Tag Archives: Cheap Wine of the Year

The Cheap Wine of the Year 2022 shortlist

$10 Hall of Fame 2019One of these five wines will be named the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year

Something new this year: The shortlist for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year. That way, we build a little momentum and enthusiasm for the announcement next week. Besides, if they do it for prestigious literary awards, why can’t we do it for great cheap wine?

The award’s selection process and eligibility rules are here. I considered wines that cost as much as $13 or $14 to take into account price creep and regional pricing differences.

So, in no particular order, the five wines on the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year shortlist:

• Albamar Pinot Noir 2019 ($12, sample, 13%): This is a stunning Chilean pinot noir that is the right color (not dark red!), has the right aroma (herbal?), has the right taste (barely ripe berry fruit), and the correct tannins and acidity (just enough). And it’s even sort of available.
• Scaia Rosata 2020 ($11, purchased, 12.5%): The French Bieler Sabine (the 2018 Cheap Wine winner ) and the Washington state Charles & Charles are usually the two best roses year in and year out. This vintage of the Italian Scaia is their equal – pretty, floral, dry, fruity (red berries), and Italian in style.

• Pellehaut Harmonie de Gascogne Blanc 2020 ($12, purchased, 11.5%): What would a WC cheap wine list be without a Gascon white? This one isn’t quite as white grapey as some of the others, but it’s still just as it should be – light, crisp, and fresh.

• Mont Gravet Carignan 2019 ($10, purchased, 12.5%): This French red isn’t quite as amazing as the 2015, which stunned a very cynical American Wine Society seminar with its quality and value. But it’s close enough – dark fruit, spice, and earth.

• Banfi Centine Red 2019 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): Banfi’s red Centine, an Italian Super Tuscan blend, is annually one of the world’s great $10 wines. This vintage is even better – more depth, more interest, and more structure.

More Cheap Wine of the Year:
• 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year: MAN Chenin Blanc 2019
• 2020 Cheap Wine of the Year: Le Coeur de la Reine Gamay 2017
• 2019 Cheap Wine of the Year: Château La Gravière Blanc 2017

Blog holiday update, plus the 2021 $10 Hall of Fame schedule

scheduleYour holiday blog schedule, plus when the 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year and $10 Hall of Fame will appear

• The blog’s Christmas and New Year’s wine suggestions will appear on Dec. 21 and Dec. 28. The December mini-reviews will appear on Dec. 24 because of the holiday. The blog will be off Christmas and New Year’s Day, though Dec. 25 will feature our annual Bruce Springsteen “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” video.

• The always popular Do it Yourself wine resolutions is set for Jan. 4.

• The 2021 Cheap Wine of the Year will post on Jan. 7, with the $10 Hall of Fame making its 14th annual appearance on Jan. 8. As always, you can email me with suggestions for either, or you can leave them in the comments. Check out out the eligibility rules here. Keep in mind the wine should cost less than $12 or $13, should be generally available, and can’t be a private label sold exclusively by one retailer.

Picture courtesy of University of Florida, using a Creative Commons license