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

Ellie Sauvignon Gris

Sauvignon Blanc may be the star, but Ellie’s the scene-stealer. This rare grape brings all the bright citrus and tropical fruit you love, then smooths it out with a juicy, round finish. Fresh, fun, and just a little unexpected — it’s the kind of wine that keeps the party going. Ellie’s the kind of wine you text at midnight and she actually shows up.

En Numeros Pedro Ximenez

This is from sixty-year-old vines in a vineyard of Pedro Ximénez grapes, a grape once disdained but now newly resurgent and fascinating. It’s usually associated with sweet wines of Sherry but in Spain and South America there is a trend to make clean, tangy dry white wines from the grape and Silvia Puig is the right winemaker for the task. Only sixty cases were made in total of this wine, aged in oak and clay amphora; I promise you that you have never had anything like it.

En Numeros Vermells Carinyena 1919

This 1919 plantation is one of the treasures of the Priorat region in Mediterranean Spain: ridiculously old vines of the tart and intense Carinyena grape on a crazy steep (70% grade) hill. The wine is barrel fermented in two double sized (500-liter) new French oak barrels and then remains in those barrels for more than a year. Unusual enough but it’s also bottled un-fined and unfiltered, and they produced only 850 bottles. Don’t blink; it will be gone.