Wine of the week: Scaia Garganega Chardonnay 2020

This Italian white blend shows the difference honest winemaking brings to cheap wine

The Wine Curmudgeon has been drinking this Italian white blend for six years, and this is the fourth vintage we’ve reviewed on the blog. Do you see a pattern?

In other words, terrific cheap wine year after year. Yes, there have been vintage differences, and the 2013 is still the most interesting effort. But each of the others have been worth buying and drinking.

Know a couple of things about the Scaia Garganega Chardonnay 2020 ($10, purchased, 12.5%). First, it’s an unlikely bend, since garganega is the grape used to make Soave and chardonnay is hardly very Italian. Second, neither is much respected among the Winestream Media, and so I’ve never really seen this wine get many raves.

And who cares? It’s cheap, well-made, and is just the thing for any weeknight dinner or for a glass of wine after work. This vintage has little more balance than the 2018, though not as well done as the 2013. There is lots of tart green apple fruit, and the wine is clean and crisp at the finish — simple, but not stupid.

Highly recommended, and sure to return to the Hall of Fame in 2022. And anyone who drink this regularly has a serving bowl full of the glass tops that the wine is closed with sitting in their kitchen.

Imported by Dalla Terra