To stretch your wine dollars, look to traditionally lesser-known regions.
Wines from southern France long have lived in the shadow of their more famous cousins, Bordeaux and Burgundy. Cotes-du-Rhone (syrah, Grenache) and Cote du Ventoux (syrah, Grenache) in the southeast are perennial value standards, but Cahors (malbec) in the southwest often is a nice surprise.
For Italy, the action mostly is in the south, especially Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia and Sicily.
The most interesting wines are made from indigenous red grapes, including montepulciano, negroamaro, primitivo, malvasia nera and nero d’avola, and white grapes such as grillo and moscato.
In Spain, the sparkling Cava from the Penedes region beats just about everyone else in the bubbly world for value.
We all know about the phenomenon that is modern Australian wine, but few of us know that good values are emerging from the small island of Tasmania.
Portugal is undergoing a renaissance in its table wines, with quality from red grapes otherwise used for Port soaring.
I first became interested in wine while I worked in numerous liquor stores during college in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In the years following college, I researched, tasted, traveled to vineyards in California and Europe, participated in countless tastings. I began writing about wine in 1995 with a column in Out Front Colorado.
For me, wine is more than a drink. It is food. It is a connection to the earth. It is culture. There is just something amazing, even magical, about the transformation of grapes into wine. It is also remarkable how drinking wine with food enhances the taste and enjoyment of both. Appreciation of wine has become an integral part of my approach to life, which emphasizes balance, respect for nature, physical and emotional health, and an appreciation of our nature as social beings. In 2006, I was awarded a fellowship to the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. 
A good Spanish Cava is perfect for the summer!