Sourced from one of Spain’s most prestigious wine-producing areas, Ribera del Duero, this wine is an amazing value. Wines from this region normally run $25, $50, or even $100 and up. So why do they sell it so cheaply? Darned if I can figure it out, and I visited the place.  

Perhaps it’s because Torremoron is a co-op with 300 participating vine growers. Co-op wines rarely get the respect that ones made by single estates do. There is a long history in Europe of co-ops emphasizing quantity over quality with the inevitable result, mediocre wine. When you have 300 chefs in the kitchen not everyone may be on the same page in terms of quality control.

So how does Torremoron manage to produce excellent wine in spite of these obstacles? Let’s start at the beginning with the raw material, the grapes. The Tempranillo vines here are between 60 and 120 years old! Now let’s stand back for a moment and let those numbers sink in. 120 years ago Grover Cleveland lost the U.S. presidential election in the Electoral College to Benjamin Harrison even though he won the popular vote. (Perhaps things haven’t changed TOO much). Jack the Ripper killed his first victim. The first “long distance” car drive (40 miles) was completed by Berta Benz in an automobile produced by her husband, Karl Benz. It was a long time ago! Now the older a grapevine gets the less fruit it produces. Also, the fruit is of higher quality, being more concentrated. So…it’s very hard for one of these 300 growers to try to cheat and over crop because their vines are so old.

To take advantage of these superb grapes, Torremoron, founded in 1957, has an experienced viticulturalist to complement the 50+ year old tradition of fine wine-making. You have all the makings here of a $50+ quality bottle of wine selling at $10.95.

So let’s now get to the taste:

“Fresh raspberry and candied cherry on the nose, with good peppery and floral lift. Tangy red berry flavors are finely etched and pure, with gentle tannins adding support. The deep finish leaves behind an exotic floral pastille quality. Wonderfully complex for the price.”- Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Rated 90 points by The Wine Advocate

Before these growers discover how good their wine really is, regardless of its co-op heritage, I urge you to take advantage of their generosity.-Michael Bishop, Green’s Senior Wine Buyer

Noted winemakers David Hayman and Dennis Hill have utilized their collective 42+ years of experience in working with growers to craft wine from California’s most prestigious wine regions. The warm days, cool, foggy nights and long growing season make Sonoma’s Russian River a marvelous spot to grow Chardonnay. This superb wine-producing area is the source of this wine.

A blend of 93% Chardonnay and 7% Viognier, it is fermented primarily in stainless steel for fruit freshness, with only a small portion barrel fermented. It is then aged in French oak for 8 months to add a creamier texture and hints of vanilla to its flavor.

With all this expertise, expensive wine-making techniques, and premium fruit, one would expect this wine to retail for at least $25. But no, you get this superb value for only $10.95!

Pineapple and smoke aromas in the bouquet, the flavor displays a balanced measure of ripe fruit flavor, butterscotch, and refreshing acidity.-Michael Bishop, Green’s Senior Wine Buyer

Now here’s something you don’t see every day, a red Cotes du Rhone made by a co-op that owns 50% of all the appellation of France’s most prestigious rosé, Tavel. No red or white wine is made here; rather this area has remained true to its original vocation and tradition, the production of France’s most famous pink wine. The Côtes-du-Rhône vineyards owned by this cooperative are located just over the border from this district in the neighbouring localities of Rochefort-du-Gard and Pujaut.

Made from a blend of  60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the balance Carignan and Mourvèdre, this hearty red wine comes from the 2007 vintage, which according to critic Robert Parker, “promises to be one of the best vintages in the last decade” for southern Rhones.

Blueberry, cherry, and a slightly meaty quality in the bouquet, its flavor is soft on the palate, displaying ripe fruit and spiciness. This is one heck of a Cotes du Rhone for the money and an extraordinary find given the weakness of the dollar. Buy this by the case!-Michael Bishop, Green’s Senior Wine Buyer

This cuvee was selected from a single estate, owned by an old winemaking family of the Pouilly Fuisse district of Burgundy. Some of their vineyards are located just over the Pouily Fuisse boundary, in the less expensive Macon Villages appellation. This is a happy occurrence for you, the consumer, as the wine is about half the price of its more prestigious neighbor.

This delicious 100% Chardonnay wine is given partly stainless steel aging and a portion goes into large oak foudres. The result is a wine that shows little, if any, vanillin characteristics that one associates with small barrique aging. Instead this wine displays a delightful pure white fruit character in both the bouquet and on the palate. Good refreshing acidity in the finish, this wine is a well-balanced, medium-bodied Chardonnay, just perfect for quaffing with a wide variety of fish and chicken dishes and ideal to use as an aperitif.-Michael Bishop, Green’s Senior Wine Buyer

Over the 18 years of the Green’s “Top 10 Wine Values” this is the first Barbera selected. A spectacular example of this wine it is too. At its best when sourced from Italy’s Piedmont district, which this is, Barbera deserves to be more popular. The main flavor component that differentiates this wine from many other reds is that refreshing snap of acidity that accompanies its fruit flavors.

Its producer, Fontanafredda, is an historic estate whose roots go all the way back to 1858. It is huge propery by Piedmontese standards encompassing a total of 250 acres. Over the decades this producer made is reputation with Barolo, often called the “King” of all red wines in Italy and based upon the Nebbiolo grape. Barbera, on the other hand, has long been a favorite of the local people of the area and is far less expensive.

