We can't think of any California wineries that have much respect for a five dollar bill.  Many in Napa ask you for $10 merely for the privilege of them "allowing" you to taste their wines (in hopes you'll spend the king's ransom it takes to secure a bottle of wine).

We probably have the best selection of Five Buck wines in the Bay Area, as we think it's important for a good bottle of wine to be available for small money.  The San Francisco Chronicle printed an article on "Bargain Wines" and our little wine emporium was cited as being a Bay Area leader in value-priced wines.

Here are some suggestions from our current offerings:

BORSAO  Still SALE PRICED  $6.49
From the Aragon region of Spain comes this amazingly "soulful" wine.  It's dark in color and teeming with berryish fruit and a mildly spice note.

A blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo....the 2007 is delicious!

Please note: Aside from the fact that this is a dynamite bottle of wine for six bucks-and-change, it makes a superb Sangria!

QUINTA DAS AMORAS  $5.99

The fellow who owns this estate is a real wine fancier and aficionado.  We trekked to his winery in Portugal's Estremadura region and found a number of really interesting wines...all well-made and of good quality.  

The wine is a blend of Castelão (Periquita), Camarate, Tinta Miúda and Touriga Nacional.  Medium-bodied and showing a dried cherry note, it's drinkable now and over the next year or so...

VIU MANENT  CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SALE PRICE $4.99
We're big fans of this producer.  While you can buy thin, watery, sweet wine from California's Central Valley under labels such as Mondavi's Woodbridge, here's a dry, medium-full bodied red of exceptional intensity in this price range.

No oak.  A couple of weeks' maceration on the skins, so this even has a bit of tannin!  

LURTON PINOT GRIS  SALE $7.99
The Lurton brothers are French, with winemaking projects around the world.  

We've been mighty impressed with their work with Pinot Gris at their Argentinean winery.  This is a rather dry white that is remarkably classy and comes close to capturing the fruit of good Pinot Gris from France's Alsace region

CHARAMBA     SALE PRICE $5.49
Here's a dynamite red wine from Portugal's Douro Valley, a region that's famous for Port.

This is made of some of the same grapes that go into Port, except the wine is vinified dry.

You'll find some wonderfully spicy, peppery notes here as we liken this to a good Côtes du Rhône.

If you pour this into a fancy decanter and give it an hour or two to "breathe," your wine 'geek' friends will all guess this as something far more noble than a five buck red wine.

SANTA RITA

The "120" Series of Cabernet is not going to remind a connoisseur much of Mouton-Rothschild or Haut Brion.

But it is a delicious little red wine.

Though vinified from Cabernet, the wine is not tannic and it's smooth enough to drink now.  Think of it as "Cabernet meets Beaujolais."
In fact, we like it served lightly chilled.  

 

Currently in stock:  SANTA RITA "120" CABERNET SAUVIGNON  SALE $5.99

 

 

ALANDRA  Portuguese Red and White

Theses two simple table wines are amazingly good and they're attractively priced.
The red is dry, fairly soft on the palate and easy to drink.  It doesn't strike us as being "made for the American market," either...good, honest table wines.

No oak...the white is dry and fresh...really amazing for such a modest price.


Currently in stock:  ALANDRA RED $5.99
ALANDRA WHITE $5.99

GATO NEGRO CABERNET/MERLOT  SALE $4.99

This is vinified in the style of Beaujolais, so you'll find a very fruity, berryish quality to the wine.  We find it enjoyable as a picnic red and like it served moderately chilled, since it's smooth and virtually without tannin.  

They now are sold in a screw-cap bottle.

CITRA MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO  SALE $5.49

This brand is a cooperative enterprise comprising 5000 grape growers and 10 winemaking facilities...It's huge.

But they make a credible red wine from Montepulciano...good, basic, simple plonk...A bit berryish and medium-bodied.  

Got spaghetti?

 

 

 

NATHANSON CREEK CABERNET  SALE $3.49
NATHANSON CREEK CHARDONNAY SALE $3.49

We bought numerous bottles of really inexpensive wines to taste and evaluate.  We think it's important to offer decent entry-level wines.

The best of the bunch were from the Nathanson Creek portfolio.  The brand was originally part of the Sebastiani family of wines, named after a little creek in Sonoma.

They sold off the label to another company which sells Central Valley "juice" at a very modest price.  The wines are intended for sale in restaurants where they can be poured "by the glass" for five bucks.  

The Chardonnay is a clean, anonymous, simple dry white.  No oak.  
The Cabernet tastes like a Central Valley (warm or hot climate fruit from high yield vineyards) red wine...low in acidity, a bit flat, soft and, again, no oak.

