I've said this before, but I completely disagree. No decent California reds to be had on the island and what they do have, irrespective of where it's from, is way more expensive than what I pay at home.
You are right about the quality of the available Californian's that's why I specifically mentioned Chilean wines, which I quite like.
I usually don't drink a lot of wine when it's hot anyway so I don't find the few bottles I buy too cost prohibitive.