Jean-Claude DeBeaune Brouilly

Country: France
Region: Brouilly (Domaine Des Nazins)
Variety: Gamay Beaujolais
Year: 2006
Price: $15
Where I purchased it: Total Wine & More

This is the first bottle I cracked from my virgin run to the Glendale Total Wine & More. Before I get into the wine, let me make a hearty recommendation for Total Wine; I have trouble believing I'll be buying wine anywhere else for a while. Not only does it have an incredible selection, its prices are probably the best you'll find, anywhere.

As for the wine, it is exactly what I hoped it would be: Delicious.

Beaujolais is the wine I most often recommend to casual wine drinkers because it's the most accessible and versatile red on the market. It goes with just about anything in terms of food, and is light enough that most anyone can drink it without food at all. Plus, it's an excellent value for those looking for an inexpensive quaffing vino that doesn't smell and taste like turpentine.

Despite the fact that Beaujolais will only appear on this label in smaller print, it's still a Beaujolais in spirit. But where your standard Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Village will usually be a sweeter red with little in the way of body or finish, Brouilly comes in with a little more personality. This particular variety is among the lightest Brouillys I've had, but the essence is the same: Crisp, rich flavor that feels fresh on the palate but disappears almost immediately after the swallow. It's a totally enjoyable weekday wine for a small, light meal (I had it with a capicolla sandwich), and works best chilled (it came out of my cooler at 60 degrees, which is right in the middle of its ideal delta).

All in all, an excellent value and a definite recommendation.

Primaterra Primitivo Puglia

Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
Variety: Primitivo (Zinfandel)
Price: $12-$17
Where I purchased it: Costco ($14)

The label claims this wine is "strong, vigorous, with a lot of personality," but if you're imagining it to be anything like the California Zinfandels you've had in the past, you'll be surprised. While you won't find real Italian table wines (vino da tavola) in the States — as the third-class of wines in the country, they're essentially reserved for domestic consumption — this wine will give you a pretty good idea of what you're likely to drink when you visit Italy, minus the slight hint of carbonation that's the trademark of fresh, local wines.

Almost nothing stands out about this wine, either good or bad. It starts off fairly sweet, and doesn't linger on the palatte very long. A slight hint of dryness on the finish is the only indication of the variety's relationship to its robust Zinfandel cousins, but it's gone in a flash. The aftertaste is pleasant and sweet with predominant berry flavors.

Good for: Pretty wide range of foods, though it's the kind of red you'd probably want to pull out with some grilled food like chicken or burgers. Good match for spicy red sauces as well. Light enough that you could drink it on its own.

Buy it again?: Probably not. There's nothing wrong with it, but there are cheaper French and Italian table wines that come to play with a little more in the way of personality. But I wouldn't kick it out of bed, either.