Finding the world’s greatest wine values, it’s something that I have been doing for over 20 years. I have had the opportunity to travel to many great wine regions including Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Tuscany, Rioja, Oporto, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Walla Walla and the Willamette Valley. I have met hundreds of winemakers, walked through several vineyards, and tasted thousands of wines. And guess what, I am still searching for the great wine values. Why? Because unlike most spirit products that have a particular taste profile that they strive to maintain year after year (i.e., Jack Daniels, Dewars), wine is an ever changing product. Even Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, which is probably the closest example to a wine trying to achieve the same flavor profile from year to year, does actually have a different, but subtle, taste from vintage to vintage.

Before we get into my best value picks for this article, let me say a couple of things that are very important. First of all, it is fun to explore different kinds of wines. Lots of people feel safe by drinking their everyday wine. But believe me, you don’t know what you are missing. If you are a white wine drinker, there are fantastic Pinot Gris from Oregon, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and South Africa, Riesling from Washington state and beautiful blends from the Rhone Valley. For red wine drinkers, the latest craze includes Malbec from Argentina, delicious Zinfandel from Sonoma and Syrah from Washington (Shiraz from Australia). In addition, the most under-rated food wine in the world – dry Rose – are now arriving from France, Spain, Italy, Australia and California.

2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling (Washington) $11- $12 – Washington State has been getting all kinds of press because of their outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. But, the white grape that excels is Riesling. This is the second vintage of Kung Fu Girl, an Alsacean-styled, dry white from K Vintners. A perfect aperitif or serve with Asian cuisine, shellfish or trout.

2007 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc (France) $14 – $15 – This southern Rhone knock out is a blend of Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc. Don’t worry about the grape varieties. Focus on the stone fruits, elegant style and finesse. Looking for a new white to drink this spring and summer, this is worth a try!

2008 Domaine de la Mordoree Tavel Rose (Rhone Valley) $22 – $24 – Tavel is a small village in southern Rhone and they produce only one type of wine – Rose. Wild strawberries, raspberries,freshness and depth. A beautiful wine. Robert Parker has picked Mordoree as one of the top one hundred wineries in the world. Our yearly allocation just arrived.

2008 Crane Lake Pinot Noir (California) $5 -$6 – Surprise, surprise, surprise. Here is a $5 Pinot Noir that actually smells and taste like Pinot Noir. I’m not sure how they pulled this off, but this is a no brainer. For week day consumption or for parties, stock up on this gem. This is as good as wine twice its price, maybe three times.

2008 Parados Winemaker’s Select Red (Argentina) $8 - $9 – A new project from Argentina, importer William Harrison has put together a winemaking team that is releasing excellent values. This is an unusual blend of 40% Sangiovese, 40% Tempranillo and 20% Malbec; a blend of old world finesse and new world richness. It is nice to see a good value red blend for less than ten dollars.

Now, I want to hear back from you. It is my goal to introduce to you some of my favorite wine values, whether they cost $5 or $50. Always remember this, do not let anyone tell you what to drink. If you love K-J Chardonnay, that’s fine. If White Zinfandel is your wine, do not be embarrassed. Just realize that in today’s wine world, there are more incredible wine values than ever before. Competition is fierce and the quality of wine is getting better and better. If you have any comments or questions, e-mail me at thad@asheswines.com.

Thad Cox, Jr. is the owner and wine buyer for Ashe’s Wine & Spirits