Wine Probation and the Search for that Great QPR 

Perhaps no other time of the year fills this taster with more dread than that which begins somewhere around January 2^nd. More frightening than Tax Day (April 15^th, for all of you un-Americans), more hideous than Christmas (don’t EVEN get me started on that one!), it is invariably that time when The Director does the math, gets the picture, gives me "The Look," and tells me, in no uncertain terms, "That’s IT, mister; you’re on WINE PROBATION!"

What is Wine Probation? (Similar to, but not to be confused with "Compact Disc Probation.") The quick answer is that Wine Probation is a restriction, rather than a wholesale prohibition; it is a budgetary constraint, if you will. Wine Probation requires one to limit wine purchases to bottles priced no higher than $8 per; the lower the tab, the better. And it's wise to follow Bastardo's First Rule of Wine Acquisition: Always buy by the case, for that extra discount.

Wine Probation. The very thought sends me shuddering into a state of fear and loathing. No Mr. Ridge,(used more and more online these days, it was the Canadian Zinfans who first uttered "Mr. Ridge.") no Domaine de Thalabert, certainly no Silex or Silver Oak. The list goes on.

With this in mind, it behooves one to find the most palatable swill available. Sometimes, you can actually find some pretty good stuff, if you haunt the right locations. Reds are particularly hard to come by, given the criteria, but here're the best selections we've run into lately.

Bastardo's Best Buys, or Wine Probation Doesn’t Have to Suck

We encourage you to click on any link under Bastardo's Best Buys found to the right. Older and probably no longer available selections are marked "archive" while more current releases are labeled as new.  Enjoy!