Two Buck Chuck and Concha Y Toro Prepare to Go Head-to-Head in Sky Lounge Cheap Red Wine Drink-Off

A certain mystery reader in Austin, Texas has advanced the theory that Two Buck Chuck is the perfect cheap red wine. I am willing to test this theory. Certainly Two Buck Chuck has a distinct advantage over other cheap red wines in that its price tag propels it to a position of significant leadership over your run-of-the-mill $6.99 wines. But I must admit, without a Trader Joe's nearby, I haven't had much opportunity to run a taste test. I had it once and I think it was decent, but memory fades.

In my view, Two Buck Chuck's main contender is the 1.5 Liter Concha Y Toro, available in a Shiraz or Cab/Merlot blend, which you can pick up for a mere $6.99 (Costco) - $8.99 (Surdyk's). Still the best cheap red wine around, in my humble opinion.

I'm raising the bar in the search for the perfect cheap wine, to find a competitor for the Two Buck Chuck and the Concha Y Toro. I know there are plenty of really good reds for under ten bucks. But now I'm talking cheap, cheap. I want the best red costing under five bucks for 750 mililiters. No messing around.

If you can think of any good contenders, I'll include them in the Concha Y Toro/Two Buck Chuck Cheap Red Wine Drink-Off to take place in the Sky Lounge in early April.

(Er, Auntie Sue? Can you provide the Two Buck Chuck? We're still waiting for Trader Joe's in St. Louis Park to open...)