Remarkable and only about $10. Just can't say enough good things about its firm midwestern handshake. Great with just about any Indian/Thai/Asiatic takeout and so much more. Pour the other whites down the drain pipe. And I'm considering changing my name -- Wiengut Allram.
From the tiny appelation of Menetou-Salon in the Loire Valley comes a tasty Sauvignon Blanc for a reasonable price (~$12) by Domaine de Chatenoy.
While Sancerre is the more popular AC, Menetou-Salon butts right up to the West and seems to hold its own.
It doesn't hurt that Domaine de Chatenoy has been around since the 1700's so I guess they should know what they are doing. See article here
This wine seems like a classic French SB--crisp, simple and citrusy and a good value to boot.
How enjoyable to open a bottle and have it surpass expectations. Had never heard of Lateral from Kathryn Kennedy before but it was great.
A 2001 blend of Merlot, Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon is not a type of wine I have much experience with but it was a clean, bright (simple in a good way) wine that went perfectly with oven roasted rack of lamb. At $30+ it is not an everyday wine but worth a treat when cooking a good dinner at home. The winey website is a bit quirky and but has some interesting factoids about vineyard maintenance. If anyone can figure out the following chart let me know:
Wines may be a bit hard to find outside of California but K&L has it and it looks like you can order from their website.
Reviews say this wine echos the qualities of the great wines of the St. Emilion district of Bordeaux.
Would be interested in any affordable recs from that region if any one has any.
That's how people affectionately describe the Viognier grape (snif). I had my first official glass of the Condrieu from E. Guigal last night. 
I've been a fan of Viognier, but had never tasted the original French version. It's outstanding and everyone else at the table was rifling through their purse for a pen to jot down the name. Not cheap like their American remakes, but it's worth it on a special occasion.
I found an old review of the '99 where someone overwhelmingly praised the wine, and finished their very positive review with "exotic, slightly stinky nose, with notes of burnt rubber and cabbage."
Don't get turned off by images of haz-mat teams running around smoldering, overturned trucks of vegetables engulfed in flames. It tasted notably better than that.
A couple of great reds I had recently.
First is one of my new favorites from the Loire. A Cab Franc (or Chinon) from Jean Pierre Crespin, Le Champ Martin. I have had both the 1999 and the 2001. Both are great though I prefer the 1999. The labels are cool (esp the 1999) as Crespin does his own art.
Cheap ($~15), light bodied red great for summer. If you can't find this wine definitely try a Chinon...you'll be psyched. Here is what one review said
"A rapidly rising star in Chinon, as well as a controversial figure who is recurrently butting heads with the appellation authorities as a result of his innovative practices. Be that as it may, these wines are both fantastic—if utterly different.
Le Champ Martin is the freshest, fruitiest, purest rendition of Cabernet Franc that I have ever tasted from France. Period. It is so much fun that the stuff seems vaguely illegal...No apparent oak here, and no bottle bouquet yet, but the absolute soul of fresh Cab Franc. Think you like Beaujolais? Taste this and you will never go back."
Second one might be tough to find...a Rioja from Bodegas Breton "Lorinon" from the Lograno region. Ours was a 1996 and was super smooth and mellow. Had expected the Rioja to be a bit rougher and maybe the age softened it a bit but Riojas are back on my list for an easy drinking wine good with all sorts of food.
Only $9 and delish. Perfect dry, white everydaywine. Elegant bottle, respectable dinner companion. Props out to the Austrians.
Previous posting on Gruner Veltliner, click here.
Ok, for around $15, this here Pacfic Echo is an easy to find "champagne" that holds its own against some fine French competition. It comes in a couple flavors.
Our overseas friends get a little testy over the Champagne name because of all the hundreds of years of IP and brand building put into those bottles. This sparkling wine is bright, tasty and was good enough to be bought by Clicquot, the famous French champagne makers. Their famous yellow label bubbly, Veuve Clicquot, has an interesting little French lesson attached to it.
"The remarkable Madame Clicquot (1777-1866) is often considered the first businesswoman of the modern era. 
Born Nicole-Barbe Ponsardin, she was widowed in 1805 at the age of 27. Veuve Clicquot (Veuve means widow in French) defied every convention of the day to take the helm of her late husband's small Champagne house."
Rico asks > This is an open question for Keim. Is there something you can recommend that's not too sweet and not too expensive. I had a glass of something (I'll try and dig up the name) that was ripe with all kinds of fruity flavors...but wasn't at all sickly. I headed to the store and everything's just high on the price...plus, I'm sure some of these taste like rotten candy.
Keim replies > 
OK....cheap and not too sweet? First..I am assuming you want to go German (or maybe Austrian or French) haven't had a ton of luck with CA/WA Rieslings though I am sure there are some good ones. Second, you need to know how to read a German Riesling label. You will likely want to look for Kabinett or Spatlese as these are likely cheaper and more light (8-10% alcohol), easier drinking. Kabinett refers to Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) which is the german grading system for quality of wine.
There are six subcategories within the QmP category, ranked from lowest to highest they are: KABINETT, SPÄTLESE, AUSLESE, BEERENAUSLESE, EISWEIN, and TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE. Each category is defined by a minimum sugar content of the grapes, which varies from region to region and from variety to variety. The focus on sugar content embodies the theory that grapes with higher sugar levels are riper and therefore yield richer wines with deep colors, intense flavors, and opulent (In case you were wondering I copied this QBa description)!!
One producer I love is Schloss Schonborn (see label above)...they make a ton of good, cheap ($11 to $20)wine that is excellent. Check out Sam's site and try to find 2001 or 2002 which scored in the 90's from WS.
Another good tip is look for any proucer from Germany with the name Prum. Dr. F. W Prum and Jos. Prum both make fantastic wines (though a bit more expensive ($19-30).
Let me know if you find anything good.
For a good background article on what Schloss has been up to for the last 650 years, click here.
This is my second post...god knows what happened to the first one....
Seeing that it is 75+ is SF these days I have been looking for some interesting whites to enjoy. Ran across a good one at dinner tonight a Pouilly-Fuisse from Domaine du Clos. I am not a fan of buttery whites but I like big mouth feel and complexity if I can find it (we can run another post some day about the pros and con of malolactic fermentation!) Despite its unsettling yellow color (think your urine when dehydrated) this wine hit the spot and was big enough to serve with broiled pork chops.
I bought this wine at Sam's for $12.5 on sale but when I searched their site I could only find it at $24 a btl. Wish I had bought more if this was the same wine. click here
Did notice that du Clos had another wine from the Macon which might be worth checking out at $13. Generally, wine from the Macon are a pretty good value...not as sophisticated as a good chablis but not as expensive either. Another region is the St. Veran for good values. Check out: Verget St. Veran "Hauts de Leynes" 750ml 12 per case. click here
From a beautiful vineyard site located just above Pouilly Fuisse. This has lovely ripeness and power married with density and texture. $14.99 per 750ml Bottle
Enjoy - PK
Rico's NOTE: Keim's awesome recommendation on the St. Veran also has a good story behind it click here
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