9 Red Wines Under $30

1. 2013 Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial, $26 from Corsica is a great light-bodied summer red wine. The wines are fresh and gentle, and the original founder happened to be one of Napoleon's closest friends - in fact, his name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe!

2. If you like Syrah, 2012 Stolpman Syrah Ballard Canyon Estate, $26 (in Santa Barbara County) is excellent. Their entry-level bottling straddles that balance between offering plush fruit as well as nuance and minerality.

3. Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir 'Basis,' Baden, Germany, $25 This recent discovery is one of the purest, most expressive Pinot Noirs (Spatburgunder in Germany) around, period. The two men behind this winery are deeply committed to quality, and this wine, a blend of several vineyards in the area, is their friendliest priced. Hunt down these bottles before the secret is out!

4. A recent new favorite is sort of quirky - it's Cruse Wine Company 'Valdigué,' Napa Valley, CA, $30 from Napa Valley in California. Valdigué is also known as 'Napa Gamay' - and this expression is bright, fruit-driven, fun and elegant.

5. Speaking of Gamay, this is one of the best red grapes to drink during the summer thanks to its bright acidity and low tannins. Anne-Sophie Dubois, based in the village of Fleurie, in the Beaujolais region, makes one of the most beautiful examples of Gamay I've tasted. Her Fleurie L`Alchemiste Anne-Sophie Dubois 2012, $26

6. Another Island wine to which I'm partial: Bellus Scopello Frappato 2013, $20 made from 100% organically grown Frappato grapes in Vittoria, Sicily. Think of Frappato as a sister of Pinot Noir. They're both nuanced, delicate, somewhat high-maintenance from a viticulture perspective, and incredibly quaffable when done right. (We also donate a percentage of proceeds here to Nomogaia, an NGO that pushes multi-national corporations to respect human rights.)

7. I'll also include our Bellus Girasole 2010, $25 made from organically-grown Sangiovese grapes in the Tuscan hills. It's a project we make with a partner in Montaione, and we donate a percentage of proceeds to the Tory Burch Foundation.

8. Edmund St. John 'Bonne Jolly' Gamay, Sierra Foothills, CA, $23 A few regions outside of France are starting to grow Gamay, but Edmund St. John is the OG Gamay grower here in the states, and his Sierra Foothills wines are beautiful. The 'Bonne Jolly' is meant to be as pleasing as the name, and his vines produce a wine that's ripe, mineral and refreshing.

9. Les Vins Contes 'Poivre et Sel' Gamay + Pineau d'Aunis - $23 Poivre et Sel means 'salt and pepper' in French, and thanks to the slight peppery note from the Pineau d'Aunis (a light red grape from the Loire) and the mineral salinity from the soil on which the grapes are grown, this wine tastes like a bit of both. It's nuanced and charming, a darling of the 'natural wine' movement and a crowd-pleasing wine all around.