You can get some very respectable wines in the $14-18 range, and some quite palatable ones for around $9-12
Personally I love Trader Joe's imported wine selection. Bordeaux and Rhône are my go-to, and TJs has a great selection of French reds under $20. Almost anything imported will beat the pants off anything produced in the US, and a lot of low end US wines have a lot off additives to taint the taste and trick undeveloped pallets. Fruit extracts, and oak chips always jump out immediately for me.
This is a good little video for picking up on tasting habits