Budget wines help deal with January bills

If December is about gifts and get-togethers, January often brings second thoughts — did I really spend all that money and eat all that stuffing?

The first credit card statement of the new year can be a bit shocking. But don’t let the big numbers scare you off of your love of wine. There are many great wines out there that fit the more modest January budget.

Here are four wines that deliver high quality at a low price.

Gruen, 2012, Riesling (Rheingau, Germany)

Nothing says new year, new beginning like a fresh, bright Riesling from a winery that cares about the environment. Gruen’s wines are labelled as carbon neutral, meaning the winery takes care to minimize its emissions while purchasing carbon credits to cover the balance.

Twist off the screw cap and you’ll find aromas and flavours of peach, white blossom, mineral, green apple and lime. The great balance between the sugar and acidity makes this an excellent aperitif.

Price: About $16. Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Maria’s Fine Wine and Spirits, Mission Wine and Liquor, Willow Park Wine and Spirits, Wine Inkorporated, Zyn The Wine Market.

Drink: Now, on its own or with Asian takeout. Screw cap; 11 per cent alc./vol.

Mission Hill Family Estate, 2012, Five Vineyards Rose, (Okanagan Valley,

British Columbia)

Mission Hill is perhaps the most recognizable winery in the Okanagan Valley, if not Canada. Perched high on Mount Boucherie, the winery’s iconic bell tower can be seen for miles.

Named Canada’s top winery in a national competition in 2013, Mission Hill makes excellent wines in a wide range of prices. The Five Vineyards range focuses on value. A light pinkcoloured blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, this refreshing sipper boasts flavours of strawberry, raspberry, green apple and pear. Its brisk acid balances the residual sugar quite nicely.

Price: About $17. It’s available from both big retailers and small neighbourhood stores.

Drink: Now, with citrus salads, poached salmon or chicken dishes. Screw cap; 12 per cent alc./vol.

Boer & Brit, 2011, The General (Western Cape,

South Africa)

There may not be a winery that better captures the spirit of respect and equality embraced by the late Nelson Mandela than South Africa’s Boer & Brit.

The winery is the brainchild of two friends — Stefan Gerber and Alex Milner — who met in wine school. The name comes from their shared past. Gerber’s great, great grandfather was a Boer, former South African president Paul Kruger. Milner is the great, great grandson of former British Field Marshall John French, who battled Kruger’s forces in the Second Boer War. While the two leaders died bitter rivals, their descendants have joined forces to make delicious wine. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot, this plush red offers flavours of violet, iron, tomato leaf, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, plum and mocha. It’s medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a long finish.

Price: About $17. It’s available at Britannia Wine Merchants, Co-op Wine Spirits Beer (Oakridge), Highlander Wine and Spirits, Olympia Liquor Store, Pratts Fine Wines and Spirits, Richmond Hill Wines, Varsity Wine Merchants, Wine Inkorporated.

Drink: Now, or you could age it a few years. Try it with beef stew or lamb shanks. Screw cap; 14 per cent alc./vol.

19 Crimes, 2012, Shiraz Durif (Victoria, Australia)

This Australian red blend was created especially for Canada. Its popularity has now spurred sales in the United States as well. The wine’s name is based on the crimes that earned a British convict a trip to an Australian penal colony. The label even features a photo of one such soul. Of course, this is all marketing; what matters is in the bottle. In this case, it’s quite good.

You’ll find a big, rich and intense wine, with flavours of black licorice, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant and sage. The tannins are soft and the finish pleasantly long. It’s a blend of Shiraz and Durif, which is essentially the same grape as the Petite Sirah grown in North America.

Price: About $18. It’s widely available.

Drink: Now, with burgers, sausages or lamb souvlaki. Cork; 14 per cent alc./vol.