Recession Busting Wine Values

If you’re like me, you’re looking for ways to cut back on expenses.  When it comes to wine, I like a good deal but I can’t sacrifice the quality; I still need good grape juice!  My friends at K&L Wine Merchants know this, as I’m always scooping up their clearance deals.  I asked K&L’s Steve Greer to put together a list of five great wine values under $15.00, and he didn’t disappoint.

Steve Greer

2006 Artazu “Artazuri” Garnacha Navarra, Spain $10.99
Most producers who have 60-80 year old Grenache vines go for super-concentration, barrel fermentation and aging. But thankfully that is not what this Navarra producer went for. This wine is a pure expression of Grenache. Aromas of bright red fruit and a bit of spice in the background. On the palate there are fresh raspberries and blackberries, and it finishes with a bit of tannins and keeps going with heady ripe fruit. What a wine for only $10.99!

2005 Celler de Capcanes “Mas Donis” Barrica Montsant, Spain $10.99
If you are a fan of Cotes du Rhone wines then I would suggest trying this wine. Montsant is becoming one of my favorite wine-growing areas, providing affordable “Priorat-style” wines. This wine has a dark color with vanilla and red fruit aromas. On the palate it starts off astringent, but it is followed by nice focused red fruit and a long finish. (Steve has sold me this one, and it’s great!! Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it a 91!)

2005 Barrel 27 Central Coast Syrah $14.99
This wine is all about what a wine priced less than $15 can show when made well and balanced. It starts with a deep rich purple color and gives ripe raspberry aromas with a background of violets and spice. The lush mouthfilling fruit stays in check with good acidity as well as a background of anise and pepper. The long finish is all pepper and raspberries. Rich and seductive and all for $14.99.

2007 Pollerhof Grüner Veltliner (1L) $10.99
If you haven’t tried a gruner veltliner then this is the one to try. At only $9.99 for a one liter bottle, everyone gets a glass. And this wine is more than worth it. Pollerhof has been producing wine since 1920 from roughly 37 acres in the Weinviertel region of northern Austria. All the grapes for this wine, and all Pollerhof wines, are picked by hand and gently treated. This wine provides the peppery flavors of gruner that remind me of peppery salad greens like arugula. With beautiful ripe fruit and a creamy texture that is balanced by acidity, I am sure you will fall in love with Pollerhof’s Gruner Veltliner.

2007 Neil Ellis “Sincerely” Sauvignon Blanc South Africa $9.99
With all the grapefruity sauvignon blancs made in the southern hemisphere, this is a refreshing change. This “grassy” styled wine is filled with plenty of herbaceousness, but also some wonderful minerality and a background of lemon-lime. Plenty of acidity, but with a creamy texture suggesting some lees contact and and a long finish.