. . but I certainly don't give the primacy over the low cost French and California reds.

As the Wall Street Journal's taste testers noted with some distress, pannel members primarily from a food background favored the cheaper wines. This I find quite reasonable (having yesterday finished a bottle of Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet $6.95 followed by a California Purple Moon Shiraz $4.95. Yes, the Frog wine was more sophisticated, but not so much as I'd really notice a lot drinking it with dinner.

Now you may be excused for your claim that Gallo is the only drinkable California wine because we probably don't export anything drinkable under $12 a bottle, 'cause domestic consumption is sufficient to absorb anything drinkable below that (plus half the production of Australia, Chile and Argentina) - and what I get for $3.95/$4.95 in Los Angeles probably fetches $10+ bucks elsewhere.

It reminds me of a cookbook author from back in the days when all cookbooks were published in New York by authors living in New York. In describing olive oil he lamented that the very best oils are made in Italy, but, "Unfortunately they don't export those grades" (ever been suspicious of labels proclaiming "export quality"?). He continued, "Fortunately oils equal to the very best Italian are made in California. Unfortunately, they don't export them either".

Side note: I've been a bit shy of Australian reds (and I rarely drink whites) recently because some have given me an awful case of tintinitis. When you can hear your ears ringing in freeway traffic, it's really not good. Prudent doses of Ginko Biloba (approved treatment for tintinitis in Germany) seem to help.

I did get to execute a supurb wine snob putdown a few montha ago. Listed as owner of a DB rated business I get some "interesting" calls. I got one from a "wine club", providing "executives" with "really great wines at really great prices" in case lots. After suffering through his pitch for an initial sample case order at only $21 per bottle (worth far more), I informed him in my most disdainful tone, "We don't drink $20 bottles of wine here". End of call.