I also wouldn't say that under $20 was necessarily cheap. I would say that 95% of the wine we drink is priced from $10 to $20 and while I cannot recommend anything in particular, we are almost always pleased with wine in this range from producers in Italy, Spain and even from some of the more village wines in France. I have a prejudice against Napa because of the smug factor. It is just too close to home not to be enveloped by the smug cloud. I am not a big $$$ wine drinker as I find it does little to add to a normal dinner and with friends I am usually enjoying myself too much to take the time to really savor an expensive wine with the time due to it. Once or twice a year we might spend more than $30 but it is rare. Generally, when we shop for wine we pick up tow cases of this from Kermit Lynch in Berkeley which allows us to try a lot but still have two bottles of each whenever necessary. IMO, they are still the finest wine shop for the non-collector int he US. I would bet Manto is familiar with them.
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BARGAIN SAMPLER You are not going to believe this one. My staff tells me that you, my very c lientele, are more likely to try new wines if I lower the price. I’d be o utraged if I were you. I assured them that the only thing that matters to you is top quality, price be damned, but they assured me right back and said, “You’ll see,” so I let them have their way. Why not keep ’em happy? They picked out this case of their favorite already-well-priced wines, and I lowered the prices to make them even greater bargains, in effect making them IRRESISTIBLE BARGAINS. Or, to be almost precise about it, around $11.50 per bottle for fine imported wines shipped from France and Italy in refrigerated containers. This twelve-bottle Sampler includes: normally 2004 Dolcetto di Dogliani “Surì” • Marenco . . $12.50 NV Prosecco di Conegliano Brut • Sommariva . . . 13.50 2005 Vin de Pays de l’Hérault “Proteus” Domaine du Poujol. . . 12.95 2005 Pinot Bianco • La Viarte. . 14.95 2005 Vin de Table du Vaucluse Rouge Sélectionnée par Kermit Lynch. . . 9.95 2003 E Prove Rouge • Domaine Maestracci. . . 17.00 2005 Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc Domaine de la Cadette. . . 19.95 2004 Bourgueil “Vieilles Vignes” Domaine de la Chanteleuserie. . . 14.95 2004 Cairanne “Cuvée Léa Felsch” Domaine Catherine le Goeuil . . 16.00 2006 Bianco di Custoza • Corte Gardoni . . 11.25 2004 C orbières Rouge “La Demoiselle” Domaine de Fontsainte. . 14.00 2006 T avel Rosé • Château de Trinquevedel. . 16.00 Normally $173 Special Sampler Price $138 (A 20% discount )
