Selecting a wine can be an overwhelming process for many wine drinkers faced with the multitude of bottles and labels lined up on shelves. I’ve heard countless times that, in the face of confusion, people will select a wine based not just on sale prices, but even pretty packaging or an eye-catching label.

If this is you, don’t feel bad. There’s so much marketing and image-building today that it can be challenging to figure out the real deal on wines, even for the professional. But take heart: With a little research, you can find great values that deliver an abundance of quality for your dollar spent.

One way to navigate is via wines hailing from family-owned vineyards. This is something I relish. The folks involved are usually passionate and dedicated to their craft, bringing the wine from the ground to the bottle.

A good sign of quality is sustainably farmed vineyards. When a family endeavors to create a "living" vineyard, one they can later proudly turn over to the next generation, that usually bodes well for the product they deliver.

To find true value, I usually poke around the less trendy wine-growing areas, where land is less expensive, especially if it was bought a generation or two ago, since this can greatly affect the price tag.

To help you get started, here are a few favorites:

» 2012 Hybrid Chardonnay (about $12 a bottle): The Schatz family purchased their vineyard in the 1950s out in Lodi, Calif. They farm sustainably and were the first grower in the region to certify 100 percent of their acreage by a third party. The resulting 2012 estate chardonnay, labeled as Hybrid by Peltier Station, is tasty, refreshing, thirst-quenching and hard to beat for the price.

» 2012 Ancient Peaks Merlot "Margarita Vineyard" (about $19): The Ancient Peaks estate vineyard is roughly 1,000 feet in elevation in the hills of southern Paso Robles, Calif., and is owned by three ranching families. Certified "sustainable in practice," the 2012 merlot comes from three different parcels, each with ancient seabed soils. There is therefore nothing simple or tutti-frutti here, just lots of deep, earthy character, which is what earns this wine its perennial accolades and acclaim. The value for the price of this bottle is so high, it’s well worth seeking.

» 2011 Ernesto Catena Cabernet Sauvignon "Tahuan" (about $16): Ernesto, the oldest son of the iconic Argentine wine legend Nicolas Catena, decided in 2002 to branch out on his own to fulfill his vision of what the foothills of the Andes Mountains could create on the vines. Like his father, Ernesto also has vineyards high in the foothills, which he organically farms. The resulting Ernesto Catena cabernet sauvignon is a favorite not only for its price point, but also for its elegance.

» 2011 Domaine de Fontsainte Corbieres (about $14): Historically, the vineyards of this estate were planted by the Romans. The Laboucarie family arrived on the scene sometime in the 17th century and have been farming the vineyards and making wine ever since.

This wine is an all-time favorite of mine among southern French "country" reds because it is delicious, lighter bodied and gulpable, year in and year out.

You will also be amazed at how diverse this wine, slightly chilled, can be with food, from pizza, meatloaf and complex fish preparations to vegetarian and light pasta dishes. With every cork popped, I am reminded of its exceptional price tag.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.