That said, Bogle does create winners in the sub-$10 category. Wilder on Wine (WoW) has raved about the petite sirah) in the past, and the chardonnay definitely falls into the "doesn't suck" category now and again. It's just that, for a couple-few more bucks, you can have a much better wine: You can have this zinfandel!

This is an old vine zinfandel that has more jammy raspberry and blackberry than Smuckers, more cedar than an old lady's closet and more alcohol than a bachelor party. Thankfully, it's not as sweet as Smuckers, as musty as the closet, or as hot and wild as the bachelor party.

Even at a higher price than most of Bogle's bottles, this zinfandel is the kind of wine that makes you feel guilty over how little it costs. With so many California zins going for at least twice as much, I recommend clearing your conscience and grabbing at least two bottles. Just make sure they're both of the 2001 vintage. It's much better than the 2000.

Cheers,
TSW

Bogle is a winery that makes a good deal of average wine, average wine that's a good deal, and a little very good wine that's a great deal, which is also a good deal better than the rest of its offerings.

That last category is where this zinfandel fits in. Confused? Let me clear things up.

Bogle's standard, tan-labeled line of chardonnay, merlot, petite sirah, etc., usually sells for well under $10, but is only sometimes worth buying.

Cheap or not, I'm of the opinion that bad wine should be avoided. The fact that you can afford to buy a lot of it shouldn't be an incentive to doing so. In fact, being stuck with a case of mediocre wine sounds to me more like punishment than a reason to lay down the credit card.