Bargain Wine of the Week: 2007 Meridian California Chardonnay

Meridian is another of those wines that goes up and down, not by large degrees but by tiny increments. When it's good, it is pretty good; when it's not so good, it is still pleasantly drinkable.

But it is always a bargain. We found this 2007 Chardonnay from its California series (the bottle shown is the 2006) for an incredible $7.87. These days, a good drinkable California Chardonnay for less than eight bucks is worth buying — at least for those weekdays when it is just you your close family.

When you uncork the bottle you'll immediately catch the aroma of vanilla and a waft of something uncertain in nature, which the winery says is "cut flowers." The wine is a mixture of grapes from three different Santa Barbara vineyards, and oak is kept to a minimum.

The flavors are citrus and pineapple. For an $8 bottle, it lasts relatively long in your mouth.