Santa Isabela Sauvignon Blanc

A well-constructed wine; I keep thinking of it in terms of what it is not. It's not very acidic for a sauv blanc, it's not too fruity or perfumy. It is quite drinkable. Maybe some hints of grapefruit/citrus and even mango, but really it's very subtle. Probably good with cheese or chicken dishes. A good wine for $15-18, outstanding at under $10.

88 points. 9.99.

Bodegas Piqueras Marques de Rojas 2007

Love the label, and the back has an equally good story: "Almansa in the South East of Spain was a Republican stronghold duning the Spanish civil war where the local women who took up the struggle were known as 'Las Rojas'. Many of the vines survive from this era...."

Now then, the wine itself is 100% grenache ("garnacha") and is bold, plummy with a great balance and structure. Actually it would make a kick-ass sangria. It smells a lot like port but is not overpowering to drink. I have to admit, it's not my favorite, probably more because of the varietal that the winemaker, but it does grow on you a bit. It's a little too sour for my taste to really get a top grade (I'm finding too much acidity is a real turn-off these days for some reason). I'd probably not buy it again if it were $18, but for half that it's a good value and will probably show up again on our shelf. At that price, I don't even feel bad about using it for sangria, which has traditionally been reserved for our crappiest wines (really, an undrinkable red wine makes great sangria - try it!).

86 points. $8.99

Penfold's Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet 2007

So, I left the rest of the Finca for Kris to try, and opened another bottle instead. We've had this one before - I always thought it was pretty good. But after that last malbec, it seems very ordinary. No bouquet, not much taste - some pepper and currant - and little sustain. Considering Australians are usually bold, juicy and full of flavour, this is fairly bland. A good table wine, but not a great one.

83 points. $9.79 at Superstore (we seem to be spending a lot of time there).

Finca Los Primos Malbec 2007

OK, we're getting serious about this Cheap Wine Night. I have a list of over 200 top-rated wines that cost under $20, although a lot of those are from an American wine website and are probably (a) more expensive here or (b) not available anyway. Also making up the list are selections from the Canadian magazine Wine Access feature "Best Wines under $25", but of those wines only some are available in Alberta. But, there are still enough to make for a decent scavenger hunt. We had a fun night last night slowly picking through the aisles in a couple of liquor stores, cross-checking our printed lists.

This malbec rated quite highly, so we were happy to find it at Superstore under ten bucks. It's delicious. The first thing that hits me is its earthiness. It's what I think of when Paul Giamatti's character in Sideways refers to a wine's character as "ancient". That was part of the big Pinot Noir soliloquy, but I think it applies here. The Finca has a purply plum colour and some plum flavour, all extremely well balanced with good character and unfortunately little finish. The wine is great for sipping on its own, but would be great with red meat dishes. Complex and drinkable.

Given the price, I would get this fantastic malbec again in a heartbeat.

90 points. $9.99 at Superstore.

Chat-en-Oeuf "Red" 2006

Kind of fitting that the first French wine in here has a cartoon of a cat on the label. If I can't get a free gift hanging around the neck of the bottle when I buy wine, then I go for the cartoon label next. This one is from the Cotes du Ventoux appellation in the Rhone region, not far from Chateauneuf-du-Pape as you may have guessed from the name of the wine. If you like this type of humour, then you'll love "Goats do Roam" and "Bored Doe".

Chat-en-Oeuf is made with grenache and syrah, which are typical for the region. I actually opened this last night and had a glass, but I was too tired and just went to bed. I thought it was better last night, maybe it doesn't oxidize well even though I screwed the cap on tight. The back label promotes itself with lots of adjectives like "mouth-filling" and "juicy", but it's fairly thin and ordinary to me. I would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this one and a Sonora Ranch red. Mostly earthy and a little heavy on tannin, and practically no nose or finish. Maybe a little more complex, but honestly a bit disappointing. We don't drink a lot of French wines, but the ones we do - the ones Robert Parker doesn't get to - have been underwhelming. Despite the non-snooty marketing and bargain bin price, I'd pass on this next time. Well, maybe I'd try it once more and drink it fresh just to make sure.

81 points. $9.89 at Superstore.

Lindemans Cawarra Cabernet Merlot 2007

I'm not a huge fan of the mega-producers of the wine world (Mondavi for example), but I will happily buy a bottle of Lindemans anytime. It's pretty much guaranteed to be an above-average wine for a good price.

Here's the skinny on the name "Cawarra" from Lindemans itself: "The LINDEMANS Cawarra Range is a tribute to the vision of Dr Henry J Lindeman, who in 1843, purchased a property in the Hunter Valley named 'Cawarra' (an Aboriginal word meaning 'beside running water') and planted his first vines." OK, that doesn't really do anything for me, but the wine, as usual, is pretty good.

This is a very mellow red, easy to drink any maybe a little thin. It's got a plum colour and taste, and some backbone with a high alcohol content. It wants to be in the "very good" category, but falls a bit short although just barely. This would be a good complement for lasagna or Greek food, where you really want just a decent red to slurp. It's not blowing my mind, but it's quite good. Slurpable. I wouldn't buy it at $20, but for the nine bucks or whatever it was, it's more than a good value. I'm reading these comments, and I think it's a little better of a wine than I'm making it sound. Unlike many single-digit reds, I'm very much looking forward to another glass. I'd prefer this to the Sonora Ranch below, for example. I doubt we'll need to re-cork the bottle before we go to bed.

82 points. Under $10.

Sonora Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

I think Sonora Ranch is Mission Hill's cheapo label. I've been looking for confirmation on the internet, but it seems to be a state secret. Nothing on the bottle gives it away either - it's a product of the "Artisan Wine Co." from Oliver (their website is particularly thin and uninformative). Mission Hill is not in Oliver, but I still believe Sonora Ranch is MH's way to pawn off their low-grade product.

Well, wherever it's from, it's cheap and it's good. There is no year on the label, so I'm guessing it's a mix of different "vintages" (using that term loosely). But you know what - it's not bad at all. Despite a hint of grape jelly, it's a fresh and full-bodied cab that probably wouldn't do well in a blind tasting but is still pretty good and very drinkable. I'm on my second glass, just to back up that last point. A little too jammy to be confused with the big dogs, but it has pretty good balance and enough body to hold it's own.

And when you factor in the price, it's a damn good deal. Cheap reds can be a real crapshoot, but this one is pretty reliable. Good with pizza or spaghetti and meatballs.

81 points. $8.50.