Everyone likes to boast about scoring a wine bargain. One of the best cabs I’ve had in recent years came from Trader Joe’s Private Reserve. The host, who served it with beef, said it cost less than $12. It was as full-bodied as any cabernet sauvignon I’ve tried for three times the price.

The only time I try whites is if I’m eating sushi or seafood on a hot summer day. Chardonnay is still the nation’s top-selling varietal, despite pinot grigio being the most popular white in my circle of friends.

It did my heart good to read that Charles Shaw Chardonnay – at about $4 a bottle – recently beat out a $34 wine in a Consumer Reports comparison of 19 top-selling chardonnays. It was described as “clean, intense, citrusy flavors with a touch of butter and wood on the finish.” It was rated a “CR Best Buy.”

Chardonnay used to be prized for its oakiness, but now most chardonnay is aged in steel tanks. I don’t know how you get wood notes when these wines are aged in steel tanks, yet I read about wood notes whenever I read about chardonnay.

Last weekend, I was looking for a wine to go with a black-raspberry-filled, phyllo pastry dessert I had to pull together at the last minute. I bought a Crane Lake Moscato for just under $5. One of my guests was a former sommelier. She was impressed with the match. Most of us had forgotten how pleasant a slightly sweet moscato can be. Next time I’ll serve it with cheese.

Its fun to stumble on an unexpected bargain, especially when wine isn’t your drink of choice at every dinner.