Lifestyle

POSTED: Monday, Sep. 21, 2009

Enjoy these quality wines for $12, or less, a bottle

Worried about spending too much for wine that doesn't provide the quality you hope for?

Relax. There are plenty of choices for $8 to $12 a bottle that provide good quality.

If you're still apprehensive about buying a dud, even at that price, remember ... your investment was pretty low to begin with, so if the wine tastes only so-so, you're not setting yourself up for a huge disappointment.

And if it turns out to be a winner, you've found a great deal at a low price, and these days, isn't everyone looking for a good bargain?

The Vines wine shop in Bellingham always features a nice selection of wines in that price range, and I've got a couple of recommendations for you to consider.

The Ironstone Vineyards 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel has a lot to offer at an incredibly low price. Concentrated flavors of berry and spice, with a bit of oak on the finish, make this a great wine to pair with beef, pork or a hearty stew. Add in the skimpy $9-a-bottle price, and you can hardly go wrong.

Also value-priced is the Paso A Paso 2008 Verdejo, about $11 a bottle. This Spanish dry, white wine is complex and flavorful, with mineral, bright peach, citrus and herbaceous characteristics. Think Washington semillon, and you've got a reference point for comparison.

A few more bargain-priced wines that should be easy to find at local wine shops and grocers include the Sagelands 2008 Riesling, about $10, from Washington's Columbia Valley. It's packed with fresh pear and peach flavors, and the wine's bracing acidity is nicely balanced by a lingering, off-dry finish.

Finally, be sure to give the Root: 1 Wine 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, about $12, a try. This well-priced Chilean red has a touch of syrah blended in, and features plush fruit flavors of black plum and cherry, and a touch of toasted vanilla on the finish.