Quality French & Italian Wine Under $20

I gravitate to a wine shop’s French and Italian sections for affordable quality wines; many excellent bottles from these regions are under the $20 price tag. Your options are wide and varied if you know what to look for.

First, understand that wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. However, consumers often choose what they are familiar with and overpay for sub-par or not-good wine.

My advice (when looking for wine in this price range) is to free yourself from brand-name wines of the New World and venture over to the Old World. You will likely get a very nice wine at a better value.

What is a Quality Wine?

A quality wine should be well-balanced with a complexity of flavors and aromas. Some characteristics may be dominant, while others are delicate or faint. However, the wine should offer your palate a musing sensation.

Therefore, here are some tips on snuffing out the not-so-good stuff:

If a wine tastes flat, it lacks acidity or has a weak tannic structure. The fruit may have been exposed to poor weather conditions or improper climate for that variety.

Another sign of a lower-quality wine is noticing only one overwhelming punch, i.e., jammy cherries and only jammy cherries.

Furthermore, an alcohol-dominant wine may taste hot and have diminished the other flavors.

Additionally, if a wine tastes like you are drinking vanilla extract, you may be getting a wine hiding behind too much American Oak. That said, wines with abundant baking spice and little else are often heavily (American) oaked to mask the lack of expression coming from the fruit. A reason for this could be due to low-quality bulk fruit from fertile parts of the vineyard.

Be that as it may, a crop with a lower yield usually means higher quality fruit that is carefully picked and sorted. Hence, only a subtle amount of oak is necessary to enhance the already interesting nuances of the wine.

In my experience, the above issues are not as prevalent in countries such as France and Italy. Consequently, allow me to share some regions and grape varieties from these two spectacular places that are less likely on the radar for the average consumer — yet very likely to have a delightful, affordable wine.

France

Bordeaux

If you want to pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for a wine, you can certainly spend your money in Bordeaux. However, the beauty of this region is that it also offers wines under $20 that are quite delicious.

For starters, look for the following indicators on the labels: Bordeaux Superieur, Cru Bourgeois, and Grand Vin de Bordeaux. This information will tell you that it met some requirement for quality, or simply put, that someone cared when making that wine.

Furthermore, look for less-known or prestigious appellations like Cotes de Bourg, Côtes de Blaye, or Fronsac. I am generally pleased with the flavors and prices from these areas. Finally, try finding the ‘second wines’ of top chateaux. Some of the Premier Crus of Bordeaux produce a second wine, which means you know the winemaking is solid, but it might be from a parcel of the land that isn’t the most prestigious part of their vineyard.

Wine from Bordeaux will be a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Occasionally, Malbec or Petit Verdot may be included.

Beaujolais

The Grand Crus of Beaujolais are of higher quality than the villages, so find the more reasonably priced Grand Cru appellations. For instance, you will likely find lesser-known estates offering affordable options in the Brouilly, Cote de Brouilly, Regnie, and Chiroubles. The Morgan and Julienas Grand Crus also produce some great wine at honest prices. You will be drinking wine from the lovely Gamay grape variety here.

Rhone

The Cote du Rhone and the Cote du Rhone Villages offer many affordable options and will generally be a blend of Grenache, Syrah, or Mourvedre (GSM). Look for specific villages like Carianne or Seguret for exceptional quality at a fair price. The Ventoux region is another area that tends to get overlooked but makes great-value wine.

South of France

The Languedoc region in France is known for producing a wide range of affordable wine while maintaining good quality. Some of the appellations to look for are Cotes du Roussillon for GSM roses and reds. Minervois produces robust reds of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan at an excellent value. Furthermore, Corbieres, one of the largest appellations in Languedoc, is known for being approachable and affordable, making wine from the GSM and Carignan.

Moreover, you will find great prices in the Vin de Pays d’Oc, the broader regional classification that covers the entire Languedoc-Roussillon area. If you are looking for whites, check out the Picpoul de Pinet AOC for a delicate, refreshing wine from the Picpoul grape.

 

Italy

Langhe

Although Piedmont is known for higher-priced wines like Barolo and Barbaresco, you will be surprised to find affordable gems in the Langhe. For example, look for Langhe Nebbiolo (the same grape of the Barolo label) to unearth an enjoyable wine at a much more reasonable cost. Also from Langhe, Barbera d’ Alba, made from Barbera grapes, will give you a taste of the region’s winemaking expertise without breaking the bank.

Chianti

Finding affordable Chianti Classico wines can be a rewarding experience, as this region in Tuscany, Italy, produces some excellent wines at various price points. Chianti Classico is known for its Sangiovese-based red wines, which often exhibit flavors of cherry, plum, and characteristic earthiness.

Maremma

The Maremma region, located in Tuscany, Italy, produces many affordable wines known as Super Tuscans. Super Tuscans are often blends of Sangiovese along with the Bordeaux varietals. The range of wines from the area is high-end to very affordable.

The Morellino di Scansano DOCG is a wine from Sangiovese grapes in the village of Scansano in the Maremma coastal region. These wines are a good balance of quality and price. Furthermore, wines labeled IGT Maremma Toscana are often more affordable than those with DOC or DOCG classifications and can be pretty nice.

If you are looking for interesting white options, the Vermentino grape thrives in Maremma and is an elegant choice that is easy on your pocketbook.

Southern Italy

Southern Italy is known for producing various wines, and there are many affordable options to explore. A favorite of mine is the Aglianico grape (the Barolo of the south) in Campania. The Basilicata region also boasts delicious wine made from Aglianico.

Another tasty wine is from the Montepulciano grape in Abruzzo. Finally, the full-bodied reds from Nero d’Avola and the vibrant whites of Grillo from Sicily are wonderful little wines to try guilt-free of spending too much money.

Parting Words

Always be confident and open to exploring your palate and digging into the less familiar regions. And have fun discovering the unknown.