Best Buys $10 And Under

Organic / Natural Wine - This wine may be reductive when first opened, aeration is recommended.

93 points Wine Advocate
The village red from La Orotava 2020 7 Fuentes was produced with List??n Negro and 5% Castellana Negra from up to 25 different vineyards, mostly from the center and east of the valley where the grapes are mostly red, with vines ranging between 10 and 200 years old at altitudes of 300 to 700 meters on different soils, all volcanic but with more or less clay, silt and sand. It fermented with 10% full clusters in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured for eight months, 70% in concrete and 30% of the volume in used 500-liter oak barrels, then it was blended and kept in stainless steel until bottling. It has moderate alcohol, 12.65%, and mellow acidity. 2020 was a warm year with a very early harvest and good yields after a small crop in 2019. This is herbal and a little reductive, with a polished palate and fine tannins. 58,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022

Organic

20% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 23% Carignan More Syrah than usual due to new plantings which gives a soft texture and sweeter finish than recent vintages. Less Cabernet than usual and more than usual Carignan. Black and red raspberries, followed by the tell tale Provencal smell of garrigue. Warm, round tones of sandalwood, chocolate and caramel coat the tongue with hints of nutmeg and black pepper. Ripe, round tannins provide beautiful definition without being too bold. - Winery notes

Winemaker Notes:
This Lion is the emblem of the Hess Family and symbolizes the bold and persevering character of the winery's founder Donald Hess. In his honor, Hess strives to make the very best wines that elevate you every day. This Sauvignon Blanc is full of refreshing grapefruit, lemon zest and lime balanced by citrus aromas.
The bright acidity of this wine pairs well with salty and sweet combinations such as prosciutto-wrapped grilled peaches, fresh basil and tomatoes, chopped raw vegetable salads and fresh goat cheese.

Winemaking Notes:
Beringer Bros. Cabernet Sauvignon is picked at the peak of flavor development from top sites across California and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. 20% of the wine is aged for 60 days in second-pass charred American Oak barriques which previously held Bourbon.

Tasting Notes:
This wine is bursting with aromas of ripe black cherry, dark chocolate, and vanilla. The palate is lush with ripe tannins and and integrated acidity, showcasing toasted hazelnuts, toffee, and blackberry preserves on the finish.

Kosher for Passover.

The grapes of this most "classic" of red varieties were grown in vineyards in the Galilee and Golan. This wine has aromas of wild berries and cherries meshing with its tobacco, vanilla bouquet from the French and American oak barrels. The wine also has fine structure, rounded tannins, and a long rich finish.

Vibrant aromas of ripe peaches, pears and toasted bread with a hint of spice fill the nose. The palate is more round with a rich, creamy texture. Layers of flavor include orange rind and spice that persists through an elegant finish. This is quite good at a very reasonable price.

Winemaker Notes:
Monterey’s combination of moderate climate and marine influences from the Pacific Ocean keep the grapes on an even keel, able to develop fully ripe flavors that tend to show some lemon and lime zest, a touch of ripe apple and tropical aromas and flavors. This wine is crisp and clean with well-balanced acids.

Organic / Biodynamic

Aged for 8 months in French oak barrels to bring out the tinta del país, this Valdehermoso is full of character, with intense aromas of well-ripened wild fruits and underlayers of spice and a certain smokiness. It is well-rounded on the mouth, with much of its body coming from smoothly presented tannins. It is very fruity with a hint of wood, and has a pleasant, lingering finish.

Organic

91+ points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Graciano, the first wine they produced at the new Viña Zorzal in 2007, was produced with grapes from the village of Corella to show the expression of the grape in the village. It is still approachable and fresh but more Mediterranean than Fitero, where they have a significant percentage of their vines. It fermented in 10,000-liter stainless steel vats with moderate extraction and matured in used French oak barrels of different sizes for nine months. It has 13.3% alcohol, very good acidity, an expressive nose of beeswax and honey intermixed with berry fruit and lots of aromatic herbs (vermouth!) and a lively palate with pungent acidity in the finish.

This Graciano is from Corella, a slightly warmer zone of Navarra, where they grape ripens nicely. They do a vigorous grape selection making sure only the best make it to the winery. This Graciano is fruit-forward and supple. The plum-colored core reveals dark berry fruit with a slight spice. The aromatics are fresh, the palate smooth, and the finish is soft. If you are familiar with Viña Zorzal’s Garnacha you will notice that this is a bit darker but equally as fresh. Another absolute steal from Viña Zorzal!

The high-acid Graciano is the last one of their grapes to be harvested, in their vineyards around the village of Corella. Following a light maceration the wine ferments in steel. 25% of the wine is racked into French oak for malolactic, the rest happens in steel. The wines were blended and stayed 9 months on their lees in French barrels.

Cuvee 2020. Extremely aromatic with notes of honeyed fruit and baked apple. Persistent, but small bubbles. Great as aperitif, with a cheese course or dessert. 3.6% abv

Semi Dry

Winemaker Notes:
Aromas of lush, bright black cherry, blackberry and cassis draw you in. Round, rich, seamless tannins provide a robust backbone and supple mid-palate. Notes of cedar, vanilla and a hint of mocha linger on the finish.

