Gallo Family Twin Valley - White Zinfandel @@ (2 corks)

Retails: $5.99 (Wal-Mart)

The Boss family in America when it comes to exporting wine is Gallo. If Tony Soprano (of The Sopranos) were into wines, he'd be Julio and/or Ernest Gallo.

The Gallo name is a paradox for me. They are synonymous with both high-end wines and also the crap that comes in a four-pack at your local 7-11--don't lie, we've all been there. I can remember days when I was on the road with the video crew and we'd be in some po-dunk town and have nothing better to do than raid the local convenience store for cheap beer and wine in a 4-pack. Gallo distributes wines under several brands including Ecco Domani, Bella Sera, Turning Leaf and Barefoot. If you're an avid wine drinker, you know that there's quite a bit of difference in price between Ecco Domani and Barefoot.

Twin Valley is one of their lower-priced varieties and I can say truthfully, it tastes more like a very diluted cranberry juice than wine. Don't get me wrong, if you're not in it for the taste and rather, in it for the after effects, it's not a bad wine--FYI white wines will give you less of a hangover than reds because the amount of sulfates in this and other light colored liquids is less. But, if you do enjoy a more full-bodied wine, this is probably going to leave you somewhat disappointed.