A decent wine for under 10 bucks.

I am not a huge wine drinker.

OK, that’s a lie. I like wine. I really like wine. And I love drinking it with my friends—in fact, my best friend Kate and I have a name for our wine-drinking sessions: Vino Sisters. (As in: One of us will fire off a text to the other that says something like “Vino Sisters tonight?”, which on occasion is shortened to a simple “Sisters?”)

What I mean to say is that I’m not a huge wine drinker in my own home. Which is weird. It’s weird, right? I guess I just like the social aspect of drinking—it’s more fun having a glass (or two) (or sometimes three) with someone else, in my opinion.

Anyway, because I tend to drink what people offer me and then buy bottles for wine-bringing occasions based on that, I’m not the best vino recommender. I like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, and my go-to bottle for both has long been the Cupcake brand. (You better believe it’s because I like the name and packaging just as much as I like the taste of the wine itself.)

But then, a few months ago, my friend Ross—fiance of the aforementioned Vino Sister Kate—introduced me to Anakena sauvignon blanc. I immediately liked it; it was light and flavorful and it went down super smoothly. Plus, there was no yucky aftertaste. Always good.

The thing is, I’ve only been able to find this particular wine at Total Wine in Lakewood Ranch, which is a bit of a trek from my house (keeping in mind that “a bit of a trek” in Sarasota equals 15 minutes) and the reason why I tend to buy the widely available Cupcake pinot when I need a bottle on the fly. But some friends and I decided to have a little birthday get-together last Saturday night—more on my birthday later this week—and I wanted to make sure I brought a good wine. So off to Total Wine I went, and back I came with the last three bottles of Anakena sauvignon blanc in the store (two for the party, one for my actual birthday, which was Tuesday). Each one was only $7.49, and I was excited to see that the Anakena was a Total Wine wine buyer’s pick. I don’t know what that means, exactly, but it made me feel happy and kind of like a legit oenophile, if only in my head.

So, yes: If you’re looking for a nice white wine that’s under $10, I highly recommend this one. I have a little left from the bottle we cracked open earlier this week, and you better believe that I’m expanding my horizons and enjoying a glass on the couch tonight.

What are your favorite wines? Red or white, I'd love to know.

P.S. How many times can I type the word "wine" in this post? Winewinewinewinewinewine WINE.