Wine: Looking for the best wines of 2008? Try these

If you are one of those always looking for a great $10 bottle of wine, try our wine of the year: 2007 Hughes Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet.

 You don't need to know much about the picpoul grape, just that the Hughes Beaulieu is a versatile $10 white that holds up as an aperitif or with food.

From my wine-tasting group's judging during 2008, we picked two whites and two reds as runners-up plus several honorable mentions. The Honig Sauvignon Blanc ran a close second.

Since these wines were tasted throughout the year, some may be sold out. But the Hughes Beaulieu and the Honig should be widely available.

The results of our judging follow.

» 2007 Hughes Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet, $9.99.
This French wine from Languedoc had an aroma of oranges, peach flesh, nectar, rose petals and lilac. It had apple and apricot flavors with a slight almond bitterness. It was easy drinking for novice wine drinkers, complex enough for an expert, all at a great price.

» 2006 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, $15.99.
The bouquet smelled like an orchard - peaches, grapefruit and grass. In the mouth, the wine had a lovely tongue- coating texture balanced by bright, crisp acids and flavors of lemon pith and stone fruits. One of the earliest organic-sustainable growth wines, it was clearly one of the best of the year.

» 2006 Black Opal Shiraz Cabernet, $5.99.
This Southeast Australian blend had an ashy, smoky bouquet of black plums, cedar plank, bourbon cask and charcoal wood. More ash and plums along with black cherries appeared on the palate. Juicy in the mouth, this wine was extraordinary at this price - a great everyday wine.

» 2007 Shinas Estate "The Innocent" Viognier, $19.99.
The aroma offered scents of oranges, tangerines, honeysuckle, vanilla beans, ripe peaches and orange peel. All the aromas followed through to the palate along with clean, mouth-cleansing acids. Intensely flavored yet not heavy-bodied, this Aussie wine managed to be lush and complex while still easy to drink.

» 2003 Veraison Napa Valley Synchrony, $64.99.
The aroma reminded us of black currants, dark fruit, cinnamon, clove, ammonia and ham. This wine had excellent structure and fruit. Black currants and spices were bigger in the mouth than in the aroma. With great balance and harmony, it was our favorite red over $20.

HERE ARE THE HONORABLE MENTIONS FROM THE YEAR:

» 2007 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre, $24.99.
Nearly made the top five.

» Marquis de la Tour Brut, $8.99.
This French bubbly one of the best values ever at this price.

» 2006 Peirano "The Other" Red Blend Lodi, $14.99.
Fresh fruits, silky and smooth. A superb value at this price.

» The Rare Wine Co. "New York" Malmsey, $44.99.
Flavors like triple-fruit marmalade, rich and sweet like a honeycomb, flowing in a lovely texture.

» Kriter Rose, $14.99.
Fresh scents and flavors, round, soft and pretty bubbles in the mouth.

» 2005 Telegramme Chateauneuf-du-Pape, $44.99.
Everything about this wine worked in perfect harmony.

» 2007 Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, $21.99.
A complex aroma and pretty palate.

» 2004 Chateau de Callac Grave, $25.99.
A well- developed white Bordeaux.

» 2006 Grand Veneur Reserve Cotes du Rhone, $16.99.
Complex, dusty and silky.

» 2004 Marimar Torres Estate Don Miguel Vineyards Pinot Noir, $51.99.
An organic- biodynamic beauty.

» 2005 I Quaranta Barbera d'Asti, $14.99.
Dark fruit, black licorice, anise, coffee, tea leaves, leather and cigar. Very dry.