Since moving out to the ‘burbs in April last year, I have conveniently been much closer to big box stores. While it can be frustrating to only have Winners, Joe Fresh and Walmart to choose from for clothes shopping, suburbia does have its benefits – one of which is a huge liquor store and an extensive vintages section.

We – My Other Half and I – find ourselves staying in and having a few drinks more and more. Maybe it’s because we’re maturing and aren’t as interested in the bar/party scene, but generally I think it’s because we love our home and rarely want to leave. I’m happy to say the novelty hasn’t worn off yet.

Because we stay in more, we drink more at home. This is when the big liquor store down the street comes in handy. We are avid red wine drinkers (I almost exclusively drink it, but My Other Half still loves his rum), and we have been going through more and more of it. Unfortunately, good wine is not normally cheap in Canada, and this habit was getting expensive. So I decided to run a little bit of an experiment – I started a hunt for delicious wines under $10.

When buying wine, we tend to go for what we’re familiar with. This often means we’re buying wine with the best marketing – and that normally means they have the most money and are the biggest wineries. I was determined to find some “diamonds in the rough”, so-to-speak. Most of the wines I tried seemed relatively unknown – I’d never heard of them and neither had my friends.

Alas, the hunt is over. After months of experimenting, polling, tasting and opinion-forming, here are five excellent wines – all for under $10.

Five red wines under $10

Periquita, 2005, Portugal – $7.95

This wine is unlike what I usually enjoy – it is not full-bodied, dark or thick. Instead, it starts off with cherry and raspberry flavours and finishes with a hint of spice. It’s definitely one of my lighter choices. I am becoming increasingly intrigued by Portuguese wines – this is the second I’ve recently tried and thoroughly enjoyed (the other is Passion of Portugal, 2008).

MezzoMondo Negroamaro Salento, 2008, Italy – $7.90

This is a classic “Julia” wine. I was a bit put off by the plain label, but I’m glad I tried it. Dark and full, it is smooth, leathery with a comforting woody finish.

Fuzion Shiraz Malbec, 2010, Argentina – $7.75

This is one of the better-known brands I tried. Fuzion, in general, is pretty awesome – its white, rosé and red wines are all decent and all reasonably priced. This particular variety has actually beat much more expensive Old World wines in blind tastings. It’s also the fourth best-selling wine at the LCBO. It’s shockingly purple (consistent with the berry flavour), reminds me of freshly cracked pepper and is lively on the tongue.

Citra Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Italy – $6.95

A good wine for under $7? Craziness. This wine is quite complex for the price – it has lots going on, including a good balance of acid and smooth tannins and a dark, rich colour. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’s solid for $6.95 (especially since I found some really bad ones in the $6 range). I’ll be buying it again, along with the Citra Sangiovese (the purple label one, which is apparently more popular).

Deakin Estate Shiraz, Australia – $9.95

I love Australian wines, and so does my family. We’re a bit biased because we visit Australia and my aunt who lives in Adelaide regularly. I’ve been to many of the great wineries, including Wolf Blass and Penfolds. It’s dry, full-bodied with an intriguing combination of fruit and spice. It’s outrageous that this wine is under $10 and just as good as many other more expensive Australia shirazes.

*According to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) prices.