Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
10 under $20: Wines that feed the soul
Among the physical, emotional and economic miseries delivered by the pandemic, the continuing national debate over racial justice and the myriad daily shockers that have battered the national equanimity, I’ve learned it’s possible to feel hopeful and despondent at the same time.
Add to that, it’s summer, and although we’re no longer stuck indoors exactly, the usual seasonal pleasures seem a distant fantasy.
In these strange times, I find grounding in wine. Not through self-medication, although I do not disparage the buzz. But simply through the fascinating combination of grape, place and person that can make every good bottle either a new adventure or an old, beloved story.
I went in search of thrills and values late last month. Or rather, I did it pandemic style, letting my fingers do the shopping through the online inventories of New York wine shops. I tried them all at home and have come up with what I think is an excellent and unusual assortment of 20 wines under $20. Ten have been listed here to accommodate space.
What to do if you can’t find a specific bottle? I recommend these steps:
■ Find a good wine shop. The most important step toward improving your drinking is to shop at a store that loves wine rather than treating it as a random consumer product. It will have assembled an inventory of scrupulously made wines from meticulously farmed grapes. These bottles are not all big brands. You won’t find them at supermarkets.
If a good retailer does not have a bottle, ask the merchant to suggest an equivalent wine. Most shops will be happy to take on this challenge.
Use an online tool, like wine-searcher.com, to track down bottles. You might find them in other stores. For American wines, dozens of states permit you to buy directly from wineries and have it shipped to your home.
■ If all else fails (I don’t expect anybody to find all these bottles in one place. I sure didn’t) it’s nice to know that these wines exist in the world, even if they are not immediately available. Seriously, in the days before theater and restaurants closed down, I enjoyed reading about a play that opened in London or a restaurant in Los Angeles without the immediate expectation of experiencing either. You may not find this bottle now, but it may show up in the future if you keep your eyes open. And it’s great to know wines like these exist.
Here are the bottles, in no particular order.
Le Vigne di Alice Vittorio Veneto Tajad Frizzante NV:
This gently sparkling wine is a modern interpretation of the wines made in an era before the glera grape came to dominate Prosecco. It’s a blend of indigenous varieties, including 40% boschera, 40% verdiso and 20% glera. However, it’s not strictly old-school. Cinzia Canzian, the winemaker, achieves the bubbles through the bulk-production Charmat method, also used for industrial Prosecco. But by comparison with massmarket bottles, this wine seems handmade, easygoing and perfectly refreshing. ($18.99)
Broc Cellars North Coast Love Red 2018:
Broc Cellars is one of my favorites among the new wave of California producers. Chris Brockway, the proprietor, specializes in tracking down well-farmed grapes, no matter how obscure, from undervalued vineyards around the state. The wines in Broc’s Love series are lower-priced and made to quench thirsts. With its lively fruit flavors, this red, a blend mostly of carignan, with some valdigué and syrah thrown in, is perfect for an outdoor barbecue. Chill it up, pour it out and prepare to be refreshed. ($19.99)
Brand Pfalz Weissburgunder Trocken 2018:
Daniel and Jonas Brand, two brothers, work in the northern reaches of the Pfalz region of Germany, where they farm organically and make a wide selection of excellent wines, many of them, like this one, sold in 1-liter bottles. This is made of weissburgunder, also known as pinot blanc. It’s a creamy, textured wine that feels so good in the mouth you just want to keep drinking it, rolling it around and seeking out nuances. (1 liter, $19)
Chiara Condello Romagna Sangiovese Predappio 2016:
In Italy, sangiovese is not grown only in Tuscany. It’s the country’s most abundant red grape and has been cultivated in Emilia-Romagna for centuries. Chiara Condello, a young producer from a family of winemakers, makes this wine under her own label. It is 100% sangiovese, and it’s more overtly fruity than, say, a Chianti Classico. But it carries similarly dusty tannins and is nuanced and energetic. ($19.99)
Leitz Rheingau Sylvaner Trocken Alte Reben 2016:
Sylvaner, or silvaner as it’s also spelled frequently, is a perpetually underrated grape. When conscientiously farmed and made with care, like this one, it’s a perfect spring or summer white. This wine, tangy and light, yet with flavors that resonate, won’t be easy to find. But I include it because it’s excellent, and perhaps it will inspire you to try a sylvaner, whether this one or from another producer like Stefan Vetter, Ostertag, Dirler-Cadé or maybe one you discover yourself. ($19.96)
Gaspard Vin de France Sauvignon Blanc 2018:
Jenny & François is one of the pioneering U.S. importers of natural wines. Gaspard is the name of its private label, and this wine is delicious. Made from sauvignon blanc grown in the Touraine region of the Loire Valley, this wine will not remind you of the more pungent sauvignon blanc associated with New Zealand. It’s a more gentle, resonant style reminiscent of a restrained Sancerre. ($16.96)
Familie Bauer Wagram Terassen Roter Veltliner 2018:
What is roter veltliner, you ask, grüner veltliner’s whirling sibling? The grapes are actually unrelated, ampelographers say, although it does have some similarities, like a pleasing peppery spiciness. But this Austrian wine, made from organic grapes, is richer and rounder, pure, clear and deep. It would make an interesting alternative to chardonnay. ($16.96)
Fabien Jouves Cahors Haute Côt(e) de Fruit Malbec 2018:
Fabien Jouves is one of the best young producers in Cahors in southwest France. Those wines meant to reflect the characteristics of particular terroirs are bottled under the name of his estate, Mas del Périé. Those intended primarily for thirstquenching, like this one, carry his own name. The red grape of the region, malbec, is also known as côt, hence the pun on the label. Whichever name you choose for the grape, this is a less effusive expression of malbec than the familiar Argentine version, fruity yet tapered and lightly mineral. Chill a bit before serving. ($17.99)
Punt Road Airlie Bank Yarra Valley Gris on Skins 2019:
Clear glass bottles are almost always unfortunate, as they expose wines to possible damage from light. But they seem irresistible to rosé producers as they show off the variety of pink colors possible in wine. This Australian one is a pale maraschino, and it is quite beautiful. More important, it’s absolutely dry and refreshing, with the faintest rasp of pleasant tannin to scrub the mouth clean. Made of pinot gris fermented with its skins, which accounts for that lovely color. ($19.99)
Rasa Vineyards Occam’s Razor Columbia Valley Red Wine Blend 2017:
This blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah calls for steaks grilled over coals. It’s got the substance and body — 14.5% alcohol — to handle fatty, juicy beef, yet it wears its heft easily without feeling heavy or syrupy. As befitting the name Occam’s Razor, which postulates that the simplest explanation is the most likely, this wine is not complicated, it’s just satisfying. ($19.99)