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Some people never spend more than $10 or $12 on a bottle of wine. Some like to spend only a lot. Both camps have their snobs, who accuse each other of lacking either dollars or sense.

But as you taste more and more wine, don't you find it difficult to choose sides? I'm bipartisan when it comes to the wine budget. Some days, it makes perfect sense to me to hold the line at $10 or $15 a bottle. There are extremely well-made and satisfying wines at those prices. Here, I often invoke the Honda Civic analogy. You can buy a faster, sexier, louder, more ostentatious car, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better-built one.

Other days, though, I may get the urge to blow a bundle on something special, to see how the other half lives. If I want the equivalent of a joyride in a Ferrari for less than the daily rental charge, I can get that kind of kick from wine.

Having tasted recently through a wide spectrum of price points has reinforced my conciliatory position regarding price. The bottles spanned the gamut from super-expensive reds to humble little whites and even one really cheap red. There is a place in my thirst for all of them, depending on the day and my Visa balance.

I'll get to the realistic offerings (all available in Vintages stores in Ontario and some available elsewhere) below. But first some dream bottles.

Too rich for my blood this year, and frankly for the foreseeable future, is one of the highlight cellar keepers of my recent tastings, Antinori Solaia 2005 ($234.95, product No. 987586). I know that the price seems out of place in 2009, but this is a fine vintage of one of Tuscany's most sought-after reds. Inky purple and opaque, it's full-bodied and layered with a harmonious combination of flavours. Besides the classic cassis fruit of cabernet sauvignon, there are notes of peppery spice, tobacco, minerals and wet earth.

Another great candidate for even longer-term cellaring, I would argue, is Dominus 2005 ($127.95, No. 105890). This California cabernet-based red from the man behind Bordeaux's famous Chateau Petrus, Christian Moueix, is among the most austere reds made on this continent. This 2005 vintage is par for the course, with dense black-skinned fruit and a big savoury-mineral character. Give it at least six years in the cellar if you can.

Have I succeeded in making $50 bottle sound cheap by now? Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel 2006 ($46.95, No. 70391) from California is not a bad buy when you compare it to some more expensive zinfandels. Ripe but not as raisiny as a lot of high-powered zinfandels, it's full-bodied, smooth and luscious, with rich plum-chocolate flavours, fine-grained tannins and a classic zin finale of black pepper.

From British Columbia, and worth the money if you can afford it, is Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2005 ($44.95, No. 626325). This is a fine vintage for one of the Okanagan's most elegant Bordeaux-style reds, delivering nice pepper and underbrush notes over ripe fruit.

Down below the $20 mark are three very worthy, full-bodied Argentine reds. In order of preference: Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($19.95, No. 83337), Vina Cobos Felino Malbec 2007 ($19.95, No. 118067) and Santa Julia Magna 2005 ($14.95, No. 93799).

One of the more inspiring whites I have tasted recently for the money is Cusumano Insolia 2007 ($14.95, No. 606350) from Sicily. Expect a seductively fleshy texture from this nicely balanced, flavourful-yet-crisp wine made from the local insolia grape. A satisfying change of pace from all those chardonnays and pinot grigios so much of the world is drinking, it's very pleasant on its own but also versatile at the table.

Also decent from Sicily is Ajello Majus Grillo/Catarratto 2007 ($16.95, No. 670844). This blend of local grillo and catarratto grapes has substantial body, with a silky texture and notes of pear and citrus, finishing with crisp acidity. A good partner for many fish dishes.

And regular bargain hunters may not need reminding that there's impressive value in Citra Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a red from central Italy. It's priced at a remarkable $7.45 for a standard 750-millilitre bottle in Ontario (No. 446633) and is available in British Columbia in a one-litre format for $9.99 (No. 103861).

The recently arrived 2007 vintage is as impressive as you can expect for the money. Medium-bodied, balanced and actually interesting to drink, it lacks the artifice of so many confected and manipulated $12 and $14 cabernets and shirazes from the New World. Honest wine, honest price.

Pick of the week

Cusumano Insolia 2007 ($14.95, No. 606350) is satisfyingly crisp.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com