| Using bargain wines is often preferable for | | | | sugar, fruit juice and spirits, the quality of the red |
| occasions when it would be unwise to to invest a | | | | wine becomes largely secondary. This is where |
| large amount of money in expensive wine.Do you | | | | boxed wines come into their own. Buy large |
| really want to use top-notch red wine for making | | | | boxes that are relatively cheap - no one will |
| sangria or for serving up at parties, when friends | | | | notice! Be sure to purchase reasonable quality fruit |
| have already had enough to drink? No, I didn't | | | | juice and don't go for the absolute cheapest wine |
| think so!Drinking Bargain WinesBlended wine is | | | | as you may live to regret it, the following |
| usually cheaper and a reasonable bet in terms of | | | | morning!Large Parties and ReceptionsWhen serving |
| drinkability. As a general rule, Chilean blends are | | | | wine to a large party, cost is obviously important. |
| the cheapest option, although it's often worth | | | | As a rule, boxed whites are generally more |
| paying that little bit extra for Australian blends. In | | | | palatable than boxed reds, so if want to trim |
| fact, a number of Australian producers market | | | | costs, anywhere, buying cheaper white wine may |
| two excellent blends at the lower end of the price | | | | be a safer option.A great way to improve boxed |
| spectrum, one white and one red. The red is a | | | | red wine is to add a reasonable quality bottle of |
| blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz and the | | | | red wine. Provided that you choose the correct |
| white consists of semillon and chardonnay. Keep | | | | bottle of red, this can make an impressive |
| an eye out for these grape combinations, if you're | | | | difference to the taste. Of course, you do need |
| after a bargain!Another winner at the cheaper end | | | | some suitable decanters or serving carafes and a |
| of the market is Spanish Rioja (both red and | | | | little patience to pull this one off, |
| white). As Rioja is usually less fruity than the | | | | successfully.Finally, choose your nibbles wisely. Plain |
| previously mentioned blends it is generally better | | | | potato chips will do little to help you disguise a |
| for serving with food, rather than drinking on its | | | | poor wine. Instead opt for a selection of cheeses, |
| own.Other Uses of Bargain WinesSangriaIf you're | | | | as they will enhance the flavor of even the |
| making sangria, you need red quaffing wine - and | | | | cheapest of wines.Since Neil Best first pondered |
| lots of it. As sangria is made from red wine, | | | | the question, Who made the first wine anyway? |