Despite all the run-up in prices for elite bottlings over the last decade, you can still find interesting wines from around the world at reasonable prices. But even among the bargains, there has been some price escalation. Whereas 10 years ago you might have found several good values in the $5 range, you will now have to spend about $8 for similar quality. It also used to be that $10 was about as high as you had to go. Today, the ceiling is a few dollars higher to ensure the best range of values. Therefore, the price limit for wines in this report is $12 and the quality denominator is no less than 84 points on Wine Spectators 100-point scale (the high end of the "good" range). The result is 50 wines, from five continents, that should serve well both as pleasant sippers and as flavorful matches for your dining needs. They are made in quantities large enough to suggest that they'll be readily available throughout the United States; and all have been tasted by Wine Spectator editors in the last six months to guarantee they are the most current releases.
In addition, to help you sort things out, the 50 bargains are divided into four categories, based on their color and relative weight in terms of body and texture. This division can also be used as a guide to determining the best wine and food matches, following the tenet that the wine should have roughly the same weight as the food.
The four wine categories encompass light-bodied whites, dominated by Sauvignon Blanc and fruitier Chardonnays; full-bodied whites, the majority being rich, buttery Chardonnays; light-bodied reds, comprising a diverse range that includes Pinot Noir and Sangiovese, as well as softer versions of reds such as Barbera, Zinfandel and Shiraz; and full-bodied reds, a category which covers Cabernet Sauvignon as well as rich Shirazes, Merlots, Tuscan reds and Syrahs.
In reviewing the latest crop of wine values, the strength of Washington state and Australia stand out. Indeed, along with New Zealand, these regions account for the four outstanding wines that were uncovered.
Overall, California counts for the most wines, with a total of 16. Unlike past years, when California's white wines dominated, this latest crop includes a majority of red wines, including bottlings of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The state's red winemakers have benefited from a string of high quality vintages recently, as well as from improved viticultural techniques.
Wines from Europe are well-represented too, with six from Italy, five from France, two from Spain and a table wine from Portugal. The highest-scoring European wine is from the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the Leonildo Pieropan Soave Classico Superiore 1999 (88, $12). It is a delicious white that also ranks as one of the best of its type. The value attraction of European wines has been helped by the strength of the U.S. dollar over the past couple years. Finally, there are five wines from South America's southern cone: Chile and Argentina. All are full-bodied reds whose hearty flavors are best exemplified by the Bodegas y Vinedos Santiago Graffigna Malbec Tulum Valley Seleccion Especial 1999 (86, $10). This wine illuminates why Argentina could become the next values hot spot.
This diverse list of domestic and foreign wines shows why it's a good time to update your wine-values portfolio. After all, they all prove the (updated) adage: buy low, drink well.
Each wine is listed by name, region, Wine Spectator score and price.
Light-Bodied White Wines
