About Us

Dawn Klingensmith

I am a lover of wine and the written word. I feel privileged to make my living as a writer. And when my subject is wine, I feel I might just as well be writing about books. Wine tells a story. Like a novel, an engaging wine has chapters that unfold as you drink it. Often, there's a surprise ending. When it comes to wines, I am merely a transcriber. I relate the sensory experiences, moods and, yes, the stories they impart to me.

Paul Thomas

Paul is a Realtor® who lives in Orlando, Florida, and works with his wife as a team who specialize in the sale and setup of vacation homes in the Disney area. He has also been a Recording Engineer and Producer who produced CD's for bands and artists as owner of Specialty Recording and Music, as well as being a singer, songwriter and musician. Previously, he was a wine steward working for Levy Restaurants at Disney World, helping guests with wine in a down to earth manner. He got the wine bug in 1993, and began learning all he could about wine, as well as collecting.

Richard Beaudin

My first introduction to wine occurred many years ago as an exchange student in Switzerland. Now I can’t say that the initial experience at first turned me into a wine enthusiast. However, it certainly got things going as a wine consumer - typically Chateauneuf Du Pape at approximately 80 centimes per bottle (translated: very inexpensive and a fraction of the cost today.

After graduation and several years in manufacturing, my career took a different path in high tech, first in Computer Aided Manufacturing, then Computer Aided Design, software development, and from applications to marketing, and finally business and channel development. During this time I frequently traveled on business across many countries in Europe such as France, Germany, Spain and Italy as well as the Far East including Australia and New Zealand.

These are the years in which I became more and more familiar with the local wines .. and equally appreciative of what a bottle of local wine represents in terms of culture, geography, language, custom, chemistry, agriculture, and simply dedication to hard work, but one in which you can have your wine and drink it too.. so to speak!

Although my preference is red (Syrah, Malbec, Carignanne, Carmenere, Merlot, etc.), I appreciate many types of wine to include dry and off dry whites (Chenin blanc, Riesling, Torrontes, Viognier and Marsanne) as well as desert wines and vintage port.

As my enthusiasm for wine increases, I have turned to making my own wine as well. Your appreciation grows when you can understand the process of making wine .. an art and personal expression for winemakers for thousands of years. Looking forward to reaping the rewards of my labor . . . tonight .

G. Edward Jones

Gary is an exceptionally well connected business executive He has experience and a track record in all aspects of business development and management from start-up to monetization through acquisition of companies.

A visionary leader and team builder who has built and managed strong, effective teams but is able to be hands-on when required. His proven performance has covered SMB markets across both low and hi-tech industries in Silicon Valley for over 35 years. He has a substantial history of being a leader who is dedicated and committed to growth through strategy and tactics. Well known for his entrepreneurial spirit, having a positive attitude, being a rainmaker, and inventive problem solver. He is known for his high character which is faithful to family values. He is trustworthy, and well networked in the Silicon Valley business and social community.

More information on Mr. Jones can be found at: www.linkedin.com/in/garyejones

Brendan P. Heather

I grew up in San Francisco, CA, near the bosom of the California wine world! And yet, despite being but an hour away from the magical landscapes and wonderful wineries of Napa and Sonoma counties, it was the golden sweetness of the German Rieslings which first aroused my palate. During my high school years, my father bought a case of German wines annually, and every time he invited me to head down to the cellar to choose a wine for the evening’s repast, I invariably returned with a Riesling. My untrained senses did not have to work hard to appreciate the purity of that luscious juice, and I quickly learned how small sips, allowed to linger in the mouth, both unlocked the many flavors of the wine, and prolonged the enjoyment contained a small glass.

It was during my college years that trips to Napa in pursuit of free tasting rooms became the norm. I have family in Calistoga, ground zero for such activities, and they were always ready to house and feed a car-full of college kids freshly “touched” by the mystical elixirs of the region. In fact, my Uncle Roger, who lived in Calistoga, and always entertained us with his unmatched wit and famous Chateau Briand and Ravioli dinners, was a singular influence in my still nascent appreciation of the power and allure of fine wine. He was a construction worker by trade, and at some point, as if to soften the edges of his foul mouth and course sense of humor, he developed a real love for the great wines of France. What a remarkable contrast it was to see him put out his Salem Menthol cigarette and then pour another glass of a Chateau Petrus or a Lynch Bages. He was fiercely proud of his sophisticated knowledge and tastes (the menthol not withstanding), and his appreciative glow after each sip, coupled with his running commentary on the magnificence of the moment, resonates with me to this day.

