20 wines under $20

In an interesting article in the New York Times, a wine critic chooses 20 unusual wines that provide interest and great value at less than $20. Among them are several made from unusual varietals. I have been noticing that people are experimenting and doing very interesting things with wines that don't fit the AOCs. They are even buying vineyards that are outside regulated regions where winemaking is precisely controlled so they can try out all kinds of different things. Biodynamics, sustainable organic farming, no additives, different mixes, unknown varietals. How exciting!

There are wines from Virginia, Macedonia, Austria, Catalonia and even France highlighted. There's one Malbec from the Uco Valley that we must try - Altos Las Hormigas. There's a white rioja from Muga that sounds divine. None of these are mass-produced. Some are made from grapes growing on 100-year-old vines, others are made from ancient varieties that have not been favoured by winemakers for centuries. 

There is even a wine made from high-quality trebbiano Abruzzese grapes grown on overhead trellises, Jasci Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2021. "The grapes are farmed organically and trained on overhead pergolas, a traditional method that many have rejected as out of date, though some thoughtful producers are finding that older generations might have had excellent reasons to prefer it. The wine is clear, pure, textured and refreshing."

I am glad people are getting creative. This whole notion of controlled regions where no one can venture outside the box is unnerving to me. It means there may be room for us to experiment as well.