My Top 20 Favorite Wines Under $20
13January 5, 2015 by danisdecadentdeals
Dani with Temecula Grapevines
I absolutely love wine and I have been in the process of gathering research to share with you my top 20 wines that cost under $20 and where they can be purchased! For those of you that love wine like me, you must try some of the varietals below if you have not already. Also, for those of you that are inexperienced wine drinkers or even just need to buy a bottle of wine for a dinner party, this list below is just for you!
Dani selecting wines at the 5 Cent Wine Sale At BevMo
I have taken the time to research the stores that sell each bottle of wine I mention below, along with the cost, region, varietal and tasting notes! Enjoy! All tasting notes below come from the official website which is able to be found by clicking on Brand link in first column.
First off here are some wines with prices as found at Total Wine and More. Please keep in mind prices can fluctuate a bit, but each of these wines is around $20 or less!
Brand |
Varietal |
Region |
Price |
Tasting Notes |
 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee, Santa Ynez Valley, California |
Z Cuvee – Red Blend | Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara, California | $15.99 | This blend is made up of Grenache and Mourvedre, with a small bit of Syrah. It is softly delicious, with cherry pie, mocha and spice flavors, plus a hint of sweet-tasting, toasty oak. I first tried this wine in an underground wine cellar that used to be a part of the Disneyland Hotel and have been in love with it ever since! |
 Markham Merlot, Napa Valley, California |
Merlot | Napa Valley, California | $17.97 | This wine is well-known for its cherry and black raspberry flavors. There are subtle espresso and vanilla oak touches that come out on the finish. Markham is well known as a serious Napa Merlot producer that delivers exceptional quality at a very good price. I love this wine! |
 Wild Horse Merlot, Central Coast, California
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Merlot | Central Coast, California | $10.99 | This wine is a dry, medium-bodied, smooth and robust Merlot with ripe fruit aromas and flavors of plums, cherry and berries mixed with hints of mint and cocoa. I tried this wine at a friend’s party and I regularly see it for a great price at Costco! This is well worth the price. |
 La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California
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Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast, California | $13.97 | This wine has flavors of orange marmalade, white peaches & pineapple. This is a medium to full body wine with a well-balanced finish. This wine was recommended to me while shopping for wine at Total Wine and More when I asked for a buttery white! I regularly buy a case of this wine at Costco when it is on sale. |
 Sebastiani Merlot, Sonoma County, California |
Merlot | Alexander Valley, Sonoma, California | $19.99 | This wine is dry and richly tannic, with a pleasant spectrum of cherries, plums, and sandalwood. I love wines that make my mouth pucker and are full of rich flavor and this is definitely one of those! I tried this wine once when out to dinner and it quickly became one of my favorite inexpensive bottles! |
 J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 Oaks, Paso Robles, California
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Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Oaks | Paso Robles, Central Coast, California | $11.97 | This wine color has a deep, bright, reddish purple color. There is an abundance of dark cherry and black currant fruit that is also enhanced by spicy clove and toasty notes. I recently went on my first wine tasting trip to Paso Robles this past Fall & thoroughly enjoyed this winery! |
 Sextant Winery, Paso Robles, California
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Cabernet Sauvignon | Paso Robles, Central Coast, California | $19.99 | This wine exhibits intense, cherry and chocolate accents and is a full-bodied wine. Rich cherries combine with crushed cranberries along with accents of pomegranate & dark chocolate. I have tried this wine at a variety of different wine & food tasting events & it is delicious! I recently also visited this winery on my trip to Paso Robles! |
 Red Blend With Glass |
Red Paso (blend) | Paso Robles, Central Coast, California | $14.99 | This wine has intense flavors of blueberries, vanilla oak, & blackberries. It is a medium- bodied wine that is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, & Merlot. I tried 3 different varietals of California Square wines. See my article all about these wines here –> CALIFORNIA SQUARE WINES. |
California Square Wines
This next table includes more of my favorite top 20 wines, but the prices below are as I found them on the Bevmo website. As I also mentioned in the wines above, these prices can fluctuate and sometimes these wines can also be found at the buy one get one for 5 cent sale that Bevmo does regularly! To read more about the BevMo 5 Cent sale click here –> BEVMO 5 CENT WINE SALE.
