There are plenty of choices out there; probably more than you can handle. For many, it is difficult to choose a wine off the shelf at your local store. If I spend less than $15, am I going to get a bad wine? Not sure! On the other hand, you might be spending $25 on something you could've spend $12 on! Use our Top 15 Wines Under $15 to guide you!
 | Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc - $8 - Holy grass! Something that's very common in New Zealand Sauvignon blancs, this white from Cupcake isn't shy about its herbaceous grass aromas! We found lots of pear and peaches on the nose, too. Very nice aromas all together! This sauv blanc reminds us of Summer! We tasted super juicy peaches, pears and granny-smith apples and that wonderful freshly cut grass. The mouthfeel is great: smooth, yet crisp with great acidity! This isn't a very complex wine, but could easily be a crowd pleaser. It's just simply delicious. Perfect party wine! For $8, any downfalls are easily outweighed by the tastiness! It's an exceptional value. |
 | Carelli Latitud 34 Malbec - $8 - Just when we thought we've tried every malbec in Mendoza, Argentina, we unveil this gem from its brown paper bag in our blind tasting! Deep color, full body, with subtle tannins and mouthfeel. Super smooth flavors of ripe black fruits, mocha, floral notes, and even a little barnyard (the good earthy kind)! What surprised us further is the low price point on this wine--only $8. This is really a great value, as are many Argentine malbecs. It's definitely a crowd pleaser; it placed 1st in our blind tasting. Give this one a try! |
 | Chateau Tour de Guiet - $12 - Heavy flowers on the nose--take a huge whiff in the glass and it's like sticking your nose into a bouquet of flowers! We taste a lot of interesting flavors in this Bordeaux! Rose petals, permanent markers, plums, moss and driftwood dominate the flavor. Its medium body is soaked in fine tannins! This is a really great approachable QPR from Bordeaux, where you'll rarely get decent wines for $12. The crowd loved it, which makes it an even better value. |
 | Alamos Torrontes - $10 - The increasingly popular Torrontes grape shines in this wine. Alamos makes a solid Malbec, as I probably have mentioned before, and they truly deliver on this one!! Unbelievable color. It's crisp and refreshing, with a little apricot and citrus. It has a fantastically long finish, rounding out a very well balanced white. If you want a white to drink this summer, THIS is it!! Don't drink many whites? Give this one a try; it'll be the TRUE test! Oh yeah... and it's only $10!! |
 | CK Mondavi California Cabernet Sauvignon - $6 - Our Cabernet Sauvignon has a classically deep red color and is rich with cherry and blackberry flavors that are perfectly balanced with a hint of oak and a long fruit finish. - From the Winemaker It's a little more fruit-forward than most Cabernets are, but it has nice full body with light oak and decent finish. A VERY serviceable wine for anyone who likes a red. This is also an excellent choice for wine at a party! Try serving $15 750ml of J. Lohr at a party for 50. That can get expensive QUICKLY! |
 | Wilson Vineyards "The Crusher" Cabernet Sauvignon - $9 - This dark red brick-colored wine has enticing aromas of raspberries and plums with the signature Wilson Vineyards spice. Lively dark fruit comes through on the palate with a focused dry blackberry profile, full of secondary nuances. There is a great deal of background complexity to this wine, with notes of fresh coffee and dusty, sweet leather— dark, rich flavors that give this wine a bold, masculine character. - From the Winemaker |
 | Finca El Origen Torrontes - $10 - The aromas were full in this wine. We smelled grass and citrus on the nose--mostly lemon and lime. It was very inviting! Wonderful layers of flavor grapefruit, lemon, and freshly cut grass. It had a good balance of acidity and great mouthfeel. This is the best Torrontes we have tried so far! |
 | Joe Blow California Red - $9 - This was made by accident! It is a blend of Syrah and Merlot, that is SURE to please! We all loved Joe Blow. It shows some juicy fruit notes with some smooth vanilla. Definitely worth every penny. |
 | Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon - $12 - This is something else! We haven't tasted a $12 Cab like this EVER! Not quite the $20 power cab, but this definitely lives up to most people's expectations. It is very well balanced, with great depth. This is a straight forward cab with no nonsense. Solid choice any day at the store for a red. |
 | Ménage à Trois Red - $11 - Even if red wine is not your speed, give our Ménage à Trois Red a try. This wine exposes the fresh, ripe, jam-like fruit that is the calling card of California wine. Three saucy grapes make up the blend. Zinfandel adds a juicy character, Merlot mellows and Cabernet adds backbone. Forward, spicy and soft, this delicious dalliance makes the perfect trio. - From the Winemaker |
 | Trivento Malbec Select - $10 - This is a nice full bodied wine with complex structure, great tannins, spice, and a little heat upon opening, so open the bottle and let it sit for an hour if you can. Go and grab a bottle of this. You really can't go wrong. It will stand up to many $20 wines. |
 | Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) - $12 - We all enjoyed this Napa cab quite a bit! Castle Rock gives us a SOLID wine, sure to please most (as it did). It displayed some nice fruits and really nice tannin structure! Slight oak completed the balance on the finish. This is GOOD SOLID red, especially to cab sauvignon drinkers. At only about $12, it's a steal and excellent QPR! |
 | St. Ludwin Niersteiner Spiegelberg Kabinett - $13 - Beautiful color to start off! This is FULL of super juicy pineapples, melon, and a hint of honey. Off-dry characteristics are balanced with some wonderful acidity, for a VERY well-balanced riesling. Distribution on this wine may be small, but we were unable to find that out for sure. If you can find it, you MUST try it! I'm going to pour us another glass! |
 | ONA Anakena Cabernet, Carmenere, Syrah - $14 - Awesome wine! Anakena pulled through with this blend. Nice full body, dry with hints of berries, black currant, and great tannins. It has somewhat of a shorter finish, but the complexity really makes up for it! For $14.99, it's a steal. Be on the lookout for this wine at your local store. |
 | Alamos Malbec - $11 - The 2007 Alamos Malbec presents a dark purple color with violet highlights. The nose offers bright black cherry aromas with light floral notes and a touch of toast. The mouthfeel is full and rich, with ripe, concentrated cassis and black raspberry fruit flavors interwoven with a touch of chocolate and sweet spice from light oak aging. The finish is long and lingering, with ripe, velvety tannins. - From the Winemaker |
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