As in Bordeaux, some second wines are more faithful to the first wine than others. Blends may differ, and some portion of a second wine's fruit may be sourced from distinct areas.

In Italy, where the convention has been to produce a riserva with the choicest grapes in exceptional years, second wines are not common. Leave it to Italy's rebels, the Super Tuscans, to buck the trend.

Two of the top makers of Super Tuscans offer high-quality seconds. Tenuta dell' Ornellaia was the first in the region to come out with a second wine, in 1997. Called Le Serre Nuove ($50), it is made alongside the estate's namesake cuvée, which sells for three times that amount. "The ultimate goal is to make a better first wine," says Axel Heinz, Ornellaia's winemaker. "But," he cautions, "it needs to be a good wine on its own." Tenuta San Guido, which makes the legendary Sassicaia, uses some of the leftover juice for its Guidalberto ($50).

In northeast Spain, second wines have been a key part of the strategy of the Priorat's new guard, who have over the last three decades transformed the area from a sleepy backwater into one of Spain's most exciting regions. Take Clos Erasmus, whose Grenache-dominant blend snagged 100 points from the Wine Advocate for the 2005 and 2004 vintages. A small percentage of the tiny vineyard's grapes make the final cut; much of the rest go into Laurel, a similar blend made from mostly younger vines. It is also hard to find, but at $50, just a quarter of the top wine's price.  

In California, there are plenty of low-cost second labels that have little or nothing in common with the estate's flagship wine. But few true seconds. Napa cult cab-maker Harlan Estate is an exception. Its second wine, the Maiden, comes from the same Oakville vineyard and is treated the same in the cellar, until, at 15 months, the final selection is made. If your taste runs to big California cabs, the Maiden ($215) offers hints of the signature Harlan Estate, for a relative song. When Harlan is allocated next spring, it will cost around $600 a bottle, a price that has been known to triple on the open market. "It's a tremendous way to get an insight into the unique character of our little hillside," says Don Weaver, director of Harlan Estates.

And save a bundle, while you're at.