Why winebbler?

Three reasons, really. The first (and most important) is that being in your 20s is annoying enough. The second is that being in your 20s without a damn good glass of wine is even more annoying. And finally, because being in your 20s without a good bottle of wine costing less than $20 anywhere between your house and your mother’s is uncontrollably annoying.  Thus, I am spending the year on a quest for vintages which converge at that rare point of palatable and (dare I say it aloud?) cheap. Sh! So here I dabble. A winebbler of all things grape and glass–a self-appointed underpaid and overworked heroine to my fellow involunatirly frugal twenty-somethings. Bound and determined to prove that wine which costs less than our age can have Wine Spectator scores higher than the the age of our grandmothers. Just. You. Read.

Cheers!

C.

xx

88 comments

  1. listerlegs

    Love it! I wish we could compare vintages, but I’m in a lousy country for wine at the moment.
    Are you Australian? If so, hit the merlots! Even a really cheap merlot is usually decently drinkable.

      • listerlegs

        If you’re looking for a cheap one, I’ve actually had some good experiences with the 2 litre De Bortoli casks! I know that sounds SUPER trashy, but it’s a decently rounded drop with a fair bit of fruit, but isn’t sweet (which I hate). It also benefits from being able to breathe for a short period, so if you’ve only just opened a cask, I’d decant it first.

  2. foods for the soul

    Thank you for following my blog! I’m about to move to a new URL, so I hope you decide to follow me there as well.
    I don’t know much about wine, but it sounds like you’re quite an expert! I love the idea of finding inexpensive options, especially for those of us without a large source of income…
    Cheers! (Or whatever phrase is appropriate to clicking wine glasses. ;])

  3. enmanscamera

    Gosh, somehow you found my blog and are following my thoughts on photography. I suspect I am more than a few years older than your 20-something peers, but I do believe your words are worth my reading. Thanks for a good read.

  4. michelenel

    Thank you for following my blogs. We are very amateur winemakers; hubby is wine enthusiast – having grown up in South Africa this is probably essential; I am a true tea-totaller having NEVER drunk anything – even wine, but I adore the whole scientific process of making the stuff and apparently have a very good ‘nose’! I will try to blog about some of the great lower priced wines we have come across and reviewed in our monthly winetasting club. Where are you based so I can make sure they are available to you (we are in the UK)? Good luck with your noble quest.

    • winebbler

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post! I am in Atlanta, GA the home of the free (sort of) and the land of the braves (the baseball team). Would so love to hear any of your suggestions as I am new in this game–like brand new. Love your story and looking forward to being in touch! Bis, C. xx

  5. kdrizzleuk

    Thanks for the follow and good luck with your blog. If you can find them, the Cono Sur wines from Chile and the Yalumba whites from Australia and good and cheap!

  6. phil795

    I moved to New Mexico in July, 2011 and am amazed at the quality of New Mexico wines I have found so far. I live in Aztec, in San Juan county,and near Bloomfield there is a winery called Wines of the San Juan (for the San Juan river flowing nearby). I recommend these. I tried a sweet red recently and it was excellent. Also the St. Clair winery in Deming near the Mexican border produces terrific wines. All of these I have mentioned are at least reasonably priced and some are great deals.

  7. FiniteJug

    Thanks for following my blog. I, too, love wine, and always appreciate when it doesn’t break the bank. I look forward to trying your suggestions. And I’ll be sure to let you know if I find anything good under $20.

      • Middlemay Farm

        Yeah, well, my brother and I have that kind of relationship. he just told me he’s really disappointed that I didn’t take the CNN internship years ago and didn’t turn out to be an “Erin Burnett” sort of girl. He has a crush on Erin Burnett—so many levels of weirdness. He said I should abandon my farm and move down state and he’d be my manager…..love your blog!

  8. iceabaton

    Thanks for following, I appreciate it! Love your blog, I look forward to checking back to see what new post you have. I am new to wordpress, so just so I can get an idea of how it works, what led you to my blog? Thanks again! Cheers!

    • winebbler

      Thanks for taking a look at mine, as well. I’m in the new boat with you, pal. But, probably linked to the tags you have connected with your posts. So, for example, I searched “college” and yours popped up. Keep blogging! Bon chance! Best, C. xx

    • winebbler

      Georgiana–Thanks! And you seem like just the type of person I would love to chat with over a glass of cheap wine. I’ll see if I can do some dirt digging for you and your UK requests. Bisous, dear! C. xx

  9. Daniel Bryant

    Greetings. Thanks for following my blog. By the by, nice blog! I like Moscato wines, like other sweet wines. However, I am willing to try new ones. OK, have a good one!

    • winebbler

      …Earthling! Thanks for taking a look at mine, as well. I’m not much of a sweet wine drinker, so that makes two of us trying new things. Hope you keep reading 🙂 Best! C. xx

  10. Berri

    Thanks for following my blog! I’d love to give you tips or suggestions like the lovely people above, but sadly I know absolutely nothing about wine… I look forward to picking up some stuff from you!

  11. sweetdaysundertheoaks

    Hello! Thank you so much for following my blog. I like it here. Wine talk and humor. What’s not to like? We have wine time most afternoons around 4 on The Porch and it is Missouri wines we are drinking. I’m not particular about the glass and shocking but I occasionally drink it out of a plastic Tervis tumbler, I like my Missouri wine cold. I even add an ice cube on summer days. I only drink semi-dry to sweet wines with Vignoles and Catawba being the favorites. I am looking forward to your next post!

