SonomanA1;842508831 said:

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Have you tried any Carol Shelton wines in Santa Rosa? I like her reds especially Zins. Go to http://www.carolshelton.com/. She has some under $20 especially if you join her wine club. She has some good whites too. One of her whites won best of show at the California State Fair last year.

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Good one. She makes a Coquille Blanc- a white blend- that's a great summer white. Never tried the Reds

Spend some time with Chilean wines. They are a much better value and in that range, you should find some real winners.

barr2dawkins;842509302 said:

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Spend some time with Chilean wines. They are a much better value and in that range, you should find some real winners.

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+1 Also, Portugese wines are under appreciated.

Number 031343;842508169 said:

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I am a daily red wine drinker and as such, am always looking for a good bottle of red in the twenty bucks a bottle league, plus or minus. I can find some Italian and French reds, sold in small lots to local wine stores for $18 to $28, but it is hit and miss as they they quickly sell out. I like the Europeans because they have a slightly lower alcohol content and are thus dryer. The best CA red I have found is Hafner Cabernet (a mail order boutique winery near Healdsburg, CA, with a Cal connection), just under 14% alcohol, great stuff, made like the best of French red, but at over $47 a bottle I don't drink it everyday. Much CA red is well over 14%, which means big, heavy flavor and getting blasted fast. Anyone else out there with this dilemma? What do you like?

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Since you mentioned that you like Italian Reds, check out Ripasso. It is called the "baby" Amarone, since it is a pedestrian Valpolicella left on the lees of amarone and picks up some it's characteristics. Bottles run from $17-22.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valpolicella#Ripasso

Ridge Vineyards is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and makes a bunch of Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Rhone style wines that are on the lower alcohol end of the spectrum. You can find their entry level Three Valleys wine at Safeway for about $20. Their single vineyard wines creep up in price, but are really tasty and age well.

GB54;842508177 said:

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Tablas Creek in Paso Robles, Patelin de Tablas. They're a French house that makes Rhone varietals in CA

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+1. I found Patelin de Tablas at Costco for less than $15. Good stuff.

I support California wineries over those from other "new world" wineries from Chile, Argentina, Australia. Are you telling me you can't find a better wine from even Paso Robles (Opolo, Castoro, Justin, Summerwood, etc)?

Buy California!

Cal8488;842509336 said:

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Since you mentioned that you like Italian Reds, check out Ripasso. It is called the "baby" Amarone, since it is a pedestrian Valpolicella left on the lees of amarone and picks up some it's characteristics. Bottles run from $17-22.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valpolicella#Ripasso

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Thanks, I'll check that one out. I have heard of Ripassso.

GranadaHillsBear;842509368 said:

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I support California wineries over those from other "new world" wineries from Chile, Argentina, Australia. Are you telling me you can't find a better wine from even Paso Robles (Opolo, Castoro, Justin, Summerwood, etc)?

Buy California!

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I like California too, and do support CA. European wines are different grapes, different winemaking techniques, different flavors. There are good choices in both. Haven't seen much from Paso Robles, thanks to this thread, I will be on the outlook for more.

Picked up this French red two days ago from local, mom and pop wine and liquor store: Chateau de Manissy Cotes du Rhone, 2013, 13.5% alcohol, $14, very good the first day, even better the second day.

Until my liver started heading south after years of testing its limits, I went for the T Jo's French Reds for everyday, the Laphroaig for the rest of the time.

calbear289;842509367 said:

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+1. I found Patelin de Tablas at Costco for less than $15. Good stuff.

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Good to know. I went to the Tablas Creek website a few days ago and it indicated Patelin de Tablas is sold out. Gotta get to Costco!

Starwood Cab for just over $20. Simi Cab for just under $20.