Many people have no idea what to buy when they need to get a nice bottle of wine.  There are some great wines out there that won’t break the bank.  If you are a box wine kind of person, you won’t probably think these are a great buy, but if you like good wine but don’t have $100 to spend on a bottle, I have found some great wines that you can try.

If you like white wine, your best bets are Ridge Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Cruz Mountain Estate 2005 for about $35 per bottle.  Wine Spectator rated this one #2 on last year’s top 100 list!  If that’s still too rich for your blood, Mount Eden Chardonnay, Edna Valley Wolff Vineyard 2004 is a great find at only $17 per bottle.  It ranked #29 last year.

I’m a red wine fan, and if you are too, Schild Shiraz Barossa 2005 at $25 per bottle is a good option, ranked #16.  If you can spring for more money, my favorite off of last year’s list is Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2004 for about $46 per bottle.  While Wine Spectator ranked this #27, I think for the price, you’ll be astounded. If both of those are too pricey for you, try Navarro Zinfandel Mendocino 2004 for only $19 per bottle.  It’s ranked #37, but it’s a great value.
Cheers!