Never drink wine, but thats about to change

[Jerry D Mead]

Try Clos Du Bois...very popular...tends to be the classic definition of a softer, easier to drink red.

Sterling 1997 Merlot (make sure you get the 97...there's a new winemaker making a big difference)...a bolder, more intense style with greater extraction...closer to Cabernet Sauvignon stylistically.

Both have fruit flavors in the cherry range...but at different levels of intensity and the Sterling has a background of bittersweet chocolate.

If you want to add an under $10 selection...try Monterra from California or any of a number of Chilean selections your merchant might recommend.