A friend tossed me a few bottles to try the other day and this was one. Made by a co-op dating back to the 1800s. Kinda falls into generic white wine territory but without flaws. Delicious if a little dilute. Some nice whiffs of sea spray. Perfect for washing down simple fare on a hot day. I think it retails for ~$19-20.
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Kicking the weekend (whatever that means in my retired state) off with a rather crisp and mouthwatering young godello from Spain. Although the 2024 doesn’t seem to have made it yet to the states, earlier vintages are available for US$16-19 according to WSPro.
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Must have something wrong with my palate as everyone seems to cheer this and I just find it drinkable. Personally I think the Borgo di Paglianetto Terra Vignata whipes the floor with Collestefano year i year out and is excellent for less than 10€/bottle
A 2019 Vallana Spanna was awesome last night. All high toned red cherry and berry fruit, great length driven by strong but not overpowering acidity, and a fine tannic rasp on the end. Killer and I will need to get more of this. I tend to drink more of the Campi Raudii than the Spanna, but usually buy some of each.
Unfortunately, the 2014 Calabretta VV that followed it was not so good. I’ve had somewhat mixed results with this vintage of this wine, but the bottle last night had a lot of dried out raisin notes that were just not working for me. Felt almost like an appassimento wine. Perhaps the impact was much stronger after the freshness of the Vallana. Almost the full bottle is left so I’ll see if it improves over a day or two but won’t hold my breath. While this wine is more like $30, Calabretta’s MV Cala Cala is under $20 and often quite excellent.
Edited to add that the Calabretta actually freshened up quite a bit overnight, so whether this was a matter of more air helping it out or suffering by comparison to the nebbiolo the previous night, it was much better either way.
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2019 Marietta Christo
About as good as it gets for a $20 bottle of California red imo. If the Marietta lot series is a standout at $15 or so this ramps everything up a notch for $5-$10 more.
Syrah dominant. Rich but not sweet or cloying. Long finish.
Could slot into a CDP tasting or with CA wines costing significantly more and hold its own.
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For a change I will recommend a red here, but still from Italy. Various vintages of this seem widely available in the USA from ~US$12 and up. For me the 2019 is a good everyday pizza wine, but it needs a splash decant and an hour or two of air.
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This has been a favourite of mine for several vintages. For those who only drink Provencal rosé this would be a real eye-opener, in a good way.
WSPro shows one supplier in the USA at $19.99 so it qualifies here (I pay US$16 in Hong Kong).
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Had Chiara Condello Predappio Sangiovese for the first time last night. A wonderful discovery, and probably the best Sangiovese I’ve had in the $20-$25 USD price point. Need to grab more of this! It’s just a classy, well-made and well-rounded Sangiovese from a cooler climate than Chianti.
Good stuff for sure. Haven’t seen it under $20, but found it at $23 recently all-in. Nice, pure Sangiovese character.
2022 Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley. Bought some of this as a party wine ( relatively inexpensive and not offensive) and it far exceeds those expectations. Tasty wine.
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Back to a common theme, today yet another Italian white is going down very nicely indeed. Sadly, WSPro doesn’t show any availability in the USA, but it is widely available in Europe.
- 2022 Casalfarneto Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Grancasale - Italy, Marche, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore (05/11/2025)
From the producer's website:
"the fermentation process is carried out with the cold maceration of the grapes’ skin with its own must (“cryomaceration”). The refining period involves preservation in steel, and a small part in big wooden barrels, for six to eight months, finally in bottles for another 12 months."
The result is really rather nice. The nose is citrus, floral and vigorous swirling throws out slightly sweet peach note. There's also an element of salinity.
The palate is similar: floral and fruit elements, quite rich but not heavy, balanced by quite rounded (rather than tart) acidity. The finish is clean and quite persistent.
Overall this is an excellent wine, pairing well with some smoked salmon and sour cream appetisers. It benefits from being kept quite cool. And it is excellent QPR at the ~US$15.5 that I paid. (90 points)
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The 2023 vintage of this wine was one of those in my opening post for the thread. The 2024 is now in and it’s as good as ever.
- 2024 San Giusto a Rentennano Fuori Misura Rosato Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (06/11/2025)
I've enjoyed the previous 2 vintages of this wine, and this is at least as good if not better. It's a rosé for red wine drinkers and very different from generic Provencal rosé for example.
The nose is dark red, and slightly sweet, fruit. On the palate it is fresh, juicy, very more-ish. There's an excellent balance of acidity, fruit, and just a slightly drying edge on the finish. This works well for me as an aperitif and with food.
