The Best Cheap Wines Worth Drinking
Twelve supermarket wines worth drinking, ranked by how gladly you'd buy the bottle twice. Vote them up or down and argue the order. Prices move and differ by state, so this list doesn't quote them: on 16 August 2026 all twelve were widely stocked in US supermarkets at roughly $15 or less per 750ml bottle, or the equivalent rate in a box. Producers don't set retail prices under the three-tier system, and that same day none of these twelve pages showed a price for its own wine, while two showed only shipping and cart figures. One day's reading, not a standing promise. Every entry needs a checkable fact on its own page, and the biggest budget labels turned up nothing but tasting notes, so Barefoot, yellow tail, Franzia, Black Box and Columbia Crest failed that and this list sits upmarket of what cheap promises. Also out: Charles Shaw, Winking Owl and Kirkland, no producer page found; Josh Cellars and 19 Crimes, whose pages quote prices; and any wine with the vintage in its web address.
Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel is #1 on “The Best Cheap Wines Worth Drinking”.
- 1
Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel
Proof that inexpensive doesn't have to mean thin. The winery's page says the core of this wine comes from Zinfandel on 60-to-80-year-old head-trained vines, handpicked, and vine age of that sort usually costs a great deal more. Ask for the Old Vine Zinfandel by name rather than whichever Bogle bottle sits nearest, because this is the one that tastes like somebody made decisions.
Old Vine Zinfandel - Bogle Family VineyardsFor years, Bogle winemakers have sought out vines ranging in age from 60 to 80 years old for our Old Vine Zinfandel. These gnarly head-trained and dry farmed pioneers produce low yields of small, concentrated clusters of fruit, producing incredibly intense and flavorful wines.https://boglewinery.com/wine/old-vine-zinfandel/ - 2
La Vieille Ferme Rouge
Famille Perrin has been making this since 1970, according to the producer's page, and that consistency is the whole appeal: it tastes like itself every year, which is more than most weeknight reds manage. Southern French, dry, built for food rather than for the first sip. Get the Vieille Ferme Rouge, the red bottling, and keep a couple around.
La Vielle Ferme Red, Famille Perrin, wine, FranceSince 1970, La Vieille Ferme has been producing authentic, honest and tasty wines vintage after vintage. In some of the world’s best restaurants and bars, La Vieille Ferme has been acknowledged as one of the best value for money wines in the world.https://www.lavieilleferme.com/en/vin/la-vielle-ferme-red/ - 3
Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling
Washington's answer to the question of what to drink with anything spicy. Its page calls this a medium-dry style sourced from Riesling vineyards throughout the state's Columbia Valley, so it's blended across sites rather than drawn from one, which is why it turns up so steady bottle after bottle. Buy the Riesling Columbia Valley; the touch of sweetness is the point, not a flaw.
Riesling Columbia Valley - Chateau Ste. MichelleOur Columbia Valley Riesling is a blend of Riesling from throughout Washington’s Columbia Valley. The wine offers crisp apple and white peach aromas and flavors with subtle mineral noteshttps://www.ste-michelle.com/riesling-columbia-valley
- 4
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling
Here's the origin story, straight from the winery's page: Charles was eating Chinese takeout, watching a fight scene in a martial arts film, and decided to make a white wine built to be paired with Asian food. The brief shows in the glass. Its own tasting note calls it a dry Riesling, so expect citrus and stone rather than sugar. Ask for Kung Fu Girl Riesling.
Kung Fu Girl Riesling | Explore & Enjoy Refreshing Riesling — Charles Smith WinesDiscover Kung Fu Girl Riesling, a vibrant, dry white wine perfect for pairing with Asian cuisine. Enjoy energetic flavors of peach, mandarin, and apricot.https://www.charlessmithwines.com/kung-fu-girl-riesling - 5
Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand Sauvignon at a gentler price than the category's famous names. The producer's page credits Marlborough's warm days and cool nights with an extended growing season, letting the grapes build intense varietal character while keeping crisp natural acidity, which is the technical version of tasting like a grapefruit in a good mood. The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the core bottling.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - Oyster BayOyster Bay's New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc offers stunningly aromatic tropical fruits and bright citrus notes, with a refreshingly zesty finish. Learn more.https://www.oysterbaywines.com/our-wines/marlborough-sauvignon-blanc/ - 6
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc
Cold-fermented in stainless steel with what the page calls reductive winemaking, the technical route to a white that tastes like it was picked yesterday. No oak, no softening, just grapefruit and a hard edge of acid. Yes, this is the second wine here from the same Clarksburg family, and it earns the place on its own terms. Look for the Bogle Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc - Bogle Family VineyardsLively and refreshing, Bogle’s Sauvignon Blanc is made using reductive winemaking techniques and cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks to capture the true and unadulterated essence of the varietal.https://boglewinery.com/wine/sauvignon-blanc/ - 7
Bota Box Brightside
The argument for a box is simple: you can pour a glass on Tuesday without committing to the rest of it. Its page names the blend outright, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio rather than one grape doing all the work, and gives the operation's home as Manteca, CA. Two grapes is why it drinks easier than either would alone. Ask for Brightside by name.
Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio - Bota Boxhttps://www.botabox.com/wines/brightside-sauvignon-blanc-and-pinot-grigio/ - 8
La Marca Prosecco
Sparkling wine that doesn't ask you to save it for an occasion. The label's page names it Prosecco D.O.C. and Italian Sparkling Wine, and the appellation is the part that matters: it ties the wine to a defined Italian production zone instead of to a marketing word. Get the Flagship Prosecco, pour it over ice or into orange juice, and feel nothing about it.
Prosecco D.O.C. | La Marca Proseccohttps://www.lamarcaprosecco.com/prosecco.html - 9
Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay
Ignore the name if the branding puts you off, because the wine is more serious than its label. The page says the signature Chardonnay is crafted from grapes grown in the California coastal vineyards of Monterey County, and Monterey is genuinely good Chardonnay country: cool, fog-bound, slow to ripen. Buy the standard Cupcake Chardonnay and serve it colder than you think.
Chardonnay | Cupcake VineyardsCupcake Chardonnay is creamy & rich with elegant citrus flavors.https://www.cupcakevineyards.com/wine/chardonnay/ - 10
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon
Lodi is the detail worth knowing. The producer's page says the grapes are sourced from select vineyards in California's Lodi region, which is warm-country Cabernet and explains the plush, faintly sweet edge on it. Whether that's a virtue is a matter of taste, and plenty of people are firmly on its side. Grab the Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dark Horse Wines | Cabernet Sauvignonhttps://www.darkhorsewine.com/cabernet-sauvignon.html - 11
Ménage à Trois Red Blend
Three grapes, named right there on the producer's page: Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, blended into something soft and fruit-forward that goes down easily at a party where nobody is paying attention to the wine. That's a compliment and a limit in the same breath. Ask for the plain Red Blend and serve it a touch cool.
Red Blendhttps://www.menageatroiswines.com/wines/red-blend/ - 12
Apothic Red
Divisive, and it has earned that. The back-label text on its own page files the wine as California Table Wine from Modesto, CA, a broad appellation class, which is a polite way of saying the grapes come from wherever the blend needs them. Sweet, dark, smooth. If you like it you like it. Ask for Apothic Red, the Original Blend.
Apothic Wines | Red Original Blendhttps://www.apothic.com/apothic-red-wine-blend.html
How this list was ranked
Readers rank this list by voting items up and down. Items are ordered by reader votes.
