10 Under $20 Wines Perfect for the Holidays

Alright, winos. The clock is ticking and the liquor store line ups aren’t getting any shorter. Time to get serious and stock up on your holiday wines – both for entertaining and offering as gifts.

Earlier we offered our thoughts on impressive bottles for gifting, as well as great bubblies for toasting the holidays. Today, we offer our list of terrific wines under $20. Not  only do these red, white and sparklers over deliver for the money, but they are tasty and economical options when you’re hosting a large gathering, or have a list longer than Santa Claus.

Sparkling

Cave de Beblenheim Brut Rose Cremant d’Alsace, Alsace, France NV
$18.95 Vintages 168948
Done in the traditional, champagne method with 100% Pinot Noir grapes, this has aromas of rose petals and sweet red berries. Flavourful and generous on the palate with the same rich cherry/strawberry notes, there’s an energetic freshness to this bubbly. A delicious option to kick start a party and pair with a selection of hors d’oeuvres. 90 points.

Sidonio de Sousa Brut Nature Rose, Portugal 2012
$17.95 Vintages 420679
A terrific party wine, this salmon coloured sparkler offers loads of fresh red berries, pretty floral and a subtle talcum powder note. Bright and vibrant with fine, focused bubbles this is a fun wine for toasting the New Year. 88 points.

White

Cave Spring “Estate Bottled” Chardonnay, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, ON 2013
$18.95 Vintages 256552
Cave Spring is a fabulous winery for consistently offering delicious, value-driven wines vintage after vintage. Here we have a fresh, focused and restrained Chard with aromas of mineral, lime and faint tropical notes. Full bodied on the palate with a lovely vibrancy, there’s a great balance between flinty mineral, citrus and underripe (pineapple) tropical fruit flavours. 88 points.

Wynns “Coonawarra Estate” Chardonnay, Coonawarra, South Australia 2014
$17.95 Vintages 468728
For a wine that was both fermented and aged in oak, there’s a surprising level of mineral steely notes to this wine with flint, gunpowder and smoke all coming through on both the palate and the nose. Medium bodied and bright, with steely citrus flavours, this is could add some punch to holiday turkeys and hams. Good value. 88 points.

Henri Ehrhart “Reserve Particuliere” Riesling, Alsace, France 2013
$16.95 Vintages 435073
Aromas of peach, floral and talcum powder notes dominate the nose, while the palate shows tangy grapefruit, apricot and lime flavours backed by a faint undercurrent of steely mineral. Bright acid offers a crisp vibrancy, but there’s still a soft, roundness to this wine as well. Quite nice and terrific price. Try with ham, duck confit or savoury cheese soufflés. 90 points.

Featherstone “Black Sheep” Riesling, VQA Niagara Peninsula, ON 2014
$16.95 Vintages 80234
Named after the sheep that roam the vineyards, this Riesling is always a favourite for us with its lip-smacking, zesty acidity, which subdues the just off dry sweetness. Flavours of lime, green apple, white peach and mineral make this an ideal choice for seafood buffets, or rich pate and terrine starters. 88 points.

Red

Chateau Argadens, Bordeaux Superieur, France 2011
$17.95 Vintages 681643
There’s lots of savoury and fruity interest here with aromas of earthy floral, plum, blackberry and salty meat notes while the full bodied palate shows a certain smooth plushness and flavours of blackberry, chocolate and cherry pipe tobacco. Very good. 88 points.

Lornano Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2011
$17.95 Vintages 211599
Here’s a solid Tuesday night wine that shows aromas and flavours of ripe red cherries, violet, underbrush and vague herbs. Ripe with chewy tannins pair this to charcuterie plates, pizza and burgers. 88 points.

Monasterio de Las Vinas Gran Reserva, Carinena, Spain 2005
$16.95 Vintages 82024
Aged for 2 years in oak and kept another 3 years before being released, we’re not sure where it was the last 5 years, but no matter, it’s here now. Always an exceptional price, we wouldn’t hold on to it for much longer, but this is a terrific example of a rustic, Spanish wine at a stellar price. Floral, pepper, fresh fig and beef bouillon on the nose, with crushed peppercorn, brining spice, bay leaf and earthy raspberry joining in on the palate. A slightly sour, cran-cherry finish with a bit of heat, as well. 89 points.

Canonical a Cerreto Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, Italy 2009
$19.95 Vintages 275867
With its shiny, festive label this is dazzling wine to get you in the holiday spirit. Red cherry, black licorice and back olive all mingle on the nose and palate with tobacco and smoke flavours added in for good measure. Medium bodied with fine-firm tannin, there’s a dark, intriguing complexity to this wine that would be a great match for braised meats and mushroom braised dishes. 89 points.