Domaine de La Fidelite Premiere Cuvee

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, once ubiquitous on shelves and wine lists, are getting hard to find today. Smart buyers are looking at the AOC’s next door, like Menetou-Salon, just a few miles west of those two better known areas. And just like those places, the soils are a mix of Kimmeridgian limestone and the even more famed soil, silex. Silex deserves its fame; it provides tension and complexity to the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc grape.

Domaine des Florets Reliance

A blend of old-vine Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah, “Reliance” shows bright red and dark berry fruit with gentle spice and a touch of cocoa from its carbonic-macerated Carignan. Unfined, unfiltered, and aged briefly in tank, it’s an easy, expressive Rhône red with just enough lift to stay lively at the table. The sort of bottle that reminds you why everyday Rhône should never be underestimated.

Domaine Lerys Tradition

The family estate Domaine Lérys was founded in 1861 in Villeneuve les Corbières, with vineyards planted on steep schist soils, not such a different landscape from what you find in Spain’s Priorat. The Rhone grapes like Carignan, Grenache and Syrah grown in Fitou are more generous than they are burly. Their Tradition bottling combines 60% Carignan (tangy and almost cranberry like) with dense and deep Grenache.

Domaine Priou Pinot Noir

François et Jean-François Priou mostly grow Sauvignon Blanc along the River Cher; their Touraine Sauvignon Blanc is a great value. Certain places that didn’t used to be able to ripen certain grapes are finding it easier to show off. While you might not think of the Loire Valley for Pinot Noir, it’s routinely grown there and, if you haven’t had a chance to drink any of the ethereal versions of the grape in this region, now it’s your chance.

Domaine Priou Sauvignon Blanc

Sure, most people think that France is neatly laid out, codified and completely explored but, outside of Burgundy and Bordeaux, there are still plenty of vineyards that deserve more attention. The Loire Valley demands that kind of recognition and, in the era of climate change, it is increasingly a source of delicious wines. Sauvignon Blanc used to be notable only from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. Equal measures of fruit and mineral.

Don Ramon Red Blend

The Campo de Borja region of Spain churns out some of the best value wine in the world, and this little beauty is a perfect example!

Dosoris Lane Blanc

Sometimes you just have to embrace the mystery of wine; truth be told, we don’t know which grapes are in this wine. They wouldn’t tell us, but we didn’t care after we tasted it. Neither merely crisp or full and rich; the wine straddles a really nice place that is refreshing and patio-perfect, but that has some weight and character to handle rich fish or even grilled chicken.

Dosoris Lane Proprietary Red

Maybe one of the most hyped up wines this year, Dosoris Lane is all about showing what type of crazy quality you can produce for under $15. Think black pepper notes from a little Syrah. The black fruits in the middle suggest a little bit of Cabernet; the red fruits and white pepper hint at Grenache. Put it all together and you have some epic red wine from the sunny south of France, with expansive and bright flavors.

Dosoris Lane Rose

Isn’t rosé wine one of the clearest harbingers of springtime? Sure, rosé is enjoyed year-round now, but as outdoor drinking becomes an actual possibility, the arrival of cool, wet drinks is the true representative of the renewal of life, at least for the wine lover. This blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah hails from the South of France, where outdoor dining and rosé wines are de rigeur, made possible by the bright Mediterranean and its warming winds. You might not be traveling there right now, but a wine like Dosoris Lane can at least put you in mind of calmer times and sunny climes.

Dry Creek Regatta Meritage

Dutcher Crossing Cabernet 'Cooney Reserve'

This is the flagship wine of Dutcher Crossing. A single-vineyard Cabernet from Alexander Valley, the appellation that gave us Silver Oak and Jordan and Vérité, and arguably the finest Cabernet ground in Sonoma County. This is absolutely crazy Cabernet for the money.

Dutcher Crossing Cabernet 'Proprietor's Reserve'

Dry Creek Valley is Zinfandel country — some of the densest old-vine plantings in California, and the first name most sommeliers reach for in the category. Cabernet's actually the newcomer here, but the same warm days, cool nights, and gravelly iron-rich soil that built Dry Creek's Zinfandel reputation work just as well on this grape.