ABEL CLEMENT 2008 Côtes du Rhône Blanc $7.99
Grenache Blanc is the predominant grape is this remarkably delicious dry white wine.  If a California vintner made this it would cost $30 and critics would proclaim the winemaker to be a hero for making such a good wine at such a reasonable price.
It's terrific.

PROTOCOLO  Sale $6.49
Here's a supple, smooth, medium-bodied Spanish red that's less fruity than the Borsao, for example.
It's a more 'traditionally-made' style of red wine.

IL POGGIO SANGIOVESE di ROMAGNA  Sale $6.99

This comes from a rather large winery in Emilia Romagna and it's not a particularly profound or exceptional red wine.  

Yet we have many fans who buy this as an accompaniment to a simple plate of Spaghetti & Meatballs or Lasagna...the wine simply "works" well on the dinner table (no table cloth, please!).

RESERVE DE L'AUBE SYRAH / MERLOT BLEND $6.99

Wow...remarkably nice wine--Rhône Meets Bordeaux.  It comes from the large Rhône merchant, J.P. Brotte.  Medium bodied, berryish and showing lots of red fruit notes.  Smooth, too.  

MASCIARELLI "MONTEPULCIANO d'ABRUZZO"  SALE  $7.99

The late Gianni Masciarelli's wine is well-known in Italy and yet it's one of the best kept secrets here in the U.S.  

This is another one of those wines that, served in a decanter, tastes like a seriously more costly bottle of wine.  Medium to medium-full bodied.

MARQUES DE DAROCA  GRENACHE/SYRAH Blend  $7.99
Here's a fairly full-bodied red from Spain made from Syrah and Garnacha vines.  The French call the latter grape Grenache and when you buy it from fancy-schmancy (that's a technical term) places such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, bring your wife or husband, your pink slip and your checkbook.

This is a lovely example of a Rhône-styled blend...berryish, a hint of an earthy note and some spice (but not really peppery like some Grenache wines...more black and red fruit notes here).

Perfect for grilled or roasted red meats.

MARITMA  Tuscan Red $7.99
Here's a simple Sangiovese from southwestern Tuscany.  It's made by the Mantellasi winery.

It's a remarkably good wine and arrives here at an honest price, thanks to a good Bay Area importer.  No oak.  Nice cherry-like fruit and it's terrific with simple Italian-styled foods.

VIU MANENT  MALBEC  SALE 5.99  
Most people return after buying a bottle and leave with a 12-pack of this remarkably fine Chilean Malbec.  You won't find lots of wood in this wine, but you will find a robust red with plenty of dark fruit notes.

CASAL GARCIA VINHO VERDE  $6.99

This is a famous Portuguese white wine...it's low in alcohol, light in flavor and has just the right amount of oak...none!

McMANIS CABERNET SAUVIGNON SALE $9.99
McMANIS SYRAH  SALE $9.99
The McManis family has extensive acreage in the Central Valley, south of Lodi.

Winemaker Jeff Runquist, whose Runquist wines are very popular here at the shop, runs the cellar with another winemaker, Mike Robustelli.

These guys create some amazingly good and surprisingly stylish wines.  We're fans of their Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The Syrah is a dark, deep colored wine with lots of blackberry fruit and a touch of wood.  It's low in acidity and tannin, so drinking it now is ideal.

The Cabernet is as smooth as most commercial Merlots, but has a bit more body and richness.  It, too, is nicely oaked.

PELLEHAUT 2008 CÔTES de GASCOGNE $9.99
The Beraut brothers make a sensational dry white wine in the southwestern part of France...superb.  No oak.

SALVALAI 2008 PINOT GRIGIO  Sale $8.49
From Italy's Veneto region, this is a dry, light, simple, fresh Pinot Grigio.  Remarkably good.

MARK WEST 2008 California PINOT NOIR (Sale) $9.99
The Vino Fino boys had this wine in a recent blind-tasting of Pinot Noirs from Burgundy and California.  I insisted on including a $25 ringer from Chile and it won the tasting.  But the second place wine, finishing ahead of Burgundy from Tollot-Beaut and Ramonet was this lovely, charming little California wine.  The winemaker used to work at the Peter Michael Winery and produced wines which cost more for a single bottle than this costs for a case.  
It's not a hugely profound wine, but it is a delightful, sort of Beaujolais styled, exuberantly strawberryish Pinot.  Very nice.

ABEL CLEMENT 2007 GRENACHE  $6.99
One sales rep I poured this for got it right...I had asked him to guess how much this wine sells for.

