Cheap, everyday, widely available stuff.

What’s your top 5 list of widely available, cheap but decent daily drinkers? Let’s say $20 or less per bottle:

“Top 5” is hard, since I vary my choices over the year, but here are some standby’s:

1. Domaine de Vieux Chene – small CdR, CdR Villages, VdP Vaucluse, and Viognier producer, all less than $15
2. Shaya old vine Rueda – crisp and very drinkable, ~$12
3. R. Stuart and Co. Big Fire Pinot Gris – OR style, with some residual spritz to lighten it up. ~$14
   
   
   I also have a rotating list of Chilean sauvignon blancs, Nero D’Avolas, non-Rioja Tempranillos, and Vinho Verdes to round the cheap-but-good list.

Cheers!

My most frequent grocery store buys of decent stuff:

1. Tait The Ball Buster 2009 was pretty nice for $17
2. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2012 $8
3. Belle Glos Pinot Nor Blanc Rose 2013 $18
4. Clos De Siete Malbec 2009 $17
5. Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay $18

Ch. Lamartine Cahors
Moscato D’Asti (pretty much any producer)
Pinon Vouvray Brut NV
German Kab. or Spat. or even Ausl. Riesling from lesser known producers (a few places still persist selling these and prices can be very good for mature stock)
Rivera Castel del Monte ‘Il Falcone’

1. 2011 Vajra Langhe Rosso
2. 2013 Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorees Beaujolais L’Ancien VV
3. 2012 P. Bonhomme Vire-Clese VV

Drouhin St Veran
Sottimano Barbera D’Alba
Domaine Du Pepeire Muscadet Clos du Briord

all cheap and delicious

Guigal CDR in good years (I may be behind the times)
Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Many Picpoul de Pinet
Pira Dolcetto
Château Saint-Auriol Corbières

And many, many more!

Cotes du Rhone and the South of France - all of them.

And add Jadot Beaujolais-Villages. Under $15; Cost Plus presently has it on sale for ~$11.

Bruce

For me, CdR is a treasure-trove of QPR wines. Almost all are under $20 and most are at the very least drinkable.

Tenuta Monteti Caburnio is under $20 and is an insane QPR for a Super Tuscan blend, IMO.

For just a bit more than your $20 limit (for quality PN, under $20 is tough), Siduri’s SC and RRV PNs are both unbelievable in terms of delivery for the price, especially considering the discounts for buying in bulk.

Vajra Langhe Rosso
Foxglove Chardonnay Central Coast
Lapierre Raisins Gaulois
Ross Andrew Columbia Valley Cabernet “Glaze”
Lorelle Benches Pinot Grigio

Thackrey Pleiades XXIII (currently)
Pepiere Muscadets

I’ve pretty much given up playing in this space. We drink much less often, and when we do usually drink better wines.

But the Monsanto Chianti is a $20-or-less wine that routinely kicks ass.

Maybe differing palates, but for me there are occasions where a humble/hearty Cahors IS the better wine for the occasion/mood than a fancier wine. It took me too long to realise this, and the last year or two have brought a joyful rediscovery of just how perfect a humble (but unspoofulated) wine can be.

If you are willing to spend more, I would suggest Screaming Eagle at $37.50.

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier
Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco
Chateau Greysac - I’m sure there is MUCH better Bordeaux in the sub $20 category, but not where I live

In the CAN be found under $20 category, depending on place, time, qty discount, etc:
Au Bon Climat chard and pinot

I see what you did there

+1 (if not necessarily Cahors)

Must say though that some of you have a funny definition of ‘widely available’. Though I’m sure it varies greatly with market.

I very happily drink humble unpretentious wine, if genuine and well made. Never widely available! If else, what’s the point of wine snobbery?

Wow! A lot of Kim Crawford Love! Hands down my Favorite!
My Top 5 “Must Havesies” are as follows: ( for the price point of these wines, this is some good stuff!")

1. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc '09 $14.95
2. Concha y Toro Cab/Merlot Blend '14 $9.49 (mind blowing…trust me!)
3. Cryptic Blend(M,C,Sy) '11 $15.99
4. Bodegas Naia Vina Silla Rueda '11 $12.95
5. Byron Pinot Noir '12 $19.95 (love the start to finish dynamic on this one)[http://igg.me/at/fearturnedpassion-kimyettal]

I’m surprised at the Kim Crawford love here. Personally, Love Block has been floating my boat for an under $20 SB. Greywacke, if it can be found (around me, retailers usually have it for 3 months out of the year), is also my style as well. Dr. L Rieslings are pretty quaffable (and the cheap urban Riesling). For reds, I haven’t quite found one with the right “style” - I can find some brawny wines from Rhone and Spain, but something with a bit more restraint is hard. I’m sure Italy has a ton of options - just haven’t seen enough.