Looking for White Wine Recommendations ($10-20 Range)
August 26, 2015 3:02 PM   Subscribe

I'm getting bored with my usual rotation and am looking for more or less everyday white wine recommendations, to go with dinner, with a few special snowflake requirements.

1.) It shouldn't retail for more than $20
2.) It cannot be oaked
3.) Not sweet and not tart (Sauv Blanc is out)

I prefer medium-to-dry whites. To give you an idea of those I like, if it helps, here are my current go-to's:

Fazi Battaglia Verdicchio
Principessa Gavi
Naia Rueda (a Spanish blend)
Most Pinot Grigios

They need to be available in the US.

Any recommendations welcome and appreciated!
posted by Short Attention Sp to Food & Drink (25 answers total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Do you live near a Trader Joe's? The majority of their wine is in your price range. I'm a big fan of their Vinho Verde, which is $6.
posted by fox problems at 3:15 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Came here to say Vinho Verde too, which just tastes like summer. Summer in a place where there's plenty of water, anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:24 PM on August 26, 2015 [4 favorites]


I'm obsessed with La Merika Chardonnay. It's very mild and packs a nice punch at 13% alcohol. For something that won't lay you out on the floor, I love Lorval. Both can be found at World Market.
posted by myselfasme at 3:29 PM on August 26, 2015


I like Apothic White, for exactly the reasons you state. It's an unoaked blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Moscato.
posted by OrangeDisk at 3:39 PM on August 26, 2015


Some of my favorites from a recent wine tasting:

Argento Pinot Grigio
Dreaming Tree Everyday White
Cusumano Insolia
Alsace One (Pierre Sparr)
posted by craven_morhead at 3:46 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Do you like chenin blancs? They're pretty fruity and not at all tart. Or white rioja? I love gruener veltliner as well, although the sweetness level varies a lot and some of them might be a bit too minerally for your tastes. The Rueda you're drinking probably is based around verdejo, if you want to find something similar. I also don't see any riesling on your list, and that's another major grape variety.

I've always found vinho verde pretty dry (tastes of cut grass and citrus) - I love it but given you don't like sauvignon it might be too dry for you.
posted by tinkletown at 3:51 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]


Joseph Phelps Chardonnay
Bonterra Organic Chardonnay
Lillet on the rocks with a slash of lemon as an aperatif sweet, but thinned with soda might be just the thing.
posted by Oyéah at 4:19 PM on August 26, 2015


My favorite everyday white wine is Borealis. It's a blend of Gewurztraminer, Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, and Pinot Gris. It is that right medium balance point on the spectrum.
posted by mmascolino at 4:39 PM on August 26, 2015


Sounds like it's time for you to try an Albariño! Trader Joe's has a nice New World Albariño under their own label.
posted by artemisia at 4:42 PM on August 26, 2015 [5 favorites]


I came here to say vinho verde also. It is a bit dry, but damn it's good.
posted by easter queen at 4:43 PM on August 26, 2015


Macon-Villages chardonnay! It is NOT oaky tasting (I hate oaked chardonnay), but it has a really nice full-bodied flavor that is not too dry or sweet. It's not tart either. It's refreshing on its own, and it's great with seafood, and it's cheap enough that I don't mind cooking with it.
posted by joan_holloway at 4:48 PM on August 26, 2015


Nthing Trader Joe's Vinho Verde & you may also want to check out a Grüner Veltliner.
posted by mont the drifter at 4:49 PM on August 26, 2015


Another suggestion is Gruner Veltliner. I don't have a particular recommendation because every one I've tried in that price range has been fantastic. Bonus: they usually come in slightly larger bottles!
posted by joan_holloway at 4:49 PM on August 26, 2015 [2 favorites]


Lo Nuevo Lunares Verdejo
posted by freezer cake at 4:52 PM on August 26, 2015


I too vote for vine verde!
posted by atomicstone at 4:59 PM on August 26, 2015


Try a Sancerre, with seafood, shellfish raw in the shell in particular.
posted by vrakatar at 5:26 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


The Kerner from the Abbazia di Novacella is outstanding.
posted by lydhre at 6:08 PM on August 26, 2015


I really like Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling.
posted by gteffertz at 6:41 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Seconding the Grüner Veltliner. A liter of Lenz Moser is twelve bucks at Shopper's Corner in Santa Cruz, and that's my go-to. The - hell, I'd call it appellation, but I know very little about Austrian wine rules - has a big range of things to try and I've never had a bad one. In most of the Bay Area, Whole Foods carries Etz, Felsner, and a couple of swappable other Grüners and you can find all the way up to $40/bottle Hirsch Kamptals in several of the wine shops around here. The Hirsch Kamptal, BTW, is worth the money.

Another option is Alsatian wines - Trimbach makes a really good one, it's off-dry and pairs very well with Thai and some Indian food.
posted by jet_silver at 7:01 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh yeah, try a Picpoul de Pinet, just do NOT get the Ormarine that seems to crop up here and there. It's citrus-y, it's a little hard to find and it seems thin on the palate but it is really wonderful with oysters.

If you are fortunate you may find a Txakolina for under $20, it's Basque and distribution is spotty. A good bottle will be a little bit sparkling. Getariako is fairly well known and reliable.
posted by jet_silver at 7:09 PM on August 26, 2015


How have you not spent this summer guzzling vino verde?! And it's so cheap, too. Another vote for Albariños; they have a perfumy/floral/soft stone fruit quality to them. nom nom nom.
posted by missmary6 at 8:22 PM on August 26, 2015


It's below your price range, but I really like Trader Joe's Chilean Chardonnay "Vinas Chilenas"- it's not oakey and a great everyday white wine (used to be $2.99- it recently increased to $3.49)
posted by morchella at 8:55 PM on August 26, 2015


Are you too fancy for Costco wine? Here's what I've liked recently in CellarTracker.

- Burgans Albarino is nice and crisp and about $10-12 bucks.
- Lagar de Cervera Albarino is delicioso. Sometimes our Costco has it for $15.
- Marcel Servin Chablis is fresh and juicy. Worth $18.
- King Estate Pinot Gris is the Costco staple. It's uncomplex for day drinking. Usually 12 bucks, but goes on sale at least once a summer.
- Casal Garcia Vinho Verde is cheap, cheap, cheap and a bit bubbly. I taste vinho verde as very dry maybe too dry for you.
- Hermanos Torrontés - this one is off-dry. Maybe too sweet for your palate, but enjoyable. $12.
posted by 26.2 at 9:08 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]


While a zillion folks have chimed in on vinho verde, I'd like to expound and say that the reason it's my favorite summer wine is its lower alcohol content. It tends to be about 10%, versus 13% for a standard white. That makes it a nice sipping wine in that you're not going to get messy drinking a bottle over a couple hours.
posted by girlstyle at 12:43 AM on August 28, 2015


Yet another vote for Picpoul de Pinet. Les Costieres de Pomerols Hugues Beaulieu is my go-to white.
posted by jenbeee at 10:24 AM on August 28, 2015


« Older Can you recommend me the best anti-perspirant...   |   I'd like to cosplay Hattori Hanzo in Kill Bill... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.