They’re everywhere and more prevalent than ever. Mass produced bargain wines are now a staple on grocery store shelves and in the aisles of large wine retailers. With all the cheap wine options you may be asking, why would I pay $50 for a bottle of wine when there’s plenty of wine out there for 5 five to 10 bucks? The real question is what is in that five-dollar bottle.

We’ve all done it. We’re walking the aisles of our favorite wine store or browsing the web for wine and we see it. “California Cabernet Sauvignon – James Suckling 96 Points!” Since every new bottle of wine is a gamble and experts have endorsed these wines, we figure that they are our safest bet. We buy them; get the wine home; prepare our favorite dish; decant the wine; and take that first much anticipated sip only to be completely and utterly let down by what touches our palate. What in the hell happened? Well… you my friend have just been ratefished.