I have long been ambivalent about Barefoot wines. They seem to occupy the middle ground between Two Buck Chuck, which is usually just cheap, and the $10 wines I like, which are cheap and always worth drinking.

The riesling (about $6, available at Kroger, Albertson’s, sample), though, impressed me at a recent tasting with winemaker Jen Wall. Wall is a tireless advocate for her wines, and she makes me seem almost shy by comparison when it comes to cheap wine. The riesling has some tell-tale riesling oiliness and minerality, and if it’s not especially fruity, it’s not especially sweet, either. That it wasn’t sweet surprised me; I shouldn’t have been. Wall said she wanted to make a less sweet wine, which is something Barefoot drinkers like.

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Drink this during the holiday rush (it even has a screwcap) on its own, or with grilled seafood. It’s the kind of wine to pick up at the store, leave in the fridge, and pull out when you need a glass.