5 Great Wines Under 20 Dollars

The following wines are all considered 90+ point wines, and all have been rated highly by various sources. They are all different varieties, from different regions, but they have one thing in common. They can all be found for under $20. Don't spend a fortune on wine this holiday season before you try these winners:

1. Sh. Ste. Michelle Eroica Riesling, 2007

This is my favorite Riesling bar none. It is made in Columbia Valley, Washington, and exhibits the crisp acidity typical to the region (2007 was the best year for this type of wine in over 5 years). Orange and lime aromas and flavors are present, along with mineral notes. Rated highly by Wine Enthusiast, Connoisseurs Guide, and many others, this Riesling will not disappoint. Serve this paired with a crab dinner and I promise you will have some happy guests.

2. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Produced in Marlborough, New Zealand, this wines citrus and tropical fruit nose is accented by the traditional New Zealand herbal notes. Nice acidity balances the sweet passion fruit with a crisp finish. The Kim Crawford 2008 Sauvignon Blanc can be found online for under $15. Pair this with shrimp, scallops, oysters, crab, or smoked fish!

3. Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Geyser Peak is known for great Cabs, and this is one of their best. It has everything I like in a big, lively Cabernet: bright, fruit forward character balanced by oak. Black cherry and blackberry dominate the aromas, with underlying dark chocolate and spice notes. The palate is well-rounded, with berry fruits paired with vanilla and a hit of spice. It has a nice long, lingering finish. Pairs well with a hearty steak dinner.

4. Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs

You will notice that this rose` is the only sparkling wine on my list. To be honest, I don't drink sparkling wines very often, but I really did enjoy this Napa Valley sparkler, and it was very well received at my last dinner party. So, here it is! It is an 8% Chardonnay, 92% Pinot blend, light-bodied, with a pink color. It exhibits cherry and strawberry aromas, lemon, cherry, and cola flavors, carbonated, with a lasting finish. It has been rated a 94 by Wine News and a 90 by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. A great carbonated party sipper!

5. Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz 2006

This Australian red boasts high ratings by every major source, along with a complex aroma of plumb and raspberry cut by pepper, spice, and chocolatey oak. The palate's jamminess is offset by a subtle spiciness, fine tannins, and chocolate. It has a nice long finish. Pair this Shiraz with a big, bold lamb chop or meat stew for full effect.

I could really go on and on reviewing the fantastic wines that can be found for under $20, but I would soon be out of room in this article and fast asleep at my computer, so these five will have to do for now. Search the net or your local wine store for these five excellent picks, and feel free to send me your own recommendations.

Cheers!
- Matt from Wine-In-A-Glass.com

- Matt is an author on EzineArticles. He has published many articles online and in print about various wine and food topics. View his website for more wine tips and information.

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How to Make Great Homemade Wine

I remember myself as a young lad enjoying some of the wines that my grandmother would make. The most popular one for her, I think, was the ginger wine. This one would traditionally come out at Christmas time. All her wines tasted great, as only grandma could make them, and sometimes I wondered about how she made them. As I've become an adult, (and able to get drunk legally, lol) I wondered more and more about how to make great tasting homemade wine, from ginger, grapes, apples etc. Then I found some information online which helped a great deal.

The inner circle of 21st. Century Home Winemakers is a compilation of everything a home winemaker needs to know.

The Home Winemakers Inner Circle gives you a complete illustrated guide to homemade wine, using step by step instructions. You get these in simple terms, with a lot of illustrations so that even though you are not grammatically oriented, you can still comprehend the process. There is a ton of information available from the site, and whenever you feel that you want to get started, all you have to do is sign up and the information is there ready to be downloaded.

Added to that, there are a ton of videos that actually show you the processes, thus complementing the books. So even though you decide that you do not have time to sit and read through all the material, you can still view the videos and get started right away. Imagine, you can start making great tasting wines for less than $1 per bottle, and have these wines tasting just as good as the $500 or $1000 dollar bottles.

Imagine, you will be learning everything you need to get started, including a complete introduction to wine making, how to transform your homemade wine from tasty to incredibly delicious, complete information on the common equipment to use along with pictures and where to source them, step by step recipes of the best wines and comprehensive information on the art of fermentation, sterilization, nutrients, enzymes, wine storing and maturing, and all about different yeasts. And those are just a few examples of what you get in the complete course. Plus you also have access to future updates so you can keep abreast of all the new developments in home wine making.

So what have you got to lose? Nothing. Give it a try. It certainly has made a difference to a whole lot of people, and I am positive that it will make a difference to you too.
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