Holiday Wines Without Big Price Tags

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A good bottle of wine can make a great holiday gift, but connoisseur Richard Elia says you don't have to break the bank to buy one.

"If you're buying a gift for someone who knows absolutely nothing about wine, it's ridiculous to buy them a $450 bottle," says Elia, publisher of the Quarterly Review of Wines. "I wouldn't spend $500 on a bottle of wine, and I've been writing about wine for 30 years."

The expert says you can pick up a decent bottle of wine this holiday season with as little as a single $10 bill.

"If you only have $10 or $20 to spend, I can still give you a whole list of really good value wines to buy," Elia says. "And even if you're visiting someone who really knows wines, you still only have to shell out $30, $40 or $50 to get something they'll appreciate."

Here's a look at some wines at various price points that Elia recommends this holiday season (all figures are approximate retail prices for 750-milliliter bottles):

$20 a bottle or less

The 2007 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge ($15) is perhaps Elia's favorite red wine in this category.

"For $15, you're going to get something that's wonderfully spicy, has a lovely depth of feeling and has a real floral nose to it," he says. "It's a little bit of strawberry, a little bit of raspberry and a little bit of spice."

Other reds that Elia likes include Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel ($12), 2009 Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) or any vintage of Forest Glen Cabernet Sauvignon ($10).

If you're a white-wine fan, Elia recommends 2010 Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($12) or any vintage of Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($15).

$20 to $50 per bottle

Elia considers $50-a-bottle 2007 J. Lohr Cuvee PAU (pronounced "pow") one of the best choices at this price point.

"PAU is just 'wow,' " the expert says. "I would give this without hesitancy to any of my friends who really know wine."

This California wine, whose name honors France's Pauillac region, offers excellent "complexity and finish," Elia says.

If $50-a-bottle wine is too rich for your budget, consider 2007 J. Lohr Hilltop Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($35).

Elia says non-red-wine drinkers should look at 2009 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay ($25) or Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Non-Vintage Champagne ($35).

$50 to $100 a bottle

The oenophile gives a nod at this price point to two California wines: 2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five and 2007 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Both cost around $90 a bottle and come from Napa Valley vineyards that Elia says have excellent terroir, a French winery term that roughly translates into "environment."

"Terroir refers to a site's sun, location, weather -- all of the things that make for a great vineyard," he says. "Shafer and Caymus have great terroir, so even in off (vintage years), they still produce great wines."

Elia also favors two Champagnes that both cost around $55 a bottle: Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Non-Vintage Champagne or Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvee.

In fact, he likes Bollinger so much that the Quarterly Review of Wines served it at this year's company holiday party. "It's great stuff," the expert says.

$100 and up per bottle

At this hefty price point, Elia recommends either 2002 Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne ($300) or the same wine in a 2004 vintage ($250).

"Cristal is the favorite of anybody who really understands wine," he says. "It's pretty much acknowledged to be the best that there is."

True champagne lovers will plunk down $300 for Cristal from 2002, a year nature "was simply great to the grapes," Elia says.

But the expert says you can't go wrong with the slightly cheaper 2004, which is the most recent vintage available.

"Show up at a party with Cristal and you'll be a hero regardless of vintage," Elia says. "Of course, you'll also put a serious dent in your checking account."

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