The title above is definitely misleading. I don't think there is a definitive "best" list for anything. It is probably more accurate to say, this is the list of my favourite 10 wines under $20.
For those of you who follow my blog, you know I publish and update an article on, Great Wines under $20. I have just updated that post and you can find it on my blog site. I started publishing a wine of the month post but I found it too hard to keep up to date. So I am going to try this. My 10 favourite wines under $20 (please note that with inflation there are a couple of wines over $20 that you will have to try and get on sale for the under $20 limit).
A couple of things that you should know about my wine-drinking habits have helped form the list. I drink more red than white. I love cabs and shiraz from California and southern Australia. I drink very few french wines. I find them overpriced, not good value and often not that good tasting. I don't drink German wines so there are none on the list. Hopefully, you will find something you enjoy. (For those of you that live in Ontario I have listed the price and the LCBO/Vintages number) Here goes:
Ringbolt - Australia - Vintages 606624 - $21.95 - Slightly over my $20 limit but you will definitely find it on sale for under $20. A delicious wine from Western Australia. It is a wine that you can serve on any special occasion (we just served it at our annual Christmas Dinner party) but is great value so you can drink it anytime. Smooth and flavourful!
Bonterra Organic Cabernet Sauvignon - California - Vintages 342428 - $21.95 - Another wine that often goes on sale for $19.95 so you should be able to get it consistently for under $20. This is a beautiful California cab. Full body and flavour but is very smooth. Again a wine to be served on a special occasion but you can enjoy it anytime.
Bottega Vino Del Poeti Prosecco DOC - Italy - LCBO 897702n - $16.95 - Our go-to sparkling wine (real champagne is far too expensive to ever make an under $20 list). This wine is great on its own, crisp and refreshing but also great in cocktails (we make a Christmas cocktail with prosecco, cranberry juice and grand marnier (mmm)). We have celebrated a lot of birthdays and graduations with this wine and love it every time.
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - Vintages 316570 - $19.95 - For white wines, I tend to enjoy Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. I am not a huge fan of chardonnays although I enjoy a few. The Oyster Bay family of wines are all good. This Sauvignon Blanc and the pinot grigio are my favourites.
Sister's Run Epiphany Shiraz - Austrailia - Vintages 269464 - $19.95 - This was the first Sister's Run wine we bought and we loved it! An amazing-tasting wine from South Australia. You can not go wrong with anything in the Sister's Run family - Sister's Run Bethlehem Block Cabernet Sauvignon- $19.95, Sister's Run Old Testament Cabernet Sauvignon - $19.95, Sister's Run Calvary Hill Shiraz - $21.95
Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon - California - LCBO 55517 - $15.95 - One of our original favourite wines to drink at the cottage we now enjoy it anywhere. Great value at $16 and has lots of flavours. I enjoy all the wines in the Smoking Loon family, including sauvignon blanc, old-vine zinfandel, and pinot grigio. Try them all. Delicious and great value!
Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon - California - - LCBO 392647 - $18.45 - Definitely our original cottage wine we have enjoyed many a bottle sitting on our deck overlooking the lake. A bold, full-body flavour, yet it is smooth. Very enjoyable. You can also enjoy the shiraz and zinfandel in this family of wines
McGuigan Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon - Australia - LCBO 524355 - $11.00 - I just had to get this wine on the list. In addition, to being delicious it is amazing value. $11 and often on sale for less than $10. You can also enjoy in this family the pinot grigio and shiraz. All around $11 ... wow!
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough - New Zealand - LCBO 426601 - $19.95 - I thought I better get one more white wine on the list. This is a good one. Crisp, clear and refreshing.
Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz - Australia - Vintages 167189 - $21.95 - As I was getting to the tenth wine on my list I realized I have a lot of favourite wines and should have gone for a longer list. This one is a good one to end with. Slightly over the $20 limit, you can definitely get it on sale for under $20. Amazing flavour and is in a very cool bottle so it makes a nice gift and you can definitely serve it for special occasions. But for around $20 drink it whenever you want.
That's my list. I hope you find something you enjoy. Send me any of your favourites at thethirdperiod@gmail.com. I will update the list as I discover new "10 best" wines.
Enjoy !
I'll drink to that! 🥂