CHEAP WINE, IT'S NOT JUST FOR POOR PEOPLE ANYMORE

A little bit about me, I used to be in the wine business. For over three years my job was to choose the wines for a popular little wine shop in Brooklyn. We didn't carry very expensive wines, mostly bottles that were under $20. I then honed what was to me the most coveted skill I learned in my adult life, the ability to find really good, yet inexpensive wine. I used this skill in my second wine job, with my customers and for my own drinking pleasure. And then, I got out of the business. I was faced with the biggest challenge of my wine career; now I had to find wine to drink at regular stores and pay (shudders) retail prices. And on top of it all, I am now poor. Gone are the days of paying cost for expensive bottles, gone are the days of drinking $15 bottles every night. Now, I would have to drink like normal people. Buy my wine at grocery stores and even, (gasp) Trader Joe's. I was forced to come to terms with my palate, to try and make it forget the last few years, all that it had learned about what good wine was supposed to taste like. I needed to revert back to the girl that drank jug wine in college, or cheap boxed wine while living in Africa. I needed to find the joy in the simple, cheap bottles. However being me, I still have my standards. So whenever possible, I will try to post reviews of inexpensive wines that I have drunk that are worth buying. Our latest VINE-YL post has a great one. This one, Trader Joe's 2007 Captain's Catch was surprisingly good, I actually remember being sad when the last few drops were poured into someone else's glass. Derek bought it for the label, and we popped it open with a couple of friends. One of them even exclaimed, "Wow, this is from Trader Joe's? But it's so buttery and smooth." It was smooth and had nice dark, rich fruit but wasn't overly sweet which is always an issue with your cheaper bottles. It was incredibly drinkable, everyone agreed. All and all worth the $6. A perfect party red.

-Sara