The temperature in Manhattan hit 100 degrees recently — nearly 40 for the Celsius crowd — which is a good reason to think about how to approach wine in the summer heat.
Do seasons matter at all anymore for wine? Air-conditioning changes the game somewhat. Do you dress for the heat on the way to the restaurant? Or for the hours of chill in the refrigerated dining room?
Regardless of the temperature swings, I would argue that we feel different in the summer, more languid and enervated no matter the conditions.
I don’t believe that summer wines ought to be restricted to whites and rosés, to be stashed away in favor of reds at the autumn equinox. But I am drawn to more refreshing wines in the summer, served colder, which argues for bottles of all colors that are generally lighter in weight, in alcohol and in tannins. Not always though. Grilled meats are great with discernibly tannic reds, served cool but not cold.
Last month I went shopping for 20 bottles that met my loosely held criteria for summer wines and that cost less than $20 a bottle. I’ve long believed that $15 to $20 is the range for finding many great values. Sometimes you can spend a bit less, sometimes a little more, but neither inflation nor tariffs seem to have altered this basic equation.
Tariffs and inflation have changed the sorts of wines in this price range, though. Bottles that a year ago fit perfectly are now a little too expensive. Other wines take their place, though, maybe from less widely esteemed regions or perhaps made from lesser-known grapes.
Being open to exploration helps. So does having access to a great wine shop willing to do the work of culling through the myriad mediocrities to pick out the good bottles. Nothing is more important to drinking well than a shop staffed by passionate, hard-working wine lovers.
Even the best shop won’t have all these bottles. But good shops are happy to offer similar alternatives. Or you could consult past 20 Under $20 columns.
Here are the 20 bottles, beginning with the least expensive.
Mary Taylor Jean Marc Barthez Bordeaux Rouge 2020, 14 percent, $12.99
Mary Taylor has put together a remarkable portfolio of well-made wines from vignerons like Jean Marc Barthez that are superb renditions of their appellations. This basic Bordeaux, made by Mr. Barthez, the head of a small Bordeaux cooperative, is earthy, rustic, still a bit tannic, but refreshing. It’s half merlot, with the remainder divided between cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Try it with a juicy burger. (Nashawtuc, Sandy Hook, Conn.)
Mary Taylor Christophe Avi Agenais Rosé 2024, 12 percent, $13.96
This rosé from Agenais in the southwest of France, another Mary Taylor selection, may be the pinkest wine I’ve ever seen. The color, pouring from bottle to glass, is striking before settling into a rusty rouge. Made mostly of cabernet sauvignon with some cabernet franc, it’s dry, savory and full of life. (Nashawtuc)
Pedro Parra Itata Vinista País 2021, 13 percent, $15.99
Pedro Parra is a globe-trotting terroir consultant who also makes terrific wines in his home region of Chile. This país, a grape better known as mission in the United States, comes from old-vine vineyards on granite and basalt soils. It’s floral and earthy, lightly tannic with maybe a wisp of smokiness, and would pair well with a mixed grill of skirt steak and sausages. (Skurnik Wines, New York)
Radley & Finch Western Cape Chenin Blanc Alley Pack 2024, 12.5 percent, $16.99
Radley & Finch sounds like an unlikely pairing of characters from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Actually, it’s a partnership between an importer, Pascal Schildt, and a winemaker, Thinus Kruger, who make a series of wines from South Africa that are, in their words, “for daily enjoyment.” That description fits this chenin blanc, which has the rich texture and savory-sweet floral elements that I love in the wines. It’s not complex but it is delicious. (Paca Imports, Newport, R.I.)
Azimut Cava Brut Nature Rosat 2022, 11.5 percent, $16.99
Cellers de Can Suriol makes natural wines in the Penedés, in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain. Azimut is a special label for easygoing wines made from organic grapes either grown on their estate or purchased. This lively rosé cava is bone dry, but refreshing, with just the faintest hint of red berry flavor. It’s a superb value. (Jenny & François Selections, New York)
Chidaine Touraine Rouge 2022, 12.5 percent, $17.99
Regenerative, organic, biodynamic, you name it, François Chidaine farms it. Mr. Chidaine is one of the most progressive growers in the Loire Valley, and you can feel it in the wines. The Touraine Rouge, a basic cuvée, is a blend of cabernet franc; côt, as malbec is known in the Loire; and pineau d’Aunis. It’s alive in the glass and thoroughly refreshing, scented with flowers and red fruits. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
Ravines Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2021, 12.5 percent, $17.99
Ravines is one of the best producers in the Finger Lakes. Its dry riesling is an old favorite, representing the cool-climate, dry style that makes the Finger Lakes the single best American source for rieslings. It is indeed bone dry, with stony, mineral aromas and a texture that makes you want to roll it around in your mouth.
Jurtschitsch Niederösterreich Grüner Veltliner Terrassen 2023, 12 percent, $17.99
This wine is made with organically farmed grapes from various parts of the Kamptal Valley, where Alwin and Stef Jurschitsch make a terrific set of rieslings and grüners, among other wines. This introductory bottle demonstrates their fresh, precise, incisive style. It’s grassy, earthy flavors would go particularly well with, say, a summery risotto. (Bowler Wines, New York)
Stolpman Santa Barbara County Love You Bunches Rosé 2024, 12 percent, $17.99
Stolpman Vineyards is better known for making sturdy, complex wines that age well. This rosé is not one of those. It comes from Stolpman’s So Fresh series: easygoing, lively wines intended for early drinking. Love You Bunches is made from grenache, fermented carbonically in the style of a Beaujolais. It’s dry, smells like flowers and berries, and would make a lovely summer aperitif.
