The 12 best bargain wines of 2023
As 2023 draws to a close it’s time for the Greatest Values of the Year, my annual selection of a dozen wines from the year’s recommendations that cost $20 or less. These are among my favorites that I tasted throughout 2023, wines that offer excitement and quality without making a dent in our wallets.
You’ll notice I favor unusual wines, such as the two Italian reds included here, but there are also classics such as chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. I also champion small family companies, both producers and the importers who trek the world to find them and bring their wines to market. Many of these featured wineries demonstrate concern for the environment, either through regenerative, organic or sustainable certification or by using lighter bottles with a lower carbon footprint.
And they come from all over the world. Spain and Portugal appear again in this list, as do Chile and Argentina. But we also see the Rhone Valley and Burgundy – OK, a minor appellation within Burgundy, but still! Can quality U.S. wine be found under $20? Of course – and we have examples from California and New York as proof.
Finding pearls like these in the sea of wine is an adventure, and I have enjoyed the search this year. I hope you have enjoyed some of my discoveries and made others of your own. There are more for us to find in 2024.
In recommending these wines again, I am omitting my star ratings, as these are all top values worth revisiting. Some of the wines have already transitioned to the next vintage; I have noted those.
1. Bonterra Estate Collection Chardonnay 2021
Mendocino County, Calif., $20
Bonterra has long been a pioneer in organic viticulture in California. This wine and an Estate Collection Cabernet Sauvignon were introduced earlier this year as Bonterra’s first wines with the Regenerative Organic Certified label. Aside from protecting the planet, the emphasis here is on fruit – look for peach, apricot and even mango flavors, with just a hint of oak influence. Look for this in stores featuring organic wines. Certified B Corp., Organic, Climate Neutral, Regenerative Organic. Alcohol by volume: 13.4%. Bottle Weight: 540 grams (Average).
2. Putzenhof Bozner Leiten 2019
Südtirol Alto Aldige, Italy, $19
What a delightful wine! Bright cherry and cranberry flavors, with hints of anise, lavender and sage, it’s hard to compare this wine to any other, which makes it all the more noteworthy. Perhaps that’s because the grapes – schiava and lagrein – are not very common. This is a great wine for oenogeeks or just curious drinkers who want to explore high-altitude wines made with obscure grape varieties. ABV: 13%. BW: 550 grams (Average).
3. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard Field White NV
Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York, $16
This nonvintage blend is based on grüner veltliner, with riesling adding acidity and perfume and chardonnay lending some body and richness. It’s a simple, delicious white wine for everyday sipping and can easily accompany a variety of cuisines. Flavors of star fruit, pineapple, kumquat and lemongrass – and well, Juicy Fruit gum? – make a recipe for fun. ABV: 11%. BW: 420 grams (Light).
4. Karl Kaspar Riesling Kabinett 2021/2022
Mosel, Germany, $15
This wine should help convince riesling skeptics: Fruity, beautifully balanced between sweetness and acidity, and low in alcohol. Try this with spicy food, garlicky dips, grilled seafood – or just about anything you suspect might be difficult to match with wine. Most of all, don’t worry about sweetness – the key is the balance with the fruit and acidity. The 2022 vintage is now on the market. ABV: 8%. BW: 400 grams (Light).
5. Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Maipo Valley, Chile, $13
A new label design emphasizes this popular brand’s sustainability efforts. Root: 1 claims to be Chile’s first certified sustainable winery and the first to implement carbon offsets. That’s all good on the outside, and the wine inside the bottle delivers a reminder that Chile produces some darn good cabernet sauvignon at affordable prices. Look for blackberry jam, with a hint of mint and sage. Certified sustainable. ABV: 13%. BW: 510 grams (Average).
6. Giraudon Bourgogne Chitry Pinot Noir 2022
Burgundy, France, $18
Chitry is a small village in northern Burgundy, a red-wine haven squeezed between the better known white wine appellations of Chablis and Saint-Bris. The Giraudon family produces delicious affordable pinot that walks on the earthy side, with flavors of mushroom and wild herbs over a core of dark cherry and plum fruit. It’s great with casual meals, but has the goods to match with a weekend roast. ABV: 13%. BW: 590 grams (Average).
7. Casa Cadaval, Padre Pedro Tinto 2019/2020
Tejo, Portugal, $14
Casa Cadaval has been managed by five generations of women in Portugal’s Alentejo, a region known for terrific value wines. This blend of touriga nacional, trincadeira and alfrocheiro is spicy and jammy, yet with hints of earth and spice. This wine shows great complexity for its price. There is still some 2019 on local retail shelves, and the importer will soon switch to the 2020 vintage. ABV: 13.5%. BW: 490 grams (Light).
8. Arona Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Marlborough, New Zealand, $16
This sauvignon blanc shows the raciness we’ve come to expect from New Zealand savvie, without the vegetal jalapeño notes we sometimes get. Look for mango and passion fruit flavors to join apricot and tart red currants in a virtual fruit salad on your palate. Each time I came back to my glass, the mélange of flavors shifted to something new and delicious. Pair this with any seafood dish. Certified sustainable. ABV: 12.5%. BW: 540 grams (Average).
9. Salvatore Martusciello OttoUve Gragnano Della Penisola Sorrentina 2021/2022
Italy, $17/$20
This rosso frizzante hails from the Sorrento Peninsula south of Naples – think Amalfi coast, romantic vistas, and of course pizza. Think of it as a vacation in a bottle. The Washington-area importer, Michael R. Downey Selections, first brought this wine in for 2 Amys restaurant at the launch of the Neapolitan pizza craze. Fruitier than its more northerly cousins from Emilia Romagna, this wine has a dried plum character that reminds me of – dare I say it? – Dr Pepper. But it’s an Italian Dr Pepper. The importer is now on the 2022 and the price has increased to $20, but it still qualifies for this list. ABV: 11.5%. BW: 631 grams (Sparkling).
10. Honor Brut Selecció Cava
Spain, $12
This brut and a sibling rosé that costs just a dollar more demonstrate why Spain’s cava is my first choice for bargain sparklers. Peach and apricot flavors are embraced by a squirt of lime, and each sip finishes with a smile. ABV: 12%. BW: 895 grams (Sparkling).
11. Réserve Saint Dominique Le Bourdon Ventoux 2020
Rhône Valley, France, $16
This was one of several wines that reminded me this year of why I have always loved reds from the Rhône Valley. This is 100% grenache from vines planted in the late 1950s on lower slopes of Mont Ventoux, later abandoned but revived for this project. The wine is made with little intervention in the vineyard or the winery, and without oak influence. It’s intense and grounded – flavors of bright red berries seem to have been pried from the earth’s grasp rather than plucked from a bush. The depth and minerality remind me of more expensive wines of Vacqueyras or Gigondas. This is a wine for a hearty beef stew or roast. ABV: 14.5%. BW: 585 grams (Average).
12. DiamAndes Perlita Malbec-Syrah 2019/2020
Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, $13
DiamAndes is owned by the Bonnie family, which owns Château Malartic-Lagravière and Château Gazin Rocquencourt in Bordeaux. DiamAndes is also one of the French wineries collaborating in Mendoza’s popular Clos de los Siete wine. The Perlita is DiamAndes’ “entry-level” line, and wow, what an entrance. Syrah lends depth and body to the region’s signature malbec’s high-toned blueberry fruit and supple tannins. The result is a smorgasbord of flavors, with lavender and rosemary, lots of dark berry fruit and smoked meat. Stock up on this bargain-priced beauty. The 2020 vintage is now in the market. Certified vegan. ABV: 14%. BW: 480 grams (Light).