Discerning search turns up values in New World wines

Finding wines that deliver the biggest bang for the buck is and will always be a challenge. Part of rooting out such value is finding winemakers who have control over the growing of the grapes. There’s a difference in the end product if the winemaker invests attention in the grape itself rather than just buying juice or fruit and blending them.

Here are four recent finds from the New World that should satisfy even the most selective of value hunters.

» 2010 Mohua Sauvignon Blanc (about $15 a bottle): This New Zealand project hails from the country’s highly revered Peregrine winery. The grapes come from lower- and mid-Wairau and Rapaura, all within the Marlborough appellation.

Fermented in stainless steel, the resulting wine is brisk, fresh and refreshing with the lime blossom and sugar snap pea nuances associated with this country’s sauvignon blancs.

Thankfully, unlike many of its peers, this wine’s crisp, riveting acidity is nicely round and therefore has a wider application for foods.

» 2010 Casa Concha Chardonnay (about $17): This offering features fruit from the coastal Limari Valley of Chile. The grape plantings from such a cool pocket open up a new horizon of elegant, captivating wines to explore. This particular estate vineyard has a base of calcium carbonate covered with shallow clay topsoils that are cooled by the ocean some 15 to 18 miles away.

The wine delivers an enjoyable lushness and well-rounded mouth feel.

» 2010 Rail 2 Rail Zinfandel (about $14): This wine is produced from 48-year-old red zinfandel vines in Lodi, Calif. We continually search this region, east of Sacramento, because of its large number of old-vine vineyards run and owned by families.

This is a downright delicious, intriguing red that features a cornucopia of berrylike fruit and wonderful spice. It is reminiscent of the old days, before 100-point rating scales and the resulting big, oaky styles on the scene today.

Save those for special occasions and drink this one in the meantime.

» 2010 Ernesto Catena Cabernet Sauvignon "Tahuan" (about $16): In Argentina, the name Catena is equal to what "Robert Mondavi" meant to Napa Valley a decade or so ago. In this case, Ernesto Catena, the eldest son of Nicolas Catena, has branched off to do his own thing.

This cabernet is organically grown on his estate vineyard in Vistaflores, within the heart of Uco Valley, some 3,700 feet in elevation. The wine is polished and classy. Most amazing, you can experience it without breaking the bank.

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Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants chain.