What's your go to quaffer??

[ross67]

Ok.....so we all have differing taste preferences and financial restraints.
Lets talk about the wines that we go to and buy for our 'everyday' drinking pleasure that most importantly satisfies.

For me, narrowed my selection to 2 wines in general that i seem to never get disappointed with & also don't break the bank.

Fox Creek Short Row Shiraz
Teusner 'Riebke' Shiraz

I am generally a shiraz / or shiraz blend drinker....what about evrybody else?

ross

[dan_smee]

Depends on the criteria. For me, I'd say we are talking about the $10-20 range.

I have a few that I keep going back to:

Pokolbin Estate Shiraz Viognier 2009 - Picked up a case for $84, great year, and a decent drink.
Tyrrell's HVD & The Hill Pinot Noir 2012 - 16 a bottle from the CD, good, cheap Pinot.
Nick O'Leary Riesling 2012 - can often get under 20. Everything that is good about riesling in one tart, limey, beautiful package
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2006 - 16ish usually, always good quality, always a good idea.

[shauno]

Vinifera Cab Sav, Bleasdale Mulberry Tree Cab Sav & Wynns Cab Sav Merlot - with about 4-5 years in the cellar - great weekday & Friday night pizza wines

[ross67]

Actually sipping on an 09 Short Row right now.....Oh mamma, $19 well spent......

ross

[Matt]

Riebke and red knot of late...torbreck woodcutters, wynns shiraz. Brookland valley verse 1 range.

[dlo]

Don't buy much as a rule ... but ... the Deen De Bortoli Vat 1 Range is worth a mention - Durif, Petite Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon all pretty good. 2009 Durif and Cabernet were excellent quaffers last year. 2010 Durif was very good this year. Generally available on special for between 10 - 12 bucks a bottle.

[Jay60A]

My palate has moved very much to whites as daily drinkers with HV Semillon being the "go to" choice so currently ...

McWilliams Mt Elizabeth Semillion 2005
Tesco Denman Vineyard Semillon 2011

Both about AU$15 or less in the UK.

[Wizz]

Primo Estate - La Biondina, Il Briccone, and the Tuscan and Venetian too for a little more money.

Other than that I have too much wine, so quaffing and normal drinking are no different.

[tonym]

Mad Fish Gold Turtle Shiraz $16, Petaluma white lable Cab Sav $23

[TiggerK]

Agree on the 10-20 quaffing mark. Currently stuff like Tim Adams Riesling 2012, Chapoutier Cotes Du Rhone 2010, Peggys Hill Riesling 2012, L.L Macon-V Chameroy 2010, Simonnet Petit Chablis 2010, Proximo Tempranillo, Tres Picos Garnacha 2010 ($23) and a smattering of Cremant bubblies.

[rens]

Mike Press Cabernet, De Borteli Durif.

[tarija]

Given the good exchange rate atm, I tend to go with an imported wine sub-$20. Cheap Aussie quaffers will always be around, but not the case with good and cheap French/Spanish/Italians.

Re. Australian wines, the Barwang Cab Sauvs have been pleasant surprises 7-8 years from vintage.

[Phil H]

Currently 2009 Charles Sturt Chardonnay ( Orange), San Francisco De Mostazal 2007 Merlot (Chile) & Marques de Riscal Proximo Rioja, all around the $12 mark.

[Rossco]

in no particular order:

Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
Tahbilk Marsanne
Tahbilk Cab & Shiraz
Teusner 'Riebke' Shiraz
Langmeil Hangin Snakes
d'arenberg footbolt (the 2010 is excellent)

Im eagerly awaiting my delivery of Torzi Matthews Schist Rock from Gav so it can be my next
Quaffer....... and if its as good as im hoping, another 3 cases will be ordered

[Duncan Disorderly]

My tastes change a fair bit, but of late my quaffers include:

Jim Barry Watervale
Wickhams Road Pinot and/or Chardonnay
Guigal CdR/Gran Sasso Montepulciano
Tahbilk Marsanne
Mike Press Cabernet and Pinot
Alta 'For Elsie' Rose

[calm]

Gramps Shiraz
Berberana Crianza

[sjw_11]

E.g.
Tyrrell's Brokenback Shiraz
D'arenberg Footbolt
Peter Lehman Shiraz
Tahbilk Marsanne
Assorted SA rieslings inc Jacobs Creek (I know, I know)
Tyrrell's Old Winery Semillon
Plus random bin ends, cellar door specials, and general cut price internet buys ... its a pretty ever changing mix for me

[Ddavew]

The Wallace Barossa Shiraz Grenache
Tulloch Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz
Tulloch Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Langi Billi Billi Shiraz

i used to get some rosemount show case/regional series back in 04-06 as well, but not anymore.

