Need some help :-/

[TheEngineer]

I'll give this a go but with 1000's of wines out there you can understand that whatever we pick might not be suited. However, not giving you any advice would be even less help.

Seeing that you are from CA, I'm going to provide a few easy to find CA/Napa Valley wines that will fit the $50 description. It's a big jump to assume that people in CA like CA wines but here is a go with a few suggestions.

2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon
2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon
Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon.

Comfortably under $50 (say $25)

Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon
Provenance Merlot

The above should be pretty easy to find.

Also, depending on where you live, you can also go to a nice wine store and have their sales staff help you out. In NorCal, you can visit K&L Wine, The Wine Club, etc,.

Good luck!