I don't have much to say about White wines as I never drink them.
Red Wine, that's another story.
One of my favorites is from Tinhorn Creek Winery. If you can find the Cabernet Franc they sell it's out of this world.
http://www.tinhorn.com/product/Cabernet-Franc-2011
The website has it listed at $21.99 so it's in your budget.
As far as the Apothic goes it's a drinkable wine at a lower price point. It's tasty and good for parties where the wine is going fast but I wouldn't gift that wine to someone who loves to drink wine.
Another Red Wine I like is from Fetzer
http://www.fetzer.com/Cabernet-Sauvignon
Incidentally some of the most expensive bottles of wine I have received I enjoyed the least.
Good Luck! I love to receive a good bottle of wine as a gift!