I would like to bring back a nice bottle of wine from France that is not sold in the US. I would not like to spend more than $25. Can anyone suggest a good bottle?

Taste buds are probably the most unique part of the human body so everyone has different definitions of good wine.

One of my budget favorites which is hard to find in the USA is Passetougrains. This comes from Burgundy. It is a blend of 1/3 Pinot Noir (the premier red grape of Burgundy) and 2/3 Gamay grape (normally called Beaujolais after the region it comes from). The proportions can vary. Visit Nuits-St.-Georges for a good selection.

I've never been able to find this one in the U.S. although somebody somewhere can probably get you a bottle. A very nice white, first tried when recommended by the sommelier at one of our favorite Brussels restaurants:
Saint-Aubin 1er cru « Les Murgers des Dents de chien » 2004
One description: Beau support acide pour ce fameux premier cru de Saint Aubin. Riche et équilibré.

It's pretty difficult to find even in Belgium, although a couple of the better wine shops are able to get bottles on special order.

Another rec for the wine from this web site:
http://www.burgundy-report.com/105/features/lamy.html
excerpt:
"There are actually two villages that are a source for Saint-Aubin wines; separated by little more than a road they are Saint-Aubin and Gamay. The wines of Gamay (the village not the grape - though it is said that the grape was named after this tiny village) are also classed as Saint-Aubin.
Bordering both Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet the wines can have elements of both, apart from - as we heard - the prices. The village High Street really does go higher and higher as you head towards the (currently undergoing restoration) church. Even as you exit the village, heading roughly west, you still head-on up - eventually the vines are classed as Hautes Côtes because of their elevation. To the east of the village you head towards Puligny and my personal favourite vineyard - Les Murgers des Dents de Chien - named after the small stones in the vineyard that resemble dog's teeth. This 1er Cru borders Montrachet - in this case the name of the woody hill that tops the Montrachet vineyard rather than the vineyard itself..."

Otto,

There are hundreds, if not thousands, counting producers, of French wines that would fit your criteria, many of them way under $25 a bottle. Better to find a good caviste (wine shop) wherever you are going in France, than to gather recommendations for specific wines, which you may or may not be able to find during your visit. If you'll be be in Paris, here's just one of dozens and dozens of "good addresses": Crus et Decouverts, 7 rue Paul Bert, 11th arrondissement, nearest Metro Faidherbe-Chaligny. I'm unsure of opening hours, but they tend to be late, so go in the afternoon or early evening, Wednesday or later in the week, I would say. If you can speak French, so much the better, but if so, go prepared for a lengthy discussion about wine!

Hi O,

Since we haven't the foggiest notion about what you might like, we can only tell you what we like.

Spend a little time in a wine bar or a wine shop while you are in France.

We found that we very much liked the rose's from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Drink it fast. Security will take it away from you before you board the plane. Unless you pack it in a checked bag, I suggest getting your wine in a box so it doesn't break open.

A grape that is difficult to find here in the states is Aligote, which the French deal w/very well. Seek it out. It should certainly fit the price range. Where might you be visiting ? Stick w/a small local producer, they won't steer you wrong.

I second SAnParis regarding Aligote. I found this white in a small winery just south of Beaune. I bought 10 liters en vrac and bottled it at home, which was in Germany at the time. Unfortunately I could never find that winery again on repeated trips back to Burgundy.

Total Wine in the SE US, does sometimes carry one or two btls. of Aligote but it is totally random. It IS worth seeking out if you do like white wine though.

We have become very fond of Madirans and Cotes de Saint Mont from the south West. They're nearly impossible to find in the UK, so I suspect they'll be hard to get in the States.

Full of personality (not to say tannin), some are just superb. The more robust ones need a good airing beofre drinking, and indeed do better for decanting.

Probably the best known producer is a guy called Alain Brumont, and the best known of his wines would be Chateau Bouscasse or Chateau Montus. however he does some very good vin de tables, and whilst they're not cheap- well within your budget, but- they are VERY VERY good for the money. One is called Les Menhirs; and another is Argile Rouge.

Hecate and Arigone from Domain laffont are also very good, and so is Guy Capmartin's stuff.

you should worry more about getting a wine that you like than if it's available or not in the US. not sure why that matters.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
sorry, couldn't resist