I still think you can get lots of great wines for under $20.
This was one of my original posts when I started my blog a couple of years ago. So I thought I would refresh the list, delete any wines that are no longer available and update the pricing. I assumed when starting this exercise given inflation that many if not most of the wines on the list would have gone up in price (I had not updated the prices since April 2020). To my pleasant surprise, there were as many wines that dropped in price as increased. A couple of wines snuck over the $20 limit but if you wait for them to go on sale you can still get them for under $20). Some of the changes were significant, Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon one of our favourite wines is now under $20 (previously you had to wait for it to go on sale). Apparently., inflation has not impacted wine as much as other staples (smile).
Enjoying wine with friends and family is certainly one of the things I enjoy, whether at a family gathering or celebration, at dinner at home, or on the deck of the cottage overlooking the lake (the reality is I can enjoy wine almost anywhere). I am certainly not a wine expert so the wines included here are just a list of ones that I (and our family) have enjoyed.
So I thought I would create a list of my favourite wines. Here are the criteria for getting on my list:
the wine needs to be less than $20 at the LCBO
we have enjoyed all the wines on the list
A couple of other things about the list:
although there are some neat wine apps to keep track of your favourite wines I just use the LCBO app (for those of you in Ontario). You can search for the wine and then mark it as a favourite. Unfortunately, when the LCBO refreshed (?) their app it removed the function to categorize your favourite wines. This is very annoying as the app now simply shows a list (in my case a long list) of your favourite wines. The app shows the price at the LCBO, LCBO listing number as well as the availability online or in stores near you. An additional nice feature of the LCBO app is that on the home page as you scroll down it will highlight any of your favourite wines that are on sale (so you can get them for even less than $20!
I certainly have my biases and preferences regarding wine so here are some of the things you can expect to see on the list. I generally enjoy red more than white so you will see more red on the list. California cabs or shiraz our some of my favourites so lots of those. Recently I have found reds from southern Australia to be amazing so look for those. I also love wine from Washington State, and whites from New Zealand. After our visit to Puglia in southern Italy we fell in love with the wines there, we also had a short stop in Sicily on that trip and discovered Nero d'Avola. Malbecs from Argentina are on the list as well as a few Spanish wines. You won't find a lot of French wines on the list, I find them overpriced and not that good. For sparkling wines, I enjoy Prosecco from Italy, great taste and value (and you just don't find French champagne for under $20). I don't have enough Canadian wines on the list. One of my goals is to find more good Canadian wines to enjoy (I often find the prices over my $20 limit). I have found some really good organic wines so you will find some of those on the list. With regards to white wine, not a big fan of Chardonnay but enjoy Pinot Grigio from many countries as well as Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand has some really good ones).
Below you will find the list. I have divided it up by country or region (where the country is too big like the US), with red wines separate from white. I have organic wines listed in a separate category so there the wine regions are mixed. I have listed the wine name, country/region, LCBO or Vintages product number, and price as of this writing. I am not assigning a rating if the wine has made the list I think it is worth buying. You can sort through which wine will best suit the occasion you are buying for. In most cases, I won't add comments unless there is something specific or exceptional to highlight. I will keep this list up to date, so as I find more great wines I will add them to the list. If you have suggestions that meet the criteria above send them in, and I will try and get them on the list (if they are good (smile)). Ok, with that as an intro, here goes.
California Reds
Bar Dog Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO - 10882 - $17.95 - Although I have switched more of my wine purchases to Australian reds, California Cabs remains one of my favourites. We picked this up just to try something different and it was delicious. We have now had it two or three times, great every time. Although not Teresa's favourite I think it should make the list.
Sand Point Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO 11193 - $13.15 - A delicious California Cab you can enjoy any time
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon - California - Vintages 738823 - $24.95 - above my $20 limit but when it is on sale it is $20.95 so close. Worth the extra 95 cents (smile). Rich with lots of flavour and smooth.
