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Need to Unwind? Check Out our Wine Picks

posted by ChickSpeak
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 8:36pm CST

William Shakespeare once wrote, “Good wine is a good, familiar creature if it be well used.”

Wine is one of the most enjoyable yet detailed and intricate delicacies of our time. The cultivation and combination of different vines is truly an art, and although the expensive connotation that it carries can make approaching wine seem intimidating and simply not worth it, there are many different wineries hiding under your nose that are delicious, esteemed, and, most importantly, completely within your price range. I have found the best way to find out about these secret discoveries is from my friends who understand the need for quality without spending too much.

That said, these are four of my favorites from over the years:

14 Hands

14 Hands, a winery based out of Washington State, is one of the highest vineyards in the world. The brand’s name comes from the history of the land it is on, as it was once an area where wild horses roamed freely. My personal favorite from this label is their merlot. Some merlots can be a little too sweet for my taste, as they are ripened early, producing a strong berry flavor. But the 14 Hands blend merges this sweetness with a toasty, bittersweet aftertaste that is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. It can be found at just about any wine specialty store, such as Total Wine, and some grocery stores, and retails at around $12 a bottle.

Menage a Trois

Menage a Trois is a sister winery to Folie A Deux, both boasting french inspired tastes produced in Napa Valley, California. Their red table wine blends merlot grapes for a darker, fruity taste, cabernet for a buttery, bitter background flavor, and zinfandel to carry the sweetness through. The best thing about this wine is that it is almost on sale at most grocery stores at least once a month, and even at full retail price is only $10.

Casey Chambers, a 24-year-old recent graduate of Appalachian State University, described this as her personal favorite.

“I enjoy all red wines, but this one is very bold because it combines so many different flavors,” Chambers said.

Zed

Zed, based out of Marlborough, New Zealand, is named after the way natives to the land pronounce ‘Z’. A glass of their sauvignon blanc is the perfect accessory to a warm, breezy afternoon spent in the sunshine. The taste almost brings to mind a grown up Sweet Tart, as the flavor of apple, lime, gooseberry, and grapefruit combine citrus-y sweet and well rounded, strong aroma. All Zed whites go for under $11 a bottle, and this particular one is normally only $9.

Kristen Fisher, a senior at North Carolina State University, said she discovered this in a discounted bin at the grocery store a mile from her apartment.

“I never even tried sauvignon blanc before, I just thought it looked like something that I would enjoy,” Fisher said. “And I was right!”

Cycles gladiator

Cycles Gladiator is a child label to the Hahn Family Wineries. It’s name carries much sophisticated history, as it references the bicycle company first started in Paris in 1891 by Alexandre Darracq, who later became a famous automobile maker. This is another example of a wine that is very easy to stumble upon at 15% off, and both its red and white blends have received numerous praise for the quality and craftsmanship at such low prices.

Leah Joyner, a junior at Appalachian studying photography and sustainable development, says she could swear by the Cycles Gladiator cabernet sauvignon.

“It just has a really great flavor,” Joyner said. “Some ‘cabs’ are kind of bland, but this one has combined so many different things to create a very rich and tantalizing taste.”

Most Cycles Gladiator wines from 2007 and later are priced around $11 a bottle. And the 2006 cabernet, which Joyner recommends as the best year in this price range, is only $3 more.

Wine doesn’t have to be an expensive habit limited to rich men drinking in restaurants, or women sitting in sophisticated bars in New York City. For a very small cut into your wallet, you can taste different flavors from all over the world.

A great way to discover new wines is to just take a chance! If you see a bottle that is aesthetically pleasing to you and the description on the back sounds like a taste that you would enjoy, don’t just pass it off because you think any wine that only costs $12 isn’t going to taste good. Chances are, it probably does, and soon you’ll have your own list of secret discoveries to boast.