There’s an old idiom about having “Champagne taste on a a beer budget,” that is to say you like expensive things but you don’t have the money to afford those things. Suffering from this affliction is one of the things that drove me to start Cheap Wine Ratings. I literally have Champagne taste on a […]
Spanish Wine
Review: Marqués de Cáceres, Rosé
Lately, spring is springing up more and more each day. That means rosé season is upon us. Imagine yourself sitting outside on a sunny, 70 degree day, relaxing with a slightly chilled glass of rosé and listening to the birds chirp. Now that’s my kind of spring day! I’m kicking off the season with a […]
Castillo de Monséran, Garnacha – A Tasty Bargain
Last Friday I joined an online tasting for #GarnachaDay. It’s a day when you can drink garnacha, just like any other day, except it’s called #GarnachaDay. It’s one of those special days invented by marketing/PR folks to give us a reason to talk about their wines. Seems as good as any other reason to taste […]
La Granja 360 Garnacha Rosé
Every year I find myself loving rosé more and more. At its best it’s a light, refreshing wine with floral, mineral, fruit and spice characteristics with vibrant acidity and and a smooth mouthfeel. And some of the best rosés I’ve tasted have been made from grenache, as this one is. At one time a few years […]
Las Rocas Garnacha – Dynamic and Delicious
Garnacha was the first wine I wrote about at Cheap Wine Ratings and continues to be an easy choice for delicious and affordable wine. And Las Rocas was one of the wines that I included in my early reviews, but I haven’t revisited it since then, until now. This garnacha comes from a co-operative winery […]
Cruz de Piedra Garnacha, Selección Especial – Very Special
Happy New Year! I know that was over a week ago, but I’ve been preoccupied with my day job and a big kitchen remodeling project, so admittedly I’ve been neglecting this site. But I haven’t forgotten it. I wanted to start the new year with getting back to my wine blogging roots and write up […]
Campo Viejo Garnacha – Fabulously Fruity
Back in 2007, when I started this website, I drank a lot of Spanish garnacha (or grenache). It tends to be an approachable, affordable, fruit-forward style of wine that’s easy to drink and easy to love. It’s often not a sophisticated wine (for lack of a better word) but tends to be just kind of […]
Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut – Quite a Bargain
When it comes to cheap sparkling wines, Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut is an easy, go-to wine. If you’ve shopped for sparklers very often I’m sure you’ve seen this distinguishable black bottle on the shelf — and perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s any good. It’s not bad at all and for the price it’s pretty awesome. […]
Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut Cava – Complex and Elegant
‘Tis the season of celebrations and the time of year when people are more likely to be thinking about sparkling wines than other times of year. Although I’m an advocate of celebrations anytime of year and of enjoying sparkling wine with or without a celebration. And I don’t think I’m the only one with this […]
Segura Viudas Brut Reserva – Tasty Bargain Bubbly
It is holiday season and while I recommend sparkling wine any time of the year it’s a must during the holiday season. You might think that sparkling wine is a splurge, but if you know how to shop for it you can actually get some pretty darn good bubbly at prices comparable to any other […]