Stave and Steel Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBC 541946 - $17.95 - I would say not quite as good as the Jacob's Creek Bourbon Barrell Shiraz but still a very good wine. Bolder, and "heavier" than most cabs we enjoy it was still delicious and will definitely become one of our regular wines.
Carnivor Shiraz - California - LCBO 10717 - $18.05 - From the Carnivor family, we love the Cabernet Sauvignon and this is almost (very close) as good. I would suggest taking either the cab or shiraz, whatever is on sale and you can't miss.
Josh Cellars Legacy Red - California - LCBO507467 - $19.95
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon - California - Vintages 342428 - $19.95 - One of my all-time favourite wines. Consistently good and it has come down in price (used to be $21.95) Even better! This is a wine you can serve at any special occasion and enjoy but priced for everyday drinking.
Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO 392647 - $18.45- One of our original "cottage" wines (wines we love to drink at the cottage). Still one of my favourites.
Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO 68924 - $17.00
Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel - California - LCBO 678698 - $18.55
Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO 55517 - $15.95 - one of our original cottage favourite wines
Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel - California - LCBO 272393 - $15.95
Australian Reds
Small Gully The Formula Robert's Shiraz - Austrailia - Vintages 142935 - $16.95 - Just love Australian reds and this is a good one. Smooth, balanced and really enjoyable.
Wakefield Estate Shiraz Clare Valley - Australia - Vintages 943787 - $19.95 - Although I have not tried all the Wakefield wines (I am working on it) I am guessing they are all delicious. This one and the one below definitely are!
Wakefield Promised Land Shiraz - Australia - LCBO 441543 - $14.95 - I cannot believe this wine is less than $15.00 (currently on sale for $12.60). It is an amazing wine you will enjoy each and every time you have it. A perfect dinner wine.
Mcguigan Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia - LCBO 524355 - $11.00 - I tried this after I tried the Shiraz (listed below) as the Shiraz was sold out at the LCBO.
Mcguigan Black Label Shiraz - Australia - LCBO 325787 - $11.00 - This would be an amazing wine at $15 but it is $11.00! You cannot go wrong and should buy a case so that you always have it on hand. Smooth, easy to drink with great flavour. What more could you ask for? Also comes in a 1.5-litre size!
Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz - Australia - Vintages 660043 - $24.95 - over my $20 price limit, I got this wine on sale for $21.95 (so close). Wow, it is excellent. It quickly became one of my favourite wines and will definitely make wine of the month soon.
Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz - Australia - Vintages 167189 - $21.95 - I went to the LCBO one day and they had almost every wine I was looking for (I assume they were stocked for the holidays). This is one I wanted to try and it did not disappoint.
Majella The Musician Cabernet/Shiraz - Austrailia - Vintages 142018 - $19.95 - This is one of a group of new wines I bought for the holidays. I just don't think you can go wrong with southern Australia .... mmmm
Jacob's Creek Double Barrel Shiraz - Australia - LCBO 19986 - $18.00 - another great wine from southern Australia. Delicious and $17.95!
Wits End Luna Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 - Australia - Vintages 921239 - $16.25 - I think for $30 or more this would be a great wine. For $17.95 it is amazing. Another great red from Australia
Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia - Vintages 606624 - $21.95 - got this on sale to get it under my $20 limit and it is delicious. I would say red wines from Australia are becoming some of my favourites. This has become one of our favourite wines. Worth going over $20. We served this at our annual Christmas dinner and everyone loved it!
Smoky Bay Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia - LCBO553891 - $10.25 - amazing value at $10.25 and often on sale for under $10 and it is delicious!
Sisters' Run Old Testament Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - Southern Australia - Vintages 478271 - $19.95 - amazing wine that is so could you can serve for a special occasion but for $19.95 you can drink anytime!
Sister's Run Bethlehem Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 - Southern Australia - Vintages 360636 - $19.95 - love all the wines from the Sister's run family. When you are looking for a great red wine take which everyone is on sale and you will enjoy it.