The Wine Spectator selected this as one of their “Top 100 Wines of 2007” giving it the following review: “Very plummy and grapey on the nose, with hints of chocolate. Full-bodied, soft and succulent, with lots of flavor and a long, long finish. Delicious. Drink now…90 points.”

This top value Pinot Grigio reflects the expertise of acclaimed wine producer Alois Lageder and the wines he has selected from vineyard sources in the “Tre Venezie” (Alto Adige, Trentino and Veneto) - acknowledged as one of Italy’s prime regions for quality white wines.

Alois Lageder, one of Alto Adige’s most famous producers, carefully selects the wines from each vineyard; they are sur lie-matured in stainless steel tanks, and blended and bottled at his winemaking facilities.

Most of the vineyards in the region are located on the slopes of the foothills of the Dolomites, the Italian Alps, which dictate the climate and bless the region with some of the most prized alluvial soils composed of dolomite, a limestone made of fossil deposits of an ancient ocean that covered this region 4.6 million years ago. The name Riff (German for reef), thus refers to the Dolomite’s geologic origin.

This soil composition, no doubt, is responsible for the distinct mineral character displayed both in the bouquet and flavor of this wine. Yellow fruit nuances throughout, the ripe fruit mid-palate leads immediately into a crisp finish. An excellent example of Italian Pinot Grigio!-Michael Bishop, Green’s Wine Buyer

“Strong Arms” is made by R Wines, a new Australian wine company founded by dynamic importer Dan Philips of The Grateful Palate and acclaimed winemaker Chris Ringland. The fruit is 46% McLaren Vale, 44% Riverland, and 10% Barossa Valley; these three areas represent some of the finest sources of grapes in Australia.

As they say in the wine trade, R Wines “overdelivers”, code for, “buy it quick before they find out how good it is and raise the price!” Read wine maven review below for this wine:

“…it has a nose of cedar, spice box, and blueberry. Fruit-driven, supple-textured, rich, and easygoing, the wine has remarkable class for its giveaway price…91 points.” The Wine Advocate

Edna Valley has graced our Top 10 twice before with their Chardonnay. I have been amazed at how consistently good that wine has been over the last couple of decades.

This winery’s history began in the early 1970’s when Paragon, their estate vineyard, was planted by the Niven family. The Chalone wine group established a partnership with them in 1980 and Edna Valley (named after the vineyard’s location) was off to the races, producing fine value Chardonnay (and Pinot Noir) year after year.

I did not know they even produced a Sauvignon Blanc until this summer when I was given a sample to taste. The 2007 vintage represents only the fourth year it has been distributed broadly and is the first to make it to Georgia. This region is known for its cool and long growing season, ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. How would this climate work with Sauvignon Blanc? I had high expectations given my experience with the Chardonnay. They were met.

Quite complex for such a modestly priced wine, one gets nuances of herbs, lemon candy and honeysuckle on the bouquet. In the mouth it is unusually rich too, but not heavy. Citrus, ripe fruit flavors, and just enough acidity to balance in the aftertaste, these folks have nailed California Sauvignon Blanc.-Michael Bishop, Green’s Senior Wine Buyer

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for $11.95, so what’s wrong with it? That thought must be going through some of your minds as many of you who enjoy drinking Cabernet from this prestigious district are more familiar with prices ranging from $30-$200. Don’t get me wrong, this won’t compete with Mondavi Reserve or Opus One, but at this price point Pavillon Cabernet Sauvignon delivers amazing quality and Napa Valley character for the money.

Pavilion Winery was founded on the belief that their two winemakers, Brian Mox and Larry Levin, can put their vast experience and winemaking skills to work in creating some of the best value Napa Valley wines made. Brian has 19 years of winemaking experience with stints at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Pine Ridge Winery, Laird Family Estate (as assistant to Paul Hobbs), Chrichton Hall, Napa Redwoods Estate, Voss, Stonegate and Etude. Larry spent seventeen years at Dry Creek Vineyard followed by a position at Icon Estates where he oversaw winemaking at Franciscan, Mt. Veeder, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Ravenswood, and Quintessa. These guys have unique relationships with growers all over Napa and can find good fruit at a good price.

The 2006 Pavillon Cabernet is a perfect example of this skill. Selected as one of Robert Parker’s “Worlds Greatest Wine Values” in a recent issue of The Wine Advocate, he described this wine as: “…a drop dead value. Cedary, sweet black currant fruit, licorice, and tobacco leaf-like notes emerge from this medium-bodied, spicy, ripe wine… A wonderful discovery, Pavilion appears to be making some terrific wines at incredibly low price points.”

Founded in 1958 in the town of Borja, this winery shows the amazing quality and value that can be made with Garnacha (Grenache). This grape variety got little respect by the Spanish wine press until the last couple of decades, though it has produced delicious wines for centuries in France’s Rhone Valley. It now is considered a qualitative rival to Spain’s traditional dominate wine-producing grape, Tempranillo.

Through meticulous selection work in the fields and modern winemaking techniques, Bodegas Borsao produces this fresh fruit-driven style of wine. It is made in the province of Zaragoza, known as "the Garnacha land of Spain”, and sourced from the lower part of the Ebro River. No oak aging here, it is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to emphasize it fruit qualities.

One of America’s prestigious wine reviewers agrees with us and named it as one of their “World’s Greatest Wine Value’s:

“…the nose delivers aromas of mineral, cherry, and earth notes. This is followed by a medium-bodied wine with excellent depth, ripeness and a lengthy finish. It’s a mighty serious effort for its tiny price…88 points.”-The Wine Advocate