Les Vignerons d’Estézargues Vin de France Carambouille 2023, 13.5 percent, $17.99
Is this a pale red or a dark rosé? Whatever you want to call it, chill it a bit and enjoy. This blend, made primarily from organically farmed grenache along with five other grapes, is made by Les Vignorons d’Estézargues, a quality-minded cooperative in the southern Rhône Valley. It’s like a delicious Côtes du Rhône of old, easygoing and delicious. (Stork Wine Company/Wilson Daniels Wholesale, New York)
Quinta do Ermízio Vinho Verde 2024, 11.5 percent, $18.99
This excellent Vinho Verde comes from northwestern Portugal — its evocative label of a colorful sunset over the water suggests its Atlantic coast origin. It’s made from loureiero and trajadura grapes, and the fresh, lively saline flavors are just right for sunsets anywhere. (José Pastor Selections/Llaurador Wines, Fairfax, Calif.)
G.D. Vajra Rosabella Rosato 2024, 12 percent, $18.99
G.D. Vajra is an excellent Barolo producer. This rosato comes from young vines of organically farmed nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo, along with small amounts of barbera and dolcetto. It’s light-bodied but full of bright fruit flavors, with a dark nebbiolo undertone, perfect for prosciutto and melon and other light hors d’oeuvres (Vajra U.S.A., Manhasset, N.Y.)
Field Recordings Paso Robles Pét Nat Rosé 2022, 12.3 percent, $19.96
Field Recordings buy grapes from all over the Central Coast of California and almost always makes interesting wines that are not intended to make statements, just to satisfy. This savory, energetic pétillant naturel rosé, a blend of cabernet franc and chardonnay, is typical. It’s made using the ancient method of creating sparkling wines, simply bottling the wine before fermentation is complete. The resulting carbon dioxide, with no way to escape the bottle, creates the gentle bubbles that enliven this wine.
Channing Daughters the Hamptons Home Farm Vineyard Lagrein Rosato 2023, 12.4 percent, $19.96
Channing Daughters on the South Fork of Long Island makes a dizzying amount of wines from a bewildering number of grapes. Yes, it’s enough to make your head spin. But the wines are almost always interesting, including this dry rosé made of the lagrein grape, most often seen in northeastern Italy. It’s a pale salmon color, with stony saline flavors. Enjoy as an aperitif or with simple seafood preparations like a shrimp cocktail.
Mary Taylor Marine Descombe Beaujolais-Villages 2022, 13 percent, $19.99
Here’s yet another bottle from the Mary Taylor portfolio. This Beaujolais-Villages from Marine Descombe is a bit more serious than a typical Beaujolais-Villages, with mineral flavors that border on the complex, yet never lose the joyous spirit of Beaujolais. (Nashawtuc)
Antxiola Getariako Txakolina 2024, 11 percent, $19.99
Bodegas Zudugarai produces a range of different Txakolinas from Getaria in the Basque region of Spain. Antxiola is lovely — gently sparkling, light bodied and low in alcohol. It tastes as if you’re savoring the freshest sea breeze. (Polaner Selections)
La Boutanche California Red Blend 2023, 13 percent, $19.99 (1 liter)
This is a richly scented, lightly tannic wine that goes down very easily. It’s a collaboration between Selection Massale, an importer of natural wines, and Broc Cellars, an excellent California producer, to fill what Selection Massale calls a lack of good natural wines in the $20 range. This is not only a good introduction to thirst-quenching, lightly chillable red wines, it’s a good, straightforward, delicious wine in its own right.
Montinore Willamette Valley Red Cap Pinot Noir 2022, 13.5 percent, $19.99
It’s not easy to make a really good, moderately priced pinot noir in prime territory like the Willamette Valley, with biodynamically farmed grapes to boot. Somehow, Montinore manages to succeed. This bottle is an exercise in restraint, nothing forced or engineered in the winery. It’s light, balanced, modestly complex and a pleasure to drink.
Folk Machine California White Light 2024, 12.3 percent, $19.99
Hobo Wine Company offers a number of labels showcasing wines from different parts of California, all made from organically grown grapes. Folk Machine is a line of oddball wines like White Light. The 2024 is made of tocai friulano, albariño, Verdelho, vermentino and sauvignon blanc. Put them all together and you have a seamlessly integrated wine, fresh, alive and full of character.
Villa Sparina Gavi del Commune di Gavi 2023, 12.5 percent, $19.99
My summer stash of wines would not be complete without some good bottles of Italian whites. They are great for summer staples like capellini with pesto. Italian whites were once considered to have little character but the general level of quality is vastly improved. Villa Sparina has been making fine Gavi for decades. This bottle, made entirely of the cortese grape, is citrus-scented with a rich texture and lively acidity. (Ethica Wines, Stamford, Conn.)
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Eric Asimov, the chief wine critic of The Times since 2004, has been writing about wine, food and restaurants for more than 30 years.
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