Top 20 Festive Wines Under $20
This may be the season to be jolly, but if you’re not careful, all that rocking around the Christmas tree can also leave you broke.
We’ve talked about this before: celebration season or not, in this day and age it helps to mix a little fiscal responsibility with your wine. But just because we’re looking for bottom basement wine prices, doesn’t mean we’re ready to settle on swill. After all, we are about easy, elegant entertaining, not embarrassing entertaining. (Check out our past blog on wine regions with great value).
Erin just held her annual tree trimming party this past weekend. A festive time was had by one and all (she has the empties to prove it), but while hauling a few empty cases out to the curb, the debate couldn’t help but spark: what are the best wines we can serve this season for less than $20?
Here’s what we’ve enjoyed this year on the cheap, but if you’ve got something that we just have to try, leave it in the comments below!
Light Bodied – Great options for aperitifs and appetizers
Henry of Pelham Pinot Grigio, VQA Niagara Peninsula, 2011 $14.95 LCBO 250217
A crowd pleasing favourite with ripe stone fruit and minerality.
Prà Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy $19.95 Vintages 74534
A very pretty wine with fresh white flowers, lime and ripe peach.
Rudolf Rabl Löss Grüner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria 2011 $13.95 Vintages 295709
Easy drinking and zesty at an unbeatable price, this has flavours of yellow grapefruit, white pepper spice and savoury minerality.
Michele Chiarlo “Le Marne” Gavi, 2011 $14.95 Vintages 228528
White flowers, ripe pear and peach and fragrant herbs. Easy drinking and purely delicious.
Michele Chiarlo “Cipressi della Court” Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Piedmont, Italy $16.95 Vintages 278176
A great red for a crowd with juicy cherry, milk chocolate and smokey spice.
Midweight – Easy to sip solo, but even better with food
Tawse “Sketches of Niagara” Riesling, VQA Niagara Peninsula, 2010 $17.95 Vintages 89029
An award winning wine at an incredible value, this is zesty and fresh with lemon/lime, slate and honeyed notes.
Grey Monk Pinot Gris, VQA Okanagan Valley, 2011 $19.95 Vintages 118638
Elegant with white peach, clementine orange and floral notes.
Casa Do Valle Grande Escolha, Vinho Verde Portugal, 2011 $14.95 Vintages 276220
A serious Vinho Verde with tropical fruit, lemon/lime and creamed honey.
Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa, 2011 $19.95 Vintages 933424
A great option for vegetarian dishes and salads dressed in vinaigrette. Mineral, herbs and tropical fruit flavours.
Palacios “Remondo La Vendimia“, Rioja Spain 2011 $14.95 Vintages 674564
An easy drinking, entry level wine from Alvaro Palacios. Ripe red and black berries, spice and wild herbs.
Le Fonti Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy, 2009 $19.95 Vintages 295162
Elegant, sophisticated and highly enjoyable with flavours of red cherry, black licorice, bay leaf, sun-dried tomato, olive and leather.
Domaine Parent Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France 2010 $19.95 Vintages 597971
A wine drinking above its price with red raspberry, strawberry, incense, smoke and spice. Perfect for holiday fare like turkey, duck and ham.
Cave Spring Gamay, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2010 $14.95 LCBO 228569
Feminine and complex with red berries, baking spice, chocolate and toasty notes. Wide appeal.
Full Bodied – Rich, ripe and round
Chateau des Charmes “Barrel Fermented” Chardonnay, VQA Niagara on the Lake, 2008 $13.95 LCBO 81653
Fantastic value for a wine that’s been fermented and aged in French oak for 9 months. Rich and warm with spice, baked apple and ripe peach.
Malivoire Chardonnay, VQA Niagara Peninsula 2010, $19.95 Vintages 573147
Another fabulous example of Ontario Chard. Restrained use of oak leads to flavours of toasted nuts, golden delicious apple, pear and key lime.
Cupcake Chardonnay, Central Coast California, 2010 $14.95 LCBO 320821
Surprisingly serious for a wine of this name. Vibrant acidity keeps the apple, peach and spice flavours fresh.
Mas des Brassades Cuvée Tradition Blanc, Costières des Nîmes, France 2011, $14.95 Vintages 701094
Made of Grenache Blanc, Rousanne and Viognier, this is rich and unctuous on the palate with floral, ripe peach and perfumed flavours.
Masi Serego Alighieri “Possessioni” Rosso, Veneto, Italy 2010 $14.95 LCBO 447326
Old World character with black cherry, leather, wild herb, olive and cured meat flavours. Great with roasted and braised red meats.
Wyndham Estate “Bin 555” Shiraz, Southeastern Australia, 2011 $15.85 LCBO 189415
A great party wine. Big bold, with slightly sweet blackberry fruit and uplifting rosemary/eucalyptuse flavours give this wine wide appeal.
Maquis Lien Colchagua Valley, Chile 2006 $19.95 Vintages 292150
Made with sustainable and natural methods this wine is all about black: black cherry, cassis, black marker, dark chocolate and roasted spice.