Toward the end of a recent recent tasting, I looked up over a glass of particularly fantastic wine, and to a friend - seated across the table, whose opinion I value and respect – I said, “Wow, this is a particularly fantastic wine.” His quick response was, “For sixty five dollars, it had better be good.” And of course, he is completely right.

Napa Station

New to Binny's is Napa Station – a brand new venture by wine industry veteran Peter K. Huwiler. Though the press I've found surrounding Napa Station uses phrases like “sustainably farmed” and “food friendly,” I would describe them more like this: Napa Station makes affordable, immediately drinkable wines with enough complexity to remain interesting. The fruit for these wines is sourced from throughout Napa County.

At $13.99, the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is refreshing and light, showing lemon citrus and maybe a little pear, with balanced acidity. It seems like a lighter version of some of the other California sauvignon blanc I tasted that same afternoon, only at half the price.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent value at $19.99. Plum and berry fruit set the foundation for this wine, but don't dominate – the fruit is balanced with black olive, a touch of cocoa, and a subtle herbaceousness leading into solid, mouth-drying tannin on the finish. What's great is that these austere components are present but still in balance, so the wine is ready right now. Try it with a few pieces of mellow, creamy cheese.

Does Napa Station make wines under $20 that taste like they're $65? Not quite. But they do make wines under $20 than are better than what I usually expect at that price. They should arrive at most Binny's locations this afternoon. Try a bottle if you get a chance.