Hey, This was a really fun wine. Another $4.46 Special at Cashwise, I would highly recommend this Chilean Concha Y Toro wine. It went great with our chicken and pasta supper. It is so fruity that you feel like you mouth is full of Carménère grapes and spices. We ate out on the deck on a wonderful Minnesota summer eve and the wine not only helped us appreciate the evening; eating as a family together, it also reminded us of a simpler time when men were men and women were woman.(Not really:) but it was still pretty yummy.)

That is one big bottle of fruity relaxation

So it is 9 P.M. and the sun is setting here in Minnesota and I have my beautiful wife Amy by my side; we are watching a God inspired pink sunset retreat while we enjoy this fruity and robust Gionelli Cabernet Sauvignon. I know you are thinking, "No way you got a 2006 Italian wine in the mega size for $5" but you would be wrong-I did indeed. $4.96 at Cash Wise and it is definitely yummy. Before you read the back of the bottle try to guess what candy they say is evident in the palette along the obvious fruity taste. 8 out of 10

New Rule! Reviews of expensive wines as long as I didn't pay for them

One of the reasons I love wine is because of my friend Simon. Simon knows wine. When we use to go to restaurants and I was just a novice he would string together these french-Latin-Arabic-German like phrases and order wonderful yummy wines which is one of the reasons I can appreciate wines today. So I was over at Simon's new posh Twin Citie's town home and he introduced me to this $13 gem, Ravenswood old vine Zinfandel. It is hard to describe the fullness I experienced but it was woody and really full flavored. It went perfect with Maren's (Simon's wife and my close personal friend) Asian rice noodle and chicken cuisine. This would be a great wine to take with you when you want people to not just drink a bottle of wine but experience wine and smile. 9 out of 10

Crane Lake Cabernet Sauvignon

First, let me say $3.94. O.K. I don't know how Crane Lake does it but they have a yummy cheap wine (look for my review on their Malbec) Now I open this when my friend Dan comes over because we will probably drink the whole bottle and I won't feel bad, besides it is really good. It is smooth and very full of flavor. 8 out of 10

Bolla Merlot....Dry but not dusty

O.K. this was yummy as well. Bolla Merlot was kind of dry so I liked it with the Pizza my friend Cheryl brought over for cooking co-op but I don't think I would just open this one and drink it for sheer pleasure. On a humid night on the back porch in Minnesota it was a good way to enjoy a nightcap. I would give it a 6 out of 10

Bolla...Yummy

So I walked into Cashwise just looking for a little somethin', somethin' when behold, the manager had some specials! Oh, there was nothing advertised but sure enough with little red tags in every isle it said, "managers specials" and right in my price range ($4.43). So here is one, a Bolla Sangiovese and it was really good. Kinda bold with a fruity tail. I had it with a pork role on the grill and

and nice salad. 7 out of 10 rating.

Rex...the 47 pound, king of them all!

This is my favorite wine. I have had opurtunity to drink some pretty expensive wines before but I would take a yummy taste of Rex any day! Now Rex tries not to be a cheap contender but several months ago I got Rex in both the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon for $5.97 a bottle with a $47 rebate if you bought 24 bottles which brought the effective price down to $4.01 a bottle. This wine goes with anything and every occasion and my neighbors who love Ménage à Trois and Bogle like it as well. 9 out of 10

Wisdom with age

I didn't start drinking wine till I was thirty so I don't have anything to prove. When my friends describe a wine they like they always finish the statement by saying, "and I got the wine for a mere $10 to $15!" Are you kidding me? $10 is a lot of money, I like to spend $5 or less and Although I have drank some crappy, glorified, "red water" for five bucks I more than often luck out. When I am hunting for a cheap wine I sometimes forget the name and mix it up with "glorified red water" of a similar name or bottle design and find myself sulking for a week or so for such a faux pas. So, the reason for this blog is to help me document the finest wines for five or less. Enjoy