(Nasdaq) - You've been there before. You head to your local Trader Joe's to pick up that go-to $9.99 California pinot for a party, only to discover it's out of stock. You're left scratching your head and reaching for rosé, because, hey, everyone likes rosé, right? Wrong.

We asked wine expert Silvestre Fernandes, a sommelier and former wine director at one of the poshest restaurants in Los Angeles, for advice on finding quality wines under $15 in well-stocked grocery stores.

Your first step? Think beyond California wines. "It's easier to get good French, Italian or Spanish wine between $6.99 and $14.99," Fernandes says. The same is true for wines from Chile and Argentina.

Rather than listing specific wines that may be hard to track down, here's a cheat sheet from Fernandes on wine types and the regions that produce them, with tasty options under $15. "The beauty of wine is all about discovering," Fernandes says.