If there’s one thing a BrokeAss gourmand can’t afford, it’s fine wine. Good thing for us, then, that some of the very best wines are actually the cheapest.

No. I am not going to suggest that Charles Shaw really is a worthy wine for the downtrodden. It’s not. In fact, it’s the only wine I know of that can make you gag before you’re drunk. Nor am I about to assure readers that there are many excellent wines under $20 – because people who consider $20-and-under wines to be bargain deals can’t possibly be broke and therefore have no business reading this column.

But how’s $5.99? That is the retail price of one of the best-selling organic wines in America. It’s just a simple red blend called WELL REaD, produced by Heartswork Winery in Lodi, California, but what makes the wine so remarkable are its ingredients; it is made with nothing but yeast and organic grape juice, unlike many conventional wines, which may be laden with preservatives, yeast nutrients, stabilizers, clarifying agents and more.

The “organic” in WELL REaD is the key point. Certified as such by the USDA, the wine is guaranteed to contain no petroleum-based products, no irradiated matter, and nothing derived from sewage sludge. I think we can trust that most conventional wines don’t contain sewage or plutonium, but almost all of them do contain sulfur dioxide (SO2), or sulfites. This synthetic preservative protects a wine from various sorts of subtle damage, most notably oxidation spoilage, and there have been cases in which entire bottlings of organic wine have gone bad on shelves.

Thus, connoisseurs often steer clear of the organic wine department, and the notoriety that spoiled bottles of organic wine have lent to the entire genre has produced a very fascinating market feature: Organic wines are on average cheaper than conventional wines. (Try finding organic strawberries a quarter the price of the regular.)

It’s true: There is a substantially higher risk that any given bottle of organic wine (compared to conventional wine) will be spoiled upon opening (so save those receipts), but for some that little risk is worth it. Much anecdotal evidence suggests that organic wines do not cause, among other disagreeable symptoms, headaches. This is a matter of debate, but Phil LaRocca, a maker of relatively pricey (up to $50) organic wines near Chico, once told me these convincing words: “Anytime that anyone – whether it’s Joe Shmoe or my grandchildren – eats food without chemicals in it, how can that not be better for you?” I don’t know how to spell Shmoe, but LaRocca’s message rings of sense and truth: Ingest fewer chemicals and more pure foods, and you’ll live long and prosper.

Heartswork Winery operates simultaneously under the name of Our Daily Red and Orleans Hill, and in total the business makes some half-dozen or so USDA organic wines – all of them about halfway between ten and zero dollars. Find more information here.

As you’ve been reading BrokeAss Gourmet, some of you have probably been thinking of wines that will work with the dishes you’re going to whip up on a budget. Well, as discussed before, there are plenty of cheap (it’s not a bad word!) wines that can work but don’t be afraid to be adventurous in your picks.

What does that mean? Try wines from countries that you haven’t explored or perhaps that you would like to visit sometime, try a varietal that is new to you or replace a well known type of wine with something similar but for less money.

Start slowly in your wine adventures and find a Malbec from Argentina (they have rightly become much more popular and available recently) rather than settling for that grocery store Cabernet that you might have picked otherwise. Malbec makes an enjoyable wine, distinguished by plummy dark-fruit flavors, subtle tastes of the earth and good acidity, all of which makes it a good food wine.

An example of a great Malbec on a budget is Valle Perdido from Patagonia, although most will come from the Mendoza region. It was a huge hit at The Wine Mine during a Malbec tasting a few weeks ago. It costs only $10 ($12 most places), has wide appeal and can be served on it’s own or with a variety of foods. It has deep but accessible fruit, due to only moderate tannins, along with some light barrel overtones of vanilla and cedar. Other good choices are Zolo Malbec for $8.99 or a Crios (by Susanna Balbo) for $11.99. Although it can sometimes be hard to find the specific wines mentioned in articles, just find a good wine shop that is happy to help and ask for something like it in price and characteristic.

Go ahead and bring out your newly found Malbec with some lighter appetizers – it will work fine. If you want to spend a fortune in time and $s you can then pair it up with some fancy Thomas Keller dish or, much better, serve Gabi’s Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce or evenReal Mac and Cheese or Black Bean Burgers with Sriracha Aioli . You’ll be glad you did!

This recipe has become a family favorite over the years. It is quick and simple. It can be made ahead and re-warmed. It is delicious with couscous or rice and a steamed green vegetable. The chicken recipe was adapted from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan. Knopf, 1982.

Hmm, when I was asked to contribute to a site called BrokeAss Gourmet I have to say that I wondered “why ask a dumbass wino to help with that?” Then I realized that, although I own a wine shop I’m not a wino (the other part – ?) and that I know quite a bit about wine that won’t break the bank as that’s what I specialize in. OK, not such a bad fit – perhaps they’ve thought this through.

Without guidance as to subject matter such as matching wine to meals, types of wine to look for, what is a grape, etc. I’m going to start with something simple but important:

Have fun!!

Nothing about looking for wine, buying it and then enjoying it with a date, friends, or family should be a pain in the BrokeAss. Take your $10 bucks (more or less also works) with you to a shop that isn’t intimidating and that has someone who actually knows the wines. I admit this tends to rule out your local supermarket or chain store selling wine but going there is like going to the pharmacy looking for cold medicine – 600 different types across 12 feet of shelf space and who knows which one works better for what. The prices aren’t so hot either.

A good shop helps you sift through all that selection and should nicely guide you to something cheap (yes cheap – not inexpensive) but good and fun. There are a lot of wines out there that fit that bill and many of them will work with whatever you’re going to cook and pair the wine with.
So, don’t be intimidated, set your budget and go find some wine. Oh and be adventurous – I’ll talk about that next time.

We have a massive crush on Food Network chef Dave Lieberman (OK, I have a crush on him. Adam just likes his food.) But seriously, Lieberman is smart, funny, and HOT. Oh, and also, he is totally BrokeAss-friendly! He specializes in food that is tasty and fancy-looking—but inexpensive and made from ingredients that are easy to procure. The following recipe is adapted from a recipe from his cookbook Dave’s Dinners that is perfect for a romantic dinner for two. Serve it with a light Zonnin Prosecco from Trader Joe’s.