Wines under $20

Hello out there, hopefully today is a great Tuesday for you.

It's rainy and cold in the Cincinnati Area, it's a perfect day to talk about wine. I am a wine enthusiast, I love the process, the colors, the smells, and of course drinking the wine. People tend to believe if wine is expensive then it will taste better, that's not necessarily the case. I found some great wines under the price of $20 that I buy time and time again. In fact I keep a wine journal and write down all of my favorites so I remember to purchase them again.

Some of the main stream wines like Barefoot, Kendell Jackson, Woodbridge all have wines that are under $20. I tend to stay away from them, they have no complexity and no real taste. I'm going to focus on smaller wineries from all over.

Here are some wines that I drink during this time of year:

1. French wines - they are bold, big, and go great with meat and cheese dishes. Example: E. Guigal 2005 Cotes-Du-Rhone Red, it's 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre. The 2006 just came out so if you can't find the 05 go for the 06 but let it breathe for a while. This sells for about $13.00 a bottle a perfect little french wine that won't kill the wallet.
2. South African red wines - I love almost every wine I try from South Africa. Big, bold, and once they breathe they're amazing. Example: Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap 2008 Syrah, it's 68% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, and 2% Viognier.  Let this wine breathe for about 15 minutes before you drink it. It's a wine that will compliment steaks, red sauce pasta dishes, chicken, and just drink it by itself. Price: $ 8.99 a bottle
3. Spanish Reds - God bless the Spanish wine maker some of my favorites wines are from Spain. Examples: Opera Prima 2008 or 2009 Tempranillo by J. Garcia Carrion La Mancha winery. On the label you'll only see Opera Prima so do not look for the Wineries name on the label. This is a great Tempranillo that you can drink right out of the bottle or let it breathe. This bottle I'm not kidding you goes for $3.99 a bottle on-line so buy it buy the case trust me! You'll also find it in your close-out section of your local wine shop. If you can find their Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon buy those too! Another great Spanish red: Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo 2006, for those who like a fruiter or coffee tasting red this is your wine. It's great with cheeses or meat dishes. It's 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Tempranillo. 
4. California Reds - For those who like Cali reds well here one to knock your socks off: Lonen Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, this wine is priced at $20 and it's worth ten times that. Let this bad boy breathe and wow, this is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Charbono, 5% Malbec. It's great with every cooked meal or just great with friends. 

That's a few of my pics for now. Enjoy and drink some wine. 

Cheers,

Angela 

Products that are fun: