Bellanotte Merlot 2007 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Most wine in the under twenty dollar price range is not meant to be aged more than a year or two.  This is why fifteen dollar Brunellos and Barolos don't exist.  Those wines simply require too much time in the cellar for a cheap price tag to be possible.  Finding an '07 red at this price range is remarkable.  It may be that the winery was having trouble moving it and dropped the price or perhaps this is just a rare value.

About THIS Wine:  The center is opaque with a violet rim.  Berries and fruit leather make up a pleasant nose.  A kind of crude acidity defines both the palate and finish.  The wine is not spoiled, it just has very little flavor to speak of and is fairly acidic so the acidity dominates.

Drinking This Wine:  This definitely needs food.  It would work well with pizza.

Overall Impression:  This one is not bad but you can do better for less.  This wine is overpriced.

Camp du Rouss Barbera d'Asti 2007 (about $16)

About the Wine:  I picked this up when I interviewed at a posh wine shop a while back.  It took a while to find anything in my price range but even the most upscale stores apparently have to cater to us peasants.  Barbera is a very robust Italian red.  I have enjoyed Alba Barberas greatly but have been less thrilled with offerings from Asti.  Perhaps this one will break the trend and perhaps not.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a dark purple rim.  The nose is thick with jammy raspberry and currant with notes of forest floor.  The palate is jammy, almost creamy with intermingled notes of red fruit and dark fruit.  Supple tannins round out the finish, which is not nearly as dry as I would expect from this type of wine.

Drinking This Wine:  It's pretty good as a sipping wine but it is divine with spaghetti and meatsauce and would probably do well with any Italian red sauce dish.

Overall Impression:  The wine is very good and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

Casa d'Orsini Pinot Grigio NV (about $10)

About the Wine:  Pinot Grigio is normally grown in the more northerly reaches of Italy.  A southern Pinot Grigio promises a hotter growing season and perhaps a sweeter wine.  The importer assured me that this is a 2011 but neither of us could find it on the bottle.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is straw colored in the glass.  Pine wood is prominent of the nose and soft citrus defines the palate.  Light acidity is present on the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Being less sharp and acidic than most Pinot Grigios this one could work as a sipping wine.  It would also go well with white fish.

Overall Impression:  This is not a bad bottle of wine and it is dirt cheap.  This one is good for the price.

Esperto Pinot Grigio 2010 (about $12)

About the Wine:  I have written about Pinot Grigio several times before.  It is the biggest seller among dry wines in the summer, being lighter and easier drinking that Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

About THIS Wine:  Esperto is straw colored with a clear rim.  Acidic citrus is prominent on the nose with hints of musk.  Lemon and orange flavors are present on a moderately acidic palate and the citrus flavors linger in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a little too acidic for a sipping wine.  It would be good with a fruit platter.

Overall Impression:  The wine is cheap and it is a good representation of Pinot Grigio.  It is reasonable for the price.

Cajo 2009 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Italian wine makers have been coming out with more and more obscure blends.  From the perspective of a wine enthusiast this is great because it means that there are new things to taste.  From the point of view of a wine salesman it is a nightmare because it means dealing with a whole new genre of products with no defining characteristics other than their origin.

About THIS Wine:  The center is red and fades to a pink rim.  Musk, raspberry, and earth make up a pleasant and complex nose.  Cherry and raspberry are strong on the palate, which blends into a dry, mineral finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine is too dry for a sipping wine.  It would go well with a steak or sausage.

Overall Impression:  This is a very good, very complex wine.  It would not be overpriced at thirty dollars and at twenty it is a good value.