The 'sweet spot' for Italian wine values
Here are some of the best Italian reds and whites for under $20.
You can always find a fairly palatable bottle of wine for $10 or less, said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. “But for just a few dollars more, a world opens wide.” The price range between $10 and $20 is “the sweet spot for great wine values,” and nowhere more so than in Italian reds and whites. From the Alpine hillsides to the Mediterranean, the country offers an abundance of wines that will challenge and satisfy “the adventurous palate.” Here are some of the best Italian treasures for under $20.
G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti 2007 ($19) A delightfully fragrant white sparkling dessert wine. “Exceptionally delicious.”
Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco “Enrico Cialdini” ($18) Genuine Lambruscos are the everyday wine of the Emilia-Romagna region. Admittedly, some can be sweet. But “more typical is a dry, fresh, and frothy red.” This bone-dry wine goes exceptionally well with ham.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Valle dell’Acate 2005 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico ($16) A lively Sicilian wine. Some versions of Cerasuolo di Vittoria cost as much as $40, but I’m a “huge fan” of this “absolutely delicious” less-expensive red wine.
Grasparossa di Castelvetro Secco NV Coffele Soave Classico 2006 ($16) Soaves have long been virtually synonymous with banal Italian whites. “That’s so 1970s!” This dry, tangy Soave Classico is “almost reminiscent of Chablis.”
Vaona Valpolicella Classico 2007 ($15) Today’s Valpolicellas “are a far cry from the wishy-washy wines of yore.” This exceptional red offers “an intensity that can surprise.”
Oddero Barbera d’Alba 2006 ($14) From the Piedmont region, a “pleasingly bitter” red with aromas of cherries and a touch of chocolate.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published