Nevada County Wine Guild 'Orleans Hill Winery' 2010 Organic Our Daily Red From California, USA

This blended red wine, a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carignan, is an acceptable red for under 10 dollars (it can be purchased for about eight bucks). I think that if you served this wine from a Bordeaux bottle, most people would not catch onto your ruse. That said, drink this wine right after opening because it does not stand up well to the air (after an hour, it goes from pleasant to poor).

Beringer Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon From Napa Valley, USA

This Cabernet Sauvignon is a great example of California red done right. I would put this wine far ahead of Robert Mondavi's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, but perhaps not as good as (and more expensive than) the Concha y Toro 2009 'Marques de Casa Concha' Cabernet Sauvignon From Puente Alto, Chile. Tastes like cherry-vanilla happiness and worth buying again (Natalie says plum and pleasing tannins).

Paid $26.99 at Petzinger's in Brooklyn

Castello di Monsanto 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG From Tuscany, Italy

This Chianti Classico Reserva is a dry, flat and earthy Sangiovese; a totally competent, yet boring, wine. It holds up nicely to Osso Buco, yet there are no surprises (and for the money, there are considerably better new world red wines). This wine is enjoyable, but not worth buying twice.

Paid $20.99 at Petzinger's in Brooklyn

Sensi Collezione 2009 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo From Tuscany, Italy

This Montepulciano d'Abruzzo can be found for under 10 dollars and is well worth the price. The wine is a dry red and pairs well with Italian fare (cold cuts, pasta and even provolone). This wine is notably better than its Sensi "collezione" cousin, a 2009 Nero d'Avola, which was harsher and more acidic (for the same price).

Paid $11.99 at Petzinger's in Brooklyn

Elke 2011 Riesling From Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

This German Riesling was a crowd pleaser. A very nice bottle for under $15, and though we only tasted it with assorted meats and cheeses (not the best pairings), it held up well and will almost certainly pair well with Asian cuisine. This Riesling is cheaper than Dr. Konstantin Frank and of comparable quality. Worth buying again.

Paid $13.99 at Petzinger's

P.S. The label has an illustration of a pigtailed-schoolgirl dancing.

Conundrum 2011 Vintage by Caymus From California, USA

I have never thought much of this wine (though some vintages are better than others), and with the 2011 vintage, continue to find this wine overpriced and overrated. There is something almost synthetic about this blend. It isn't horrible, but there are better white wines available for half the price.

Paid $20.99 at Petzinger's in Brooklyn

Estancia Estates 2008 Zinfandel From Paso Robles, USA

This is an awesome red wine for the money (and super drinkable). It's packs a fruity punch (black cherry and plum) and has a drawn out, smoky finish. It's also very pleasant on the nose.

This is the type of bottle that you might pay $30 for in a restaurant, and be totally happy with your purchase.

Paid $12.99 at Petzinger's

Don Sebastiani & Sons 2010 Smoking Loon The Original Chardonnay From California, USA

I'm a poor candidate to review Chardonnays as most of the nuance seems to be lost on my palate. Connoisseurs would probably call it heresy, but I did not find this wine dissimilar from a White Burgundy I've had in the $25 price range (which was loved by everyone but me). This wine might have a slight synthetic taste (though it's not pronounced). It stood up to a peppery orzo with broccoli, gouda and swiss and seems like it's best with food.

Paid $9.99 at Petzinger's

Monkey Bay 2011 Sauvignon Blanc From Marlborough, New Zealand

It's hard to find a bad Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. This wine is a particularly fruity Sauvignon Blanc and tastes of grapefruit, passion fruit and other tropical fare. It's a great summer wine, a great wine to bring to a party and a great wine to order in bulk (for cheap) to sip on whenever a drinkable white wine is called for.

Paid $10.99 at Petzinger's

Rex Goliath NV Malbec From Argentina

This is what you'd expect from a Malbec in the $5.00 range. It's not a great wine, though it's drinkable and acceptable for the price. Drink this 20 minutes after opening and without food (it clashes with garlic and onion).

Paid $6.99 at Petzinger's

Concha y Toro 2009 'Marques de Casa Concha' Cabernet Sauvignon From Puente Alto, Chile

This is a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon, and especially for the price. The bottle is built like a tank and the wine packs a punch. Very fruity, very forward and a strong finish as a result of the tannins. Dollar for dollar, this is one of the better Cabernet's that I've had (better than Coppola Claret, on par with Meander for less than half the price).

