Best Buys at Surdyk's Spring Wine Sale

It's that time of year again. Surdyk's is having their spring wine sale. Every time a sale rolls out, I have detailed what I believe are the best buys. After doing this for many sales, I have found not a whole lot changes. Same old same old. Groundhog Day for fermented grapes.

So if you are looking to stock up on everyday wine, use last fall's sale as your guide. You can find my recommendations here: http://terrygruggen.blogspot.com/2011/09/surdyk-fall-wine-sale.html.

In the interest of ensuring I do not die of boredom, I decided to present myself with a challenge. The challenge is this: I am going to throw a dinner party for ten people...a mix of friends and business associates. I am going to make an extraordinary dinner for these ten people. I need to buy a really good wine to go with the dinner, but because these people drink wine like they each have a hollow leg, I need to spend less than $20 a bottle.

So that is my challenge. Using the Surdyk's sale book, find the best dinner wine in each category for under $20. Here are the results:

• ZINFANDEL: Buehler Napa. Regular price $24.99. On sale for $15.99.
• CHARDONNAY: Sonoma Cutrer "Sonoma Coast". Regular price $25.99. On sale for $18.99.
• CABERNET SAUVIGNON: Beringer "Knight's Valley". Regular price $27.99. On sale for $17.99.
• SAUVIGNON BLANC: Kim Crawford. Regular price $17.99.  On sale for $10.99.
• PINOT NOIR: Belle Glos "Meiomi". Regular price $29.99. On sale for $19.99.
• SHIRAZ: Mitolo "The Jester". Regular price $21.99. On sale for $14.99.
• MALBEC: Catena. Regular price $24.99. On sale for $17.99.
• CHIANTI: Rocca della Macie Riserva. Regular price $28.99. On sale for $18.99.
• MERLOT: Trefethen. Regular price $38.99. On sale for $19.99.
• WHITE BLEND: Conundrum. Regular price $28.99. On sale for $18.99.