QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a basic question of: how good the wine is for its price? Below are my top picks for this week. Keep in mind, a good wine that is $10 may be an outstanding QPR, while a good wine that is $34, may be poor. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience.

Champagne/Sparkling Wines
N.V. Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs -$34: Light mineral notes, yeast, grapefruit, light nuttiness that is enjoyable. Great QPR Champange. My rating: 89 pts, Good Value (GV)

White Wines
2006 Santa Julia Torrontés – $10: Light, crisp, lots of tropical fruits, grapefruit, apple, with floral notes. Great value, perfect for the spring barbecue or a warm summer night.  My rating: 88 pts, Outstanding Value (OV)

Red Wines
2006 Viña Santa Rita Carménère Reserva Santa Rita – $10: Rich ripe, dark fruits with mild spice notes, vanilla and toasted oak. Elegant tannins with a bit of heat but overall an outstanding QPR and very fine wine. Went great with Pizza! My rating: 88 pts, OV

2005 Ferraton Pere & Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière – $17: Mineral notes, mouthful of spice, green pepper, cherry, dark raspberry. Pretty nice balance and structure, red fruits showing up near the finish (which is quite nice, albeit reserved). Overall great value, perfect introductory wine for people looking to try a Syrah-based Rhone wine. My rating: 89 pts, Very Good Value (VGV)

2005 Domaine Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône Reserve – $12: Nose: Sweet notes, cherry, laffy-taffy, herb and earth notes. Sour cherry, raspberry, spice, medium tannins, lots of razor sharp acidity. Purchased for $10- very good value. My rating: 89 pts, OV