I agree in spirit with 9:19. If I'm bringing something to a dinner party, I'm certainly not going to bring an obviously-from-Costco or grocery store wine like Apothic Red or Alamos. I go to a wine store and bring a not-mass-marketed Prosecco or Cava or something interesting from Greece or Portugal. Not expensive, but a whole lot more interesting and thoughtful.

Can people really not afford to go beyond $8 for a bottle of wine to a party? If you are willing to just hit $15 you can find lots of things more interesting, and spend the 5 minutes to find something that is not a mass market wine. I would not buy most of the wines listed here and I personally resent being made to drink them when people bring them over. If $8 is really your budget, buy jam.

*They're all excellent

Any of the Grifone wines from Trader Joes. They all excellent, and most average about $6.

great question! thanks OP

Chateau Morissette - Our Big Blue.

Ferrari carano fume blanc for summer.
Still working on my winter go to.

I re gift wine constantly because we don't drink a lot of reds. So, whatever someone else has just given me, that's what I'm bringing to your dinner. However, our neighbor gave me a bottle of Cakebread for my birthday, and that one I know enough not to give away. Keeping it for my Pulitzer!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the year, I LOVE Barboursville Pinot Grigio and I like to bring that because it's a Virginia wine. 2009 and 2012 were great years for that wine, but I found I didn't care for the 2013 (think it was just too wet that year). Hoping the 2014 is good!

+1

I also like to bring Barboursville Cab Sauvignon or sometimes other reds if I can find them without a trip to the vinyard. Similarly, some years are stronger than others, but I usually get a case or so whenever I'm buying so I can share a Virginia wine. We have a lot of friends from out of the country so it's fun.

A great red is the Red Pump from Pippin Hill Winery also in Charlottesville. Love it and I'm Not a big red drinker.

I don't drink alcohol. So I'd just go to Whole Foods and say "Hi, I need to bring wine to a dinner. They're serving chicken and there's a vague French theme going. I want to spend no more than $25, what do you suggest?" And then I'd pick whatever had the coolest name or label of what they suggested.

No, I do not have this at home - there's no alcohol here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apothic Red. $8-10

Love Apothic Red! I usually bring something that someone has left at my house. My friends will drink anything.

This one goes over very well and it $8 at Costco and $10 at Trader Joes

I also love the Alamos Malbec. It's like $8 at Costco.

Catena malbec and Catena cabernet sauvignon, both around $20, are excellent values and great crowd-pleasers. Can't go wrong there.

I always keep a mixed case of Costco reds in my basement, and usually grab something from that case - Decoy, a Sangiovese that I've forgotten the name of but is really good, or Catena malbec. Or I just go into a good wine store (love Swirl & Sip in the Moscaic district; Red White & Bleu in Falls Church is also good) and ask for a bottle of something red, good, and $15 . They haven't failed me yet.

I'm not a huge fan of Apothic Red. I've tried to like it, but it's still not my fav.

Anonymous wrote:Depending on the year, I LOVE Barboursville Pinot Grigio and I like to bring that because it's a Virginia wine. 2009 and 2012 were great years for that wine, but I found I didn't care for the 2013 (think it was just too wet that year). Hoping the 2014 is good!

+1

I also like to bring Barboursville Cab Sauvignon or sometimes other reds if I can find them without a trip to the vinyard. Similarly, some years are stronger than others, but I usually get a case or so whenever I'm buying so I can share a Virginia wine. We have a lot of friends from out of the country so it's fun.