I know what you’re probably thinking. The same thing I was thinking when I was opening this $2.97 bottle of Oak Leaf Vineyards Chardonnay from Walmart.

$2.97!?!….Walmart?!?….This is not going to be good for anyone…

Well…it turns out I actually enjoyed this wine.

Now it’s possible that my generally positive reaction was merely a result of some very low expectations going in, and this wine is really not as good as I think it is. Only better than I thought it was going to be.

Either way, for $2.97 it struck me as a wonderful bargain. And not only for drinking.

I was trying this wine while preparing a pan seared Tilapia for dinner and used it to liberally deglaze the pan to create the foundation for an awesome sauce.

Chef juice, indeed. (hat tip to Heather)

Over the holidays, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to sample a variety of higher priced Chardonnays and I can’t say that I found this wine to be better than those wines costing more than 10 times as much. I didn’t — though pleasant and easy to drink, the Oak Leaf Vineyards Chardonnay did come across as a pretty simple wine. Still, I’d be interested in seeing how it held up in a blind tasting.

It wouldn’t surprise me if it performed better than a lot of people could ever imagine.

Ultimately, for the price, I think it’s tough to beat the value this wine delivers. Not to mention the added bonus of mingling with the people of Walmart when you shop.

Wine: Oak Leaf Vineyards Chardonnay
Three Nine Wine rating: (3.5/5)