Even if inflation is on the decline, buyers and consumers alike are still feeling the impact of high product costs—wine included.
This creates an interesting dichotomy: As many bottle prices increase, it’s increasingly difficult to find excellent wines that can sit on retail shelves for $15 or less. But at the same time, offering quality wines at value-driven price points is more important to consumers than ever.
On a quest to find standout affordable wines, SevenFifty Daily asked retailers across the country to name their very best wines for $15 and under. The result? A diverse, dynamic collection from Spain, Portugal, France, and beyond. (All wines are listed with price per bottle at the noted establishment.)
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Herència Altés Garnatxa Negra 2022, Terra Alta, Spain; $15
Selected by Sarah Pierre, owner, 3Parks Wine Shop, Atlanta
The team at 3Parks often features Herència Altés wines in the shop’s wine tasting packs and at events, according to owner Sarah Pierre. “If you are seeking great value and intense flavors, Spanish wines are worth discovering,” she says. This Garnatxa Negra—which is the same grape as Grenache or Garnacha—in particular has flavors of black cherry, kirsch, licorice, and dried herbs. “This is a crowd-pleaser for audiences looking for a medium-bodied, luscious, and dry red,” Pierre says.
Proprietors Núria Altés and Rafael De Haan established Herència Altés in 2010. “Their commitment to sustainability extends beyond working the vines,” says Pierre, pointing to “restoration efforts using agroecology techniques, such as installing bat shelters and nesting boxes for pest management, as well as replanting native plants, thus conserving the historical Catalonian landscape.”
Domaine Coudoulet Pinot Noir 2022, Languedoc, France; $15
Selected by Eric Foret, wine buyer, Le French Wine Shop, New York City
Situated in the heart of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, Le French Wine Shop opened its doors in January 2022 and focuses on simplicity, authenticity, and value. “Finding a quality estate Pinot Noir—not mass produced—at this price point is extremely rare,” says Eric Foret, the shop’s wine buyer.
Retailers are caught between the soaring prices of Burgundy and the average quality of mass-produced Pinot Noir from the New World, so Pinot Noir lovers struggle to find quality wine under $30. The Domaine Coudoulet Pinot Noir is sourced from sustainable vineyards located in the Languedoc region of France. “It represents a one-of-a-kind value,” says Foret.
Clos Roussely ‘Orange’ Vin de France 2022, France; $15
Selected by Trent Stewart, co-owner, Golden Age Wine, Mountain Brook, Alabama
“Being the buyer at Golden Age, a low-intervention and natural wine bar and wine shop, it can often be difficult to find wines in this price range that are organically grown and produced without outside inputs,” says Trent Stewart, the shop’s co-owner. He believes French producer Vincent Roussely, a fourth-generation producer in the Loire Valley’s Touraine region, delivers several great wines in this price range.
“This Sauvignon Blanc is macerated on the skins for three weeks to give the wine its orange hue, along with notes of dried stone fruits, cardamom, and lovely texture,” explains Stewart. “This wine is a fantastic example of orange wine and what the category is about.”
Encostas Do Lima ‘Granite’ 2021, Vinho Verde, Portugal; $13.99
Selected by Ole Thompson, wholesale and wine manager, Esquin and Downtown Spirits, Seattle, Washington
Opened in 1969, Esquin is Washington State’s oldest independent wine merchant. Wholesale manager Ole Thompson thinks Encostas do Lima (which translates to “hillsides of Lima,” one of the nine subregions of Vinho Verde) is a standout among his value selections. It’s produced by Adega Ponte de Lima, a women-run co-op near the Atlantic Coast in a historic old Roman village.
“The co-op created a joint venture with wine importer Kysela to make a Vinho Verde from a single variety, Loureiro, and a bottling for each of the of the two main soil types in their vineyards: schist and granite,” says Thompson. “The result is a rare chance to taste the impact soil types can have on a wine and see what the soil types look like on the label.” Thompson says the Granite, named for the granite soils in which the grapes are grown, is not your typical Vinho Verde. “But it still provides a refreshing, everyday quaffer at a price that makes it easy to keep in your fridge at home and drink with your leftovers on Tuesday night.”
