WINE CHAT: 11 Great Wines for $11 (or Less!)

Despite the news that a case of wine recently sold for over $20,000 per bottle, good wine can be had without breaking the bank!  The previous edition of Wine Chat focused on how to approach shopping for wine.  A central part of that strategy is finding some decent everyday drinking wine for very modest prices in order to still be able to put some pricier bottles into your case too.  So here I give you some pointers for finding wine bargains, and more importantly, a shopping list of 11 great wines for $11 or less!

• Find undervalued varietals.  You won't find pinot noir on this list.  The finicky grape is hard to grow but great when done right.  It was already pricy based on the supply and demand, then the movie Sideways didn't help.  Cote du Rhone and other red blends are much easier to find in the bargain department than popular grapes like pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon.
• Find undervalued regions.  A Burgundy did make the cut here, but it's unusual to find a great value from one of the top regions.  Look for up and coming regions--I've found several good bargains from Argentina, for instance.  Spain has been producing wine for too long to properly be considered "up and coming" but still offers many good deals, too.
• Look for entry level wines.  Many producers of highly-esteemed bottles that can set you back quite a bit also offer "entry level" wines that are still very good quality.  Typically these wines might be a blend as opposed to from a single vineyard, which keeps the price down.  The Ravenswood on the list fits this criteria; their higher-end, single vineyard old vine zins make my splurge list, whereas the vintners blend belongs here.

Now, the threshold for wine bargains seems to keep getting higher.  But I've still managed to find 11 very good wines for $11 or less here.  I've tried to be pretty eclectic--6 reds, 5 whites, 4 continents, and no more than 2 of the same varietal.  I'm sure some of you have some tips too--please share!

2005 Sepp Gruner Veltliner ($10).  This has a big round mouthfeel, hints of lemon and a bit of fizz on the finish, making for a refreshing taste. 

2004 Renwood Zinfandel ($11)  A late edition to the list!  I opened this the other night, enjoyed its blackberry taste with smooth finish.  Complex for an inexpensive wine...could it qualify for the $11 wine article?  Grabbed the receipt and yes, it made the cut!

2005 Saint-Esrpit Delas Cote Du Rhone ($11)  Violet on the bouquet. Lively jammy fruit, with some good structure for a wine in this price range.

2006 Alamos Viogner ($10) Alamos is another great source for bargains from Argentina.  This viogner is refreshing and goes well with spicy foods.  Alamos also has a good malbec and interesting pinot noir.

2005 Astica Torrontes ($8) this version of Argentina's signature white grape provides bright flavors including ripe citrus and a touch of grapefruit like tartness. 

2004 Toscolo Chianti ($10) A fruity chianti, less tannic than some of this varietal.  Targeted for the American market I suppose; I won't complain at this price for a wine that's a good match for a simple pasta dish.

2005 Macon-Lugny Chardonnay ($11)  This wine is an affordable foray into white Burgundies, which usually fetch double this price at minimum. Lugny is a village in the Macon appelation known for good quality chardonnay, which shows well in this 100% chard bottling.  The light citrus taste and mineral tones make it a good match for food.

Borsao Grenache  I'm going to list this generally because there a couple easy to find bottles of this Spanish grenache that are comfortably under $10.  Let this one breathe a bit and you'll have a big fruity red that goes well with pizza, burgers and other simple foods.

2004 Ravenswood Zinfandel Vintners Blend ($10) Ravenswood has long been one of my favorite producers; they have some high-end, old vine zins worth the splurge, but their vintners blend is still a good wine in my book.  Previously here I explored the difference between their different levels of zin.

2005 Woop Woop Shiraz ($11)  Trying to round out this list, the Woop Woop makes the cut for at least two reasons.  First, seems like this list ought to have something from Down Under; second, the botle and really cool ("woop woop" is Outback slang for the middle of nowhere).  Oh, yes, it's a good hearty shiraz that stands up well to beef and other grilled meat.

Nahe Kreuznacher Kronenberg Riesling Spatlese ($10) For number 11, I'll borrow from friend and new Gather member John's suggestion posted to my previous column.  A riesling rounds out the list nicely and John has good taste!  He explains his choice, "Spatlese = late(r) harvest, gives a little more complexity to the luscious German whites. Typically sweet riesling with a little citrus and some rich tartness. Also, it so happens it's a "Qualitatswein mit Pradikat" the highest German appellation."

I hope you are able to find one or more of these and enjoy!

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 has a new blog Just the Wine where you can search for wine recommendations to match foods you are making.  By day, David is the President and Founder of Social Capital Inc.