Cotes Du Rhone
The Rhone Valley offers as much value as anywhere in the form of Cotes-du-Rhone blends (based predominantly on Grenache), especially ones that classify a particular village--though blends from Chateauneuf-du-Pape certainly command a higher price. When looking for Syrah, seek out AOCs like Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph as introductions to the grapes brilliance here.