Alsace

• 1998 Tokay Pinot Gris "Vielles Vignes" (L. Albrecht) Reviewed, May, 2001
• Pinot Gris vielles vignes (Pierre Sparr)
• Gewurztraminer "Herrenweg" (Schleret)
• 2000 Pinot Gris Reserve (Trimbach)  Usually $16, this shows great depth for its price range.
• 2001 Gewurztraminer (Josmeyer) Old fashioned, bone dry.

   

  Alsace has tons of bargains up and down the price scale. Those in the know understand how good this region is and how far your dollar can go; why buy overpriced white Burgundy? Try the vin ordinaire Riesling from Barmès-Buecher, for instance. Want to go higher? Try Albert Mann "Steingrubler" Gewurz. Grand Cru, pushing our price barrier but still in the mid-20s as of 2009. The Schleret is varietally true and intense.  The Vielles Vignes Pinot Gris from Albrecht is a perennial steal. Pierre Sparr's entire lineup is often a best buy. Few producers in the region continually deliver so much for so little. 

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  Loire

• 1995 Chateau de la Soucherie Coteaux du Layon "Beaulieu" Reviewed, July/August, 2000
• 1996 Bourgeuil (Domaine des Ouches) (Nov 2001) About $10, on release, and available at auction in Nov 2001 for $10
• 1995 Chinon "Picasses" (Olga Raffault) Reviewed, March/April, 1999.
• 1999 Sancerre "Cuvée les Coutes" (Reverdy)  I've seen this under $16 with appropriate case discounts so included it, although the list in 2001 was closer to $18. Shop around!  Reviewed, June, 2001
• 1999 Pouilly-Fumé (Domaine des Berthiers--P. Cotat) Reviewed, June 2001
• 1998 Vouvray Cuvée Tradition (Pinon) Reviewed, June, 2001
• 2003 Chinon "Poplinières" (Olga Raffault); 2001 Chinon "Picasses" (Olga Raffault) (August 2005) Delightful Chinons, around $15
• 1994 Chateau de Tigné Anjou Rouge "Les Landes" (Depardieu)  Reviewed,  October 1998
• 2005 Chinon (Bonaventure - Chateau de Coulaine)  (December, 2008) Focused, ripe and pleasing, with an elegant mid-palate, available in the mid-teens.

• 1997 Muscadet Sur Lie "Cuvée Buster" (Domaine La Pepière--Marc Ollivier) Reviewed, June, 2001

  Try the Soucherie. What depth for the price. Good ol' Loire chenin, right?  Speaking of Loires, here's another region that provides lots of bargains in both reds and whites....the Anjou Rouge was about $12 at the time reviewed, and you won't find a more charming, easy drinking, flavorful wine.  The Bourgueil Ouches was a little rough around the edges on release but a couple of years cellaring made it seductive and gorgeous. The Olga Raffault may be the best red of the lot for inexpensive, delicious wine, immensely charming, sweet, gentle, but not hollow at all--and $14. The Loire is a great source for good value wines.  Lots of quality in the Loire for not much dough!

• 2003 Minervois "Estibals" (L'Ostal Cazes)  ($15) (March, 2007) The Cazes family's entry-level bottling from their new Languedoc venture.
• 1998 Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45  (Jaboulet) May, 2006
• 1998 Cotes du Luberon (Domaine de Fontenille). Reviewed: 1998 vintage; and also  March/April, 1997  and December, 2000 (1994 vintage); May/June 98 (1995 vintage)($10)
• 1998 Cotes du Rhone Blanc "St. Gervais" (Domaine Clavel) Reviewed, January, 2001
• The Fifteen Vin de Pays des Pyrenees Orientales Only $10 in Pennsylvania, and worth every penny! September 2001.
• 2001 Loin de l'Oeil sur lie "Les Rials" (Domaine de la Chanade)
  A new/old white varietal, light and refreshing for summer, about $6
• 2001 Plan de Pegau (Pegau)  Very nice, around $10, but not exquisite..(July 2004)
• 2004 Vinsobres "Hauts de Julien" (Perrin et Fils) (June, 2006) fine deal from the owners of Beaucastel
• 2004 Vacqueyras "Les Christins" (Perrin et Fils) (June, 2006) another real nice wine from the owners of Beaucastel
• 2000 Rasteau  "L'Andéol" (Perrin et Fils)  (June, 2006) Also from the owners of Beaucastel. Exchange rates hurt at the moment, but usually available around $16 for current vintages.
• 2004 Cotes du Rhone "Brézème"  (Eric Texier) (August 2006) Fine syrah in Cotes du Rhone form

The South of France is producing lots of exciting wines, many of them dirt cheap. Places like the Languedoc, Provence, Madiran, names like Cotes du Luberon, Minervois, Faugeres, Les Baux, Pic Saint Loup, are places where you can find really nice red wines at really nice prices.   There are some wines removed from this page due to the age of the last reviews, but the Cotes du Luberon from Chateau Fontenille is still a fine deal, as is the Chateau La Roque Cupa Numismae.