Review: Walmart's House Brand Wine from Oak Leaf Vineyards

There is another entrant in the ultra-cheap house-brand wine market! Yes, cheap wine fans of the USA can rejoice, because "Oak Leaf Vineyards" is Wal-Mart's $1.97 answer to 2-Buck Chuck from Trader Joe's. The only question is, at $1.97 a bottle, does it taste like real wine or will half of them go down the drain like Fresh and Easy's cheap plonk?

The Wal-Mart wine varieties turned out be quite drinkable, and you get more than the price would suggest. The wines are less robust than the similarly priced Charles Shaw or JW Morris wines, but I have a bias towards robust wines. People who prefer lighter flavored wines should be happy.

Oak Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon: This was slightly tannic, and will benefit from "breathing". It had a nice fruity cabernet flavor half an hour after opening. If you need some cheap red for cooking, and want something drinkable to sip as you stir the spaghetti sauce, this would work..

Oak Leaf Merlot: Not as soft or "fuzzy" as most Merlots (or however you want to describe the way they affect your tongue) but this had a pleasant and distinctly Merlot flavor.

Oak Leaf Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio: One sign that the Pinot Grigio (also known as Pinot Gris) fad is running its course is that the grapes are showing up in low-price labels and blends as the vines reach their production peaks. Oak Leaf's blend is pleasantly crisp, slightly sweet, and fruity. It's great with Chinese takeout, tuna patties and other gourmet dinners.

Oak Leaf Chardonnay: Good aroma, tart and refreshing. This could be a good summer lunch wine. I had it with grilled salmon salad and fresh French bread.

Oak Leaf White Zinfandel: I seldom like the "white" versions of traditional red wines, so I didn't buy this one. It was only $1.97 plus tax, but there was a big bar of dark chocolate that looked like a better use of my money. The other four wines were drinkable, if not impressive, so the white zin is probably drinkable if you like that sort of wine.

In 2000, Wal-Mart launched its own wine label - Alcott Ridge Vineyards, produced by E&J Gallo and sold in Sam's Club for $ 5-7 a bottle - the newer house brand takes the prices even lower into discount territory, and is available in any Wal-Mart that sells wine. Oak Leaf is produced by the Wine Group, a conglomerate of various vineyards that produce boutique to ordinary labels. They have state-of-the-art production facilities, good contacts among the California grape growers, and are making adequate wine available at less cost than a bottle of "designer water".