The Most Delicious Wines Under $10

You might not always be in the particular mood for a 1994 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (retail price $8,205), especially when saving for a brand new Porsche or kidney. Fortunately, I've got your back. There are some wonderful and widely available wines ripe and ready for the savoring that won't break the bank or your palate. I recently had the very good fortune of being introduced to wine professional Bobbie Lyons, who was generous with his oenological expertise and guided me to a fine selection that I whittled down to this fantastic list of wines under $10.

A note: There are certainly some widely available and famous favorites under $10, such as the ever-popular Apothic, Red Diamond, Smoking Loon, and McManus wines. These are certainly not to be sniffed at, but Lyons relayed the importance of also selecting wines from smaller vineyards and wineries he called the "mom and pop" variety. By being willing to sample from independent, lesser-known vineyards, he said, you are supporting family run businesses and can find some hidden gems. The following are some delectable wines of diverse variety, winery size and region for your sipping pleasure.

Cheers to both affordability and vinous integrity!

"Oh, how I love to be thrust outside my comfort zone," said no-one ever. This is a medium-bodied wine that I was suspicious of. I'm guilty of sticking to my favorite grape varieties and am not a tremendous fan of bold tannins (which are textural and are said to dry out your mouth like a wet tea-bag) or a lot of pepper or spice in a wine. To be honest, I was prepared not to like this at all. Imagine my surprise when I took a sip and enjoyed its casual and smooth balance of fruit and spice. Its woody spice kick gives it a complexity and enhances its bursting blackberry base. According to its label it "complements hearty stews and grilled meats, meals Don Quixote would have enjoyed on his travels." And who's to argue with Don Quixote?

This wine hails from a vineyard in La Mancha, Spain. Its name, Solnia, is derived from Sol, the Spanish word for sun, a perfect fit. Next time you prepare a paella, consider this lovely wine to elevate that rich rice and bold, savory flavors. And at $9.99, you'll still have a lucky penny to throw into the fountain and make the wish of your heart's desire in true quixotic fashion.

I'm partial to the sauvignon blancs from the Marlborough region of New Zealand, which have incredible acidity and sharp, mineral flavors. So, I was tremendously excited to sample the difference of a French sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux, France. Specifically, this wine hails from an area known as Entre-Deux-Mers, which translates as "between two seas" though those seas are technically the rivers Garonne and Dordogne. It's an area famous for its dry white wines. Chateau Montet sauvignon blanc is produced at Château Haut Guillebot by winemaker Marie-Christine Renier Labouille, who succeeded her mother, Eveline, in 2006. This winery has passed down through the women of seven generations from 1790. Now that's something to raise your glass to!

Chateau Montet sauvignon blanc is a delightful, light-bodied wine, both crisp and with a zesty note of citrus and grapefruit. It isn't as sharp as its Marlborough region counterparts and could be paired beautifully with seafood or, honestly, an old shoe insert, it's pretty darn drinkable.

We all have a go-to wine. It takes a Herculean effort to sway me from my favorite prosecco, La Marca, which teeters precariously above the $10 mark. But here is a prosecco I'd cheat on La Marca with. This wine falls under the requisite $10 price point and is fresh, light and highlighted by ripe and mellow notes of peach. It pairs beautifully with fish or as an aperitif. You also couldn't go wrong by sipping it amidst bites of prosciutto-wrapped melon or even with an Asian noodle dish of your liking. It's the perfect bottle to bring to a gathering (family, celebration, seance) since it's so fresh, fruit forward and will please most palates.

In addition to its delicious and highly quaffable nature, geniuses at the University of Reading have found that drinking prosecco can be good for you. So, drop that $8.99 and chin chin. It's for your health, after all.

Some rieslings are so cloyingly sweet that your teeth threaten to jump ship and fall out mid-cocktail party. This riesling is an off-dry, fresh and fruity choice with juicy notes of peach, apples and honeysuckle. Rock View has a lovely greenish hue and much like Gisele Bündchen, very nice legs. The wine provides a light sweetness that would take the edge off a blazing hot curry, but has enough acidity to pair with a meal of duck or bacon — there really can never be enough bacon. The grapes are sourced from Milbrandt Vineyards who boasts one of the youngest head winemakers to oversee a large winery in Emily Haynes at 33 years old. Millbrandt was also originally a potato and apple farm before it blossomed into a world-class winery.

Dream big, people. Dream big.

I love this red blend as well as 14 Hands's iconic chocolatey merlot. Named after the wild horses that once galloped all over the hills of eastern Washington State and who only measured 14 hands (one hand being an approximate palm width), Stampede has a lot of cedar and a little spice in the nose. The flavor, however, is bursting with cherry and a hint of oak. I would pair it happily with a mature cheese, beef or a rosemary and thyme seasoned roast chicken. It can also be chugged heartily straight from the bottle depending on how many pointless meetings you've had to endure during your work day.

The land the horses used to roam is now covered in wheat fields, wineries, vegetable farms and wind machines, but what a romantic notion to think of them proudly printing the land with their hooves. Those eastern Washington wild horses were known for their endurance, strength and tenacity. I feel this exciting and reasonably priced red blend exemplifies this, delivering a stampede of well balanced flavors with every sip.