Wines under $20 for the dog days of summer
Few things influence the choice of wine as much as the weather.
Food is one, of course, if you think of wine primarily as an accompaniment to meals, as I do. But what you choose to eat often depends on what’s happening atmospherically, barometrically and meteorologically.
It’s not as simple as whites in the summer and reds in the winter, although the balance ultimately tilts in that direction. Many people are still eating foods that call for reds in the summer, but fewer, and eating a greater variety of fresh vegetables and other lighter dishes that will go better with whites and rosés.
More important than the color of the wine is its weight. Regardless of red or white, I’m looking for lighter-bodied wines, just as the heavier stews and casseroles have been set aside for now in favor of lighter preparations. Wine is food too.
Not that all the wines I am recommending will be available everywhere. Most of these wines are produced in small quantities, and because of the fragmented nature of America’s distribution system for alcoholic beverages, some will be available in some parts of the country, and others elsewhere.
Many of these bottles are new to me. A few are old friends that I’ve written about before but that still fit into that $15-$20 range. Here they are, in no particular order.
Aphros, Vinho Verde Loureiro 2020, $18.96:
Aphros is one of the more interesting of the new wave of producers in Portugal. All of its farming is biodynamic. Bottles that are labeled “Phaunus” tend to be more experimental, fermented in amphorae and cloudy in the glass, for example. I’ve very much enjoyed those wines. This white, made entirely with the loureiro grape, is crisp and dry, with aromas of flowers and refreshing citrus flavors.
Rekalde Getariako Txakolina, RK Rosé 2020, $19.96:
In warm weather, I can never get enough Txakolina, the leading wine of Spanish Basque Country. This is a Getariako Txakolina, from the area around the town of Getaria, where the wines are known for their light natural carbonation. The RK is one of a growing number of Txakolina rosés, a category that more or less did not exist until 10 or 15 years ago, when Ameztoi’s Rubentis rosé became highly popular in the United States. This bottle — produced by Hiruzta Txakolina, largely for the American market — is tart and refreshing, gently spritzy, with chalky flavors of citrus and red fruits.
Van Volxem, Mosel Riesling “VV” 2018, $16.80:
Van Volxem is an ambitious estate on the Saar, a tributary of the Mosel and an area known for wines that are both delicate and complex. This entrylevel bottle is nearly dry, with just a small amount of sugar remaining from fermentation to add a bit of roundness and depth. It’s deliciously tangy and stony on the palate, with flavors of peach and citrus.
Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur Lena Filliatreau 2019, $19.96:
Domaine Filliatreau, a large estate in the Saumur region of the Loire Valley, farms organically and biodynamically. It makes a wide range of whites and reds. The Lena Filliatreau cuvée, named for the wife of the proprietor, Paul Filliatreau, is entirely chenin blanc and an excellent value, fresh and floral, with a touch of honey and chalky mineral flavors.
Folk Machine, California White Light 2019, $18.99:
Some wines have cute animals on their labels. Others have pastoral scenes or a drawing of a chateau. This wine has a bunch of lightbulbs, fitting for a wine that’s all brightness and light. It’s an unlikely blend of tocai friulano from Mendocino, riesling from Arroyo Seco, verdelho from Suisun Valley and sauvignon blanc from Potter Valley that’s brisk and lively, with floral and herbal aromas and flavors. Folk Machine, a label from Kenny Likitprakong’s Hobo Wine Co., specializes in moderately priced, easygoing bottles that are nonetheless interesting. You can never have too many of those.
Mountain Tides Wine Co., California Petite Sirah 2019, $17.74:
I’ve never really grasped the appeal of the petite sirah grape. It has a long history in California as part of mixed black vineyards, in which different grapes were grown and fermented together, each adding particular characteristics to the blend. Petite sirah’s contribution was a deep, dark color and firm tannins. It works in blends. As a varietal wine, petite sirahs are conventionally dark and tannic, even if not particularly alcoholic, and rarely interesting to me. Mountain Tides, a husband-and-wife team, took it upon itself to offer what it called a new perspective on petite sirah. It makes an array of organically grown, single-vineyard wines, which I haven’t seen, along with this bottle, made from a combination of sites. It’s intended to be fresh and delicious, and it is. The tannins have been tamed, though the wine is structured. It would be great with a grilled skirt steak.
Henry Fuchs, Alsace Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 2019, $17:
Pinot blanc gets top billing on this bottle’s label, but auxerrois is the dominant partner, making up 95% of the blend. It’s confusing, to say the least, as “pinot blanc” in Alsace can refer both to the grape and to a blend. In fact, Alsatian wines labeled “pinot blanc” can theoretically be 100% auxerrois. Well, how often do you have the opportunity to drink a wine that’s 95% auxerrois, especially auxerrois from an organic grower like this estate? It’s dry and rich, floral and slightly honeyed. I would drink this with roast chicken or sautéed pork chops.
Aslina by Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa Chardonnay 2020, $19.96:
Last year I wrote about Aslina’s cabernet sauvignon and mentioned that Ntsiki Biyela, the proprietor, who happens to be South Africa’s first Black female winemaker, also made a terrific chardonnay. Well, here it is: It’s straightforward yet lovely, with energy, focus and subtlety — a modern chardonnay made with care and precision, without any of what the French call maquillage, unnecessary makeup to hide its true face.
Loxarel, Clàssic Penedès Sàniger Brut Nature Reserve 2016, $15: Several efforts are underway to differentiate conscientiously produced cava from the run-of-the-mill stuff that dominates the category. The Clàssic Penedès appellation is one of them. Those producers under this classification must make their own wines instead of buying them. If they grow grapes, they must farm organically, and the wines must be aged at least 15 months after the initial fermentation. Loxarel farms biodynamically and makes this wine with the three classic cava grapes: parellada, macabeu and xarello. For a $15 wine, this bottle has great delicacy and finesse.
Celler Credo, Penedès Miranius 2019, $18.99:
Speaking of xarello, Recaredo, in addition to being one of the top cava producers in Catalonia, dedicated to conscientious, biodynamic farming and meticulous production, is also an ardent proponent of xarello, perhaps the key component of the best cavas. Under the Celler Credo label, Recaredo makes a series of still wines that show off the subtle qualities of the xarello grape. Miranius is the entry-level bottle. It’s brisk and fresh, yet richly textured, with dry, stony, lightly honeyed flavors, and it’s just 11.5% alcohol.
Ampeleia, IGP Toscano Rosso Unlitro 2020, $19.99/ 1 liter:
I love this wine. I wrote about the 2018 vintage last year, but it’s well worth revisiting. This bottle, from the Tuscan coast, is a blend of alicante nero, as grenache is called in that area, with mourvèdre, carignan, sangiovese and alicante bouschet. The blend doesn’t seem particularly Italian yet has a specifically Tuscan quality of sweet-bitter earthy, cherry flavors. It’s fragrant and would take well to a light chill.