Bordeaux blockbuster one of the great hidden 2005s

It really pays to have great neighbors. Château Béhèré is an extraordinary Pauillac micro-property that totals 6 acres facing first-growth Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. In fact, part of the Béhèré vineyard lies in the middle of the Mouton vineyards.

This tiny production is entirely hand harvested. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. If there were ever a case for greatness rubbing off this is it.

With Parker and the rest of the wine press anointing 2005 as the greatest recent vintage in Bordeaux (and much of the rest of the world), this is a smart lay-down for anyone serious about what they're going to be enjoying 5+ years from now. Highly recommended! (sterling)

CHATEAU BEHERE 2005, Pauillac, Bordeaux $49.97 (regular $54.95)

The anything-but-Chardonnay solution

Tired of oaky Chardonnay? Ready for anything but Chardonnay? Try this lovely white from Alsace.

Pinot Blanc produces dry whites that are often compared to Chardonnays, but are lighter and less complex. Fresh and crisp, they often have an aroma of apples with a hint of spices.

The Château d'Orschwihr, with a history dating to the eleventh century, owns its vineyards and has total control over yields. This guarantees an exceptional aromatic concentration. They also limit their use of chemicals on their yields to further concentrate their wines. (anje)

CHATEAU D'ORSCHWIHR PINOT BLANC BOLLENBERG 2005, Alsace $10.97 (regular $12.95)

Pinot-lover's dream come true

We've uncovered one of the Pinot world's real secrets. But be warned,there isn't much to go around, so if you're a real fan of the greats of this grape, jump now. Don't hesitate.

Similar to one of Oregon's best or a great Volnay, this limited edition comes from a winery known for its every-day whites. Fritz Allendorf makes some of the best value whites anywhere in Germany. And that may be why this one superstar, a real passion of his, doesn't show up in any of the national reviews of Europinot. Check Parker or the Spectator, and this is nowhere to be found. Yet we've been stunned at how good this is. (Quercus is Latin for oak.)

With a medium-deep color and a great nose, Allendorf has packed in a whopping 14% alcohol. We had to offer this second vintage after last year's rave success. Fritz Allendorf is one of the largest estates in the Rheingau with over 140 acres of vineyard. They deliver good quality wines, mainly Riesling and Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir), for a good price. But why would you buy a Pinot from Germany? What about Oregon, Sonoma or even Burgundy? Two answers: quality and value. Trust us, you won't be disappointed. (sterling)

ALLENDORF QUERCUS PINOT NOIR 2005, Rheingau, Germany $39.97 (regular $47.95)

Greatest value wines on the planet

Almost two months ago we launched our first lineup of
bargain wines for everyday drinking, our real wines. Your response has been overwhelming. We know that the price of gas and the S&P's slide has everybody cutting corners. But we've done the hard work: sort out great value wines from cheap wines.

Here are our favorites today.There's nothing that says you have to give up quality to get a great price, and here are eight good reasons why:

Ten points for anyone who can point to Gascony on a map. Exactly. It doesn't matter, what matters is that this great little discovery has all the crisp, drilling flavors to make it a great summer-weight quaff. Move up from Pinot Grigio to this French bargain and you'll never go back. Light; cocktails, shellfish.

DOMAINE DE POUY 2007, Cotes de Gascogne, France $8.47 (regular $9.95)

We carried this years ago and recently found it again. The Torres family has one of the all-time great simple whites in this one. Benchmark flavors of lemongrass and hints of lime lifesaver are rounded out in this ultra-light white.

TORRES SANGRE DE TORO [WHITE] "VINA SOL" 2007, Catalunya, Spain $9.97 (regular $11.95)

No early fall night is quite complete without the apple-traced fruit of a great Riesling. This Rhine bears plenty of resemblance to a classy Alsace Riesling, without the mineral-slate component, or the $30 price tag.

DR. HEYDEN OPPENHEIMER RIESLING KABINETT 2005, Rheinhessen, Germany $11.97 (regular $13.95)

Wow! One after another, the folks at Les Fontanelles are cranking up the standards for all the reds and whites from this part of France. And this dry rosé hits another bases-loaded long ball. All Syrah, this is the only wine to chill and serve with many Asian dishes, but we really like it with Costillitas (Cuban baby back ribs).

