The most impressive thing about this wine is that, per the latest edition of the Inside Flyer, they've sold about 600,000,000 bottles of the stuff since it was introduced ten years ago. Genius

Yes it is quite amazing, it does have loyal buyers but such volume. Market it and they will buy!!

Is this on the label??? Not

Finally got around to trying this. I picked up a bottle of the 2011 shiraz today. I would drink it if I had nothing else but I definitely would not buy it again.

Wretched plonk, all of it. I wouldn't even cook w/it. Do yourself a favor, spend another dollar, and buy yourself some Vinas Chillenas Sauv Blc. It's more than decent. Best TJ's deal I know of) But their red isn't so great (I here). wj

A friend of mine has discovered a wine recently at HEB supermarkets that might also be available elsewhere. It costs $3. It's a Californian Merlot from a company (ironically) called Cul-de-Sac. And it's really decent even without decanting or aerating it.

I'd say it's better than the stuff they serve as house wine in airport lounges.

Till

the rcc lounge at iad serves virginia cab for 11 bucks a glass. then a tip. ugly, ugly wine.

Thanks, I'll be on the lookout for the $11 "Virgin" cabernet.

Till

I picked up a bottle at the recommendation of a friend, a women who works for HEB and was formerly the "Wine Lady" at my store. It actually wasn't bad at all, certainly as good as some "Blind Buys" on Cal Merlot in the $10 range.

"2 Buck Chuck"? Well for $2, you can't expect much, but I can't resist the urge, when I'm in a Joe's (which means Houston these days, no local store). We don't drink many whites, and sure wouldn't serve the $2 version to friends or foes, but I'll confess to having drawn more than $2 worth of pleasure from a couple of the reds over the years.

Then there's Coq au Vin and Beef Bourguignon....
I doubt that most, many or even a few of us could tell the difference between Chuck and far more expensive wines.

But then, as a young naval officer ashore in Italy, I recall a couple of 300 lira (a little less than 50 cents in 1963) liters with crown caps which were within my price and quality limits.

Thanks for the endorsement, Oliver.

Your description is quite accurate.

My go-to red is the Llano Signature Meritage (from Lubbock, TX of all places). That's usually around $9. And I am not sure if I'd call it three times as good as the Cul de Sac.

BTW, in a different price bracket, has anyone tried the Caymus Conundrum white ($17-20)? I think it's quite an extraordinary beverage and don't know anything quite like it.

Till

I am not a wine snob but I'm pretty sure that I could tell the difference between Two Buck Chuck or another low priced wine. I find Two Buck Chuck to be especially vile. Maybe I had a bad year, I'm just not willing to try it again. I have found a really nice $5 Panilonco Carmenere at Trader Joes, so not everything there is bad. Most of my wine buying is in the $10-$20 range.

As I recall, the TJ Charles Shaw Merlot is an excellent wine for cooking Pollo Del Cacciatore / Hunter's Chicken, with a sip on the side during the process.

I think Oliver meant that once it is cooked at high temperature for two hours in a dish one wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

There maybe a nice coherence when you make the dish with the wine it is eaten with but pouring a half bottle (easily needed for those dishes) of really good stuff in the pot and cooking it, just doesn't feel right. I'd do that with a $10 bottle but not with a $40 bottle.

Till

Some would say that $10 is a good bottle, and others would say that $40 is not.

Husband picked up a bottle of the 3$ Cul De Sac red at CM (a dead end indeed!) and I couldn't finish my glass, but I opened a bottle of the $1.97 Pacific Peak Cab from the recent Total Wine grand opening and it was quite drinkable with our homemade pizza!