10 Best Red Wines Under $50 from California To Buy from Big Hammer Wines

This winery is in Calistoga and is located in front of famed Chateau Montelena, which sells it’s Cabernet for upwards of $200. This wine is regularly about $60, which is still a moderate price for a Cab blend with dashes of Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Now, combine the fact that 2019 is a 97pt vintage and this wine was awarded 94 points by Decanter Magazine, this wine starts to look like the red blend of the year. BHW case price gets down to $27/btl and if this isn’t sold out by the time you finish reading, grab a case. You can thank us later.

Derek Beitler is the nephew of Caymus founder Chuck Wagner. He trained at Caymus and then found some small, high quality vineyards to produce his one man show. The results are one of the best kept secrets in Napa at present. His Cerro Oakville Cabernet has already found legions of BHW fans. But, this Petit Verdot is an under the radar, lights out gem that I can’t recommend enough. It’s rare to find 100% Petit Verdot and you’ll most likely have a new fondness for the varietal and fall in love after tasting it.

Merlot has been making its comeback for 20 years since the Sideways movie. Here’s an insider tip: Whenever I’m at a steakhouse, I often gravitate to Merlot because it’s overlooked by most. Napa Cabs and Bordeaux tend to be marked up too high, whereas Merlot is still fighting for its place at the table. This is a full throttle wine with a healthy dose of oak and wonderful dark fruit concentration. Oh, did I mention Jesse Katz is the 100 pt winemaker and this winery sells fruit to Silver Oak down the street? And, that the Sei Querce Cab has been BHW’s #1 Cab of 2024. Don’t miss this one.

The Grassi family doesn’t often distribute their wines outside the winery because they only farm 4 acres and sell most of their wine through their wine club and tasting room. But, we love supporting small producers like this, particularly fellow Italian American producers. This is hands down, the best Cali SuperTuscan blend we’ve tasted to date. 50% Cab and 50% Sangiovese. Forget paying for the Tignanello brand, drink this instead and save $150.

Where does one find Cabernet Sauvignon value? Napa adjacent vineyards like this estate wine from Alexander Valley would easily cost $80-120/bottle if it had a Napa AVA label on it. This wine is fresh, pure, and just delicious. Stunning aromas of black currant, tobacco leaf, black cherry, olive, white sage, blackberry liqueur and sweet French oak. Though lush and soft on the palate, drink now or age for 5-8 years.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous is already calling 2021 in Napa a “vintage of the decade” with a 95-98 pt score. This wine received a 95pt score. It should absolutely be priced at $75-100 at the winery, but the BHW model is to buy volume and pass the discount on to wine lovers like you. Here’s a chance to grab a rare Napa Cab wine deal. Don’t miss it.

Disclaimer: This wine is made by BHW founder, Greg Martellotto and we love this wine. It’s an epic third bottle or that red wine that pairs well with most any food including white fish or salmon. Why? There’s not much oak influence here and the focus is on the fruit. Raspberry bursts and a bright acid tension make this very crushable. Serve after chilling for 20 minutes in the refrigerator and now you’ll understand why Santa Barbara is such an exciting region for Rhone varietals.

A famed single vineyard for old vine Zinfandel from a warmer part of the relatively cool Russian River Valley makes this wine a joy to drink. Plus, it’s already 8 years young and it’s really in a sweet drinking window. Plus it’s 50% off the winery price, so either way, you’re going to be laughing to friends about how you scored this deal.

If you’re having people over or a holiday party, or if you just like no fuss wines that offer bright fruit and pair perfectly with an impromptu BBQ, this is your jam. Petite Sirah has its own dedicated fandom and once you taste this wine, you’ll understand why. We don’t carry a lot of Petite Sirah, but this is a recurring winner. Every time this wine comes in stock, it sells out quickly.

Another 94 point Decanter rating from a winemaker that trained with Philippe Melka, this blend includes Cab, Syrah and Grenache. Bright flavors of blackberry and fig combine with a dose of vanilla and oak to make this a slam dunk.