LES FONTANELLES ROSÉ 2007, Pays d'Oc, France $9.97 (regular $11.95)

What does a gifted winemaker do with all the leftover parts after making stellar Merlots and Cabernets? Blend. Blend. Blend. Great, soft claret scents lift this above the level of everyday and make you glad you bought this for the steaks.

ST. FRANCIS RED 2004, Sonoma, California $10.97 (regular $12.95)

Shiraz we associate with Australia, but many of South Africa's top producers tackle it too. We really like the forward, pepper-scented fruit of the Sincerely Shiraz. Sincerely. Soft enough to appeal to a crowd, serious enough to handle charcoal-smoked anything.

SINCERELY SHIRAZ 2005, South Africa $11.95

Pinot Noir a bargain? Are we crazy? Is this a fraud? Absolutely not! This is one of the most exciting little Cali-Pinots we've run across in years. It could be a little deeper or dryer, but there's plenty of honest, rustic Pinot fruit to convince your friends you spent a lot more. Rotisserie chicken anyone? Chill this slightly.

MONTOYA PINOT NOIR 2006, Monterey, California $13.97 (regular $16.95)

No wine nation has made more progress in thepast decade than Spain. This is why winemakers in southern France aren't selling wines. Compare this to any Provence red and you'll be back to this great organic Spanish red for a case! Yummy! Pig roast? Leg of lamb for the neighborhood? Burgers? (sterling)

LUZON VERDE 2007, Jumilla, Spain $9.95

Shop all our online sale items by using this handy link (our best prices on wines and foods). Browse our store here by category.

Number one vote-getter for all parties

Helios is the Greek sun god. As you know, it takes a lot of love, care and sun to make great wines.Santa Barbara is located in California's Central Coast, just hours north of LA.

The Helios Chardonnay comes from here. The long cool growing season and proximity to the Pacific offer perfect conditions to ripen the fruit for this light and fresh white. Crisp flavors of pear, honeysuckle and apple and just a hint of oak, give this a terrific balance of fruit and acidity, with a very clean finish.

HELIOS CHARDONNAY 2006, Santa Barbara $14.97

(regular $19.95) $179.64 / case

The 2005 Cabernet hails from Paso Robles, on the northern edge of San Luis Obispo County. Another cool growing area, the vineyards for this wine have chalky limestone soil, producing a soft and silky Cab with warm black cherry and cassis fruit flavors. There's also a touch of spice and tobacco, making it a great easy-drinking dinner wine.

HELIOS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005, Paso Robles $14.97 (regular $19.95) $179.64 / case

The 2005 Merlot comes from Alexander Valley, in northern Sonoma County. Warmer than the other two areas Helios sources from, this area does well with just about all red grapes, especially Merlot, Cabernet and Zinfandel. This wine is round and lovely, full of cherry, plum and cassis. It is full-bodied and will pair well with many meals. (anje)

HELIOS MERLOT 2005, Alexander Valley $14.97 (regular $19.95) $179.64 / case

Best meritage buy!

Made by the dynamic duo of Bruce Walker and Wayne Hansen who own Starry Night Winery (no, Adam West connection, no capes) and sourced from one of the most extraordinary high-elevation vineyards in Napa Valley, this is the second vintage of Briana's Blend. This year, the blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, barely a blend at all. And since a meritage (rhymes with heritage) is suposed to have all five major Bordeaux varieties, this almost doesn't qualify.

Brian's Blend is aged for over a year in French and American oak barrels, and only 2050 cases were produced. It is incredibly dark, tight and tannic at first. Once it opens up, it shows almost plummy, deep dark berry flavors. It is well balanced and can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to 10 years.  

BRIANA'S BLEND 2006, Napa $26.97 (Regular $39.95)

Best dry rose on the planet?

In a country dominated by male winemakers, Susana Balbo stands out not only for her gender, but for her incredible skill and experience.

She's been making wine since she earned her enology degree in 1981, and she has made wine in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa, and Spain. Susana's pet project is her Crios label, and we were really excited to get our hands on her Rose of Malbec. If anybody can handle this grape, she can!

