These are the kinds of wines we teach students to evaluate structurally: balance, age, and intention over hype.

Pago del Vicario Blanco de Tempranillo 2023
The 2023 Pago del Vicario Blanco de Tempranillo is a striking and energetic white made from a natural white mutation of Tempranillo, offering both freshness and character at a remarkable value. Aromas of gardenia, honeysuckle, and citrus peel lead into crisp notes of green apple, pear, and subtle stone fruit. On the palate, the wine is taut and refreshing, with bright acidity, a chalky mineral edge, and a clean, dry finish that keeps everything lifted and precise. There is a quiet tension here—part fruit, part structure—that makes it equally compelling as an aperitif or alongside seafood, salads, or lighter poultry dishes. A distinctive and personality-driven white that challenges expectations of the grape and the category.

PA Price: $13.99 (Fine Wine & Good Spirits)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$16–$18

Le Contesse Prosecco Single Fermentation Brut NV
This Prosecco stands apart from the category by favoring precision and balance over the bulk-driven softness that defines much of the market. Crisp aromas of apple, pear, and white flowers carry into a dry, focused palate with a fine, persistent bead and refreshing acidity. The single-fermentation approach preserves purity of fruit while avoiding overt sweetness, resulting in a clean, food-friendly sparkling wine with genuine structure and restraint. Straightforward, honest, and well made, this is Prosecco that respects the grape and the drinker, equally suited to casual sipping or the start of a serious meal.

PA Price: $11.99 (Chairman’s Selection)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$13–$18

Cave du Château de Chénas “Terres Burgondes” Fleurie 2023
Elegant, expressive, and quietly persuasive, this Fleurie captures everything that makes Gamay such a compelling everyday red. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, and rose petal unfold with hints of white pepper and tea leaf, while the palate delivers silky texture, bright red fruit, and a fresh, mineral-driven finish. The tannins are gentle but present, giving the wine shape without weight, and the overall impression is one of balance rather than flash. Increasingly, Gamay feels like the most reliable answer to what to drink—and this bottle makes a strong case for that instinct.

PA Price: $14.99 (Chairman’s Selection)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$18–$24

Agramont Gran Reserva Navarra 2015
With a full decade of age, the 2015 Agramont Gran Reserva is drinking beautifully, offering depth, polish, and cohesion that only time can provide. Dark cherry, blackcurrant, and dried plum lead into savory notes of espresso, herbs, and warm spice, all framed by integrated oak. The palate is smooth and layered, with resolved tannins and a lingering finish that leans more toward elegance than power. This is a wine that rewards patience, showing how Navarra can deliver mature, complex reds that feel complete rather than merely impressive.

PA Price: $21.99 (Chairman’s Selection)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$22–$28

Tenuta Argentiera Poggio ai Ginepri Bolgheri Rosso 2022
For drinkers drawn to the Super Tuscan aesthetic, the 2022 Poggio ai Ginepri delivers richness without excess and structure without severity. Dark berry fruit, cocoa, and subtle herbal notes define the nose, while the palate is smooth, mid-bodied, and supported by fine-grained tannins. There is an underlying coastal freshness that keeps the wine from feeling heavy, even as the fruit remains generous and polished. Approachable now but built to hold together for several more years, this is a confident Bolgheri Rosso that rewards both immediate enjoyment and short-term cellaring.

PA Price: $25.99 (Sale)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$30–$35

Familia Chavarri Izarbe Rioja Reserva 2014
The 2014 Izarbe Rioja Reserva is a quietly magical bottle, showing how ten years of age can transform Tempranillo into something layered, graceful, and deeply satisfying. Aromas of cherry, blackberry, clove, and dried herbs give way to a palate that blends fruit, spice, and savory notes with remarkable ease. Leather, forest floor, and gentle oak influence sit comfortably beneath the fruit rather than competing with it, while the tannins are fully resolved and supple. Balanced, expressive, and complete, this is Rioja at a moment when everything finally clicks.

PA Price: $17.99 (Chairman’s Selection)
Typical U.S. Retail Price: ~$20–$26