[javadog]

I suppose "bad" wine is a relative thing. I'n not talking about wine that has become undrinkable, I'm talking about wine that is mid-pack in quality, with no characteristics that elevate it above the herd. I haven't had a $20-30 bottle of red that I would recommend to someone as a "great" wine. Maybe they are out there but bottles in that price range are typically too young to drink, or poor enough that they'll never be great. Once you've had a nice vintage from one the great wine producers of France, you know what is possible. That amount of money will buy a decent white wine, but again, the truly good stuff probably starts around $50 and goes up from there.

In my neck of the woods, there are maybe fewer choices in the liquor stores than in the big cities, but I'd bet that most of the truly great wine are bought up before they get anywhere near a liquor store shelf. We have a few restaurants around here that have world class wine selections and the good stuff is pretty pricey.

Personal taste plays a role, as well. I'm partial to reds from Bordeaux, as well as Tuscany. I like whites from Bordeaux and Burgundy. There's other stuff out there that's good but I like certain styles and certain grapes. Like anything else, I tend to go back to what I have enjoyed in the past.