Brand |
Varietal |
Region |
Price |
Tasting Notes |
 Cinnabar Merucry Rising, Santa Cruz Mountains
|
Mercury Rising, Red blend | Santa Cruz Mountains, California | $19.99 | This is a blend of cab, merlot, cab franc, petit verdot & malbec. Aromas include raspberry, chocolate, blueberries, & thyme. I first tried this wine w/ friends at Steakhouse 55 inside the Disneyland hotel & it is the wine we continue to order when we go back! It is one of my personal favorites!! |
 Michael Pozzan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California |
Cabernet Sauvingon | Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California | $24.95 | This wine is a deep plum color with ripe black cherry & cassis notes. The wine has bold tannins & a toasted French oak finish which will improve by aging 2 or more years. (although this bottle is priced at over $20, check your local BevMo store because this bottle is regularly a part of their 5 cent wine sale. To learn more details about this sale, see my article –> BEVMO 5 CENT WINE SALE. |
 Dani Wine Tasting in Santa Ynez Valley |
Merlot Director’s | Alexander Valley, California | $19.99 | This wine has soft tannins in the finish. For more details all about this wine and more Francis Ford Coppola Wines, see my article here –> FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA WINES. |
 Gnarly Head Merlot, California |
Merlot | Lodi, California | $13.99 | This one has an aroma and flavor of red fruit flavors on the palate. It is easily drinkable and can be paired with a steak or even chicken quite nicely. |
 Estancia Merlot, Central Coast, California |
Merlot | Paso Robles, Central Coast, Calfiornia | $12.99 | The Estancia Merlot shows red fruit flavors that are delicate & soft on the palate. This wine I also tried for the first time on the tatsing menu at the former underground wine cellar that was at Disneyland Hotel. I loved it so much; it is definitely a wine I revisit regularly. |
 Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, San Joaquin County, California |
Cabernet ’11 | Lodi, California | $15.95 | This wine starts out with red currants and dried leaves in the aroma and has a smooth balance in the finish. This wine is quite well balanced. I always find this one at the BevMo 5 cent wine sale as well! |
 Penfold’s Winemaker’s Seection Shiraz Cabernet, Australia |
Winemaker’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 | South Eastern Australia | $15 | I see this bottle from time to time at Total Wine or BevMo, but right now I see it on a variety of online websites. The aromas of this wine include pepper, cedar, & berries. The body of this wine is medium with medium tannins. Flavors include pepper, black cherry, and oak. |
 Wilson Creek Almond Champagne, Temecula, California |
Almond Champagne | Temecula, CA | Currently on sale for $10.99 at BevMo, normally $12.99! | This champagne is naturally fermented with pure almond flavor added. It is a unique sparkling wine that is easy to drink and can last on the shelf for up to 5 years. I love visiting Wilson Creek when I go to Temecula and I enjoy mixing this champagne with their brandy and devouring it in their edible chocolate shot glasses! |
 Kirkland Signature Wines |
A variety of Varietals | Grapes come from a variety of different regions | $6-$30 | Kirkland has a variety of different select vineyards throughout a variety of wine regions. Every wine I have had by Kirkland has been delicious and well priced. Varietals change frequently so be sure to check back to see what new varietals they have from time to time! |
 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand |
Sauvignon Blanc, 2013 | Marlborough, New Zealand | $12.47 | This wine has crisp flavor with hints of citrus and pineapple, as well as peach and passion fruit. It is medium-bodied. It can be enjoyed with chicken, salads or seafood. |
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Cameron Hughes Wine (found at Costco)  Cameron Hughes Chardonnary, Carneros, Sonoma County, California
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A variety of Varietals | Grapes come from a variety of different regions | Most varietals under $20 | Great selections, delicious wine! |
Wine Barrels
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Thanks for including the Almond Champagne. The Bevmo site actually has it for $10.99. You should try it with Chocolate Port (which is usually over $20 a bottle). It’s called an Almond Joy.
Hello Alex! Thanks for the comment:) I believe I pulled that price from the Wilson Creek Website, but I do see it is normally $12.99, but is currently on sale at BevMo for $10.99 so I will change that! Thank you! 🙂 I actually love the Almond Joy! I love it when they are mixed into the edible chocolate shot glass! Happy New Year! Cheers! Please feel free to share my post with others:)
Not a shabby list, I noticed the lack of Malbec. Are you not a fan?
I do like Malbec as well, but I did not have one for this list.:) There may have to be a part 2 when I find one I love.:) I do not drink them as often as some of these other wines.:)
Interesting list of your favorites here.
Thanks Jim! There are so many great wines! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this list of wines
I love the wine from California
I hope you enjoy the list! You are so very welcome:)
Nice list! I’ll be sure to check out some of these selections!
Awesome! There are so many great ones:) Let me know if you find any other good wines for under $20! 🙂 There are so many out there!
[…] Here is a list of some of my personal favorite selections that are offered at this 5 cent wine sale below!! There are about 500 choices, so I am only sharing a few…there are many more I love:) For another article with some awesome wines, MY TOP 20 WINES UNDER $20. […]
Thank you for such a well thought out, and thorough list…wow way more than I expected!
I was looking for a good cheap white wine that I could buy in Huntington Beach. Many wine lists online have wines I can’t find in Orange County California, and so I appreciate your list!!
You are so very welcome! Glad you enjoyed my article! Those Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s are a perfect white in the summer time! 😀Cheers!