Last year, the Swirl Girls brought you 20 under $20. This year, we present 15 under $15. We’ve vetted all of these and give them our Swirl Girl stamp of approval, proving there’s always room for wine!

From Libby Volgyes (Sweet)
2010 Mondavi Private Selection Riesling, Monterey County ($9.79 at Total Wine) I like an uncomplicated, easy-going Riesling. And this one definitely fits the bill. It’s composed of 94 percent white Riesling, 5 percent gewürztraminer and 1 percent Muscat canelli, which I haven’t even heard of, and comes from Monterey County. It sees no oak and has an alcohol level of 12 percent. With a fairly pretty nose or apricots, oranges and a touch of oranges, it’s off-dry with a crisp finish. It’s very pleasant and palatable and a nice summer sipper. And for about 10 bucks? Sign me up.

Gazela Vihno Verde, $5.99 at Total Wine
Vihno verde is one of the best, cheapest wines we’ve seen. Light, crisp, clean, it goes down smoothly and pairs perfectly with all sorts of summer foods. Although you needn’t have a meal at all to slurp down this easy-drinker. It’s the quintessential summer sipper and at 6 bucks a bottle, you’ll turn to it time and time again.

Flip Flop Pinot Grigio $5.49 at Total Wine
I was hesitant at first, because cutsey labels usually raise a red flag in my book, but this wine is highly drinkable. It’s got a bright, refreshing smell of minerals, grass, herbaceousness and a touch of apples. It’s a light wine with medium acidity and is dry, refreshing and uncomplicated. You’re not going to be wowed, but you will still have your glass of wine on a Tuesday night without busting the bank.

2010 Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay, Marlborough ($14.99 at Total Wine, $17.99 at Crown Wine and Spirits)
I love the trend of unoaking chardonnay and this was no exception. It allows the purity of the grape to come through without being covered up with all the oak influence. This wine smelled of pineapples, citrus, lemon and was crisp, clean, ripe and very pure. It had a lovely taste for summer and a zippy tartness that pairs fantastically with summer eating. There’s the faintest hint of vanilla, but mostly this is just pure, good chardonnay flavor. If you haven’t tried your chard minus the oak, please seek out this delicious trend!

From Jennifer Podis (Earthy):
2009 Franciscan Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($13.99 ABC)
I just reviewed this bottle a couple of months ago, and since it’s still in the forefront of my mind, I knew I had to include it here. The clarity and color were dazzling and the aroma intense. It filled my nose with lemon and then honeydew on a deeper inhalation. It had a crisp, racy acidity up front as I rolled it around in my mouth. I tasted citrus, apple and melon and, on the finish, a slight mineral edge. This Napa sauvignon blanc’s layers are alluring and inviting; all well-balanced and very pleasing.

2009 Barone Fini Valdadige Pinot Grigio ($8.99 Total Wine)
This was a popular white the Swirl Girls poured at the Taste of Compassion in January and for good reason. It has a bouquet of gentle flowers of apple and pear, with a soft citrus breeze. It is fairly dry and slightly acidic, but tastes a little softer than a typical pinot grigio. It is particularly lovely with a citrus and fennel salad, as well as a Parmesan-crusted dolphin with citrus butter.

2009 Chateau de Cornemps Rosé, Bordeaux ($10.99 Total Wine; the 2010 is now in stock and sells for same price.)
Spring is here (which means it actually feels like summer) and this rosé is a most refreshing wine to welcome it. With a beautiful salmon hue and a lovely bouquet of strawberry, the dry medium-bodied Chateau de Cornemps remains friendly and inviting with strawberry fruit and herbs on the palate. It’s crisp and uncomplicated, and made from 50 percent each of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Stock up on this one for the summer months, and you’ll always have an easy-drinking, food friendly bottle for that spontaneous picnic or late afternoon patio sipper.

