5 DELICIOUS WINES THAT COST LESS THAN $20!
As we are just coming out of the holiday season and heading into the new year, many of us are probably thinking of ways to cut back, get back on track financially and start the year off right on budget. And even if you’re not in this category, let’s be honest - who doesn’t like to score an amazing bottle of wine for less than $20?! I personally get so excited when I find a great wine for less than $20! They often make the best every day value wines to enjoy with mid-week meals.
With this in mind, I’ve curated a list of new release wines below that I think really represent a great QPR (quality-to-price-ratio) and are perfect additions to any wine lover’s repertoire. These wines also make really great cheap and cheerful gifts for the wine lover(s) in your life. And - I’ve been sure to include wines that are properly less than $20….and not $19.95…. ;-)
You can check out the entire list by continuing to scroll and read or you can zero in on a region or wine of interest by clicking on one of the links below - doing so will take you directly to the wine you are interested in:
Wine styles to choose from:
A red wine from Languedoc, France ($15.95)
A sparkling rosé from South Africa ($17.95)
A bright and fresh Riesling ($16.95)
A well-priced red wine from Bordeaux, France ($13.95)
A Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley ($15.95)
Cheers!
NOTE - If you’re located in Ontario and shopping at the LCBO, I’ve provided links to help you out below. Just remember that product availability will vary from location to location, and not all products last very long. Click the links below to check availability at your preferred store, or online. These wines recommendations are based on the October 16, 2021 LCBO Vintages release.
All images of wine bottles below are taken from the LCBO website.
5 DELICIOUS WINES YOU CAN ENJOY ON A SERIOUS BUDGET!
2018 Fortant Grands Terroirs Minervois $15.95 Product #20713
If you enjoy hearty complex wines when the temperatures plummet, or all year round regardless of the weather for that matter, this wine is for you!
Hailing from the Minervois appellation, which is a lesser known appellation of Southern France, this wine represents considerable quality at this price point.
A blend of Grenache/Syrah (and more Syrah than Grenache), this wine is extra-dry and redolant with dark fruit notes alongside a long and zippy finish. It is made by a producer that has a long history in the region and is an award winner in their portfolio.
Expect this wine to be dark, deep, medium bodied and spicy. This would make a wonderful pairing for beef.
97 points - International Wine & Spirit Competition
Lubanzi NV Rosé Bubbles $17.95 Product #21150
I love this brand out of South Africa, which is named after a stray dog of all things. They stand for low intervention, honest, sustainable wines and giving back to the community is part of their core ethos, as it is part of mine. You’ve gotta love this price point too.
You’ll get a real blast of summer vibes with this one. And you can also revel in the knowledge that 50% of the profits from this wine are going to charity.
The perfect brunch or mid-afternoon-on-a-Sunday wine, this sparkler is sure to please!
P.S. - this wine is vegan too. Another bonus if you or someone you know is interested in vegan wines! And it’s enclosed with a bottle cap - how unpretentious and fun!!
2019 Kung Fu Girl Riesling $16.95 Product #394759
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know I love spicy food, Asian food and spicy Asian food :) If you’re like me, this wine is for you! This wine is also for you if you like high acid wines or enjoy pairing wine with fatty cheeses!
Hailing from Washington State (yep, you read that right!), this beauty of a wine comes encased in a fun and vibrant label that I think many young imbibers will find intriguing. Whether you like it or not, it certainly is different and noteworthy.
Expect this wine to display citrus, green apple and herbal notes with a long, zesty and clean finish. There is sweetness in this wine but it is balanced by the acidity and therefore not cloying. Pair with spicy green thai curries and spicy, garlic noodles!
2018 Marquis de Bern (Bordeaux) $13.95 Product #21091
I could go on and on trying to describe this wine or I could simply say this Bordeaux is only $13.95! That’s right, $13.95!
Now - before we get too excited - most generic Bordeaux wine is in fact not particularly expensive and if you’re in Europe, you can get loads of it quite inexpensively….but this is not always so around our parts.
So, when you see something of good quality at a good price from Bordeaux, I say that is a reason to get excited. This will likely not be the best Bordeaux wine you will ever have, but it’ll be pretty satisfying considering what you’ve paid for it.
Be sure to decant this before drinking!
91 points - Wine Enthusiast
2020 Domaine Bellevue Touraine Sauvignon Blanc $15.95 Product #82305
Some people are die hard Sauvignon Blanc fans. Me? Not sure much. But I think it definitely has a place at the table, especially when it comes from the Loire Valley.
This wine hails from Touraine, which is an appellation that is well regarded for the Sauvignon Blanc that it produces. You can expect this wine to display notes of apple, green grass and wet stone, all wrapped up in a bone dry finish.
This is a great wine to pair with poached seafood, grilled calamari or scallops, a ham sandwich or goat cheese crostini!
And that’s the end! I’m sure if you try one or more of these wines, you will agree that you can enjoy good wine for less than $20! If you try any of these, please do let me know!
All the best to you and yours…..Cheers!
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WINE TASTING NOTE: 2019 Lungarotti Rubesco Rosso di Torgiano