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Domaine des Cassagnoles Côtes de Gascogne 2022, Southwest France; $14
Selected by Cat James, owner, Faubourg Wines, New Orleans, Louisiana
Established in 2012 in the heart of New Orleans, Faubourg Wines is a bottle shop and bar that specializes in natural wines. “A typical blend of Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng, and Sauvignon Blanc, this is a crisp, dry, refreshing white wine with flavors and aromas of white stone fruits, lemon curd, and sea salt,” says owner Cat James.
She often recommends the Domaine des Cassagnoles Côtes de Gascogne to lovers of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Italian Pinot Grigio because “it’s a versatile, balanced white wine that pairs well with most any weekday meal.”
Paulo Laureano ‘Clássico’ Branco 2022, Alentejo, Portugal; $12.99
Selected by Aaron Kraus, sales associate, Seaboard Wine, Raleigh, North Carolina
Seaboard Wine is the largest independent shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. They carry several wines from Paulo Laureano, who exclusively produces bottles from indigenous Portuguese varieties. The Clássico white is a blend of Roupeiro and Antão Vaz.
“This wine is surprisingly fresh and lifted considering the hot growing conditions in southern Portugal,” explains Aaron Kraus, a sales associate at Seaboard Wine. “It’s tropical with a flowery side while the acidity is excellent. Overall it’s soft and highly drinkable—a great party wine particularly if there’s a wide range of flavors in the food.”
Herència Altés Garnatxa Blanca 2022, Terra Alta, Spain; $12
Selected by Femi Oyediran, sommelier and co-owner, Graft Wine Shop, Charleston, South Carolina
At Graft, a Charleston bottle shop that doubles as a wine bar, co-owners and longtime friends Femi Oyediran and Miles White, are serious about great wine. Their expertly curated wine selection highlights their focus on bringing excellent wines to a wide range of people.
“The Herència Altés is a versatile and striking, mineral-driven white wine from old-vine, high-altitude sites in Terra Alta of Catalonia,” says Oyediran. “The farming is organic, and the wine is fermented on its indigenous yeasts. It’s a lot of wine for $15.”
Bogle Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, California; $15
Selected by Jeryl Cole Sr., co-owner, Off the Rox Wine & Beer Shop, Baltimore
A Black-owned neighborhood shop, Off the Rox offers sustainably produced wines from family-owned wineries. On their $15-and-under shelf is a recommendation from a family-owned producer in Clarksburg, California, that has been in operation since the 1960s.
“Despite having a larger production scale than other Clarksburg producers, Bogle remains committed to crafting high-quality wines,” explains Jeryl Cole Sr., the shop’s co-owner. “This wine has a rich and fruity profile, featuring hints of cherry and plum. It is an everyday wine with classic notes of clove and nutmeg, enhanced by the American oak barrels.”
Bodegas Pinuaga Tinto 2019, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; $13
Selected by Melissa Zeman, owner, Bottles Up, Chicago
Melissa Zeman’s community-focused shop, Bottles Up, loves highlighting well-priced but delicious wines. “The Iberian Peninsula has been at the forefront of affordable yet still high-quality wines,” she says. “In Spain, just outside of Madrid, Esther Pinuaga of Bodegas Pinuaga is doing incredible work.”
The Tinto is a super juicy blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo; it’s also certified organic, hand harvested and sorted, and vinified using indigenous yeast and stainless steel to amplify freshness. “They’re wines you feel good drinking … while pretending you’re at a tapas bar in Spain,” adds Zeman.
Muralhas de Monção Vinho Verde 2022, Portugal; $15
Selected by Kalleigh Brook, manager and sommelier, The Thief Fine Wine & Beer, Walla Walla, Washington
The Thief bottle shop features a bar and lounge with a living room-style setting where locals have a comfortable space for tasting flights, socializing, or learning more about wine. Manager and sommelier Kalleigh Brook looks to the Monção e Melgaço subregion of Vinho Verde for value. “Muralhas is an iconic producer within its region, but maybe less familiar stateside,” says Brook. “It’s a great time to re-familiarize and amend your opinions on Vinho Verde as the region is producing some truly great wines at a stupid-good value.”
A blend of 70 percent Alvarinho and 30 percent Trajadura, this wine is packed with citrus and stone fruits like lemon peel and juicy apricot. “There’s a really lovely herbal and floral undertone of baby’s breath and pond mint that provides nuance and added depth,” adds Brook. “A bit of ginger and wet rock really make this wine an incredible pairing for ceviche, rockfish, and other summer coastal fare.”
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