The “Heavenly” name delivers, as this wine is one of the better Chardonnay values on the market today.  It’s grown in the Lodi region, 100 miles east of San Francisco.  Lodi produces more wine than Sonoma and Napa counties combined and savvy producers are making great wine from the abundance of available grapes.

A bright, sweet and smokey nose is followed by concentrated buttery flavors that coat the palate.  30% oak aging creates a beautiful round texture that’s a real surprise for an $11 Chardonnay.  This is textbook California Chardonnay at a daily drinking price!

Most retailers are selling this wine for $14-15 but L.A. Wine Co has the lowest price in the country at $10.95.  Heavenly indeed.

Buy Here: Seven Heavenly Chards 2010 $10.95

Robert Parker 87 points

I voted because I want the deals to keep on coming.  Do yourself a favor and vote.  Wine lovers experience bad karma in the form of corked bottles and hangovers.

Vote for LA Wine Co HERE!

Mason and Brittany on Pritchard Hill, Napa

Some of our loyal readers have been asking who this phantom blogger is, so allow me to introduce myself.

I’m Mason Hewitt, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana but more recently living in sometimes sunny Los Angeles, California (Redondo Beach to be exact), with my lovely wife and editor, Brittany.  I graduated from Purdue University in 2005 making me a relatively young wine drinker.  That fact is what made me so passionate about finding great wine deals. As a recent college graduate , living in Chicago with relatively little disposable income, I was forced to find the absolute best bargains if I wanted to drink decent wine (which I most certainly did).  My ability to spend on wine has expanded somewhat since those lean years, but my passion for drinking only the best values hasn’t.  And that’s why I started Nickel and Dime Wine.  My perspective on wine: If I’m going to spend $5 or $150 on a bottle of wine, it better perform well above its price point.

Rather than bore you with more history, I’ll answer some questions I’m often asked.  Hopefully, these answers will help you learn a little more about me.

What’s the best bottle of wine I’ve ever had?

“Best” is subjective but to my taste, 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia.  I had it up against some pretty stiff competition that evening, drinking a 1994 Mondavi Reserve, 2002 Cosentino “the Poet”, 2002 Paul Hobbs Cabernet and  a 2005 BV Georges de Latour, among others.  The Insignia was the clear winner.  I bought a bottle of the 2007, so hopefully it’s as good.

What kind of wines do I like to drink?

I’m discovering new wines all the time but my favorites are California Cabernet, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Grenache, Champagne, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Mendoza Malbec, Bordeaux and Tempranillo and Garnacha blends from Spain.  One thing I’ve learned as I’ve tasted more wines from different places is good wine is good; regardless of its origin or what grape it’s made from.  Furthermore, a $100 bottle of wine is usually going to taste good (although MANY exceptions clearly apply).  The challenge is finding a $10 bottle that tastes like $30, $50 that tastes like $100 or $100 that tastes like $300.

How many bottles of wine do I have?

I have around 250 bottles in a temperature controlled cellar/cooler (read about me building it here).  It holds 350 bottles, so I’m trying to become more picky and buy fewer bottles of more varied wines.  Come to think of it, maybe I’ll let this post go unedited so my wife doesn’t have to be reminded.

How did I get into wine?

My dad originally introduced me to good wine and around the same time I started going on a lot of business trips where clients were buying good wine at fancy restaurants.  If I liked a wine, I always emailed myself the name and vintage during dinner (a faux pas I know).  Later I would check my local wine shop, or more often, search online for the absolute best price on that wine and order a few bottles.  The first time I ever spent $200 on wine was when I ordered a 6 pack of Orin Swift’s 2005 “The Prisoner” after drinking it at West Town Tavern in Chicago.  As director of business development for an online marketing firm, now it’s me buying clients wine, but I take a different approach than the clients who were buying me bottles of $150 bottles of Far Niente: I always look for the best value on the menu.  And I usually find one…

Why do I drink wine?

Unlike other food, drink, and most experiences really, wine is infinitely nuanced and ever changing.  We talk about wine and we talk around wine.  It’s often consumed during celebration and wine itself is even a reason to celebrate.  It’s a hobby, a beverage and a lifestyle.  That’s why I drink wine.

Feel free to ask any questions about me or the blog by using the comment section, sending an email to mason@nickelanddimewine.com or posting a comment on our Facebok page.  Or you could tweet me, send me a snail mail letter, facsimile, text message, use a carrier pigeon, pony express, or federal express.

