Joe Becerra started GoodCheapVino in August of 2010. Joe and his friends were always exchanging information on great wine bargains. Why not start a blog where we could share our bargain wine picks with others.
Vintage Wine Club has been meeting for years, formally and informally, to taste and judge wines. In formal 
tastings, six wines are selected to sample in a blind tasting. Individually, members of the club are always on the prowl for wine bargains. When members find a wine bargain, their immediate duty is to share them with the rest of the wine club members. In GoodCheapVino, we share our tasting results and bargain finds with our readers.
More Information on the Vintage Wine Tasting Club
For those that read the weekly wine bargain picks and want to know more about the guys that make these recommendations and their wine expertise: There are nine of us altogether in our Vintage Wine Tasting Club. We don’t consider ourselves wine experts or professionals by any means. We do think we have plenty of experience to be right a good percentage of the time on our recommendations. Here is why:
1. This probably is the most important quality we have for recommending wine. We are all everyday wine drinkers and have been so for over 40 years. That’s right, we are in that mystifying category of the “Senior Citizens.” However, our daily consumption of mostly red wines has kept all of us very healthy and very young in the mind, body, and spirit.
2. We visit wineries on a regular basis throughout the year. We meet many winemakers and owners. To name a few of our winemaking friends Vince and Lise Ciolino, Clay Mauritson, Mike Chelini, and Vince Tofanelli.
3. Several of us have traveled abroad to learn about the wines of the world. We have been to France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Chile. These were not wine tours; we booked visits to these wineries on our own.
4. We go to wine tastings. ZAP, Family Winemakers, Rhone Rangers, Spanish Pantry, Wines of Argentina, and Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Alliance.
5. Every two months we hold a formal wine tasting in which we blind taste six varietals. In between we often meet to have dinner and share our wines and just talk wine.
For those of you in search of a good deal in dining out with wine, check out Astaria Restaurant on Third Avenue in San Mateo. Its menu is American-Mediterranean, but here’s the kicker — all their wine list (except the reserve bottles) are 50% off on Tuesday nights. We had an Antinori Tuscan for $22 (normally $44). The wine list is fairly extensive with a good sampling of California and Pacific Northwest varietals supplemented by Italian and French selections.
Ray,
Don’t forget that Roca’s in Burlingame on Broadway on Monday night has free corkage.
Joe
Hi Joe,
I rarely get any replies from you, but I wanted to comment on the Wine Bargins just sent out. Jim C recommended Trentatre and said there was plenty at TJ’s stores. The 2008 is a bit prunish, but the o7 was very nice. Our local TJ guy said that TJ bought the Trentratre label and wine so not to worry if it seems to run out because it will just be a day before more is there.
We always look forward to hearing from you and I am an avid follower of you on Twitter.
Thanks & Have a great day.
Thank Tina for follow me on Twitter. Wow, that is amazing about TJ buying the label. Very interesting! Thanks for that information.
Joe
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Awesome website….Tried the Vigilance Cimarron ’09, amazing bargain for $9.00. Trying the Les Mines Priorat ’03 tonight. Looking forward to each new weekly update.
Thanks very much! I tried the Les Mines on Monday and it is really good. Thanks for enjoying the website and tell us if you find any deals.
Joe
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How do I purchase a wine?
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Hi Joe,
I was wondering if I can reach you via email? I tried to find your contact information, but there was nothing listed. Thanks.
Karina
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Why are there so many non related comments on this page? Weird. Regardless I just had to stop in and compliment you on your incredible writing style. Keeps me coming back. Bookmarked for future visits
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(view website at own risk/safe for work)
My girlfriend and I (she works at Millennium Restaurant, and is active in their wine selections) found this “cheap” wine, pretty common everywhere, that we’re really enjoying when we want something easy. It’s the 2009 Antinori Sangiovese Santa Cristina, IGT. It can be bought for as low as $8, and we’re finding it for under $10 at Safeway and elsewhere.
For whatever reason we are really digging this big fruit, juicy, yet soft, wine, I think “bright” would be a good word for it. Doesn’t have much of a finish, but other than that it’s a really nice middle-of-the-week wine. Drinkable with most any pasta dish, or just on it’s own.
Of note, the 2010 is really quite poor. I accidentally purchased it before taking note of the vintage, but I’m glad I did because the difference is vast.
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So I just spent 2 hrs of my lovely Saturday morning about researching Costco wine return policy since I bought some expensive wines that I didn’t like, and wanted return/exchange. Now the wine I bought isn’t even open, we just didn’t like the ones we did open. At first the warehouse mgr said it’s Georgia State Law however this is not the case. Ga state law says returning alcohol is at the will of the retailer. So I called Costco corporate and they read me that it is company policy that they do not take back wine or any other alcohol. Obviously it cannot be State Law since Total Wine will exchange even an opened bottle of wine if it wasn’t to your liking. So even though I love the Costco value, their lack of customer service and operational excellence has bothered me. Getting various answers from their warehouses and their unwillingness to make me a happy and satisfied customer although I have been a member for many years has really upset me. I won’t be raving about Costco anymore specifically since they broke my wine passion and trust in their excellence policy.