In November 2012, I started writing about wine for this newspaper.
At the time, one of my goals was to dispel one of the myths about wine that never seems to die — that wine is an expensive luxury that only rich people can enjoy.
Thirteen years later, my goal remains the same.
Sure, there are definitely some amazing wines that cost a lot of money. And over the years, I have had the good fortune to try some of these wines, sometimes in person with the winemakers who created them.
But I also remain committed to writing about affordable wines that taste great and don’t break the bank.
That’s why I have written about the top 10 wines under $10 this time of year for many years.
But in recent years, I will admit it’s gotten harder each year to find different wines that cost less than $10 each.
Part of it has to do with inflation. As many of us know, many things cost more than they did a decade ago.
But the good news is there are still many great, affordable wines that don’t cost a fortune.
So, this year, I thought I would do something slightly different. Instead of 10 wines under $10, I’ve expanded the list to 12 wines under $12.
Let me add that I tasted all 12 wines in the past year, and I recently retasted several of these wines before adding them to this list.
I also had one more criterion for this particular wine column — the wines should be relatively easy to find in most stores. What’s the point of recommending a $10 wine that no one can find?
I also made a point of picking wines from throughout the world. The 12 wines come from six different countries — United States, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Argentina.
There are also eight red wines, three white wines and one sparkling wine.
And for the second year in a row, a California red wine took the top spot in the annual list.
So hope you enjoy these top 12 wines under $12 for 2025. And looking forward to writing about more wines for you next year as well.
Top 12 Wines Under $12 for 2025
12. 2023 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir ($11.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield)
Region: California
Grape: Pinot Noir
Tasting notes: I figured it might be fun to start with a wine from one of the best-known wineries in the world — Robert Mondavi. This California winery makes a wide range of wines — from affordable everyday wines like this one to more expensive, highly-prized wines that age gracefully for years.
I’ve long been a fan of Mondavi wines, especially their Cabernet Sauvignons. This time, I thought I would turn the spotlight onto this fun, easy-drinking Pinot Noir. Almost Gamay-like in style, the flavors are easy, light, bright and even a bit jammy (with hints of cotton candy) without being too over the top.
I’ve tasted many higher-priced California Pinot Noirs that taste similar to this gem. And if you like your wines on the slightly sweeter side – which I know many people do – this red just might be your new house wine.
11. (Tie) 2024 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99 at Table & Vine) and 2024 Matua Sauvignon Blanc ($11.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting notes: New Zealand’s Marlborough region on the northern tip of the South Island produces some of the most distinct, delicious, affordable white wines. This is especially true if you love crisp, dry, refreshing white wines.
Here, the flavors are like nothing else in the world – fresh-cut grass with a hint of lemon and sea salt. That’s the influence of the ocean air on these Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Some people might find these wines a bit too dry or slightly tart for their taste. I find them absolutely perfect.
10. 2020 Chateau Castagnac Cuvee Tradition Bordeaux ($11.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Grape: Blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting notes: France’s Bordeaux region has been on many wine lovers’ radar for a long time. It’s no secret that this part of France produces some of the most outstanding red wines in the world, year in and year out.
What many people might not realize is you can often find outstanding, affordable wines like this one from Bordeaux. While many Bordeaux wines get better with age, this outstanding wine tastes terrific right now.
The flavors here are earthy yet elegant, supple and smooth. Specific flavors include hints of cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate. This is a great wine for a cold, long winter’s night — whether you have this wine with a hearty meal or enjoy it on its own in front of a roaring fire.
9. 2023 90+ Cellars Lot 42 Pinot Grigio ($8.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Delle Venezie, Veneto, Italy
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Tasting notes: Regular readers of this column will likely recognize this particular wine company, 90+ Cellars. They’re less a winemaker and more of a negotiant, the French term for companies that buy grapes and then use them to make wine.
It’s not exactly the most glamorous name but 90+ Cellars consistently sells great, affordable wines from around the world, including this bright, light, refreshing Pinot Grigio from the Veneto region in Italy near Venice.
Flavors here include hints of pear, lemon, lime and green apple. Let me add that on a hot summer day, feel free to toss in an ice cube if this wine starts to warm up. It’s an easy-drinking wine meant to be enjoyed fairly chilled.
8. 2024 Les Deux Moulins Sauvignon Blanc ($9.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Loire Valley, France
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting notes: France’s Loire Valley produces a wide range of delicious, affordable wines, especially when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc. Unlike many Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, the flavors in ones from France’s Loire Valley tend to be more mineral-like and less grassy.
In this particular case, this wine has crisp, citrus-like flavors along with chalky notes and hints of green apple, pear and lemon. There’s nothing oaky or over the top about this white wine, which makes it a great wine for oysters and fresh fish.
7. Gran Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva ($11 Suggested Retail Price)
Region: Penedes, Spain
Grape: Blend of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello
Tasting notes: Fans of dry, sparkling wine have long known about Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine made the same way as Champagne but which costs just a fraction of the magical sparkling wine from France’s Champagne region.
This particular Cava is a “reserva” or reserved wine, which means the wine is aged for 18 months before being bottled. The result is a crisp, dry, earthy sparkling wine with clear, bright flavors, including hints of melted butter, toast, sea salt and lemon.