Sister's Run Epiphany Shiraz 2017 - Southern Australia - Vintges 269464 - $19.95
Sister's Run Calvary Hill Shiraz 2017 - Southern Australia - Vintages 222018 - $21.95
Argentia Reds
Luigi Bosca Malbec - Argentina - Vintages 452672 - $17.95 - love a good rich, bold, flavourful Malbec and this is one you will enjoy
Alamos Malbec - Argentina - LCBO 295139 - $15.95
Pascual Toso Malbec - Argentina - LCBO 35170 - $15.20
Pascual Toso Limited Edition Malbec - Argentina - LCBO 162610 - $18.05
Santa Julia Reserva Malbec - Argentina - LCBO 429761- $15.05
Trapiche Malbec - Argentina - LCBO 501551 - $12.95 - amazing wine for $13
Canadian Reds
Wayne Gretzky Baco Noir VQA - Ontario - LCBO 426528 - $15.95 - considering I bought this primarily to get the free hat and t-shirt, love this wine, Canadian (yeah!) and good value
Chilian Reds
Concha y Toro Winemaker's Lot 148 Carmenere - Chile - Vintages 30957 - $19.95 - Doubled the Chilean wines on my list this month. Both are of great taste and great value.
PKNT Carmenere Reserve - Chile - LCBO 191858 - $12.20
PKNT Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - Chile - LCBO 191866 - $12.15
Italian Reds
Lupi Reali Montepulcian o D'Abruzzo DOC Organic - Italy - LCBO 486647 - $12.75 - great value and it is also organic!
Fantini Farnese Sangiovese IGT - Italy - LCBO 512327 - $9.60 - for less than $10 you can have wine with hot dogs!
Organic Reds
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon - California - Vintages 342428 - $19.95 (
Lupi Reai Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC Organic - Italy - LCBO 486647 - $12.75
Puglia Reds
Oggi Botter Primitivo IGT - Puglia - LCBO 86421- $10.95 - love wines from Puglia and this is a good one and yes it is $10.95!
The Wanted Zin Old Vines Zinfandel IGT - Puglia - LCBO 416487 - $15.95 - a totally amazing wine for $15 (or less when on sale)
Spanish Reds
LAN Crianza - Spain - Vintages 166538 - $17.95 - picked this up at the LCBO knowing nothing about it. It was great
Beronia Tempranillo Rioja - Spain - LCBO - 243055 - $14.95
Toro Bravo Tempranillo Merlot, DO Valencia - Spain - LCBO 635755 - $8.15 - you are not going to believe this wine is $8 and change
Radio Boka Tempranillo VDT Castilla - Spain - LCBO 376145 - $11.95 - one of our original wine choices. Awesome wine for $12. This wine also comes in a 3-litre box. For those of you that think boxed wine can only be crappy here is some info. It turns out what ruins opened wine is air, with boxed wine the wine is in a bag. As you drink the wine the bag collapses removing the air and therefore the wine remains "fresh" (or at least good tasting). LCBO 491118 is the number for the 3-litre box.
Sparkling Wine (no champagnes but a couple of great choices to celebrate with)
Bottega Vino Dei Poeti Prosecco DOC - Italy - LCBO 897702 - $16.95 - our go-to special occasion sparkling wine. Delicious and less than $20. Great on its own or mixed to make a fancy cocktail. There are a lot of sparkling wines in the Bottega family, most expensive and with fancy bottles. I would stick to this one. Great flavour and value.
Brilla! Extra Dry Prosecco - Italy - LCBO 13836 - $17.95
Josh Cellars Prosecco - Italy - LCBO 16947 - $19.95 - Were looking for our favourite Bottega Prosecco while visiting Brendan and Candace in West Virginia to celebrate their birthdays. Could not find it but tried this. I would still go with Bottega above if you can get it but this is a good backup.
Washington State Wines
Wines of Substance Cabernet Sauvignon - Washington State - Vintages - 419770 - $19.95 - A. I love Washington State wines and this is one of the best. This is also Teresa's favourite new wine so it has to be good!
