These wines are worth another pour 9. La Fille de Boucher Cotes du Rhone 2016, Rhone Valley, France, $18

As we look back on 2018, we can at least console ourselves that we drank well while the circus unfolded around us. And we didn’t have to drink expensively.

Here is my list of Greatest Values of the Year: a case of 12 wines, each costing less than $20 a bottle.

Selecting this list of greatest values wasn’t easy.

There were many more wines that qualify, and the list could easily look different. I chose a variety of categories and countries to reflect the diversity of wines available.

This diversity and quality are testaments to the work done by winemakers and importers, especially, but also distributors and retailers.

The top two wines were easy selections, though.

The Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda from Argentina and the Badenhorst Curator white from South Africa are the type of fistpumping, table-thumping, OMGhow-did-they-do-this type of wines every oenogeek lives for. For $10 a bottle, we can drink like royalty.

A caveat: Some of these wines have moved to the next vintage or are no longer available from the distributor. Use these recommendations as a guide to look for other wines from these producers.

12. Dila-O Rkatsiteli-Mtsvane Dry Amber Wine 2016, Georgia, $15

Rkatsiteli is grown in some states in the eastern United

States, but its homeland is Georgia, the nation in the Caucasus region that lays claim to being the birthplace of wine. This Dila-O is blended with mtsvane, another native Georgian grape, and is an “amber” wine, fermented on its skins in the traditional style that is enjoying a new vogue, and aged underground in clay qvevri.

11. 1+1=3 Cava Brut, Penedes, Spain, $17

This is a perennial favorite for bargain bubbly. It is the classic cava grapes of xarello, parellada and macabeo, fermented and aged in the traditional Champagne method, with the second (bubbly) fermentation in the bottle. Enjoy this with spicy salami, pasta or other light foods, or just turn a tough workday into a celebration.

10. Massucco Dolcetto d’Alba 2017, Piemonte, Italy, $15

I love this for its dark cherry fruit and aromas of old leather and wood smoke, and the way it continued to gain complexity over several evenings. The distributor is out of stock for this vintage, but stores may still have some — and the winery also produces a delicious barbera and nebbiolo. This lively kosher wine is just what we expect from Cotes du Rhone: bright dark fruit flavors with a hint of wild herbs and mountain air. I’d drink this any day of the year, but preferably the day after it’s opened; it gets even better with some air. Kosher for Passover.

8. Chateau Moulinat 2015/ 2016, Bordeaux, France, $16

Textbook Bordeaux, offering the traditional “pencil” graphite aromas over scents of plum, cherry and blackcurrant. And the wine kept getting better over a few days, suggesting it will last for several years in your cellar, and will reward decanting if you can’t wait. Since I wrote this up in April, the wine has moved to the 2016 vintage and the price has gone up a bit. That shouldn’t deter you from trying it.

7. Avalon Pinot Noir 2016, California, $10

Really good California pinot noir that tastes like pinot noir and not some steroidal cocktail mixed from a recipe of concentrates and flavorings? I’m in. The winemakers at Avalon have sourced some excellent fruit from coastal vineyards, and enough of it to get it into national distribution.

6. Chateau La Mothe du Barry Bordeaux Superieur 2016, Bordeaux, $14

This wine tastes much more sophisticated than the price would imply, a factor of good winemaking and an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux. It’s deep, rich and minerally, with dark fruit flavors and amazing persistence. Certified organic.

5. Domaine des Pasquiers Cotes du Rhone 2017, Rhone Valley, France, $14

This red offers everything we want in a Cotes du Rhone: dark fruit flavors, the “garrigue” of wild herbs, and a hint of the mistral wind and Mediterranean sea air that define our image of southern France. The balance and depth are exceptional. It could be enjoyed and admired by itself, but it exceeds with any roast meat.

4. Yalumba The Y Series Viognier 2017, South Australia, $13

This is a lovely viognier, with scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and a hint of ginger on the full-bodied palate. Wine Spectator magazine agreed, ranking it in its top 100 wines of the year. So buy up while you can!

3. Ruttenstock Gruner Veltliner 2017, Austria, $12 (1 liter)

This basic offering of gruner veltliner delivers pure, simple pleasure. Put this in the “patio pounder” category, as it goes down easily. So it’s a good thing it comes in a liter-size bottle, because you’ll be looking for the extra wine.

2. A.A. Badenhorst Family Wines The Curator White Blend 2017, Swartland, South Africa, $11

I have not made a secret of my love for the wines of Adi Badenhorst, especially his Secateurs chenin blanc, a perennial great value at about $15. When I tasted the Curator, a blend of chenin blanc, chardonnay and viognier, I thought it was a more expensive wine in Badenhorst’s line, but no, it is priced even lower. It floored me with its quality for the price, racy acidity, medium body and pure fruit unencumbered by oak. Run. Don’t walk.

1. Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda Clasica 2018, Mendoza, Argentina, $9

Wow. Make this your winter house red. We associate Argentina with malbec, but here’s the country’s sleeper red. This wine, from the producers of the popular Altos los Hormigas malbec, is a juicy delight, packing explosive fruit and just enough earthiness to keep it grounded. Stock up.

COMPOSITE PHOTO FOR THE WASHINGTON POST BY DEB LINDSEY AND TOM MCCORKLE A great value wine isn’t necessarily cheap, but its taste might make you think it costs more than it does.