What you can't get in a $10 wine

I espouse inexpensive wines. I claim you can get great wines for under $20. And you can.

But there are certain "rides" that where $10 just won't cut it.

Let's call this ride "intensity" or "focus" or "concentration", since naming something defines it.

Case in point: the Denner 2008 Viognier from Paso Robles, which I visited a few weekends back. Denner owns a huge amount of acres of vineyards and grows 18 varietals of which they've sold many of their grapes in the past, but are starting to make more wines from their own grapes. I liked their wines quite a bit, but they are a mid-high end producer and so my strict pricing rules got in the way. But their $30 viognier was a bit of a revelation. Bananas, pineapple and other rich tropical fruit. The deal was buy two bottles and they waived their tasting fee. Sold!

I opened a bottle last night and the concentration and intensity were obvious. This level of ripeness and flavor costs money. At $30, I consider it a bargain.

I need to drink this wine cool, not cold right out of the fridge to really appreciate the full range of flavors. It's thick, rich, sweet and intense. My score: 93.