$2 Hayden- Harlow Pinot Grigio California Stater Bros.

I have been pretty impressed with Hayden-Harlow wines from Stater Bros. The price is nice, and they are quite drinkable but some of them are lacking in depth and character... but hey they're $2 a bottle.

So I have pretty much the same thing to say about the pinot grigio. Totally drinkable, lot's of pears and melon and a tad sweet. A good solid pinot grigio overall, but nothing really stands out and makes me say "wow." But for just two bucks, I think it's a fantastic deal. I have tasted some bad pinot grigio that was much more expensive, so if you want a consistent mild, fruity pinot grigio, this is your best bet. And really, $2? That's cheaper than a Tecate tall boy.

I give this consistent wine a 4 stars out of 5.

$2 Hayden- Harlow Merlot California Stater Bros.

Now that Stater's $1.99 Douglass Hill has gone up a bit in price, I was interested to see the latest edition to the selection of dirt cheap wine. The new $1.99 Hayden~Harlow vineyards collection. I snapped up a bottle of the Merlot to test the waters. I like the concept of the eco-friendly bottle too. Now onto the tasting.

It has a rich, cocoa aroma with some cherries and coke. It is light-bodied and vaguely fruity on the palate with a long and spicy finish. I am a bit disappointed that the overall flavors seem very watered down but the nice finish somewhat makes up for the lack of fruit. Drinkable for sure, but not 100% satisfied.

I give this wine a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

$2 Charles Shaw Pinot Grigio California Trader Joes

I am a fairly big Pinot Grigio fan and was elated when Charles Shaw came out with their own Pinot Grigio. Previously the only white wines they offered were Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. It has a decent nose, fruity, melon-y with a touch of green apple. The first few sips are a bit astringent with very little of the promised fruit. After a few more sips, my palate adjusted, and the wine became more enjoyable. I still prefer the Sauvignon Blanc, but this is a decent runner-up.

I give this wine a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Douglass Hill $2 2009 Syrah California Stater Bros.

Most Douglass Hill wines are quite drinkable, but nothing to write home about, so I my expectations weren't incredibly high when opening this bottle. The color was really pretty, a bright ruby tone and it smelled of cranberries and cherries. The sip was mild, lacking complexity and lightly fruity. It has a medium finish with notes of dark chocolate. Nothing spectacular, but very consistent from the first glass to the third.

I give this wine a 31/2 stars out of 5

$2.50 Oak Creek Chenin Blanc/Pinot Grigio California CVS

I bought 2 bottles of this, one says Pinot Grigio in dark letters and Chenin Blanc in light letters. The other says Chenin Blanc in dark and Pinot Grigio in light. Go figure. I have no idea what that means, if anything. Could just be a change in labeling. But with that labeling weirdness and the lack of year... I'm a little worried. Okay, so onto the wine. The nose is sweet and fruity with a crispness to it as well. It's an average straw tone, not to light, not to dark. I picked up on some honeydew aromas with some lemon notes. I was intrigued. Unfortunately, it smells way better than it tastes. Not much going on in this glass of boredom. I can hardly detect any fruit in it at all. This might make a good wine for sangria (trying to stay positive here.) This wine says "blah-blah-blah" to me. I would not get it again, nor recommend it. As Gary V. would say- "poor effort."

I give this wine a 2 out of 5 stars.

$2 Quail Oak Merlot California Vons/Safeway

Bold and berries on the nose, with a light, yet vivid burgundy color. It is refreshing, bold and fruity on the palate with a medium finish. Not bad for two bucks. I would definitely get this again, however the year is not listed on the bottle... so this review might not pertain to this wine 6 months from now.

4 out of 5 stars

$2 Gato Negro 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Chile Albertsons

First off, I absolutely adore that this bottle has a screw top. It has already been proven that a cork adds nothing to a bottle of wine and I don't have to worry about the stopper being short enough to fit into the bottom rack of the fridge door. Okay, enough about closures and on to the opening. After a quick pour and swirl, I went in for a sniff and it was oh-so-fruity with lovely pears, sweet oranges and touch of lemonade. The first sip was very nicely packed with pears, melons and green apple. Not to complex, but very consistent. This one is very yummy, and a bit on the sweeter side of the spectrum. This would be a fantastic pairing with flip-flops and swimming pool.

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars.

$2 Oak Leaf Vineyards Merlot California Walmart

The year isn't even listed on the bottle which makes me wonder about the quality right off the bat. Once poured it had a light red color and virtually no legs. The nose was more promising. It promised me some ripe cherries, peaches and blueberries in fact. I went in for a taste and wow, it was very unexpected. Big, ripe fruits with a bold, medium finish. Upon a few more sips, the boldness mellowed out but the fruitiness was maintained. The fruit flavors are somewhat over-ripe for a Merlot but not bad at all for a two dollar bottle of wine! I found it was even better after being chilled for 5 minutes.

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars

$2 Douglass Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2008 California Stater Bros.

For the price of Strawberry Hill, you can get a fine bottle of Douglass Hill, an actual real wine! However, unless you're 2-buck chuck, can you really have a decent bottle for that price? Let's find out.

The nose on the Sauvignon Blanc is somewhat non-existent. Very light notes of pears and grapes but it pretty much falls flat. But the nose does not always tell all, so I held out hope.

The first sip was pretty nice, very fruity with pears and citrus. Upon the second and third sip some melon and tropical fruits came through. Overall this wine is not bad. I think it would be fantastic with some shrimp ceviche or some chips and salsa. While it was a nice, gentle, well-rounded wine it did not pack a bright, flavorful punch that I like in a good Sauvignon Blanc.

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars.

$2 Shiraz 2006 Charles Shaw California Trader Joes

I know many a wine-buff that snubbed their nose at the mere mention of a cheap "Two-buck Chuck" but I have always loved Charles Shaw for it's good no-frills wine. It may not have 20 layers of flavors... but the flavors are robust and overall astringent. I broke open a Shiraz this evening and I immediately wanted to sit back and relax. I swirled the wine to reveal it's very thick, almost syrupy legs. It smells faintly of black pepper and a hint of cinnamon. The first sip was smooth and earthy. Very mild tannins and smoky grapiness lend themselves to this mellow and affordable wine.

I give this mild-mannered Shiraz 4 stars out of 5