Good wine doesn't have to cost a fortune. Some of the bottles we open most often at home cost less than €20, and plenty of them would happily hold their own against wines at twice the price. The trick is knowing where to look.
So we asked the team for their go-to bottles at €20 or under, the ones they'd recommend to a friend without a second thought. Here's our buyer's guide to the best value wine in Ireland, sorted by style so you can jump straight to what you like to drink. A few of them are sold by the case, so for those we've shown the case price and what it works out at per bottle.
The best red wine under €20
Bodegas Navajas Rioja Tinto, €13. A brilliant everyday red from a family winery in Rioja that dates back to 1918. It's 95% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo, hand picked and fermented with natural yeasts, giving ripe red berries, a touch of spice and soft, gentle tannins. Easy to love, and easy on the wallet.
Sangiovese 'Il Brigante di Argellano', Tenute del Pojo, €16. From the Di Camillo family in Abruzzo, who have been making wine since 1900. A garnet-red Sangiovese with ripe cherries, a light touch of oak and soft, round tannins. Made for pasta night.
Bodegas Navajas Garnacha, €16. Navajas again, this time with 100% Garnacha. Vibrant red fruit with a lovely hint of vanilla from oak ageing. If you like your reds juicy and generous, this one's for you.
Château Roc de Levraut Bordeaux Supérieur, €17. Proper claret for under €20. Named after the huge boulders scattered across its clay and limestone hills, this 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc blend brings damsons, blackcurrant and sweet spice, with the classic structure that makes Bordeaux such a good partner for beef and lamb.
Primitivo di Puglia, Rocca Antica, €17.50. Big, warm and generous. Deep ruby, with stewed prunes, black cherries and an almost Christmas cake richness, all wrapped in smooth tannins and a long finish. One for cold November evenings.
Castillo de Eneriz Reserva, €18. Our favourite insider tip. Navarra sits right next door to Rioja, and this Reserva is made by Vic Manzanos, whose Rioja estate straddles the border between the two. Eighteen months in barrel gives it oak, fruit, a hint of spice and a properly long finish. Think Rioja Reserva without the name or the price tag.
Bodegas Navajas Crianza 2020, €18. This smooth, plump Rioja is one of our members' favourite reds vintage after vintage. Vanilla from good quality oak, vibrant red fruit and real elegance. Perfect with grilled lamb or pork chops. Our Bestselling Winer EVER!
Terres Fidèles 'Fidèle', Organic Côtes du Roussillon Villages, €120 for six (€20 a bottle). Right on our limit, and worth every cent. From the wild hills between the Pyrénées and the Mediterranean, this organic blend of Grenache and Carignan has real power without losing its elegance. Grenache brings dark, brooding fruit and rich texture, while Carignan adds freshness and bright fruit. Superb with slow-cooked stews and mild curries.
The best white wine under €20
Poderj Pinot Grigio, €12. Light, fresh and easy sipping, with white peach, a hint of pear and a little citrus. Exactly what you want from a Pinot Grigio, at a price that makes it an easy weeknight choice.
Passerina, Tenute del Pojo, €13. A grape you may not know yet, but should. Passerina is a fresh, clean Italian white with crisp minerality, and if you like Albariño, Chablis or Picpoul you'll love it. A team favourite, and a perfect aperitif.
Montsáblé Chardonnay, Languedoc, €15. Burgundian style from the south of France. Grown in cooler, higher sites and given just a short spell in oak, it's full of pear, peach and a little honey and vanilla, with lovely balance and real structure. A very classy Chardonnay for the price.
Aloe Tree Chenin Blanc, €15. From the west coast of South Africa's Cape, where sea breezes and cool nights keep the grapes beautifully balanced. Aromatic guava and orange blossom, then ripe apple, peach and a hint of orange peel, with a crisp, elegant finish. Brilliant with spicy food.
Domaine de Vedilhan Sauvignon Blanc, €17.50. A sunny, southern French take on Sauvignon Blanc from the Fayet family near Narbonne. Broad and gently tropical, with delicate smoky notes, ripe citrus and a richly textured finish.