Sadly, the price here in HK has gone up a bit, but at the ~US$18.5 that I paid this is still very good QPR. (90 points)
2023 Pedro Parra ‘Vinista’ Pais - $20
I’ve been a fan of Parra’s wines for a while now. I think they are really unique, well-made, and great for the price. His wines certainly aren’t for everyone, with their smoky and savory profile with lots of reduction. But people who love them, love them.
The Vinista País is one of his entry-level wines and is usually right around $20, though they’ve creeped up to $22-25 in recent years. Between the País and the Cinsault I usually go for the País at that price point, though the Cinsault is also solid. His Bluepit and Soulpit Pais wines are super interesting and just delicious.
This is what some people would call a “porch pounder”. Fairly simple and easy-drinking.
- 2023 Marchesi Migliorati Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo - Italy, Abruzzi, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (15/12/2025)
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is one of my favourite types of rosé. This is a fairly straightforward example, but a pleasant everyday wine.
Dark red fruit on the nose. The palate is crisp, redcurrants, unripe cherries. Nice acidity, some lightly drying tannins on the finish.
Overall this is a very versatile wine that would pair well with a range of food. Nothing too exciting, but very solid. For the ~US$14 that I paid this is definitely a repeat buy. (87 points)
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Would be a solid wine at $20, but this was just $12. Not much going on on the nose, but in the mouth, there’s pleasant lively acidity, plenty of fresh lemon, even more fresh lime, a bit of pleasant grassiness, and salinity. There was an interesting sweet/bitter flavor on the mid palate that took me a while to place, but I I finally got it: Ruby red grapefruit! Never would’ve thought, but as soon as I placed it, it was undeniable. Really solid value and good accompaniment to casual dinner and conversation with the family. 2024 vintage.
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2018 Luna Beberide Mencia “MM” tonight is just delicious. Fragrant and expressive from the moment the cork was pulled. Excellent with a variety of Mexican dishes.
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A bit bummed this thread is kind of petering out, especially since it was inspired by the desire to attract young people to the wine world. Well I’d do my part tonight with Colete Semillon, which I picked up for under $20.
At 4 years old, this relative inexpensive white still tastes super fresh, vibrant, and zippy. 12.0% abv and 100% Semillon from Napa made by Raj Parr. This is all about lift and liveliness- fresh lemon zest, green mango, key limes, gypsum dust. High acid and zippy in the mouth with just enough juiciness and presence to take this one step beyond a simple porch pounder. Good stuff and great qpr.
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Tasted a few reasonably priced wines for a friend’s wedding, with a few standouts:
2022 Catena Malbec
Red berries, vanilla bean, leather, and plum. Fantastic structure compared to other <$20 Argentinian wines we tasted. With a little bit of air, nose became increasingly more seductive, and the palate darker. This is a great value option even if it lacks the complexity of its more expensive siblings. (~$19)
2023 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon
Initially quite similar to the Malbec, it soon became a more “adult” experience for the same price. Whereas the Malbec gained expressiveness with air, the Cab became serious and elegant. Full bodied, textured, and with a moderately long finish. (~$19)
2020 Marques de Riscal Reserva
A step above the rest in terms of quality, this wine has structure for ageing and benefits from decanting. Coconut and vanilla from the oak, ripe plum, black cherry, and blackberry. Fruit condition was both ripe and fresh, giving great balance. Palate additionally had some pepper and anise notes. Smooth tannin, long finish. (~$22, so cheating a bit)
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A couple I’ve enjoyed lately:
2022 Cantalupo Agamium. This is really quite good. A difficult and overripe vintage in the Langhe, perhaps it was better in Alto Piemonte. I’ve always found this wine to be rather savory across vintages and there is that too, but more fruit here than usual. Very good and should age well.
2023 Pepiere Briords. As always, one of the best values out there. Can be found under $20 with some effort. I’ll sound like a broken record on vintage ripeness but I definitely prefer this wine in leaner vintages. 2023 is kind of one the line with some roundness but still a lot of energy. Probably a crowd pleasing vintage for this wine. Citrus and stone. If I want a bit more cut, well, I usually do, but most won’t notice.
2023 Rieslingfreak No. 33. I’ve had pretty good luck with the Rieslingfreak wines and this was no exception. Just loads of acidity and energy. Bit of cut rubber ball and a lot of lime. $15 at Costco and a killer deal.
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Marietta Old Vine Red Lot 75. Excellent value at about $17 with good fruit. Always a reliable bottle. Good with pizza.
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