Looking for a drinkable bottle of red wine to take to the next party with casual acquaintances but don’t want to spend $15 for the Two Buck Chuck crowd? Worried that if you don’t bring something drinkable you may have to choke back room temperature white zinfandel, or worse yet, be forced to dip the ladle into the mystery punch and hope for the best?
Good news! Diablo Creek Vineyards has you covered. First, let’s be clear, there is absolutely nothing exquisite or complex about this wine. “Cheap but smooth” is how my wife described the Livermore, California based winery’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon after we popped the cork, and I couldn’t agree more. The wine is an exceptionally light Cabernet with slight hints of blackberry and cherry. But let’s not get carried away – remember it’s “cheap and smooth” for a reason. There is nothing dry or big or bold about the wine, but for less than a latte at Starbucks, it delivers where many other super budget bottles fail (translation: you can drink it without going into convulsions).
I randomly found this bottle during Safeway’s 30% off wine sale, and I figured for $4 it was worth a try. In looking this wine up online, I think Safeway may even own the company, which would account for why I can not find it available anywhere else. Two tips for those jumping into the value wine isle: all of these wines are best enjoyed slightly chilled, and many, as was the case with the Diablo Creek, are fine immediately out of the bottle
The Cork Scrooge 
Leave a Reply