Vintage values

If you want a good economic indicator, look no further than the Wine Country palate. Retailers say people are still shopping for bargain wines in big numbers.

And the good news is there are great values to be found that don't force you to compromise taste. Complexity, yes. But the everyday wine lover can easily survive without a steady diet of high-end perfection.

With that in mind, here are some labels to keep an eye on; they're tasty and they won't break the bank. Most are priced at $12 and under with a couple in the $15 range.

Some of the wines are relatively new in Sonoma County circles, while others made the cut simply because they've been solid and consistent, vintage after vintage.

Finally, most have shown well in Press Democrat blind tastings.

In our top 10 budget wines, one of the tastiest is Layer Cake shiraz. When you know the back story to this wine, the excitement about it makes sense. Jayson Woodbridge makes this wine — the man who also produces a cult shiraz priced at $250 a bottle at St. Helena's Hundred Acre Winery.

“I'm taking what I know in making the cult shiraz, the processes, the way we farm and how we work with the wine and using that to make something affordable for people like my grandfather who wasn't a rich man,” he said. “He could not afford Hundred Acre Shiraz.”

Woodbridge added: “I wanted to make a wine that was an incredible gift or value. People taste the $15 shiraz and say it takes like a $50 to $60 wine.”

Here are the rest of our picks. They'll all make you feel wine-rich.

REDS

Layer Cake, 2009 South Australia Shiraz, 14.9 percent alcohol. A snappy shiraz with layered flavors of blackberry, black cherry, mocha, chocolate and spice. Long finish.

Evodia, 2009 Altovinum, Old Vines Garnacha, Calatayud Red Wine, Spain, 15 percent alcohol. A juicy red with good acid. Notes of black cherry, herbs and spice. Lingering finish.

Stephen Vincent, 2009 California Pinot Noir, 13.6 percent alcohol. A pinot with great structure. Aromas and flavors of cherry, cassis, currant and cracked black pepper. Nice length.

Borsao, 2009 Garnacha, Spain, 14 percent alcohol. A red with good backbone and bright fruit. Good acid. Notes of black cherry, herbs and spice. Balanced.

Sherman & Hooker's Shebang, Third Cuvee North Coast Red Wine (Jug), 14.2 percent alcohol. A jug wine with a good concentration of blackberry and black cherry fruit. Nice dose of spice. Good structure. Pricing for the jug breaks out to $10 per bottle.

WHITES
The Birdman, 2010 California Big House Pinot Grigio, 13 percent alcohol. A light and breezy pinot grigio with aromas and flavors of peach, pear and spice. Soft texture.

Cline, 2010 North Coast Viognier, 14 percent alcohol. A layered viognier with notes of dried fig, apricot and honey. Exotic flavors. Nice texture.

Four Vines, 2009 Naked Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, 13.9 percent alcohol. Crisp, with tropical, concentrated flavors. Notes of pineapple, ripe pear and spice. Nice length.

Kung Fu Girl, 2010 Washington State Riesling, 12.5 percent alcohol. A nutty riesling with notes of melon, herbs and honey. Creamy texture. A refreshing, crisp clean finish.

Sean Minor, 2009 Four Bears Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc, 13.5 percent alcohol. A tasty sauvignon blanc with aromas and flavors of grapefruit, lime and herbs. Soft texture.