Bodegas Navajas Crianza Blanco, €18. White Rioja is one of the great value secrets of the wine world. Made from Viura, this one balances lively young fruit with fresh acidity and subtle oak. Lovely with fish, shellfish or a cheeseboard.
Montsáblé Réserve Chardonnay, €19. The step up from its sibling above, and one of the best value whites we sell. The grapes come from the Haute Vallée de l'Aude, the coolest corner of Mediterranean France thanks to its altitude and Atlantic winds, and from 20 to 30 year old vines on limestone-rich soils. Elegant, silky and fresh, with a Chablis-like saline edge.
The best sparkling wine under €20
Bianco No. 10 Frizzante Prosecco, €78 for six (€13 a bottle). Our best value bubbles, from the gentle hills south of Vicenza in the Veneto. Crisp and clean, with pear and melon on the nose, small, lively bubbles and a fresh, fruity finish. Perfect for parties, and the case price is down from €108.
Bottega Prosecco Frizzante 'Il Vino dei Poeti', €102 for six (€17 a bottle). A fresh, beautifully made, drier style of Prosecco from one of the Veneto's best known sparkling wine houses, with almond notes alongside peach, pear and ripe apple.
Avinyó Petillant Natural Blanc, €17. A lighter, lower alcohol alternative to Prosecco at 10.5% ABV, from the Avinyó family estate in Penedès, where it's the traditional local favourite. Mostly Muscat with Macabeo and Xarel·lo from organically farmed vineyards, it's spritzy and refreshing with honeysuckle, grapefruit, lime and a lovely minerality. It's also available in handy single cans at €6.
For a little bit of sparkle without opening a full bottle, Bottega Gold Prosecco 20cl is €8, and makes a great stocking filler too.
How to find the best value wine
Look beyond the famous names. Some of the best value wines on this list come from places that sit just outside the spotlight: Navarra next door to Rioja, Bordeaux Supérieur rather than a classified château, the Languedoc and Roussillon in the south of France, or Abruzzo in Italy. The same goes for grapes. If you love Chablis, try Passerina. If you love Rioja Reserva, try Navarra.
Back the family wineries. Most of the wines here come from family estates we work with closely, like Navajas in Rioja and the Di Camillo family in Abruzzo. Small producers who care about every bottle tend to deliver far more in the glass than the label price suggests.
Buy by the case. If you drink a bottle or two a week, a mixed case is the easiest way to keep good wine in the house. Our Essentials Range is made for exactly that, with twelve-bottle cases such as the Essential Bestsellers Case, the Essential Spanish Mixed Case and Essential French Reds from €148 to €168, which works out at roughly €12 to €14 a bottle. You'll find plenty more ideas in our mixed cases.
Read the label. A few clues on the bottle can tell you a lot about what's inside before you spend a cent. Our guide on how to read a wine label explains what to look for.
Best wine under €20 FAQs
What is the best wine under €20 in Ireland?
It depends on what you like to drink. Our team's top picks are the Bodegas Navajas Crianza (€18) for red, the Montsáblé Chardonnay (€15) for white and the Avinyó Petillant (€17) for something sparkling.
What is the best value red wine in Ireland?
For value, it's hard to beat Castillo de Eneriz Reserva at €18. It's made in Navarra, right next door to Rioja, by a Rioja winemaker, and spends 18 months in barrel, so you get the style of a Rioja Reserva for much less.
Is it cheaper to buy wine by the case?
A mixed case is one of the most affordable ways to buy good wine. Our Essentials Range twelve-bottle cases cost from €148 to €168, which works out at roughly €12 to €14 a bottle.
What is a good value alternative to Chablis?
Try Passerina from Abruzzo (€13), a fresh, mineral Italian white, or the Montsáblé Réserve Chardonnay from the south of France (€19), which has a similar saline freshness.
Whatever you're drinking this weekend, we hope you find a new favourite here. Let us know which ones you try.
Sláinte!
Sarah
