Champagne on a beer budget

As a wine lover, I often find that there are so many wines I want to try but never enough money in my account to afford them. I firmly believe that wine needs to be part of my daily ritual so I have been relentless in the search for quality inexpensive wines. I have found the need to look to other wine regions outside of the one I live in to accomplish this. California does many things right but its does not do cheap and good at the same time. Most "bottom-shelf" California wine tastes like watered down vinegar. My quest has taken me to the vineyard covered country of Italy. Italy produces so much wine that even the mass produced stuff can taste pretty good. Now these are not age-worthy wines of note but for a daily table wine they more than fit the bill. As some of you may know, the wines of Europe are classified by quality. In Italy the order from lowest to highest quality is:

Vino da tavola- literally "table wine". This wine can come from anywhere in Italy and made from any varietal. The most basic of wines with little to no regulation.

Indicazione geographica tipica (IGT)- regional wines. These wines have a place of origin listed on the label which gives some promise to the consumer of where the vines are grown. No restrictions on permitted grape varietals.

It is within this category that I have found some real gems. I will confess that all the wines I am about to mention come from Trader Joe's, which is the ultimate store for wine lovers on a budget.

2011 Archeo Nero d'Avola $3.99

Rich, plummy wine with hints of spice and tar.

Smooth tannins that compliment a variety of foods.

Comes from Sicilia IGT (Sicily). 

2011 Epicuro Aglianico $4.99

Smoky, dark red fruit with a pleasing pepperiness. 

Hearty and gutsy.

Comes from Beneventano IGT (Campania).

2011 Roccalta Sangiovese $3.99

Plum and peppercorns

Dark Chocolate shavings

Surprisingly light on the palate

Mocha made with cocoa powder

Black licorice

Freshly cracked pepper

Cinnamon and clove

*just had this wine last night, so it is still fresh in my mind, can you tell??*

Comes from Puglia IGT (Apulia).

The next step up in quality is denominazione di origine controllata (DOC)- basically controlled place of origin. This level has many more standards that are quite strict governing grape varietals, winemaking, yields, and aging. 

For only a few dollars more than IGT these wines are worth seeking out. I have found that drinking these wines has taught me a lot about regional character. 

2011 Gaetano d'Aquino Montepulciano d'Abruzzo  $3.99

Light bodied with grippy tannins.

Dried cranberries and cherries.

High acidity which makes it perfect with antipasti.

2012 Gaetano d'Aquino Orvieto Classico $4.99

Peachy aromas with hints of ripe lemon and ripe pear

Slightly oily on the palate with more ripe pear and fresh peach dressed with lemon.

Blend of Grechetto and Trebbiano. 

There is one more quality level yet to explore which I will discuss another time. For now, revel in the fact that you can drink delicious, quality wines for less than $5! 

What is your favorite everyday drinking wine? Like me do you go to a region or do you sort by varietal?