Weekday wines
25 top picks under £20, chosen by the Decanter team
Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? The Decanter team has done all the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines which are available in the UK and priced at £20 or less Costellore, Rosé Extra Dry, Prosecco, Veneto, Italy 2020
£6.49 Aldi
This has 15g/L residual sugar but is fresh and well-balanced. A pale pink rose colour in the glass, it's a fragrant style with wild strawberry fruit and floral notes. Enjoyable, and very good value indeed. AW Alcohol 11%
Loimer, Grüner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria 2019
£14.95 Vinified Wine
Stone fruit, yellow apple and ripe peach with crushed ginger and a hint of grass on the nose. Apricot and ripe yellow apple on the palate, with tingling white pepper spices and herbal bitterness to provide complexity, followed by a long, grapefruit finish. SW Alc 12.5%
Denbies, Bacchus, England 2019
£14.95 Denbies
An aromatic nose of fresh green peas, asparagus and green apple, with a hint of passion fruit. Clean and mineral on the palate with fragrant herbs such as rosemary and mint, along with citrus and more crunchy green apple fruity notes. Cleansing and mouthwatering. SW Alc 11%
Graham Beck, The Joshua Brut, Western Cape, South Africa NV
£14 Sainsbury's
A Methode Cap Classique blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Lemon-andlime citrus aromas with hints of vanilla pastries. Fresh, fruity pineapple and lemon, buoyed by brisk acidity, with toasty apricot notes and fine, persistent bubbles. JS Alc 12%
Cave de l’Ormarine, Jadix, Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc, France 2019
£9.08 Justerini & Brooks
Aromatic peach and honeysuckle aromas. White apricot and stone fruits on the palate, a slightly viscous texture with an appealing lemon-rind bitterness and balancing acidity. Will pair well with salads or white meat dishes. GH Alc 12.5%
Donna Elvira, Fink Fiano di Avellino, Campania, Italy 2019
£18 Campania Wines
Grown at 350m on volcanic and sandy soils, lees-aged in stainless steel for a fresh character. It’s a gorgeous golden colour with a waxy, appley aroma. Full, rich yet lively, delicious orange zest, baked apple, peach, subtle spice flavours. Smooth and floral. JB Alc 13.5%
Terre di Valter, Greco di Tufo, Campania, Italy 2020
£11.99 Great Grog
This fantastic white from a secondgeneration family winery is all about its mineral shades, which evoke the volcanic landscape of Campania. Floral and lemony with underlying pear and stone aromas, displaying gorgeous, succulent minerality in the mouth that gives backbone to the juicy yet composed apple, pear, lemon and floral notes. Long, dry, refreshing and refined, with dashes of honeycomb, passion fruit, peach and nectarine. JB Alc 13.5% ▶
Adnams, Viognier, Pays d’Oc, France 2019
£7.49 Adnams
A fresh, fruity and softly aromatic nose here, slightly herbal and floral. It’s lively on the palate with lemon surrounded by peach, lime and white flowers. Excellent intensity and drive. A great, easy-drinking wine that makes a change from more familiar grapes. GH Alc 12.5%
Veramonte, Organic Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile 2019 O
£11.49 Ocado
Plenty of Sauvignon character. Fresh lemon and lime nose, with passion fruit and gooseberry notes. There’s a good depth of zingy lime and gooseberry fruit on the palate, the creamy texture balanced by racy acidity and a crisp, lemony finish. JS Alc 13.5%
Babylonstoren, Mourvèdre Rosé, Simonsberg, Paarl, South Africa 2021
£14.90 The Newt
This is the official rosé of the 2021 Chelsea Flower Show, which you can also enjoy in the gardens at The Newt in Somerset, Babylonstoren's UK estate . Subtle, then creamy yet fresh flavours of watermelon, grenadine and strawberry sorbet. TG Alc 13%
Folc, Rosé, Kent/East Sussex, England 2020
£14.99 Folc
A vibrant English still rosé made by blending seven red and white grape varieties. Summer berries, ripe peach and elderflower on the nose, crisp acidity refreshing a palate of raspberry and lime zest, with ripe strawberry jam coming through on the finish. A vegan wine, in distinctive packaging. SW Alc 11%
Errazuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile 2019
£13.99 Majestic
Whole-cluster pressing and native yeasts help give this its character; the wine then ages for 11 months in French oak. Quite overtly toasty with a yeasty character, and ripe peach and tropical fruit. Easy to enjoy. AW Alc 13%
Viñas del Vero, Gewürztraminer, Somontano, Spain 2019
£12.99 The Oxford Wine Co
