A Six of everyday Wine Values

Wine TastingFood PairingsWine Reviews
Written By Wilfred Wong

Can consumers ever catch a break? Many of the most well-known names are priced beyond our budgets. How can “everyday” people (not wine geeks and extreme wine drinkers) find delicious, quality, readily affordable wines?

I scoured my tasting sets over the last two months and found a six-pack that will put a smile on your bank account.

Cantine Gabriele Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2022

Cantine Gabriele Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2022. (Tasted January 3, 2025, San Francisco, CA)

Loosen Riesling 2023 (Tasted: December 25, 2024, San Francisco, CA)

  • Cantina Gabriele Montepulciano d’Abuzzi 2022. This DOC in Italy generally provides the best values among light, easy-drinking red wines. I have tasted many wines from this producer, who consistently delivers affordable quality. Tasted: January 3, 2025, San Francisco, CA. (My Score: 89 Points) Suggested Retail Price: $18.

    Peter William Rogue Valley Daisy Creek Vineyard Viognier 2023. The lesser-known Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon is ready to be discovered. This wine offers aromatic spices, mineral notes, and dried peach skin. A hint of oak rounds it out in the finish. Tasted: November 11, 2024, San Francisco, CA. (My Score: 91 Points) Suggested Retail Price: $30.

  •  Tenuta Sant’ Antonio Valpolicella Nanfrè 2023. A surprisingly delicate Valpolicella, this wine offers fresh berries, fragrant earth, and hints of flowers. Tasted: December 22, 2024, San Francisco, CA. (My Score: 89 Points) Suggested Retail Price: $18.

·        Patrizi Gavi di Gavi 2023. I often gravitate to Gavis, but Patrizi consistently makes good wines. This wine emphasizes mineral notes and dried citrus. It was tasted on December 23, 2024, in San Francisco, CA. (My Score was 89 Points.) The Suggested Retail Price is $17.

·          Loosen Dr. L Riesling 2023. Well-balanced and refined, this wine exhibits ripe apples, candied fruit, and flowers. Tasted: December 22, 2024, San Francisco, CA. (My Score: 90 Points) Suggested Retail Price: $15.

 Vietti Moscato d’Asti 2023. One of the world’s best sweet wines, this one excels with a floral bouquet and ripe fruits. Tasted: December 22, 2024, San Francisco, CA. (My Score: 92 Points) Suggested Retail Price: $18.

Save $$$ and look for alternatives! These six are just a few of the world’s best values! Please email me with comments at wilfred.willie.wong@gmil.com.

Cheers! 

Patrizi Gavi de Gavi 2023

 
Wilfred Wong

Wilfred Wong, a wine professional for 50 years, is an extreme wine taster, writer, and photographer. He was a retailer for his family business—Ashbury Market, BevMo!, and most recently for Wine.com. Wong is Currently Chief Storyteller at Wine.com, a wine critic for The Tasting Panel Magazine, and is involved in consulting with other wine industry entities.

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