I now drink wine with passion and purpose. Give me a glass of Vine Cliff Merlot, a Jordan Cabernet, or a Rombauer Zin, and you no longer need to worry about me. I have been fortunate enough to enjoy wines from all over the world at every price point, and I am happy to report that the sense of wonder and awe induced by a $100 Napa Cabernet is often matched, and even eclipsed, by the thrill and excitement of discovering the spectacular $8 Barossa Valley Shiraz. I look forward to wearing out my corkscrew and sharing my discoveries with you, and I invite you to return the favor.

Ann Antes

My love and passion for wine began innocently at a local wine store almost 20 years ago. Sure I drank wine before that, I even studied in Paris both in high school and college, but I didn't "explore" wine, I simply drank it without studying it. My husband and I stopped to buy a bottle of wine in a small shop in our town and they were hosting their weekly wine tasting. We tasted a variety of wines and found ourselves in that shop every Saturday exploring new and interesting wines.

At about the same time I began to explore another passion, cooking. Of course the result of those two passions work in perfect harmony together and I became obsessed with pairing the perfect wines to my creative work in the kitchen.

To continue my "education" in food and wine, I attended countless cooking classes and wine tastings over the years. One of my most memorable classes was with the late Julia Child. She was preparing a spring lamb stew and declared to the class (as she was drinking a glass of wine from the bottle she just used to deglaze her skillet) that if you can't drink the wine, you shouldn't cook with it. That was a huge revelation to me - and made me realize that its not the price of the wine that is important it's the quality of the wine. I wouldn't want to cook with a $100 bottle of Cab! My husband and I began to explore wines from all continents and all price ranges and that's when I discovered a $20 bottle of wine could be every bit a good as a $100 bottle of wine.

I still continue to explore new and interesting wines, but admittedly as I mature, I have realized that I love certain wines from certain places. As you read reviews of the wines I drink, you will most likely identify a trend to my wine drinking patterns, but I promise to throw in a few reviews of wines that you may think I wouldn't drink, good, bad or indifferent.

Julie Bishop: Webmaster

A few years back, my husband and I were fortunate to live in Southern France for a year. During that time, we frequented wonderful French Restaurants and had many opportunities to savor delicious regional wines. At that point in our lives we realized how an exquisite bottle of wine could make all the difference whether you were enjoying an ultimate dining experience or just having a group of friends over for a casual meal.

Ever since our overseas adventure, wine became our focus when dining. We had a wine cellar built in our house, joined wine of the month clubs and started appreciating many different wines in all different price ranges.

As Webmaster, I am responsible for: reviewing and approving reciprocal link requests; the posting of the wine reviews; reviewing, approval, and tracking of the affiliate programs; search engine optimization; and overall marketing of the site. If you'd like to join our Good Wine Cheap marketing community please send an e-mail to webmaster@goodwinecheap.com.

Scott Bishop: Owner - Proprietor

My wife and I were extremely lucky in the mid 90's because I got the opportunity to go to work at my company's European headquarters in Sophia Antipolis, in the south of France, near Nice. It was a wonderful two years. A time when I learned what it really meant to eat and dine.

It was here I started to develop my love for wine. I'll never forget when it first happened. My wife and I were in this wonderful little restaurant called La Mirabelle, in Cannes, France. It was quaint with maybe 6 or 8 tables. We started with the suggested apperetif, a Kir Royal.

With the meal, we asked the Sommelier to select the wine. It was a delicious full-bodied Bordeaux. The smell was bold and beautiful.

I took my first sip, and that's when it hit me. My body tingled and my insides got all warm. It was a complete physical reaction to an amazing wine.

That's where my passion started and I still feel the same way today. A great wine still makes me warm and tingly. As you can imagine, I'm still a bit partial to Bordeauxs but I've found many other types of wines over the years that also give me the same reaction.

Now I live my passion by trying to find good cheap wines that make me tingle. When I do find them, I pass the word on to other Average Joe wine drinkers through this web site. I hope you enjoy!