Bottle Rocket: Sommelier Jason Hisaw calls a $14 Rioja — 2007 Dinastia Vivanco Crianza– a best buy

These are from a Dallas area Costco (and the law says you don't need a membership to buy wines)

With gas prices creeping up again, I’m all about finding the best quality wines for the most reasonable prices. However, I’m not going to sacrifice Sunday night’s dinner by skimping on the wine, so I’m always looking for great values. Shopping at Costco the other day, I came across one of my favorite producers from Rioja. The 2007 Dinastia Vivanco Crianza packs incredible flavors and depth for a small price tag–just $13.89 a bottle—and a bargain for a wine that spent 16 months aging in year-old French and American oak barrels before bottling.

Intense cherry red with a bright violet rim, this wine has lots of red fruit aromas of cherry and strawberry, a well-integrated, light toast flavor, and a long, elegant finish. (The Dinastia Vivanco winery is also home to the stunningly beautiful Museum of Wine Culture, which I visited while exploring the wineries of Rioja last year.)

At less than $14 a bottle,  this is a best buy. I’d suggest you pack away a case or two, then let the wine speak for itself .