2007 Bridgman Merlot, Yakima Valley, Washington ($14.99 Total Wine; the 2008 is now in stock and sells for same price.)
The wine reels you in right away with its rich, juicy aromas of raspberry and cherry, and a touch of spice. It’s got wonderfully smooth tannins, and the acidity is balanced deftly with lively fruits and undertones of mocha and smoke. The round, soft body of the merlot is given some backbone thanks to additions of 6 percent cabernet sauvignon, 4 percent malbec, 4 percent syrah and 4 percent cabernet franc.

From Gwen Berry (Dry):
2009 Cline Viognier, North Coast, California ($10.99 at ABC)
This pale gold wine has a nose of honeysuckle, banana and tropical fruit. On the palate it’s round, full and fruity with flavors of honeyed peaches and pineapples. It has a silky mouthfeel with medium acidity and a long finish. It’s a very nice New World viognier, especially at this price point.

2009 King Estate Pinot Gris, Oregon ($14.99 Total Wine, $15.99 Crown, $15.49 ABC)
I’m a huge fan of King Estate winery for both the quality of their products and their commitment to organic and sustainable farming practices. Their 2009 pinot gris is a pale yellow wine in the glass with a fresh, tropical nose that bursts with pineapple and lime as well as hints of white flowers. It’s medium-bodied and silky smooth in the mouth with a nice acidic component and a long finish. I really enjoy drinking this wine and it was a great match to a sesame-crusted tuna dinner with crispy noodles and a soy-shiitake sauce. I’d definitely pick up a bottle again to serve with seafood or Asian fare.

2006 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva ($12.99 at Crown)
This old-vine grenache comes from the island of Sardinia in Italy. It’s a light color in the glass with an aroma of ripe red fruits like strawberry, raspberry and cherry as well as hints of violets and dry earth. On the palate, more of those ripe, red fruit flavors come into play with some earthy and herbal elements. It’s a light/medium-bodied wine with fine mouth-drying tannins from two years of ageing in oak casks. The grenache packs a bit of an alcoholic punch, but at this price, it’s a no-brainer.

2006 Ramon Bilbao Rioja Crianza ($12.99 at Publix)
I’ve picked this wine up many times while food shopping and it’s a great one to have around the house for any casual occasion. The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass with red fruit and dry earth aromas. On the palate, it’s got subtle flavors of cranberry, raspberry, red cherry and candied strawberry with plenty of earthy character to remind you it’s an Old World wine. It’s a soft, medium-bodied wine with a nice balance of acidity and a dry finish.

From Lynn Kalber (Bold):
2009 Sobon Estates Zinfandel, Calif. ($12 at Total Wine)
From a Plymouth, Calif., sustainable-practices winery comes this old vine zin in a screw-top bottle. It’s a dark berry color, with a big berry nose of cherries and plums. The nose is fragrant and gives a good idea of what the taste gives you. This zinfandel was “yummy, juicy,” as my tasting notes say. I used an aerator on it (I find that can be a good idea with some zins), and it was ready to drink. There were some tight tannins, but it was a really smooth-drinking wine, a medium-bodied zin. For an old-vine zin, it was a surprisingly light wine. And it’s a great buy at that price.

2008 7 Deadly Zins Old Vine, Lodi Appellation, Calif. ($12 online; $15.99 ABC; $12.97 Total Wine): This is produced by seven Lodi growers (hence the name, also because it sounds cool, I’m sure) who blend seven old-vine zins together to produce this dark purple wine. It has a nose that’s fruity and deep, with cloves, and I took lots of deep breaths. On taste, it’s more cloves and pepper, cassis, some vanilla and full-bodied with a long finish. Say my notes, “quite yummy.”

2009 Kinneybrook Sauvignon Blanc ($14.99 Total Wine): From the Kunde folks, this had tons of wonderful smells, flowers, melon and lemon, grapefruit. And gooseberries, according to Sweet. It’s a really nice wine for the price, and reminded us of a New Zealand sauv blanc, which is high praise.