Paid $20.99 at King's Cellars in Brooklyn

Cantine Leonardo da Vinci 2010 Opula Toscana IGT From Tuscany, Italy

This "Super Tuscan" red blend is made of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, but the Sangiovese and Merlot grapes are the standouts. At first pour, this wine is earthy (the Sangiovese), but after 15 minutes exposure to air, it becomes smoky (Merlot). This wine is a good value and pairs well with chicken and starches, but clashes horribly with Cranberry. A good, inexpensive Italian red blend.

Paid $12.99 at Petzinger's

Bonterra Vineyards 2007 Merlot From Mendocino County, USA

This wine is worth every penny. It's a deep ruby red color and is richly-scented. Five years after its bottling, the wine is still vibrant (it tastes of cherries) and has a long finish that's reminiscent of "old world" wines (something between smoke, earth and leather).

This wines pairs well with hearty soups and meatloaf, or, can be enjoyed without food.

Paid $13.99 at Petzinger's

Meander 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon From Napa Valley, California

This wine is an excellent California cabernet sauvignon, but the only question is whether or not it is worth its hefty price. We paired this wine against a Francis Coppola Diamond Collection 2010 Black Label Claret Cabernet Sauvignon. At first sip, both wines were lovely. The Coppola wine was more "up-front," but was also harsher while the Meander was fruitier and lingered on the palate in a more pleasing way. An hour after opening, the Meander was better than when it was opened, but the Coppola had begun to fade away. I loved the Meander cabernet, but I don't think I can justify the purchase when there are good cabernets in the 20-dollar price range.

Paid $46.95 at Sherry-Lehmann

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2009 Semi-Dry Riesling From the Finger Lakes, USA

This is one of my favorite Rieslings. It's a sweet wine that can stand up to spicy cuisine, specifically, wasabi-heavy sushi and Indian dishes. It also pairs well with other "fusion" fish dishes. This wine is best drunk with food.

Paid $16.99 at Bay Ridge Discount Liquor

Penfolds 2010 Bin 51 Riesling From Eden Valley, Australia

This is quite possibly the worst wine that we've ever had (it has a screwcap, so there is no possibility that is was corked). From first pour, the wine smelled like rubber and around the table, it's taste was described as "gasoline" or "kerosene." Very disappointing.

Paid $19.95 at Sherry-Lehmann

Chateau D’Arche 2005 Cru Bourgeois Superieur From Haut-Medoc, France

This Bordeaux is one of the best red wines that I’ve ever had. At seven years old, the wine is a surprisingly deep red (I was expecting a rustier color) and is pure pleasure on the nose. It’s an extraordinarily well-balanced wine and is delightful from first sip until minutes after. The wine is fruitier than other Bordeaux’s (which are often earthy) and it has moderate but pleasant tannins that linger on the palate for some time after drinking. Pay up to $50 for this bottle.

Paid: $24.95 at Sherry-Lehmann

P.S. The label has a picture of a dove, holding an olive branch flying over an ark.

Remy Pannier 2010 Vouvray From Loire Valley, France

This is a poor wine at any price. At first whiff, the bar for this wine is set low, but the taste is even worse (there's a hint of blue cheese in there). The taste of alcohol stands out as just that – alcohol – and the sweetness of the wine is not what you would expect of the great Chenic Blanc whites that come from the Loire Valley. It’s sweet like a tray of mass produced Italian cookies. Only the aftertaste is somewhat normal. Very disappointing. 

Paid $14.99 at Kings Cellars in Brooklyn

P.S. There are excellent Loire Valley wines at this price point, this is not one of them.

Starborough 2011 Sauvignon Blanc From Marlborough, New Zealand

This wine is a fine example of what to expect from Marlborough sauvignon blancs. Compared to Mondavi Woodbridge sauvignon blanc (from California), the wine is more noticeably aromatic and has a brighter, fruitier and more acidic taste than the Woodbridge wine, which is earthier and has a slight sulfur taste (but still a very good wine for the money). Interestingly, the Starborough was enhanced by a rigatoni in cream sauce – the creamy pasta draws out the finish of the wine and makes each sip a long enjoyment.

Paid $12.99 at Kings Cellars in Brooklyn

P.S. The all green bottle, screw cap and starfish insignia make this a nice bottle to bring to a summer party.

Winsome 2009 Chardonnay From Lodi, California

This is one of the best chardonnays we’ve had in some time. It’s very drinkable without food and is a creamy/buttery chardonnay (no acidity or noticeable fruit flavors). It reminds me of Villa Mt. Eden, but it was not expensive. Don’t drink this with pizza – it does nothing for the wine.

Paid $13.99 at Kings Cellars in Brooklyn

P.S. The label has a very pretty painting of a sunflower on it by Chris Spencer.