10 Terrific Summer Wines for Under $20

No, there’s not been a typo.  All of these wines are not only well made but represent excellent QP/R at price tags of less than 20 bucks.   With only one exception (the very first wine), all of them made the Wine Spectator’s most recent list of the World’s Top 100 Wines.   None are Rosés as these wines were discussed last week.

80% are white wines with Sauvignon Blanc (SB) being the most common grape.  Gruner Veltliner garnered two spots on the list.  80% are wines from outside the US (Austria, France, Italy, New Zealand and Spain), and are bargain priced because Americans don’t know the varietals.   One of the two reds is perfect for summer quaffing as an aperitif.  The other red is the ideal match for a summer dinner of BBQ chicken or meat.  There's also one sparkling wine in the mix.

(Listed in random order):

~ Joel Gott SB (California):  a perennial personal fave for quality-price/ratio, this producer sources his grapes from northern California.

~ Quivira Alder Grove SB (California):  this succulent wine even received a 90 point score from Robert Parker.

~ Mt. Beautiful SB (New Zealand):   Great aromatics and a full-bodied flavor abound in this Kiwi wine.

~ Bernard Ott Am Berg Gruner Veltliner (Austria):  Wine-Knows always visits this producer for his lineup of stunning Gruners.

~ Meinhard Forstreiter Kremser Kogl Gruner Veltliner (Austria):  Mineral-driven, this Gruner is phenomenal for the price.

~ Godeila Mencia (Bierzo, Spain):   This mencia grape wine is complex & pairs beautifully with grilled meats.   

~ Planeta Cerasuolo (Sicily, Italy):   A blended red wine of two varietals (neither grown in America) this one can easily work as an aperitif or with a summer meal (especially BBQ fish or pork).

~ Dom Pierre Luneau-Papin “Clos de Allees” (Loire Valley, France):   made from old vines of Melon de Bourgogne, this rendition of an obscure varietal is so yummy that it was scored a 91 by Robert Parker.

~ Jean Perrier Cuvee Gastronomic (Savoie, France): gorgeous fruits juxtaposed with minerals with this unknown grape called Jacquere.

~ llopart Reserve Brut Rosé Cava (Catalonia, Spain):  the family has been producing wine since 1385.  This sparkler makes me want to shout “Olé!”

Make no mistake about it.  If these above wines were blind-tasted, one would never come close to guessing their super reasonable price.  If you can't find them locally, all are available for purchase on the internet...just make certain to order them soon so they're not transported during the summer's hottest temps.