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Frugal, thrifty, prudent, sparing, economical, canny, stingy, scrimping, penny-wise, chintzy, spartan, cheap, tight, sensible and unwasteful.
These words are all synonyms for being budget-conscious -- something all of us tend to be doing this time of year after the Christmas and New Year's Eve spending, eating and drinking blitz.
Saving a buck and choosing affordable -- and even lower-alcohol -- wines during January belt tightening doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste and style.
Our definition of a value bottle of wine is one that comes in at very drinkable $20 or less.
Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia Group
These wines all come in at under $20 a bottle. From left, Blasted Church Hatfield's Fuse 2022 ($20), Esprit du Rhone Reserve 2022 Maison Sinnae ($20), Kim Crawford Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($19), Meiomi Bright 2022 Pinot Noir (oops, it's $24), El Petit Bonhomme Organic 2022 ($20), Sidney Rose Sparkling ($17), Sidney Pinot Grigio Sparkling ($17), Sidney Cabernet Sauvignon Sparkling ($17), BASK Pinot Noir ($11) and BASK Chardonnay ($13).
The following 10 wines prove being frugal can be fun and delicious.
- Blasted Church Hatfield's Fuse 2022 ($20) from Okanagan Falls
- Esprit du Rhone 2022 Reserve Maison Sinnae ($20) from France
- Kim Crawford Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($19) from New Zealand
The 7% alcohol-by-volume version of the wildly popular regular Sauv Blanc from Down Under.
- Meiomi Bright Pinot Noir 2022 (this one slipped in over budget at $24) from California
The 8% alcohol-by-volume take on the regular well-known Cali Pinot.
- El Petit Bonhomme Organic 2002 ($20) from Spain
A juicy red blend of a varietal you've heard of -- Syrah -- and two you likely haven't -- Monastrell and Garnacha.
- Sidney Rose Sparkling ($17) from Canadian wine giant Arterra, which also owns the aforementioned Kim Crawford, BASK, featured below, Okanagan wineries Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, See Ya Later Ranch, Nk'Mip and Steller's Jay and international brands Ruffino of Italy and Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi from California
Sidney is touted as a wine re-imagined, moderation-first brand for its lower alcohol (7% by volume) and only 1 gram of sugar per serving.
The bottles are also pragmatically sealed with a pry-off crown cap rather than the elaborate mushroom-shaped cork, wire cage and foil of a traditional sparkling wine.
- Sidney Pinot Grigio Sparkling ($17)
- Sidney Cabernet Sauvignon Sparkling ($17)
- BASK Pinot Noir ($11)
BASK wines come in at a more typical 12.5% alcohol, but have zero sugar per serving.
'Bask' is defined as 'to take pleasure and enjoyment.'
- BASK Chardonnay ($13)
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at smacnaull@nowmediagroup.ca. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
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