L.A. WINELINE.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Every wine fancier looks for bargains. And Red Carpet Wine, the respected Glendale wine and spirits retailer at 400 E. Glenoaks Blvd., has some really good ones among its just published ``top 100'' in its first newsletter of this year.

There are 13 bottlings listed under $10 and seemingly all well worth trying.

Rated fifth by the Red Carpet tasting team - and right next to Chalone's pinot blanc at $25.99 - is an Alsatian pinot blanc from Wolfberger, its 2001 Cuvee 939 at $7.99.

Other bargain whites worth considering include a 2001 Hugues Beaulieu picpoul de pinet from France's Languedoc region for $7.19, a 2001 Vinum Cellars CNW Cuvee chenin blanc for $8.89, a 2000 Chateau du Cleray muscadet from the Loire priced at $9.39 and a 2000 Morgan sauvignon blanc for $7.98.

Incidentally, for those who have some extra bucks to spend, a rich 1995 Kalin reserve sauvignon blanc at $19.06 a bottle is also available.

For red wine buyers, Red Carpet's No. 21 is a 2001 vintage Spanish grenache called Vina Alarba for $5.99, and its No. 24 is an Australian shiraz (syrah) from the Barossa Valley's Thorn-Clarke ticketed at $7.98.

A couple of California pinot noirs on the list are Sebastiani's 2000 vintage at $9.99 and Castle Rock's 2001 Russian River effort for $8.65.

For cabernet sauvignon fans, there's one from Domaine Laurier for $9.99, and for red zinfandel drinkers the 2000 Kenwood version goes for the same price.

A $7.98 Rioja red from Spain with the Sierra Cantabria label and a sweetish French Vouvray chenin blanc from Domaine Pichon at $8.65 are certainly worth consideration.

For more detailed information on these wines, call Red Carpet at [phone].

WINE CONTEST: In its second year of including international entries, the annual Los Angeles County Fair ``Wines of the World'' competition takes place May 14-16 this year at the Millard Sheets Gallery at the Fairplex in Pomona.

A panel of domestic and international judges directed by Dr. Robert Small will swirl, sniff and spit thousands of wines in a variety of categories.

Medal-winning wines will be made available to the public for tasting at the 81st L.A. County Fair, Sept. 12-28.

Information: [phone].

ENJOYING THE BUBBLY: The L.A. area's biggest French champagne retailer, Wine Expo, 2933 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, with more than 200 labels for sale at discount prices, sold some 50 cases of the good French bubbly on Dec. 31, according to co-owner Robert Rogeness.

That, of course, means that 600 bottles were purchased at this single store on New Year's Eve by last-minute revelers.

His champagnes-from-Champagne inventory ranges from $22 to $150 per bottle, indicates Rogeness, with 80 percent of it priced between $35 and $60.

Information: [phone] or online at wineexpo(at)mail.earthlink.net.

LABEL CORRECTION: Oops. Last month's bargain wine pick, a 2000 chardonnay priced at $8.99, was incorrectly titled.

Look for Summerland, not Summerhill, at Flask Liquor & Wine, 12194 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Information: [phone] or [phone].