For years now I have had a secret love affair with wine. Years ago I was a white wine drinker and would never touch a red. I guess with age we all grow a little wiser, at least I hope we do. Somewhere, somehow someone got me to try a red. I have been hooked ever since and have a hard time drinking any whites. With my list below I did include a few whites, so don't worry. I have had the privilege of living in a few areas where I had vineyards almost out my front door. At one time I lived in Oregon where I had access to some great wines from Oregon and Washington; I was up in the Portland area. I also lived between Livermore and Lodi California where there are some exceptional wineries also up in the foothills of 49er highway. Of course at that time I was only an hour drive from Napa/Sonoma, one cannot go wrong there. I will have to say that going to the wineries of the California Sierra foothills, Livermore or Lodi you will have exceptional wine for less hassle and less money spent for tastings.

For me wine is great for sharing with friends or family. It can bring people together for good conversation and gives everyone a chance to unwind and relax. There are exceptional wines out there even for $10 or less.

• Carmenet, Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Selection 2007, $9.99. Excellent Cabernet and good paired with beef, cheese and even chocolate.
• Hogue, Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008. This wine is a good one but getting harder to find it under $10, unless on sale. Runs about $12.99.
• Menage a Trois,Red 09 or any year, $7.99 to &10.99. This is from one of my favorite wineries, Folie a Deux in Napa.
• Three Alarms Cellars, Red 2008, $8.99. Good table wine. Hard to find where I currently live but if you can find it, buy one or two.
• Bogle,Merlot 2008, $9.99. This is a favorite with my family and any of the Bogle wines are a great buy for $10.
• Pepperwood Grove, Old Vine Zinfandel 2007, $7.99. This is also a good reliable every day wine.
• Dancing Bull, Zinfandel 2008, $8.99. This is another reliable wine for under $10. Cannot go wrong with this one, I am always happy with any Dancing Bull wine that I buy.
• Mark West, Pinot Noir 2007, $8.99. This is a good Pinot. I will drink this with chicken, pork and beef; so should I say good with anything. This is also nice to drink before dinner, maybe while sitting on a deck that offers a nice view.
• Stags Leap, Hawkcrest Chardonnay, $9.99. It can be a little more depending on where you buy your wine. I like pairing this with some grilled shrimp and french baguette.
• Concannon, Chardonnay 2008, $9.99 or more. Concannon is in Livermore California and one of the oldest in that area. They offer a good variety that covers all price ranges.

Just a note here: if you have a Trader Joes near you it wouldn't hurt to buy a case, yes a case of Charles Shaw known fondly by the name of 2 Buck Chuck.  I like their Shiraz.  My ex and I used to call this our "slumming wine".  With today's economy this is an excellent buy.

Many of these wines are good right when you open and pour. A good practice for any wine especially the reds is to open the bottle and let it breath. If you have a wine decanter it is a very good idea to use it. Exposing the wine to oxygen helps open up the wine and expands the flavors to it's full potential. When storing wine lay it on it's side so the cork does not dry out. It is even okay to store it upside down especially when transporting if home from a winery or even the store.

Wine labels will give you some valuable information on it. Other than the name, vintage and variety you may want to read a little further. Estate means the grapes used to make the wine came from the winery or leased land in that area. If it says "California" on the label it means the grape could come from anywhere in the state. If it has the County, Valley (Napa) means that 85% of the grapes came from that region. Look for the AVA markings. With Estate and AVA wines there will be a higher quality but it does not mean those without are not any good.

There is a wine out there for everyone,even under $10. If you buy wine on a regualr basis and like to explore it might be a good idea to keep a journal. This way you can keep track not only for yourself but might be good when referring a friend on what is good. I know with age I cannot always remember that wine I tasted two weeks ago let alone what I tasted at a winery 5 years ago.