Let me add that if you can’t find this particular Cava, some other great, affordable alternatives are Dibon Cava Brut Reserve ($12 SRP) and Segura Viudas Brut Reserve Cava ($10 SRP). Like other sparkline wines, they turn any gathering into a special occasion.
6. 2022 Cave Saint Desirat Syrah ($10.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Northern Rhone, France
Grape: Syrah
Tasting notes: One of the things I love about French wine is how different wines can taste in one region compared to another, nearby region. This is definitely the case when it comes to the Rhone region, which I have written about extensively, visited for this wine column and taught a class about earlier this year.
Southern Rhone wines are easy-drinking, well-rounded, subtle wines often created by blending together several grapes, especially Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Meanwhile, the Northern Rhone region produces austere red wines made almost exclusively with Syrah grapes that often take years to mature.
This particular affordable Northern Rhone wine proves you don’t have to wait decades to enjoy an austere red wine from this magical part of the world. Here, the flavors are subtle, slightly spicy and bold yet elegant. Pure poetry in a glass.
5. 2021 Bogle Petite Sirah ($9.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: California
Grape: Petite Sirah
Tasting notes: This red wine comes from the same California winery that produced the number one wine last year on my 2024 Top 10 wines under $10 list. This is another great red wine, featuring an obscure grape sure to confuse everyone.
Petite Sirah is not the same as Syrah. They’re completely different grapes. However, Petite Sirah and Petite Syrah are the same grape, which is also known as Durif. Some California wine makers simply choose to call the wine Petite Sirah or Petite Syrah. Go figure.
Anyway, this luscious, jammy, bold, intense wine can more than hold its own with many strong, hearty foods, from steaks and roasts to spicier, intense flavors. It also tastes great on its own, especially on a long, cold winter night.
4. 2024 Domaine Bousquet Malbec ($11.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
Grape: Malbec
Tasting notes: Argentina and Malbec are one of those matches made in heaven — like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. This is especially true in Argentina’s Mendoza region, which has been producing world-class Malbecs for years.
I picked this particular one since Domaine Bousquet has been hitting it out of the park, year after year, with their affordable wines made with organic grapes. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of their wines.
This particular wine has the bright, ripe, dense fruit flavors many of us expect from an Argentinian Malbec. There are also added layers of blueberry, plum and roasted cherry notes. Break out this gem next time you fire up the grill or roast something in the oven.
3. 2020 Badiolo Chianti Riserva ($11.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
Grape: Primarily Sangiovese
Tasting notes: Most wine lovers are well aware that Italy’s Chianti region has been producing outstanding red wines for centuries. One of the things many people might not realize is that many of these wines can be quite affordable.
Like other red wines from Chianti, this delicious, delightful wine is made mostly with Sangiovese grapes. In order to be classified as a “reserva,” the wine must spend two years in oak barrels and an additional three months aging in bottles before it can be sold.
The result is a subtle, sophisticated wine with earthy yet elegant overtones, including hints of cherry, plum and blackberry flavors. There is also a dash of tobacco and dark chocolate that lingers after each taste.
2. 2024 Penya Cotes Catalanes Rouge ($10.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: Cotes Catalanes, France
Grape: Blend of Grenache, Carignan, Mouvedre and Syrah
Tasting notes: This wonderful blended red wine from one of the southernmost wine regions in France (not far from the Spanish border along the Mediterranean Sea) has long been one of my favorite wines, year in and year out.
Penya winery in particular produces great, consistent, easy-drinking yet complex wines that can hold their own with a wide range of foods and flavors. That’s because this wine has an earthy, powerful finish and finesse.
Flavors here include a mix of blackberry, toasted almonds, plums and roasted cherries. Like many great works of art, the flavors are simple but not simplistic. They simply get right to the point and keep you entertained for hours on end.
1. 2022 Bonterra Merlot ($11.99 at Table & Vine)
Region: California
Grape: Merlot
Tasting notes: This outstanding wine strikes a delicate balance between being taut and assertive and relaxed and easy-going. I’m also a huge fan of this often-underrated grape — Merlot.
While it might not have the flash and glamour of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, many Merlots more than hold their one with these better-known grapes. Here, the flavors are soft, subtle and understated, including hints of raspberry, cherry and blackberry.
This is a fantastic wine at any price. And the fact that it’s so affordable is simply something to celebrate. And best of all, this wine is made with 100 percent organic grapes from California, made by one of the state’s most reliable winemakers. What’s not to love about this number-one wine?
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com and in The Republican’s Weekend section.
Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2020
2020 Top Wine – 2016 Ninety Plus Cellars French Fusion Lot 21 (French red wine for $10)
Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2021
2021 Top Wine – 2019 Zuccardi Serie A Malbec (Argentinian red wine for $9.99)
Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2022
2022 Top Wine – 2021 Le Salare Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Italian red wine for $10)
Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2023
2023 Top Wine – 2022 Le Petit Balthazar (French white wine for $8.99)
Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2024
2024 Top Wine – 2021 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (California red wine for $9.99)
Dining and Cooking