Wine and Dandy

On our honeymoon, my husband, JM, and I treated ourselves to an incredible dinner at one of the most swanky restaurants in Paris (the fact that I just called it "swanky" shows you how well I belonged there). Waiters outnumbered the patrons 4 to 1, the silverware probably formerly belonged to Napoleon, the ladies were in ballgowns, and each table held a candelabra that wouldn't fit through the door to our apartment. At this dinner, we watched (mouths agape, I am sure) as the elegant couple at the table next to ours (who definitely belonged there) received a bottle of wine that emerged from the cellar covered in cobwebs and dust, clearly older than time. We did our best not to stare as they drank away a bottle that probably cost the same thing as the down payment on our apartment.
Now, me, I'm not so picky when it comes to my libations. As long as it doesn't take the enamel off my teeth on the way down, I'm not going to complain. But that doesn't mean I can't tell a fine vintage from rotgut. It just means that I'm cheap and for my purposes (unwinding and washing down whatever it is I happen to have whipped up in the kitchen that night), there are multitudinous wines on the market for less than $15 that do me just fine. I'll admit- I'm no sommelier, and I get that when it comes to wine, people have as many different tastes as there are varieties of grapes. I happen to like my reds on the lighter, dryer side, and my whites crisp and not too sweet. Here are my selections for a few great easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing wines that are widely available and won't break the bank if you're serving a group. As an added bonus, you probably won't have to wipe off any cobwebs.

For more cheap, delicious wines, check out the selection at your local Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Best Cellars, or even Cosco, where they have a great selection of inexpensive wines.

WHITES

Right to Left:
Simi Sauvignon Blanc, $12, Sonoma County, CA
Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc, $14, Napa, CA
Rodney Strong, Charlotte's Home, Sauvignon Blanc, $12, Sonoma County, CA
Columbia Crest Founder's Estate Chardonnay, $10, Washington
Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc, $12, Napa, CA

REDS

Folie A Deux Menage A Trois, $11, Napa, CA
Pascual Toso Malbec, $10, Argentina
Beringer Merlot, $9, Napa, CA
Bogle Petit Sirah, $10, Northern CA
Marietta Old Vine Red, $12, Sonoma County, CA