MuscadetMuscadet is best known as a young, fresh, salty wine often served with oysters, and these bottles can bring a lot of joy, often for less than $20. But you can also find some hidden gems here: Older vintage Muscadet made by some of the masters (Pépiére, Luneau-Papin, Jo Landron) will begin to drink like Chablis for at least half the price.
Rosé (really)Many people think of the Whispering Angels of the world when it comes to rosé: something, light, pale-salmon in color, with little taste, served teeth-shatteringly cold. If you like this, I have some news for you: What you really want is a vodka soda. You're welcome.
But there is so much fun to be had with rosé. Look for bottles that are darker in color then you might expect, maybe from the teutonic region in Germany or Austria, the Loire Valley in France, or the Sierra Foothills in California. These roses will showcase more minerality and a darker fruit profile then their Provencal cousins.
Côtes Catalanes
Finally, I've been getting a lot of joy out of wines in the Cotes Catalan. I'll skip the history lesson for now, but we're talking about the south of France, almost Catalonia (home of Barcelona and lingering a vibrant separatist movement) and a climate much different than the rest of France. Grape-wise, we're talking about Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Cinsault, and Carignan, and there's a small but growing movement of organic-minded Natural wine makers (Matassa, Clos du Rouge Gorge) who are bringing this undervalued region new attention. Be prepared for whites with a bit of skin contact, and reds that are best served with a light chill on them.
Kevin Diamond is a sales representative for wine importer and distributor T. Edward Wines based in TriBeCa. He is also one half of the podcast Disgorgeous, an irreverent and self-described leftist comedy wine podcast. His favorite grape is Cabernet Franc.