Couple of recent bottles:
The first is from Howard Silverman (Howard's Wine Cellar on Belmont):
At $9.99, "Little James' Basket Press" is a very food friendly Viognier/Sauvignon blend. I wouldn't say that it's more than the sum of its parts, but it is the sum of its parts, and they're nice parts. Surprisingly, for the name and label, it's a French Pays d'Oc ('09). I asked Howard for something to go with grilled veggies and it does the job very nicely. It's a bit floral, but nice acid and backbone from the Sauv., without being overly herbaceous as many are, to my taste.
Perfect for a hot summer day sipping is an '09 German Riesling from Loosen Bros. called "Dr. L." Paid either $10 or $11 for it. Can't recall where. Has that great tart green apple flavor and bright acidity of real Mosel, and some very refreshing sweetness. Not deep, complex, great German Riesling by any means, but good for the price.
A go-to Spanish red for me for easy, inexpensive drinking, has been Protocolo (there is also a white). Widely available for under $10, I drink it where I used to drink light young Chianti for $6, but now it's $12.
"Strange how potent cheap music is."