This rose has plenty of fruit and complexity; close your eyes and you'll swear it's a really light red. Dry and supple at the same time. Call the butcher! Order the ribs. Now you've got the wine. (sterling)

CRIOS ROSE OF MALBEC 2007, Mendoza Argentina $13.95

This blended red rocks!

Pietra Santa is a newish winery just east of California's Monterey Bay with some of its vines that go back to the turn of the twentieth century. What's amazing, given the illustration on the label, is that the winery sits in a valley that is equally split by the San Andreas fault.

Pietra Santa, "sacred stone", is devoted to a number of varieties their Italian winemaker is comfortable with, and is named for the granite and limestone found throughout the valley. But at the end of the day, their blended red just may be the best value they make by a mile. Rhone-like in style, it's a balanced creation of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. Two thumbs up!

SACRED STONE MASTER'S RED BLEND, California, $11.95 regular, $129.00 / case ( = $10.75) - Buy now and save 10%

Drop dead gorgeous

One look at a bottle of Marquis Philips Holly's Blend and you ask, "what is that creature on that label?" The Roogle (a kangaroo with a bald eagle's head) is a mythical creature meant to symbolize the warm relationship between Australia and the U.S. It's a perfect symbol of this wine, too, brought to us from Australia by American importer Dan Philips.

Their goal is simple: to make delicious, well-priced, powerful wines. Holly's Blend, ironically, is not a blend this time. Often the winemakers blends in small amounts of Chardonnay to give the wine a round, creamy quality. This vintage, though, didn'tt need any extra help.

It is 100% Verdelho. Exhibiting the classic characteristics of Verdelho, Holly's Blend has an aromatic nose of pineapples and citrus fruits. The palate is bright and refreshing, not quite a fruit bomb but close, balanced with subtle flavors of honeysuckle and pear. Try this light summer sipper with just about any Latin cuisine, chicken or a summer grilled vegetable salad. (don)

MARQUIS PHILIPS HOLLY'S BLEND 2007, Australia $11.95

Nobody in Chile does it better

These are wines to buy by the case-load, good values and great tastes for each variety, full of bright fruit and Chilean sunshine. Founded in 1994 by the Marnier-Lapostolle family (owners of France's Grand Marnier), Casa Lapostolle is a showcase of what can be achieved through the marriage of French know-how and Chile's perfect growing conditions.

Their vineyards are located in the Rapel Valley, smack in the middle of this long, skinny country. Casablanca Valley, the source for their Chardonnay, is a small section of the larger Rapel Valley. These wines are just the thing to buy by the case, whether for a party, or just to keep on hand for unexpected summer guests!

We just received the 2007 Chardonnay - really food-friendly and full of tropical fruit. There's a nice balancing acidity and a touch of sweet spice from the oak ageing to play off the citrus notes, too. Serve as an aperitif or with fish, white meats and vegetarian dishes. Also very good with hot curries and Thai.

CASA LAPOSTOLLE CHARDONNAY 2007,Casablanca Valley Chile $11.97 (regular $14.95)

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is light-weight, with open-knit lemon zest and straw notes and a super citrusy finish - we refer to it as bottled sunshine! It, too, works with seafood or spicy dishes and it makes a great refreshing sipper.

CASA LAPOSTOLLE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007, Rapel Valley Chile $9.97 (regular $11.95)  

Their 2006 Merlot is a wonderful soft red, full of sharp red fruit aromas with a sophisticated touch of sweet spices from the light touch of oak and juicy soft tannins. The smoky finish is long with more fruit highlighted by mocha and vanilla nuances. It will pair beautifully with pasta dishes, vegetables and white meat.

CASA LAPOSTOLLE MERLOT 2006, Rapel Valley Chile $11.97 (regular $14.95)  

Their 2006 Cabernet - perfect for any grilled meat, is full of spice and red and black fruit flavors with a touch of smoke at the finish. There's lots of tannin, too, so lots of body - this one will stand up to anything! It has a bit of Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc blended in, too, to add to the complexity.

CASA LAPOSTOLLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006, Rapel Valley Chile $11.97 (regular $14.95)

More fun with Lapostolle: here's a really nice You Tube video of a vertical tasting of their great red: Clos Apalta.