    • winebbler

      Reminds me of being a kid on my front porch–my mom does the same ice-cube move sometimes. Thank you so much for taking a look at my blog–I hope you keep reading! Bisous! C. xx

  12. joepeckblogarhythms

    Thanks so much for the likes on my posts over at Oenophilogical. Looks like you and I are on similar quests. I look forward to following your journey as I stumble along my own merry way!

  13. Jennifer

    Thanks for following my blog, and while I am nowhere near 20 any more, I like a good cheap wine. Preferably sweet. I shall keep reading, I like the sound of this. 🙂

    • winebbler

      Oh, Jennifer. I may just have to try some sweet wine–I’m usually fighting against it (see post No. 2). However, for the sake of all that is holy adventure I may have to give it a go. Thanks so much for checking my blog out–looking forward to reading more from you! Bis, C. xx

    • winebbler

      Thanks for taking a look at mine–really enjoyed your post on editing. It really is true that the re-writing part is the most annoying. For me, it is finding the strength to kill all my little darlings…you know how it goes. Hope you keep following–at least for your wife’s sake. Best, C. xx

  14. shimmyshark

    How wonderful…I live in the land of inexpensive wine…from Chile. No Pinot Noir here though, and that’s bum. Maybe I’ll find something new to try to replace my love of the little grapes.
    Later…

  15. Celeste DiMilla

    Hey there! I noticed that you’re my newest blog follower so I wanted to check out your blog and say, “Hi.” I’m not in my 20’s, but I still won’t pay more than 20 bucks for a bottle of wine. I love the concept of your blog, and I’ll snoop around looking for some good, cheap vino. Thanks again! Celeste

    • winebbler

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Celeste! Please let me know any suggestions that you may have so that I can add them to my next list 🙂 Would love to include you in on it. Bis! C.

  16. Amanda Caldwell

    Hi, thanks for visiting my blog http://blackdog04.wordpress.com/. I love that you are making the most of your 20s and drinking wine with a mission, not just aimlessly quaffing the nearest bottle as I did when I was your age. Like my fellow Aussies who have posted comments, I agree that you can not go wrong with Australian wines. I know, because that is basically what I quaffed through my 20s and some of my 30s (pregnancious interruptus). I’ll be very interested to read what you savour next. Bon chance!

    • winebbler

      Thanks, Amanda! I might as well get a some sort of hobby–so why not? Any of Aussie personal favorites? I’ve been in French wines the last two weeks, and I would love to branch out. Looking forward to reading more of your posts! Cheers, C. xx

  17. jjspina

    I love wine too, especially a good one that isn’t too exorbitant. Some of my favorites are Yellowtail Cabernet, Shiraz, or their combinations of cab merlot,etc. I watch for them to go on sale for under $10 for the large bottle 1.5L. Other favorites are Apothic Red, 120, Luna de Luna, Rosemont Estates. I only drink a glass a day but do enjoy each one. Thanks for reading my blog. I will be following you and your seach for a good wine. I may have some more suggestions for you. Salute! Cheers!

    • winebbler

      Thank you so much for your contributions, I look forward to adding them to my new list! I really enjoyed reading your latest book review, and learning about all of your adventures. Keep writing! Bisous, C. xx

  18. Lily

    You sound like a great person. I too am in my twenties, and it’s definitely not as much fun without alcohol.

    Thank you for following Kidz Showz. You have excellent taste in blogs!

  19. Lois Lawrence

    While busy looking for good bottles under $20 you need to have a go-to house wine. We blind taste-test all our under $20 bottles against Concha y Toro’s Carmenere (1.5 for about $9.00) It’s scary how often the Concha y Toro wins. Tried all the other C y T reds without the same luck though.

  20. edgar62

    Australia produce some remarkable wines and at reasonable prices. I prefer a Shiraz “Annie”s Lane” from the Clare Valley – nice, mellow. Or perhaps a Wolf Blass Grey Label but then that’s $65 a bottle – still cheap – really…

  21. Marisa

    Hi! I’m not sure if you’ve been nominated already, but if not, consider yourself nominated by me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. It’s like a chain letter to recognize others who consistently write great posts that I, the nominator, look forward to reading. Visit my blog to view my acceptance entry and get all the details…and congrats!

  22. Wine&Weights

    I’m not in my twenties anymore but I’m still looking for great vintages for cheap! I look forward to trying your hopefully no-so-rare finds!

  23. The Wandering Gourmand

    I’d like to invite you to participate in a new challenge that I am hosting at thewanderinggourmand.com to bring together the beer, wine, and food blogging worlds. As you may know, each month I host a Beer Versus Wine Pairing Challenge inviting readers to suggestion their perfect pairing with a monthly dish. I decided to make the challenge even more engaging by turning the challenge into a contest with bragging rights. Each month a dish will be presented. Bloggers have a week to post their perfect pairing and why in the comments section. The following week, I will summarize the comments in a post for a vote. The winner not only earns bragging rights but also the honor of coming up with the following month’s dish.

    Right now the contest will be hosted at thewanderinggourmand.com. Future plans involve a breakout sight and a badge to post back on your blog. I welcome you to join the challenge as it begins today with Beer Battered Fish (http://thewanderinggourmand.com/2014/02/26/beer-battered-fish-pairing/).

    Salud!

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