So what wine do I want for Christmas this year?  Honey are you reading this?  This is my top 5 list:

1. 2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia (RP 97-100) $149.95 – This is a potential 100 point wine that will last decades.  What could make a better gift?

2.  2002 Dom Perignon Warhol Edition (RP96, WS95) $129.95 – Call it cliché but this is a highly age worthy, world class Champagne.  Plus it comes in a cool bottle.

3.  2005 Clarendon Hills Syrah Brookman Vineyard (RP96, WS95) $54.95 – This is actually a wine I would give as a gift because the recipient would think I’m giving them a $100 bottle.

4.   2007 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet (RP95+, WS95) $99.95 – A classic wine that’s epic year after year.

5.   2007 Vega de Toro Numanthia (RP94+, WS92) $47.95 – Their Termes bottling is one of my favorites and this is a major step up!

So what kind of wine do you want for Christmas this year?  Tell us in the comments section below or on our Nickel and Dime Wine Facebook page, then casually have your significant other read the blog so you can get something you actually want this year!

LA Wine Co. Facebook Page

Well it doesn’t get much better than this!  LA Wine Co. already has the lowest prices in the country and Sunday from noon to 5 only, everything in stock is 10% off.  The catch?  This deal is only available in store.  If you are reading this from the LA area, do yourself a favor and get there early to pick up your favorite wines.  This is the only chance I know of all year to buy wines at these unheard of prices.

The line out the door says it all!

Barker’s Marque’s version is particularly rich, compared to many Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, but it’s a perfect expression of the varietal.  This wine is produced from a single vineyard and it really shows.  It starts with the signature bright, citrus notes that jump out of the glass.  The rich mouthfeel and tart acid would make this wine a perfect pairing to a rich, fatty fish like salmon, Chilean seabass or trout.   That said, the wine really stands on its own and doesn’t need food to be enjoyed.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is still relatively inexpensive, with great values to be had for well under $15.  At $11.95, this is one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had.  It’s a perfect way to kick off the spring with some fish on the grill, or maybe just sitting outside enjoying the weather!

Barker’s Marque 3 Brooms Sauvignon Blanc 2009- $11.95

So vote away! It’s as simple as the click of your mouse and much more enjoyable than filling out the U.S. Census.

Since I’m always looking for a deal, I set out to find the best wine cellar under $2,000 that could accommodate my growing collection.  I visited the Vinotemp factory and was impressed by their furniture style wine coolers but unfortunately those far exceeded my budget.  The metal refrigerator style coolers were more affordable but didn’t look great and only hold around 160 bottles.

So that brought me to the Wine Enthusiast BYO (Build Your Own) Deluxe Double Wine Cellar kit for $1595 with free shipping.  It holds 350 bottles, is made of mahogany and available in dark walnut stain (my choice) or mahogany stain.  BYO means the kit shows up via a freight company in nine separate boxes.  The cellar itself is six heavy boxes with the shelving and cooling unit comprising the other three.  I have to admit it was a bit of a shock to see the size and weight of this kit.

Make sure you get a friend or understanding spouse to help because this is 100% impossible to assemble on your own.  The assembly itself is relatively straightforward although the instructions were clearly written by an illiterate Chinese manual writer (what is harware?).  But you get the idea from the pictures and four hours later, after much silicone sealing and screw tightening, it was done.  The hardest part is connecting the two back panels (using bolts O not L).  Note: get a drill with a hex attachment to make this faster.  The Ikea style allen wrench included in the kit will not cut it.

Once assembled, even my wife agrees, the unit looks very nice.  The wood is high quality, the wooden shelves look great and the insulated glass doors are great for showing off your collection.  This unit easily compares to $4,000+ (already assembled) models from other manufacturers.  So far the cooling unit is relatively quiet and is regulating the temperature well.

Most bottles fit well- 12 nested Bordeaux bottles per shelf.  Some of the fatter bottles have to be strategically arranged, but when it’s all said and done, I’ve been able to get 12 bottles on every shelf.

Bottom line: if you’re willing to take half a day to build your own, you will save around half over anything else available.

Of note: a 160 bottle unit is also available for $995, again with free shipping.

Wine Enthuiast BYO Deluxe Double Wine Cellar Kit (dark walnut)- WineEnthuiast.com $1,995

Wine Enthuiast BYO Deluxe Double Wine Cellar Kit (mohagany)- WineEnthuiast.com $1,995