"I'd say $12 for a French wine and $20 to $25 for a California."

And he's absolutely correct, except this remarkably delicious Vaucluse (Rhone area) red costs less than a six-pack of premium beer.  

If a California vintner had made this, wine writers would bestow sainthood on the winemaker.  Instead, this comes from a terrific grower's cooperative winery in the Southern Rhone.  Young, fresh, but not hugely fruity or grapey in the manner of a Beaujolais.  It's more restrained on the nose and has a gentleness and elegance on the palate.  

Seven bucks?  Are you kidding?  
Case discounts, too.

CONCHA Y TORO CARMENERE $9.99
I tasted a really nice example of Carmenere and it's reasonably priced at eight bucks.  
Medium bodied, there's a nice dark fruit character here with a nice touch of oak.
Smooth on the finish, too.

VINO SFUSO  SALE $6.99
Many Italians visit their local winery carrying empty "jugs" or demijohns in the car. 

When they get to the cellar or shop, they'll taste and see if they like the current offering of bulk wine...some places will fill up your bottles while others are "self serve."

We have a great example of this sort of everyday red wine...it comes from a really top winery in Italy's Abruzzo region and costs $6.99 presently.  Not fancy, but it's  pretty amazing wine for small money.

LELLO Douro Valley WHITE WINE Currently sold out...

While many Old World wine regions are embracing "international" varieties and planting Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah everywhere, Portugal still has traditional vines in traditional places.

Lello comes from the Douro Valley (famous for Port wines) in Northern Portugal.  The wine is named after the Lello family who have been associated with the Borges wine company in the Douro.

The wine has no Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc in it.  The blend features Malvasia-Fina, Gouveio, Viosinho and Rabigato.  Dry, mildly citrusy, lightly floral and non-wooded...remarkably good, especially at such a modest price level.

VALL MAJOR GRENACHE / SYRAH  $7.99

Here's a remarkably good Spanish red from the Celler Batea in the Terra Alta region.

This winery has been around since 1961 and they have more than 3000 acres of vineyards.  

The wine displays deep color and it's a bright, berryish red with a faintly spicy tone.  It's smooth and drinkable now. 

We like it served at cool cellar temp and it pairs well with red meats, roasted chicken, grilled sausages, roast pork and more...

MONCARO SANGIOVESE  SALE $6.99

In tasting various wines from Italy's Marche region, I was impressed that so many small, independent winemakers had great respect for the large Moncaro co-op winery.

Virtually everyone had good things to say about this producer and, having tasted a range of their wines, I understand why:  they DO make really good wines and they offer them at sensible prices.

Sangiovese from Moncaro is actually "fortified" with about 15% Montepulciano.  You'll find hints of red and black fruits on the nose and a mildly cherryish character on the palate.  Dry and not particularly tannic, this pairs well with soulful tomato-sauced pasta, pizza, grilled meats, etc.

We also have a lovely little Verdicchio from Moncaro...dry, fresh, crisp and ten bucks!

DOMAINE DUFFOUR CÔTES DE GASCOGNE $8.99

Michel Duffour is a brilliant producer of white wines...this is a delightful blend, but predominantly Ugni Blanc and Colombard.
Fresh, dry, and light (lower in alcohol than California Chardonnay, for example).

 

 

DOMAINE ASTRUC "SYRAH / VIOGNIER  $9.99

Domaine Astruc is an estate owned by Paul Mas, who acquired it a few years ago from the Astruc family.

We're big fans of their Northern Rhône-Wannabe, a blend of Syrah and Viognier.  Some marketing putz advised them to label it "Shiraz/Viognier," using the Australian term for Syrah.  But the wine is fare more reminiscent of a spicy, well-made Syrah from the Northern Rhône than it is of an oaky, flabby, slightly sweet red wine from Down Under.  

A new shipment (and new, fresh, young vintage) has arrived and it's a delight.  Vinified to be drinkable in its youth...delicious.

 

BODEGAS LAN 2005 RIOJA "CRIANZA"  $9.99

Lan makes good, sound, simple Rioja wines...In tasting through their line-up, I think the best wines are this entry level bottling and their high, high end deluxe wine.  
The 2005 is a medium-bodied, faintly-oaked Rioja...good for ten bucks.

 

GRILOS 2006 DÃO $9.99

This lovely, supple red from Portugal's Dão region used to cost $15.  
A new importer handles it and we're delighted to offer Grilos red for ten bucks.  Case discounts, too.

