Kenwood
Merlot or Good all around, not too terribly expensive wines. And they're both red, reasonably priced, and damn good, with no bitter aftertastes. Seems that the later vintages are not quite as good as year's previous. I've now moved on to some of the others below.
Kenwood
Jack London If I could pick one wine at any price this would be it. I can't tell you why, it's just good. Too expensive to really drink by yourself unless it's a special occasion. If you're given the opportunity, a bottle of this shared with someone special is the best. Add some chocolate for the ladies, a cigar for the gents, some stars in the sky, and some B.B. King/Clapton on the stereo, and you just might achieve Nirvana. Of course, I have yet to experience these pleasures fully myself, but that's another story.
HRM
Rex Goliath Giant 47 lb. Rooster
Valley
of the Moon I find that lately I've been turning to this brand more than Kenwood for whatever reason. It's generally a few bucks less and tastes pretty much the same, perhaps a shade darker. In any event it's pretty much interchangeable for me with the Kenwood so I pick up whichever one is on sale or is less. Not a terribly sophisticated distinction to be sure, but I do drink the wine for the pleasure and not the snooty aire. Seems to be next to impossible to find these days.
Valley
of the Moon When I go to find my Turnbull, I invariably find this little number at the same store. Not quite as nice as the Cabernet, but since I can't find it it's a close second. Good flavor and not a lot of aftertaste, but not quite as much punch as a full-fledged cab. Good all around though, and at around $17 not too terribly expensive.
Since the last few bottles of Kenwood I've sucked up have left me kind of unsatisfied and I can't seem to find Valley of the Moon all that often, I've turned to picking up this little number at BevMo. A little more pricey but worth it. A little on the strong side, but with lots of fruit flavor and not a whole lot of bitterness. This is quickly turning into one of my regular favorites.
Canoe
Ridge As I contemplate moving up to Washington state, I've been looking more and more at what that region has to offer both in jobs, entertainment and, of course, wine. I've tried a bunch of different ones up there, but never seem to remember them by the time I get back here to the southland. This is one of the wines I've picked up lately, is somewhat pricey, but is really, really good. Nice, full flavor, no aftertaste and packs a good mental punch.
Chateau
Ste. Michelle, Cold Creek Vineyard My hands-down favorite for a Washington wine. I haven't tried tons of them, but this one wins out. Strong, fruity and just plain tasty. Pricey, but well worth the money. I stay away from the other CSM that you typically find in stores ... nowhere near as good as this or some of the other wines listed here.
Hahn
Estates I pick this up once in a while as a somewhat cheaper substitute to the Kenwood. Not as good as their Meritage, which I prefer, but still a good choice if you're drinking on a budget.
Got a recommendation on this wine from a store down in Temecula. This has of late become my favorite basic table red. Not too expensive and it has a great taste. I find myself picking a couple of bottles up every time I hit the liquor store.
Turnbull My current favorite wine of all time. About $40 will pick one up for you, but it's well worth it for those above-normal occasions. A ton of fruit, a nice punch, and super smooth on the finish. I haven't come across anything else quite like this. Cheaper than Silver Oak and I think it's a lot better.
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