There’s plenty of varietal typicity here, kicking off with an aromatic, floral nose of honeysuckle, lychee and peach. More peachy fruit on the off-dry palate, balanced by crisp, limey acidity. Finishes fresh with lovely lemon tart notes. JS Alc 13%
Cintu, Rosé, Ile de Beauté, Corsica, France 2020
£10 Marks & Spencer
A blend of Corsican varieties Sciaccarello and Nielluccio and a dollop of Grenache that makes a lovely pale, bone-dry alternative to Provence rosé. Pink grapefruit, nectarine, fresh herbs and violets on the lightly spiced palate. TG Alc 11.5%
Ktima Foundi, Xinomavro, Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece 2016
£14.95 The Wine Society
This wine spent a year in oak and 30 months in bottle before its release. It has a gorgeous, chewy, Nebbiololike character, brght red fruit and sundried tomato flavours. There's structure, minerality, acidity and ripe tannins, too. Enjoy it with lamb, or aged sheep’s cheese. AW Alc 13%
Pierre Jaurant, Côtes de Gascogne, Southwest France 2020
£4.99 Aldi
There’s a host of great-value buys in Aldi's new wine range, including this absolute bargain of a summery white. If you like the light-bodied, crisp and saline notes of a Picpoul or Muscadet then give this a go. Colombard is not a particularly distinctive grape, but here it offers green apple crunch and brisk mineral acidity, while 30% Sauvignon Blanc adds hints of passion fruit. Great as an aperitif or with any fresh seafood dish. TG Alc 11.5%
Domaine des Tourelles, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 2018
£11.95 Boutinot
Blackcurrant, dark plum and tomato leaf, dusted by freshly ground black pepper. Aged in concrete, it features juicy dark cherry and prunes on the palate, with elegant acidity and fine-grained tannins. The grapes are from 15- to 20-year-old vines.
Great value. Alc 14%
Errazuriz, Cuvée Aconcagua Pinot Noir, Aconcagua Valley, Chile 2019
£11 Tesco
An elegant New World Pinot from one of Chile's most forward-thinking brands. Savoury aromas, with red cherry, strawberry and dried cranberry fruit flavours, delicate clove and dried herbs. Impressive complexity for the price. NE Alc 13.5%
St Hallett, Faith Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia 2018
£14 Tesco
Among the founding wineries of the Barossa region, St Hallett is a reliable source of value. Aged in American and French oak, this has a lovely balance of spicy, toasty oak and rich, sweet, dark berry fruit. Densely flavoured, but there's freshness and finesse too. AW Alc 14%
Sainsbury’s, Taste the Difference Morador Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Mendoza Argentina 2019
£9 Sainsbury's
Appealing black cherry nose and palate, with lovely depth of ripe fruit: blueberry and blackberry notes. Rounded tannins and a spicy herbal edge make this a good match for roast pork, or sausage and mash. JS Alc 14.5%
Château Lary Tagot, Bordeaux, France 2018
£7.95 The Wine Society
This everyday claret from Entre-deux-Mers scores highly for value. Merlotdominant and unoaked, it has good freshness despite coming from the warm 2018 vintage. Juicy, dark fruit, some earthiness: straightforward, unfussy Bordeaux to enjoy within the next year or two.
Alc 14%
Powers, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA 2017
£15.99 Amathus Drinks
There’s practically no Washington wine in the UK under £20. This mid-bodied Bordeaux blend is a welcome and great-value exception, boasting forward notes of dried red berries, cherry cola spice and smooth vanilla oak tannins. TG Alc 14%
Morrisons, The Best Chilean Merlot, Central Valley, Chile 2019
£7.75
Made in partnership with Viña Cono Sur, this Merlot has a spiced nose of black pepper, green capsicum and preserved black fruits. Dark plum and cherries on the palate, spiced up by star anise, green pepper and liquorice with a youthful grip of tannins. SW Alc 13%
Cayetano del Pino, Palo Cortado Solera, Jerez, Spain
£15.50 The Wine Society
About 17 years old, this is a steal at this price. Elegant, nutty and complex, with real depth of flavour, there’s sweetness on the nose but it’s bone-dry, with savoury, umami mushroominess, nuts, spice and a lick of salinity. Enjoy over two or three weeks after opening. AW Alc 20%
JM Aujoux, Les Pierres Dorées, Cuvée Louis Dépagneux, Beaujolais, France 2020
£8.50 The Wine Society
2020 was a great vintage for Beaujolais and here it has produced a fantastic value, semi-carbonic maceration style wine that offers masses of uncomplicated pleasure. Vibrant and unoaked, there’s fleshy black cherry fruit, freshness and acidity. It’s exactly what you’d want from a simple Beaujolais, and a great everyday summer red, particularly suited to being served slightly chilled. AW Alc 13% ▶