(Sicily, Italy) $17
This may be the most fun and delicious $18 red you’ll ever buy. Super soft; juicy; lots of blackberries, mushrooms, and spicy/peppery flavors. Nero d’Avola is a leading grape in Sicily.
90 points KM
Available at Mr. D
(Dolomiti, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy) $21
Trentino-Alto Adige is one of the places to go looking for really good pinot grigio with character. The Hofstätter is lightly creamy with vanilla and citrus flavors.
89 points KM
Available at Vivino.com
(Piedmont, Italy) $17
It’s rare we get to write a sentence with the word “bed” in it—but here it is: the perfect wine to drink while lounging around in bed on a Sunday morning. As super delicious as a fresh fruit salad and very low in alcohol (5%).
89 points KM
Available at The Winery NYC
(Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy) $14
Antinori built its name on delicious dependability… and it’s been totally reliable for the last 40 years. Nice tar-roses-salty quality here, and good length on the palate. Fresh and pretty.
92 points KM
Available at K&L Wine Merchants
(Sicily, Italy) $22
Full of delicious personality, Mozia (made from grillo grapes) is a fantastic white wine from the tiny island of Mozia just off the Sicilian coast. Sea spray freshness, snappy crispness, and a core of creamy peachiness.
90 points KM
Available at Mad Wine
(Bordeaux, France) $14
Malbec, an ancient Bordeaux variety, is making a comeback in its home. This wine is sleek and delicious with spice, blueberry and espresso notes, and a solid core of fruit. Steak please.
90 points KM
Available at OrganicWineAtHome.com
(Bordeaux, France) $20
A spicy, fruit-forward, fresh-tasting cabernet sauvignon with loads of classic cassis flavors. Terrific cabernet at this price is almost
unheard of.
90 points KM
Available at Saratoga Wine Exchange
(Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, France) $25
Merlot and malbec shine together in this fruit-forward juicy wine that’s vibrant and has a core of rich fruit. Structured but soft. Aged in clay amphora rather than barrels.
90 points KM
Available at Astor Wines & Spirits
(Trento, Italy) $20
Got some orange juice? This simple citrusy Italian sparkler is great for making “Good Morning” mimosas.
87 points KM
Available at Traino's Wine
(Penedès, Spain) $19
Corpinnats are Spanish sparklers that are made according to stricter standards than most Cavas. Mas Candi’s is bone dry, fresh, minerally and has a good lime skin bitterness. And how perfect for Valentine’s Day is a wine that sounds like “more candy?”
89 points KM
(USA) $24
Creamy, gingery and light. An unfussy sparkler for new romances or “Gal-entine” celebrations. Tasty on its own and perfect for kirs.
89 points KM
Available at Wine.com
(Vayots Dzor, Armenia) $22
Armenia—the oldest wine drinking culture—also has an exciting small modern wine industry. Keush is a terrific example. Fresh and minerally, the [sparkling?] wine comes from high elevation volcanic and limestone soils. Plus it’s a great opportunity to taste two little-known grape varieties: voskehat and khatouni.
89 points KM
Available at Vivino.com
