Top Wine Pros Share Their Picks of the Best Values $20 and Under

Crystal R. of Chicago, IL makes heavy use of these results. “Tastings.com is my party-planning life-hack.” she says. “I use the mobile site in-store when shopping for my monthly get-togethers. I trust Tastings.com scores because they don’t accept advertising dollars from the brands they review. The WVWC is the ultimate guide for great wines in my budget. I use the suggested pairing ideas to pair my menu to my wine offerings and I love learning about new wines using their guides.”

Highlights of the competition represent a diverse group of wines spanning four continents and eleven countries. This year, top honors for value in robust reds went to some outside-of-the-box styles. Both the “Rich and stimulating” Shiloh 2017 Privilege Red Blend ($19.99) from Judean Hills in Israel and the earthy Quasar 2016 Gran Reserva Merlot ($20) from Maipo Valley in Chile snagged a 94-point Gold Medal. 90+ Cellars lives up to their name by scoring 92-points for their 2017 Reserve Chardonnay out of Russian River Valley, which judges lauded as a “great balance of creamy, toasty oak and zippy acidity.”

The WVWC results make economics and hedonics pour in unison. Check out these affordable pairing ideas:

  • The fresh simplicity of seared scallops is a fantastic first course to serve alongside the pure and elegant Zonte’s Footstep 2018 Shades of Gris Australian Pinot Grigio ($18.00).
  • For cheese pairing, why not choose bubbles? Pop a luxurious 92-point French crémant, Louis Revoir NV Cuvee Prestige Brut ($19) and serve with triple-cream washed-rind cheese. Impress your guests with this super-sophisticated sparkler alongside a perfect bite of Camembert; you’ll be the only one that knows it cost less than twenty dollars.
  • Seek out the gold-medal-winning Three Ghost Vine 2016 Pinot Noir. At $7.46 a bottle, this is one of the best values on the market to pair with anything from Chinese take-out to tea-smoked duck.

With so many bottles to choose from, in-the-know tipplers love how easy Tastings.com makes it to find their favorite award-winning wines. Each recommended wine is listed with a tasting note, suggested pairings, and style guide to help discover the best bottle for every taste. Their ‘Buy It’ button on each high-scoring wine’s page effortlessly pulls up a list of all the shops that carry the bottle. For a complete list of this year’s winners and the only value wine buying guide consumers need, visit Tastings.com.

About Tastings.com: Tastings, powered by the Beverage Testing Institute, was founded in 1981 with the goal of producing fair, impartial wine reviews for consumers.