Chatting with an acquaintance the other day, I was asked to suggest a good "$20 or so" cabernet sauvignon.

What a Pandora's box that query opened!

Not only was it difficult for me to answer that question without knowing a lot more, but it also created quite a discussion between us regarding why he asked for a cabernet.

My reaction was to ask what the wine would be used for. Did he need 10 cases of it for a wedding? Was he going to give it as a gift? Use it himself for a special dinner?

He said he wanted it for the following evening's dinner. He said that for $20, he should be able to get "a pretty good bottle, right?"

Uh, well, that sort of depends, and there are a lot of assumptions many people make about this. The first one is that by spending $20 ("or so"), you can get a "pretty good" bottle of cabernet.

But is cabernet sauvignon what this fellow really wants? We talked about it, and he indicated that it was California's best red wine, wasn't it?

Uh, well, that sort of depends.

Cabernet certainly is a widely planted grape, and when it is made with an eye toward the dinner table, with balance and good fruit, it can be delightful to pair with hamburgers, steak, stews and a wide range of richer dishes, including well-seasoned chicken.

But recently, it was discovered by an Australian researcher that the tannins in cabernet sauvignon are stronger and more astringent than are the tannins in merlot (a fact we had long assumed), and as such, merlot might be a better choice for those people who find most cabernets a bit too aggressive.

Then there is the notion that alternative wines can deliver as much enjoyment as the better-known varietals. So perhaps this man merely was assuming that because cabernet is made by so many people, it'd be easier to find a good one in the $20 range.

This assumes that his $20 is spent wisely buying cabernet and that there would be greater risk in buying something cheaper.

Yet there are literally hundreds of great values out there in wines that are less than $20 that may well be tastier wines than the vast majority of cabernets.

Indeed, there are plenty of wines — whites, pinks and reds — that would be terrific dinner companions and cost a lot less than $20.

There are so many examples I could write a book about it. (Of course, with publishing deadlines being what they are, it would be out-of-date as soon as it hit store shelves.)

Among the top bargains of the past year:

— 2007 McNab Ridge French Colombard, Mendocino County, Niemi Vineyard ($12): A lightly sweet white wine with terrific fruit. Try with Thai food. (Somewhat limited; only 674 cases produced.)

— 2006 J. Pedroncelli Zinfandel Rosé, Dry Creek Valley ($10): Pink wines are coming back into style, and this dry version is all-purpose, working well with seafood or light beef dishes.

— 2005 Cycles Gladiator Syrah, Central Coast ($10): Excellent fruit and balance in this widely available red.

— 2007 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg ($12.75): Nearly bone dry version of an old favorite grape.

— 2006 Kenwood Rosé Table Wine, California ($8): Another dry pink wine with terrific flavor.

— 2005 Kendall-Jackson Meritage, California ($12): A dry red wine based on cabernet, with great structure.

— 2005 J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles ($17): Solid fruit and nicely crafted tannins.

Wine of the Week: 2007 J. Lohr Valdiguié, Monterey, "Wildflower" ($8.50): This wine probably comes from the Napa gamay grape and is filled with bright, juicy raspberry-ish fruit and a soft finish with good acid to allow it to work with a wide array of dishes.

Dan Berger resides in Sonoma County, Calif. Berger publishes a weekly newsletter on wine and can be reached at DanBerger@VintageExperiences.com. To find out more about Dan Berger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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