Siriusowner,
I live in California and have tasted many wines. I love the wines from the Pasa Robles region - it is in California. I would recommend Liberty School brand, but it is a cabernet. Some years are better than others, but all are good. You can't really go wrong with wine from that region for the most part though. Liberty School is my favorite wine from that region.
If you want a good Merlot at a reasonable price, you can't go wrong with Blackstone brand merlot. Merlot is their specialty and is amazingly good for the price...
There is some great wine from around the Santa Cruz region, where I live, but more expensive...