Lean and restrained, with focused spicy plum and chocolate flavors, gaining some interest in the tension between sweetness and alcohol. - WS78

Traditionally styled Monastrell, yes that is a thing, from old vines on chalky soils. Vinified in eighty-year-old conofors (think dairy tanks but made of American oak). The wine is filtered by gravity and, following tradition, made in a slightly oxidative style which gives the wine its very unique character. Their Cono 4 is then aged for 10-12 months. This wine represents a great expression of the warm Alicante climate yet is also very earthy and complex. It is approachable, with a certain rusticity and a profile that will remind you of the wines produced in the region some 30 years ago (and even a hint of old-style Rioja!), with developed aromas of earth, berries, tree bark, and forest floor. Dusty and tasty, medium to light-bodied, this is very pleasant indeed. Surprisingly complex for this extremely low price point.

For context on Primitivo Quiles?€? winemaking style, Primitivo Quiles is to Alicante what Lopez de Heredia is to Rioja.

If it ain?€?t broke, don?€?t fix it. This cliche applies well to today?€?s winery Primitivo Quiles. Se??or Don Primitivo Quiles is one of the great figures of Spanish wine. His family ties with wine date back to 1780 when they started growing grapes and winemaking in the lands west of the present province of Alicante. They have been a family-owned winery for over 100 years and maintain one of the oldest soleras on the market, dating back to 1892. Their wines are highly valued treasures in wine cellars all over Europe and a source of pride for the winemaking industry in Alicante.

50% Riesling, 30% Gewurztraminer, 14% Early Muscat, 3% Sauvignon Blanc, and 3% others

Produced in Austria but with a Polish name, Monopolowa can trace it?€?s brand?€?s origins back to late 18th century Poland . The name means ?€?Monopoly?€? and refers to the monopoly Polish elites had over the vodka market. After World War II, the Gesslers? an established Austrian distributor and distilling family acquired the rights to the name, but by the late 1990s all Polish connection to the brand disappeared, as the last distilleries in Gdansk still producing products under the brand name ceased operations. It is a potato gin, light in texture with subtle flavors, and botanicals are juniper, orange and lemon peels, coriander, anise, fennel and ginger.

43.5%abv

"The NV Pinot Noir Brut Rose, a non-vintage sparkling wine from Pinot Noir grapes, which is quite dark-colored, displays a bright cherry red color with a showy nose of cherries, truffles and strawberry jam with a fresh, pungent palate, balanced acidity and flavors. Different, with a strong personality. It feels like a red sparkling wine, and quite good, by the way! I-d have it with some charcuterie." 91pts WA

This Rose Brut is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes that come from the newly acquired Feixa 1 vineyard on the historic Juve y Camps estate. The free run juice undergoes a cold-soak maceration followed by fermentation in stainless steel. The resulting wine blends the traditional methods of Juve y Camps with international flair and flavor.

Juve & Camps is a family-owned winery located in San Sadurni d’Anoia, a small town in the northeastern Penedes region near Barcelona. Founded in 1921 by Joan Juve Baques and his wife Teresa Camps Farre, the winery’s three-generation history has resulted in an international reputation for producing top-quality Cava. The story of Juve & Camps actually began over 200 years ago when Joan Juve Mir, a bold and enterprising vine grower with ideas ahead of his time, laid the foundation for what would become the family firm. His son, Antoni Juve Escaiola, carried on the legacy. There were many challenges, including the terrible phylloxera plague. Advocating replanting (as did other leading figures of the Penedes), he led a drive to restore the vineyards and to rebuild the region’s wine production. Respected and loved by his contemporaries, his example encouraged his son, Joan Juve Baques, to build the family’s first winery. Joan Juve Baques married Teresa Camps Farre, an exceptional woman and an enthusiastic supporter who, in 1921, inspired her husband to launch the first sparkling wine under the Juve brand. It was made in the underground cellars beneath the family home in San Sadurni d’Anoia. Today, Juve & Camps has established itself as the most highly regarded Cava producer in Spain. Juve & Camps wines are regularly served at state banquets given by Spain’s Royal Family and are offered to visitors and guests by the National Government, the Senate and Congress.

100% Cabernet Franc. Plush and pleasant, with aromas of red fruit and undergrowth on the nose. Supple, round, and delicate on the palate, with soft tannins and nice balance.

Winemaker Notes:
"This wine offers crisp apple aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. This is our "everyday Riesling" that is a pleasure to drink and easy to match with a variety of foods."

Semi - Sweet Sparkling Rose from Italy.

Founded in 1887 by Francesco Mionetto in the small village of Valdobbiadene, Mionetto has been the preeminent name in Prosecco for over 125 years. In the heart of the Prosecco region, Mionetto produces the exceptional wines that comprise America's favorite Prosecco brand.

The grapes are grown in the Veneto region of Italy, in an area near the
Valdobbiadene D.O.C.G. area, on the sloping hills just north of Treviso.
Soil is alluvial with an important presence of clay.

Sensory Profile
Appearance: Light straw in color with bright yellow highlights
Aroma: Aromas of golden apples with a hint of white peach
Palate: Well-balanced acidity provide a fresh and lively mouthfeel
with a clean dry finish

Kadette Cape Blend contains 50% Pinotage, 20% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in used oak. It has a light red cherry and bergamot tea scented bouquet. The palate is fresh on the entry with a touch of green pepper, nicely balanced, simple but with ample freshness on the finish. This is a well-made, entry-level wine from Kanonkop and for the price, it comes recommended.

Ramato style Pinot Grigio from Fruili. This is a rose colored wine from 4 days of skin contact during fermentation.