5 wines that are a steal

Here are five delicious wines under $20 that deliver exceptional value.

Bulgaria’s Danube Plain is producing some delicious pinot noir. The Milena is almost as elegant as its label, with notes of rose petals and cherries. The producers wisely took good fruit and did little to it. Alcohol by volume: 13 percent.

This is a lovely viognier, with scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and a hint of ginger on the fullbodied palate. Wine Spectator magazine agreed, ranking it in its top 100 wines of the year. So buy up while you can! ABV: 13 percent.

This delightful bubbly is a blend of 85 percent assyrtiko and 15 percent malagouzia, two popular Greek white varieties. It is a sparkling fruit basket in a glass, with orchard and tropical fruit flavors and impressive depth. ABV: 12 percent.

Pinot noir from the Loire can be rather light, and it often makes a nice rosé. This red is deep, savory and delicious. It grew on me, getting better the second night, so if you have time, open it a few hours before dinner. It actually reminded me of Loire Valley cabernet franc, featuring some of the smoky, leathery quality I call “grandpop’s library,” but with the body and fruit of a nice pinot noir. ABV: 12.5 percent.

Not too many years ago, Spanish wineries would typically hold their rosés, or rosados, until two years after the vintage, believing the extra time in bottle enhanced their flavor. Today, the market demand for rosé emphasizes freshness, and we tend to think (wrongly) that any rosé more than a year old is over the hill. The makers of Evaia seem to have tried to play both ways, releasing their 2017 only in the fall, without rushing it to market. It’s terrific, with racy flavors of melon and strawberry, braced with a hint of exotic spice. ABV: 13 percent.