It's a nice, simple, medium-bodied red made of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo).  It displays red fruit tones on the nose and in the mouth...not tannic, so it's quite drinkable immediately.

PEDRONCELLI FRIENDS.RED  SALE $9.99

Sonoma County fruit...Merlot, Zin and Cab Franc.  A touch of oak.  Smooth, medium-bodied red...they had this on the drawing board well before the current economic downturn, but then Pedroncelli has always had good wines at honest, old-time prices.  It's quite good.

 

PELLEGRINI FAMILY BLEND  SALE $9.99

The Pellegrini family decided they ought to actually "sell" some wine instead of holding it at the winery.
Now they offer this remarkably nice ten-buck Sonoma County red, made from Zinfandel, Merlot and Carignane.  Smooth and medium-bodied.

 

LA CABOTTE  CÔTES DU RHÔNE  SALE $9.99

This estate has really improved over the past decade.  We visited in 2001 and found the wines to be pleasant and simple.  Today they're much deeper and more expressive while still retaining an honest price tag.

 

 

 

AUBERT 2005 CÔTES DU RHÔNE  SALE $9.99

This is less exuberant than the La Cabotte, being a bit older and more 'reserved.'  Still, it's a remarkably fine ten buck red...medium-bodied and showing some red fruit notes.

 

 

 

 

POMELO 2008 SAUVIGNON BLANC $9.99 (Case discounts, too!)

This is made in Napa by Randy Mason, who's a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc specialist.  
It's got a citrusy, grapefruity aroma and the flavors are also along the lines of citrus.

It's zesty, crisp and not quite bone dry...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CODICE SPANISH RED $9.99

This modestly-priced Spanish red can be served with dinner in place of a Cabernet, Merlot or Pinot Noir...it's reasonably full in body and shows a nice bit of dark fruit and sweet oak.  The wine is fairly supple on the palate and best consumed in its youth...it's not a wine for cellaring.

Tempranillo is the predominant grape.

 

MANU New Zealand SAUVIGNON BLANC $9.99

Here's a classic example of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc...the wine is unmistakable in its character as being from Marlborough...loads of citrusy, lemon/grapefruit notes abound on the nose.  Dry, fresh and zesty on the palate.
Delicious.

LA ROSE DE PALENNE 2007 Bordeaux Rouge $9.99

This Merlot-based little wine from Bordeaux is remarkably good...lots of red fruits and it's nicely balanced.  We don't expect this to benefit significantly with bottle aging, so drinking it over the next year or two is ideal.

 

LE ROC  FRONTON ROUGE  $11.99

The Ribes brothers make our favorite Fronton wines...the local grape variety of prominence is called "Negrette" which is known in California as "Pinot Saint George."

Le Roc is predominantly Negrette with a modest percentage of Syrah.  We like the berry and spice notes of this wine.  It's medium bodied and best, to our taste, served cooled to cellar temperature.

FALESCO VITIANO  SALE $9.99

The Falesco winery in a short drive north of Rome and it's located right on the border of Lazio and Umbria.

The owners are the Cotarella brothers.  Renzo supervises winemaking for the Antinori family, while Riccardo is a consulting winemaker for literally dozens of famous wineries around Italy.  And the fratelli have their own "little" enterprise called Falesco.

They make a remarkable attractive blend called "Vitiano".  It's a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot.  Several months in French oak adds a nice woodsy note to the wine and it's meant for immediate drinking.  Tastes expensive.

 

 

 

PERIQUITA $9.99

All over Portugal, wineries told customers their red wine was made from the Periquita grape.  Finally a court declared that the Periquita name was a "brand" owned by the Jose Maria da Fonseca winery and that only they had the rights to the name "Periquita."

It's a bit reminiscent of the usage of the terms "Xerox" and "Kleenex."

Anyway, we have Jose Maria da Fonseca's "Periquita," a wine made of the grape known around Portugal as Castelão.   This is an easily drinkable, simple red wine.  Berries...smooth.  Medium bodied.

MONCARO VERDICCHIO  $9.99

Moncaro is a prominent brand of wines from Italy's Marche region.

Most people speak derisively about grower's cooperative wineries, often with good reason.  But Moncaro actually produces wines which compare favorably to good independent wineries and they offer their wines are rather attractive prices.

I was a bit surprised to hear (so frequently) good things about Moncaro from competing, small winery owners and winemakers in the region.  

They make a couple of different Verdicchio wines and we like their entry level bottling for its good quality and modest price.  The wine tastes like Verdicchio and costs just ten bucks.  Dry, no oak, fairly low in alcohol, too....

 

 

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Last modified:  September 2, 2010