Consumer Reports finds good wine at a nice price

Are you trying to celebrate the holidays on a budget this year? If that includes serving or giving a nice bottle of wine, here's a report on some of the top inexpensive wines. Consumer Reports did an evaluation of large number of wines under $10 and wait till you hear where some of these bargains come from.

Tastings at wineries allow you to try the wine before you buy it. That's not usually the case at the store, where the choices can be overwhelming. Consumer Reports has some tasteful advice. Wine experts tested more than 100 bottles of red and white wine. The results are worth toasting.

"We found more than 20 wines we designated Best Buys. They're ideal for a holiday meal or a party and you may even find some of them at Costco, Target, or 7-Eleven," said Paul Reynolds from Consumer Reports.

In blind tastings, wine experts evaluated six varietals, which included two that are popular for the holidays - chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

"We found several good values in our tests of cabernet sauvignon, which pairs well with hearty food including red meats," said Reynolds.

Among those that rated "very good" were the 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates for $10 and an $8 bottle of Cherrywood Cellars from 7-Eleven.

Chardonnays can be served before your meal or paired with foods like fish. The 2009 Bogle chardonnay for $10 also rated "very good." And for even less, consider Costco's Kirkland signature 2009 Sonoma County chardonnay for just $8.

But don't despair when shopping for these wines if you can't find the exact year.

"We've found that wines in this price range are fairly consistent from year to year. So you'll probably be fine choosing the same wine from a more recent year," said Reynolds.

Zinfandel is another red wine that's popular at Thanksgiving because it pairs well with a traditional turkey dinners. Consumer Reports recommends the 2009 Dancing Bull as a best buy for $10.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.