One of my local wine shops is always catering to the crowd into the under $15.00 wines and they always have some they are pouring on Saturday. The million dollar question is how can anyone enjoy these. Many taste like chemicals and are bulk grape production wines. It is the same with beer with Bud Light, Coors, Lite, etc. I personally want to enjoy the experience not drink to get drunk.
Here are a few really bad wines recently sampled:
2021 Baus Family Chardonnay Private Reserve – USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley (9/27/2025)
Man is this awful with sweet fruit, dust and a chemical cleaner taste. A long finish that is very unpleasant. (68 points)
NV Casa Farrelli Prosecco – Italy, Veneto / Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Prosecco (9/13/2025)
For sure the worst of the 3 times sampling. Short finish not much fruit and lacks personality. (70 points)
2022 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California (8/10/2025)
Wow what a terrible wine. Smoke, wood chips, ripe fruit and chalk. Finish is terrible. All these popular brands now have appellation: California. Bulk grapes made in a lab. Can’t believe people still drink this. (70 points)
2023 Conundrum Wines White – USA, California (9/13/2025)
This is aweful stuff. Wagner name plastered all over t. Drink Delille Chaleur Estate White for a little more money. Very simple wine with a sugary taste along with riper pear and some spice. Not balanced at all. (71 points)
2023 Maison Sonoma Chardonnay Cuvée Réserve Sonoma County – USA, California, Sonoma County (3/8/2025)
This was terrible. Oak chips, candied fruit and spice. Chemical tasting wine. (72 points)
2021 Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (9/27/2025)
Sweet cherry, oak chips, earth and some spice. Drinkable but again paso does not produce good Cabernet. (80 points)