Columbia Crest H3 Merlot 2016 - Washington State - Vintages 209874 - $20.95
Columbia Crest Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon - Washington State - Vintages 210047 - $19.95 - This was our first Columbia Crest wine and we loved it. But all from the same winery/family, with great wines
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon - Washington State - Vintages 460154 - $18.95 - our original find from this winery and still our favourite
Rose - for me rose wines are definitely summer wines, not so much with dinner, maybe lunch, definitely in the afternoon/early evening relaxing at home or at the cottage
Folonari Pink Pinot Grigio Venezia IGT - Italy - LCBO 43588 - $12.95 - I love Pinot Grigio so how can you go wrong with a pink one. It is really good!
Bask - Ontario - LCBO 16778 - $13.95 - Rose for us is a summer wine usually consumed at the cottage or at home by the pool. This is a nice one you will enjoy
Three of Hearts Rose - Ontario - Vintages 552562 - $19.95 - cool bottle so a nice gift for a summer party but also a nice light rose
Toro Bravo Garnacha Shiraz Rosado - Spain - LCBO 14145 - $8.95 - for $8.95 how can you go wrong? and it is good!
13th Street Burger Blend Rose VQA - Ontario - LCBO 609545 - $14.95 - nice summer rose
Lab Rose Lisboa VR - Portugal - LCBO 632513 - $8.45 - nice light summer wine, great price
Malivoire Ladybug Rose - Ontario - LCBO 559088 - $17.95
Wayne Gretzky Rose - Ontario - LCBO 14870 - $16.95 - really enjoyed this
White Wines (I am going to just list all the whites together, they are all good)
McGuigan Black Label Pinot Grigio - Austrailia - LCBO 441576 - part of the McGuigan family of wines which are all delicious and of amazing value!
White Cliff - New Zealand - LCBO 610972 - $17.95 - Sauvignon Blanc is one of our favourite white wines and the ones from New Zealand are at the top of our list. This is a great wine, clear, crisp and light
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - LCBO 424630 - $19.95 - I would say this wine is as enjoyable as any Sauvignon Blanc on the list.
Novas Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Organic - Chile - LCBO 553800 - $12.95 - Sauvignon Blanc is one of our favourite white wines, this one is light and really enjoyable. And it is organic!
Quails Gate Chardonnay - British Columbia - Vintages 377770 - $23.95 - I have been to Quail's Gate in Kelowna twice. Both times for lunch. The food is amazing, and the view from the restaurant is spectacular. Given this connection, I broke my $20 limit rule for this wine (it was on sale for $21.95). We are not big chardonnay drinkers but this one is excellent
Lindeman's Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc - Australia - LCBO 181388 - $11.95 - Sauvignon Blanc is one of our favourite white wines and this one is delicious!
Susana Balbo Crios Torrontes - Argentina - Vintages 1834 - $15.95 - read about this in an article highlighting women winemakers. A great light wine
Citra Pinot Grigio Terre Di Chieti IGP - Italy - LCBO17483 - $9.95 - nice light, crisp affordable white wine
Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough - New Zealand - LCBO 415745 - $18.50
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - Vintages 316570 - $19.95 - love sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, got this on sale for $16.95
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio - Italy - Vintages 106450 - $20.95
Smoking Loon Pinot Grigio - California - LCBO 483289 - $16.30
Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc - California - LCBO 544114 - $14.95 - love all the Smoking Loon wines!
Toro Bravo Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc DO La Mancha - Spain - LCBO 10711 - $8.95 - from the same vineyard as the Tempranillo above. This white is crisp and delicious and it is only $8.95
Wine in a Can
Not big wine-in-a-can drinkers but we ended up buying them for Brendan and Candace's wedding which was held in our backyard (during the pandemic). Better than I was expecting.
Bodacious Pinot Grigio - Ontario, Canada - LCBO 10426 - $3.95 (250ml can)
Joiy Sparkling - Austrailia - LCBO 486456 - $5.30 (250ml can) - my new favourite wine in a can. Great way to toast!
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