[MarKofQuality]

1. I'm not usually one to recommend big bulks, but Kilikanoon Prophecy Clare Valley Shiraz 2008 (bought from wine clube at around $19/bottle delivered by recollection). WOW !
2. Mistletoe "Home Vineyard" Shiraz 2010 for a lighter style Hunter Valley job ($22ish plus $13/case delivery)
3. Pirramimma Petite Verdot 2008 (drinking it now - was cheap even delivered - circa $14-16 at auction), or their Katunga Shiraz (similar $). DON'T get their Stocks Hill, get White Label ONLY
4. MUDGEE (yes - Mudgee) Burnbrae Shiraz at $27/bottle. Most of their reds are great including Sparkling Shiraz ($30) and Cab Sav ($24 by recollection) and (not to be produced any more) Petit Verdot ($23)

[monghead]

At the moment,

Ata Rangi Crimson
Picnic by Two Paddocks
Pretty much any SA 2012 riesling
Wynns Black Label

[Cloth Ears]

I've been a bit of a fan of Dan's range of cleanskins as quaffers, as I seem to be able to pick the good ones by sheer blind luck. Admittedly I tend to pick the standards (Cab Sauv from McLaren Vale, etc), and in a pinch I cheat - the "soft white" being a useful one when I can't decide on a grape variety for my quaffing. Also, as we like a bit of chilli from time to time (not EVERY night), it's often a waste of a good wine - so these $5-$10 bottles are good value on these occasions...

[Teebs]

Loving the 2010 Haan Classic Merlot/Cabernet Franc.

[ticklenow1]

For Reds, 2007 Tintara Reserve Grenache - was selling for a stupid price online so I got a few cases. I'm down to my last dozen or so now.
Rockford Moppa Springs - I love this every year. It never lets me down. I've won a bit at the last few Rockford golf days so haven't had to buy it for a while.
Kalleske Clarry's - every year bar the '11 I've loved and bought plenty.
To be honest, Barossa Grenache and GSM's are normally pretty good in the $15 to $25 mark from the half decent vintages if you stick to the tried and tested wineries.
For whites, Hoddles Creek Chardonnay is almost impossible to beat.

Over the last few years I've managed to pick up a few good wines going for stupid prices, so I just drink them as quaffers. The Colonial Estate wines were going cheap and we bought heaps and heaps of it and it drinks really well for the money paid. At RRP I'd be a little unimpressed though. I guess that's why it went broke. Plenty of wineries have phoned up as well flogging old vintages to clear stock and they quite often are at crazy prices as well. Rolf Binder was selling the Heysen a couple of years ago for silly money and it was really, really good. Drank near 2 dozen of them. The '07 Tintara Grenache is another example. I actually hope these sort of deals start to dry up as it's not a good sign for the industry as a whole or retailers. I need to clear space in my cellar for the '10 and '12 vintages from SA as well, so my quaffers are now wines that I wouldn't have dreamt of just chugging down willy nilly a few years ago.

Cheers
Ian

[Thommo]

right now:
Kalleske Clarry's
D'arenberg Footbolt
Torzi Mathews Schist Rock Shiraz
Tahbilk Cab Franc
Mike Press Cab
Tahbilk dry white cleanskin
Thorn-Clark sandpiper Riesling
Caliterra reserva Sav blanc

[Mike Hawkins]

Based on the price overseas, not Australia, either Saltram Number 1 or Peter Lehman Stonewell.

[phillisc]

Based on the price overseas, not Australia, either Saltram Number 1 or Peter Lehman Stonewell.

Gee Mike you make me envious, Stonewall and No 1 as quaffers...sheesh 70 and 55 here.
But speaking of saltrams...the old white Stonyfell Metala from Langhorne Creek at $11 a no brainer.

Cheers Craig.

[TravisW]

We tend not to quaff these days, but rather go for less volume/more quality. Got to watch the liver/gut/brain. If I need to grab a BBQ wine for mates then it is usually a Morris Durif for a red and a Clare Valley Riesling for a white (Mitchell/Wilsons/Tim Adams/Pikes).

[Michael R]

I get very vintage specific when it comes to quaffers, so tend to change prefernces each year. Work off the simple theory that bumper vintages mean better fruit lower down the ladder. Last night for example had a 2010 Daranberg Footbolt which showed well. As Margaret River has been on a streak since 07, have been drinking a fair bit of Ringbolt and others too.

[dan_smee]

I get very vintage specific when it comes to quaffers, so tend to change prefernces each year. Work off the simple theory that bumper vintages mean better fruit lower down the ladder. Last night for example had a 2010 Daranberg Footbolt which showed well. As Margaret River has been on a streak since 07, have been drinking a fair bit of Ringbolt and others too.

Its funny, I tend to work on the opposite principle - I suppose different wineries do it differently. My theory is that in bumper vintages, the quality of the fruit is so good, they use it for premium wines (I think Tyrrell's used a lot of the Brokenback grapes for Vat 9 in 2009?) whereas in poor vintages, they use premium vineyards in cheaper wines when they can't justify selling for large sums (again Tyrrell's, the new Vat 94 SGM is all the 4 acres and Old Patch (RRP $70 each) fruit they could salvage from 2012 and is selling to members @ $20 a bottle. Their 100+YO vines show well in any year, but no-one will pay $70 for a 2012 hunter shiraz knowing how bad vintage was).

[Michael R]

Interesting point Dan, yes sometimes when the vintages are so bad that premium labels aren't or shouldn't have been made, 'supposedly' better fruit goes into the cheaper labels. I'm not sure though this always results in better wine though.

In my experience, generally quaffers taste alot better in strong vintages than in weaker ones.

Quick edit...i also used to target the bigger wineries in the bumper years, thinking that they got a better choice of fruit, however those wineries seem to be bringing out new labels in recent 'good vintage' years, priced higher than the quaffing range, and this impacts the quaffer quality. Still, i find better vintage = better quaffer.