and chocolate flavours. The taste improve enormously if you squirt the wine into a jug and get some air in before glugging.

If you want more £3 and under bottle bargains find a Co-op. Many good offers on unitil the end of Jan, particularly their Las Moras Argentinian Chardonnay and Malbec. I understand they are flying off the shelves.

[cambourne7]

When i was in france a couple of years back, i had a wonderful boeuf bugenion, cheakly i asked the waiter what wine the chef used. Turns out it was a Bordeux by Les Petites Caves (12.5%) the thing is that this is sold in a Calais  hypermarket Carrefour for 70pence a bottle its gone up to 90pence now but i usualy have 1/2 a dozen bottles around the house as its ace to cook with and you can still drink the last couple of glasses if there is anything left.

I know the chefs say that you should buy the best wine you can afford but this is perfect for what i need it for :)

[northener]

Well i've just poured a tesco chianti down the sink popped a bit in the bolognase sauce and thought i'd ha.ve a glass with tea, not nice. I usually get a french one it usually £3ish let me have a look............its called Cuvee Prestige a soft fruity red wine  and it is.

[Barnowl]

I got the Tesco Chianti Riserva Selezione Oro online recently, reduced from £7.59 to £4.74 and am quite pleased with it, but I reckon the Aquila Malbec at £3 .32 (from £6.64) is very good value (if you like Malbec  ;D )

[Tinkie_Bear]

I have a very strick policy where it comes to wine, I do not pay more than £3 a bottle and consider it a challenge to find the nicest I can in the budget.  My current favorites are ALTO PINO, a nice fruity hungarian white and GOOD ITALIAN RED - MERLOT is the current best red, IMO.  Both are £2.99 from Morrisons and are always this price so no need to rush for the offers. 

I do have a stash of nicer bottles hidden away from when our wine snob friends come round, but even then I only pay £3 for them when they are on offer and hide them til required.

It all tastes the same after the 3rd bottle .....

Helen

[cambourne7]

Apparantly India is the new new wine region to watch :)

[Rob08]

I have been very disappointed with Chianti thus far.  For such a well known wine every version I have tried has been awful.

I tend to stick with Shiraz myself - pretty much always a nice drinkable wine and you can get some good deals on it at Dunnes (our version of Tesco).

[telboy]

I worry about you lot.
If you wish to cook, say a caserole, with a good wine:-
Drink a bottle - say of 'Tim Adams' red (you don't cook with white, do you)?
an hour before the preparation.

When the recipe says add the wine, crouch and p*ss in the pot.
Result - the same with your choices - sorry oh! my God here it comes!
8) :P ;D ;D

[Suzanne]

I usually give a warning before I throw anything so

DUCK 

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D