Our panels tasted 1,460 new-release wines for this December 2002 issue, and singled out a range of inexpensive wines for the value they offer. W&S critics Tara Q. Thomas and Patrick Comiskey then tasted these wines and rated them for their quality-price ratio. These ten wines - designated "Good Value" or "Exceptional Value" - represent the best overall quality for the lowest price. Suggested national retail prices have been quoted by the winery or importer, but prices in your area may vary considerably. If you shop carefully, you may be able to find these wines at a significant discount to the price listed here.

WHITES
GV I Val d'Orbeiu $6.99 2001 Corbières Les Deux Rives Blanc A good, crisp, clear white from Southern France, the perfect pour for fish at a riverside café. Pasternak Wine Imports, Greenwich, CT
EV I Barefoot $7 California Extra Dry Sparkling Wine It's a rare thing to find a quaffable sparkler for under ten bucks, but Barefoot's Extra Dry has enough sparkle, and enough crisp pear fruit, to liven up any celebration. Barefoot Cellars, Forestville, CA
GV I Navarro $9.75 2001 Mendocino Table Wine Chardonnay Navarro calls this a table wine for its everyday utility, and that's what we found: clean golden apple flavor, minimal oak contact, just enough of a snap of acidity to wash down that next bite of grilled chicken sandwich. Navarro Vineyard, Philo, CA
GV I André Schneider & Fils $12 1998 Alsace Riesling A riesling of substance, this is gripping, potent stuff. It's all bunched up into a pungent, waxy mass, powerful and tight. This wine needs time to unpack its flavors. A surprising value, well worth cellaring. USA Wine Imports, NY
REDS
EV I Les Vignerons de Beaumes-de-Venise $7 2000 Côtes du Rhône La Cuvée de Toques This spicy, cherry-flavored red has a surprising amount of tannin, making it a bargain pour for steak or an impressive match for burgers. Tri-Vin Imports, Mt. Vernon, NY
GV I Laurel Glen $8 2000 California Reds Red Blend Sappy and light, here's a wine that sits on the raspberry/cherry fence, a blend of barbera, grenache, syrah, petite sirah and old vine zin that has a nice spicy zing Ñ perfect for barbecue. Laurel Glen Vineyard, Glen Ellen, CA
GV I Forest Glen $9.99 1999 California Oak Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon Fundamentally cherry. This juicy cab has enough oak to give it a little heft in the finish and act as a fine foil to barbecued pork. Forest Glen Winery, Sonoma, CA
GV I A-Mano $9.99 2001 Puglia Primitivo Dark and charry, here's a smoky and concentrated red for turkey legs or pork ribs. Nestor Imports, NY
EV I Powers $10 2000 Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon This vibrant cabernet rides high on the palate, offering scents of violets and cherry wood smoke; then tannins blast the elegant, narrow course of the fruit. Age it a few years to flesh out those tannins. Powers Winery, Kennewick, WA
EV I Catena $10 2001 Mendoza Alamos Pinot Noir With fresh, foresty cherry flavors and a light spice from oak, this is a bargain pinot noir at the price, and the best we've ever tasted from Argentina. Billington Imports, Springfield, VA
GV I R.H. Phillips $10 2000 Dunnigan Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Black and blunt, this simple cabernet has a touch of green in the grape seed scent. It's a satisfying wine for ribs or rare steak. Phillips Winery, Lodi, CA