WINE CHAT Best 2008 Bargains

I'm probably better qualified to choose wine bargains of the year than the higher end sort, given that I purchase far more of the former than the latter.  I still gave it my best shot to do an over Best Wines of 2008 list, but I suspect this Best Bargains list of a dozen great wine values will be printed out by more readers!

Strictly speaking, getting a $25 wine that drinks like a $40 could be considered a bargain.  But for this list, I was looking for wines that are affordable and taste great for the price, so I set $15 as the maximum price to make this list.  Interestingly, my search for bargains yielded wines from more countries (7) than the pricier list (4).  And pinot noir is the only varietal listed twice.  So it would seem the lesson here would be for great wine values, think about getting off the beaten path both in terms of grapes and geography.  Well, enough prelude, here's the list!

2006 Pine & Post Chardonnay ($10) Clean, moderate touch of oak and butter, with citrus elements.  A good chardonnay from Washington State to have on hand for meals that call for a simple, full-bodied white.

2006 Meridian Pinot Noir ($10)  I recently came across this one that has gotten accolades in the value category.  Medium-bodied, well-structure wine drinks like one at least twice the price!

2006 Angeline Pinot Noir ($15) from Sonoma County to accompany the meal.  If we do happen to open a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night it is typically a humble table wine, so this elegant pinot noir elevated the occasion to special status.  This is a well-structured wine, with supple fruit and hints of chocolate that became more pronounced as the wine breathes.  Definitely a good value for the price.

2006 Verget du Sud Vin de Pays de Vaucluse ($10),  a blend of Marsanne and Rousanne from Provence.  This wine features a citrusy bouquet and a slight mineral undertone to provide some structure. 

Casal Garcia Vinho Verde ($7) from Portugal was a delightful sipping wine to enjoy in our yard on a beautiful sunny evening.  A light citrus taste and gentle bubbles made it a nice accompaniment for our cheese.  While the delicate flavors lend themselves to summer sipping, at this price it's worth having around throughout the year.

2005 Santa Ema Carmenere ($12) Carmenere is a grape with an interesting story.  It has its roots in Bordeaux as a blending grape, and now flourishes in Chile.  Many vines there were originally thought to be Merlot but later it was realized that they were this varietal.  This carnmenere has an earthy wood bouquet and lush cherry taste with vanilla and toast. 

2007 Hugo Gruner Veltliner ($10)  I've become a fan of this Austrian white grape, especially in the summer.  This one has a fresh taste and hint of effervescence, served as a nice match for a light pasta dish and is also pleasant for sipping by itself.

2005 Mercades Eguren Shyraz Tempranillo ($10) I really enjoyed this interesting blend of Shiraz and Tempranillo (a 50/50 blend) from the Castilla region of Spain.  Velvety texture with blackberry fruit and a hint of spice.  A nice match for  pork chops topped with pesto.

2006 McManis Petite Syrah ($13) hails from a newly named California wine region, the River Junction appellation. It's south of Lodi in the San Joaquin Valley. I've also previously enjoyed one of their cabs, also at a good price.  The petite sirah was a great match for the roasted porterhouse steak when I first had it last winter, and I made a note to keep it in mind for grilling season!

2007 Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc ($13)  This Californian Sauvignon Blanc was apparently the hit of the Nantucket Wine Festival, and it certainly is a good wine for the price.  Fresh bouquet, taste of citrus and a touch of honey.  I might not have picked it as Sauvignon Blanc in a blind taste.  I pick up a bottle or two of this every time I run across it! 

Zabu Nero D'Avola ($11) Bouquet of rose.  Blackberry taste, supple mouthfeel with long finish.  Keep the Neros coming! From Sicily.

2006 Ermita de Nieve Verdejo ($10) A crisp, clean taste with a hint of citrus. A Spanish wine, 100% verdejo grapes. One of the best buys of the bunch here, it was paired well with this wonderful scallops with arugala mint cream recipe I found.

David Crowley, Gather Food Correspondent

David enjoys sharing good food and wine with family and friends.  David writes about his wine explorations and discoveries in his column, "Wine Chat", a twice-monthly feature of Gather Essentials:  Food.   He also blogs at Cooking Chat.  By day, David is the President and Founder of Social Capital Inc.