Bill Ward is the Star Tribune’s wine columnist. His website Decant This! includes lots of profiles, primers and posts. He offers personalized itineraries for trips to Napa, Sonoma and Willamette Valley at decant-this.com/travel-planner.
In the wine world, “drink up” is not so much a command to knock down the rest of a glass as a way to classify bottles that punch well above their weight class.
The $12-and-under category is a minefield. Just because a wine is cheap doesn’t make it a bargain; if you don’t like the wine, it’s worth exactly $0.00. It’s immensely easier to find offerings in the $12-to-$18 range that taste like something worth twice the price.
That said, here are some great values in the $12-and-under group:
White
*Domaine de Pouy
Spain is known for its bargain wines, but southern France rivals its neighbor in quality and quantity of value wines. Like this delicious, lip-smackin’ blend of the ugni blanc and colombard grapes
*Menard Cuvee Marine
Another ugni blanc-colombard (with a little gris mamnseng) gem from southwest France, this fruity beauty has a marvelously bracing finish
*Portuga Vinho Branco
Fresh and flavorful, this Portuguese marvel was made for summer’s two “P’s”: picnics and the patio.
*Elsa Bianchi Chardonnay
The fruit shines in this low-oak white from, of all places, Argentina. It’s as food-friendly as any chardonnay out there.
*Le Hameau Sauvignon Blanc
The essence of spring in a bottle, both aromatically and flavor-wise, this wine has a surpassing purity and focus from start to finish.
*Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling
The purity of fruit and spot-on acidity mean that this wine fairly floats above the palate, with a mouth-watering dry finish to bring you back for more.
*Gazela, Fuzelo and Broadbent Vinho Verde
Fresh, lively and the very definition of briskness, these effervescent jewels are almost too easy-drinking; good thing they’re generally low in alcohol.
*New Age
Speaking of brisk, this one might taste like a cocktail of wine and Sprite, but who cares when it’s this tasty? It’s a perfect quaffer after a, yes, brisk walk, run or yard work, and a spritzer for the 21st century.
Red
*La Vieille Ferme: A staple at our household for more years than we care to share (lest we divulge our age), this blend from Southern France is easy-drinking but surprisingly complex. A great inexpensive thanksgiving wine, btw.
*Pedroncelli “Friends”: A zesty, spicy, fruity delight, this blend shows that it’s still possible to make delicious fermented grape juice in increasingly pricey Sonoma.
*Zestos Garnacha: This is a true Old World wine, meaning some earthiness and acidity come to the fore. But the fruit is yummerific. Almost as good, and a bit jammier, are two other Spanish garnachas, the Evodia and the Monte Oton.
*Finca Flichman Malbec: This ever-popular varietal is often super-fruity or super-oaky, but this inexpensive offering avoids both traps, delivering hearty berry flavors and a semi-sturdy finish.
*Vino Ventisquero Yali Cabernet-Carmenere: A Chilean blend with uncommon depth for the price, this comes from one of the most eco-friendly operations in the wine world.
*Our Daily Red: Speaking of “green” wines, this one has no sulfites and is made with organic grapes from California’s burgeoning Central Valley. It’s earthier than most of its bulk-produced peers, with some nice pep at the end.
*Barefoot “Impression” Red: This nonvintage wine starts out super-jammy, then deftly straddles the line between sweet and dry. It’s spicy and laden with dark fruit, making it a great fit for barbecue or pizza night.
*Venta Morales Tempranillo: Back to Spain for a juicy, perfectly ripe treat with enough jolt and backbone to avoid being a fruit bomb.
Red and white
*Shania: Boxed wines are better than ever, and both the white and red renditions of this Spanish brand could fairly be called Exhibit A. Coming in at the equivalent of $7-$8 a bottle, they provide a month’s worth of flavor and freshness. Fantastic bargains.
Brand shopping
Some West Coast wineries offer great value in a practice called “line pricing” (each varietal costs the same). Look for anything from McManis (especially the cabernet and viognier), Cycles Gladiator, Bogle (especially the petite sirah and “Essential Red”) and Columbia Crest Grand Estates, as well as a pair from Charles Smith: the “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling and “Velvet Devil” Merlot.
FYI: Not every store is going to have these wines — it’s impossible given the volume out there — but a worthy winemonger can order them if you ask.
