Were you educating me Chess, or other readers? My comments were in regards specifically to Chardonnay. I too like a little oak, but not to the point where I feel like I just bit into a stick of butter, which many are like.

I prefer a good Sauv Blanc from Marlborough (New Zealand) or Casablanca Valley (Chile) then Chardonnay.

Mojo,

Look above at my recommendations for Chile and Spain. Those are the best bang for the buck on the planet right now. Hop on over to wine.com and filter your search to Red > South America > price. Then do the same for Spain. I have found terrific bottles for under $15. With South America, the wines have a general “earthy” / “smoky” nose and pallet to them. With Spain, you get more of a traditional fruit forward type of wine. Neither have that big, in your face chewy characteristics found in Napa reds and French Bordeaux, but that isn’t always desirable, so I tend to hop around the globe to fit my mood.