First and foremost, never be embarrassed that you are looking for a cheap red wine! Sometimes a being on a tight budget requires us to look at price first. And honestly not all super expensive wines are that fantastic. A nice Hungarian table wine can go down just as well as a $40 bottle of whatever vineyard. Do not be afraid to try out a couple at a time.

The wines listed below are usually under $5-6.

Trader Joe's is a brilliant place to find affordable wine. The selection is outstanding.

A good place to start is with good ole' Cabernet Sauvignon. Fetzer, Sutter Home, Glen Ellen, Charles Shaw and Marcus James all are recommended.

Shiraz: Purple Moon, and Delicato have had great reviews.

Merlot: Italian or French- both make superb merlot. Echo Falls is a nice Californian merlot.

And do not ignore the Table wines. Often these are the most underrated and surprising ones- I call them the 'under dogs' of wine. Most importantly, read the label and see what meals are suggested that they can be served with.

Or, go on a wine tasting course for an evening or over a weekend. This will help improve knowledge of the different grapes and processes used that can further help your decision making whilst staring pensively in the supermarket aisle!

Learn more about this author, Persephone Vandegrift.
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