red wines

Say "Bordeaux" and you'll scare away many everyday wine drinkers who associate it with $2,000 bottles of Lafite. But not all wine from the region is expensive, precious, or rare; in fact, much of it is impressively affordable (as Bordeaux is the largest wine-producing region in France) and not half bad.

The key, I've discovered, is finding quality Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superior AOC offerings, basic-level wines that still embody the character of the region. I found a recent steal, 2009 Chateau Le Touzinard Bordeaux, on sale at Whole Foods for a paltry $10, as part of a promotion they'd launched offering an early taste of the 2009 vintage. It's one of their outstanding selections that comes from a "petit château," a small, family-owned property.

The shocker about this wine was the fact that it was smooth, medium-bodied, and structured, yet still easy to drink on its own. I attribute that to its incredibly fruity nose, which evoked images of ripe, jammy plums, tart cherries, and cigar box spice, and its pleasant level of acidity. It's a great everyday wine for food, or without. What's your favorite Bordeaux wine?

I haven't let up on my recent obsession with Cru Beaujolais, the most serious of the Gamay wines to come from France's Beaujolais region. As I mentioned before, it can have legitimate sense of place, complexity, and aging potential. My most recent find, a 2009 Cuvée Tardive (late blend) from Fleurie's Clos de la Roilette, is all those things and more.

I was so excited when I first read about this hard-to-find wine that I tracked down two bottles: one to drink today, and another to drink in five years. Right before my New Year's Eve bash, I cracked one open with close friends. The wine had a wonderful bouquet of cherry and spice, with just enough acidity and structure to show ageability. I couldn't get enough of its soft yet lingering finish. The next five years, I've decided, can't come soon enough!

What was the last wine that you bent over backward to seek out?

Still searching for that ideal wine to pair with a succulent holiday roast? Consider looking into a Pinot Noir such as the 2008 Special Selection Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from McKinlay ($34).

If you've never heard of Washington-based McKinlay Vineyards, you're not alone: the winery makes less than 3,200 cases of wine each year, and they tend to sell out quickly. That's because quaffers like the moderately-priced Special Selection Pinot Noir embody the essence of an American Pinot Noir: deep, red fruit like cherries and berries, rich wintry spices, and a lot of structure without too much tannin. I'm fantasizing about serving my next bottle with a gamy roast goose. What wines are you serving with your holiday dinner?

Every November, the big buzz award seems to go to Beaujolais Nouveau, the immature French red that signifies the year's wine harvest. I may or may not pop open a bottle, decide it tastes like paint thinner, and dump it down the drain. It's not a wine known for its complexity or balanced flavors.

Cru Beaujolais, on the other hand, is a serious wine in its own right. It may have a hard time shaking off its little brother's reputation, but Cru — which comes from one of 10 designated areas in the Beaujolais region — can have legitimate sense of place, complexity, and aging potential.

I've had an obsession with the stuff lately, especially with wines from Morgon. It's the second-largest winemaking village in the region, with volcanic soil that makes wines like this 2009 Raymond Bouland earthy and loamy, but with a ripe, dark fruit bouquet and nice length. Next time you're looking for a complex red under $25, I urge you to ask your local wine shop for a Cru Beaujolais recommendation. Have you had any nice bottles of Beaujolais lately?

What's better than enjoying quality wine? Only, I'd argue, enjoying wine for a greater cause. Although wine auctions at charity benefits are one way to do it, there's an even easier way: get acquainted with a wine label that donates to various charities.

Take note of OneHope, a brand that aims to give back to different causes with the purchase of every wine bottle. I had the pleasure of meeting Jake Kloberdanz, the visionary behind the wine, who told me about his partnership with Robert Mondavi Jr., OneHope's various varietals, and the charitable efforts tied to each, from breast cancer to AIDS to a cause especially close to Jake's heart, autism.

My favorite? The light-bodied Merlot ($19), an almost fuchsia-hued treat that smelled of jalapeño peppers and evoked flavors of everything from jammy cherries to smoky cumin and green bell peppers. I was most shocked by its unlikely food pairing: a red gazpacho that brought out all the wine's fresh, light notes. It doesn't hurt that 50 percent of profits from each bottle go to AIDS/Lifecycle either. What do you think of OneHope and wines for charity in general?

If you're a red wine drinker, chances are, at some point you've come across Syrah, Shiraz, or both. Have you, like me, ever wondered what the exact difference is between the two? Syrah and Shiraz are different names for the same varietal, which comes from a dark-skinned red grape that grows well in warm climates worldwide. The way the grape is spelled tends to be an indicator of the wine's origin.

To learn where Syrah and Shiraz originate and the difference between the two, keep reading.

Portugal is best known for Port and Madeira, but lately I've gotten acquainted with the country's other wines, and I haven't been disappointed in the least. Last week, I waxed poetic about an ethereal sparkling wine, and now, it's a deep, dark red that I can't get out of my mind.

If I didn't already know it was Portuguese, I might've thought Singularis ($17) was a Ribera de Duero. Much like the Spanish wine, it's made mostly of Aragonez — which is known as Tempranillo in neighboring Spain.

But, its best qualities were new to me: A bursting black cherry nose, very soft tannins, and a cooling, nearly menthol-like finish. Even though it'd be a great collector's wine, it has zero tightness, making it a wonderful wine for right now. Do you feel the same way about any Portuguese red wines?

Not too long ago, I attended a wine tasting. Amidst a sea of Pinots and Zinfandels, I found myself drawn to an unassuming bottle: 2007 Stephen Vincent Crimson.

When I found out the price of this wine, which is made from grapes harvested in California's Central Coast, I was shocked. It tasted far more complex than its extremely affordable $10 price tag. Composed of 75 percent Syrah and 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, this lusty blend has room to age a few years, but is also ripe for enjoying now, with oak and lots of dark berry and cassis.

2007 Crimson's not easy to find, but it's one of those wine bargains that I'd go out of my way for. What are your favorite value wines?