Past Issues: Bargain Wine, apr/may 2008 --
Crisp Whites for Spring

In this regular feature, we spotlight those wines that offer great bang for the buck -- $15 and under, to be exact. Here you'll find our everyday wines, house pours, and occasionally a great new find. Have a favorite Bargain Wine? Tell us about it!

When Spring finally arrives, it seems we cannot get enough of the fresh, bright flavors that wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Albariño can offer. Even on, or perhaps especially on, those rainy April days, a bottle of crisp, happy white wine can create a little sunshine!

Every year we're on the lookout for bottles under $15 that can easily serve as daily quaffs - with no wondering about how they might have aged, or remorse at how quickly we're going through them! Here are a few we've been slurping so far:

Aveleda 2006 Vinho Verde Quinta da Aveleda ($8). Could seriously drink this wine every single day through the end of summer, for its happy, slightly fizzy nectarine, honeydew and light citrus zest notes. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Bodegas As Laxas 2006 Albariño Rias Baixas ($13). Fresh and aromatic, with pretty nectarine, citrus and toasty notes that mingle on the finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Borgo Conventi 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Collio ($15). Appealing for its delicate dried apple, peach and fresh citrus flavors that stay pretty and pick up touches of fresh herbs and mineral through the finish. Lovely as an aperitif or paired with shellfish starters or antipasti. Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 02/08) Locate this wine online or in your area.

Dynamite 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Lake County Kelsey Creek ($11). Concentrated grapefruit aromas and flavors are accented with grassy and herbal notes that stay direct through the finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Man Vintners 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Coastal Region ($10). A great value out of South Africa, offering an array of pretty citrus notes laced with a touch of wildflower honey. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Moon Mountain 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County ($11). Juicy apple and citrus mingle with a fresh grassy note. It's nothing overly complex, but tasty and good with spicy Chinese food! Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Mouton-Cadet 2005 Bordeaux Blanc ($9). Just a heck of a deal, with complex lemon and lime curd character laced with mineral. A nice combination of freshness with just a touch of richness. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Penfolds 2007 Riesling Adelaide Thomas Hyland ($13). Quite nice, especially at this price. With appealing floral and citrus aromas and flavors, along with crisp apple, nectarine and mineral notes that linger on the finish. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Sebeka 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape ($9). Easy South African quaff, offering juicy peach and citrus that stay fresh through the moderate finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Veramonte 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley Reserva ($10). So easy to like, with bright, aromatic citrus and herbal notes that pick up lush melon through the fresh finish. Ready to drink now. (Robyn's Picks 02/08) Locate this wine online or in your area.

Check out previous Bargain Wines selections!
This now-fabulously-named column used to be called Easy To Find One Figure Wines, for reasons that we cannot currently remember but were surely enthusiastic about at the time. Anyhoo, check out our Past Issue Index for more great value-priced wine selections!