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Top 23 Best White Wines Under $20
What makes the best white wines? We decided to create a word cloud to figure it out.
There’s something for everyone! From refreshing, crisp white wines that you can drink during the hot summer days to full-bodied, rich ones with excellent depth to dry ones with mouthwatering acidity to slightly sweet wines that are easy to drink.
Table of Contents
Best White Wines Fun Facts
Top 23 Best White Wines Under $20
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Best Sauvignon Blancs Under $20
Light-bodied and great by itself, but with a grapefruit citrus punch that also makes it a fantastic white wine to have with food. No harshness – all fresh and fruity with a lively finish. It’s a sustainable wine made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, bottled in lightweight recycled glass from New Zealand and stamped with labels made of renewable sugarcane.
Tasting Notes: Guava, Passionfruit, Citrus, tropical fruit
Crafted from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in one of Marlborough’s best vineyards. A taste of this white vintage is akin to an abundance of sunshine, reminiscent of its growing conditions: warm days and cool nights. It’s bold and vivid on the palate with slight minerality and acidity that coats your tongue – perfect to pair with seafood, chicken, pork, and turkey.
Tasting Notes: Passionfruit, guava, lime, lemon, gooseberry, tropical fruit
Grown in the cooler climate on the lower terrace at Te Muna Road, this Sauvignon Blanc delivers a unique texture and complexity. A sip will bring your palate alive with deep concentration and intense, zesty fruit flavors, ending in a long and satisfying dry texture – tasty and pleasing all the way.
Tasting Notes: Pale Lemon, White Stone Fruit, Passionfruit, Kaffir Lime
Not your typical Sauvignon Blanc! If you’re looking for a bottle of the best white wine to pair with complex salads or a bottle rich enough to go well with all seafood, tuna, and white meats – we think this one nailed it. It has the balance of flavor, aromatics, and acidity – intense and nutty on the first sip (not particularly SB-like!) but shows off its lemony, biscuity layers with decent minerality and smokey element the second time.
Tasting Notes: Kiwifruit, Mango, Pineapple, tropical fruit
A specialty wine made with 100% estate-grown grapes grown in the heart of Napa Valley. This tasty Sauvignon Blanc presents a mouthwatering lemony aroma with vibrant and citrusy flavors followed by threads of anise and capers throughout.
It’s a classic rendition, and while we’re listing the best white wines under $20, this one is well worth buying by the case.
Tasting Notes: Green Lime, Fresh Fennel, Caper, Grapefruit, Lemon cream
They sourced grapes grown in the Napa and the “hidden gem” of Suisun Valley, only 30 minutes southeast of Napa. It makes an exceptional California Sauvignon Blanc with the perfect blend of delicate fruity flavors and steely minerality.
It’s a unique vintage that is more mineral-driven than fruit-driven than most SB bottles. It has a refreshing crispness with juicy flavors that is just right, never overpowering.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Nectarine, Honeydew, Citrus Blossoms, Meyer Lemon
Another white wine from Napa – made from organically grown Sauvignon Blanc. It was a pleasant surprise to get layers of honeysuckle after the youthful fruitiness of the first sip – overall, a crisp, clean, and elegant bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with a lasting freshness that rides in your palate.
Tasting Notes: Green Melon, Kiwi, Lime, Grapefruit
Best Pinot Grigio Under $20
Dubbed as the best value wine, this tastes like what Northern Italy offers – light, very crisp, and dry taste with an exceptionally full flavor and elegant, lengthy finish. Drink it alone or enjoy a glass (or two!) with seafood dishes and your favorite shellfish recipe.
Tasting Notes: Orange Zest, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Peach, Acacia Blossom, Tomato
From an organically farmed vineyard in Veneto, Italy. This eco-friendly Pinot Grigio is something you can enjoy with a cheese plate, salad, and most white meat dishes or by itself. It’s premium-quality wine at a steal – crisp with lots of aromatic citrus on the nose and bright, balanced acidity on the tongue.
Tasting Notes: Citrus, Lemon, Fresh Fruit
Hailed from Edna Valley, one of the cooler wine regions in California and the perfect place to grow some good wines. Aromatic with hints of pepper – concentrated with crisp acidity and a mouthwatering creamy appeal. It’s one of Tangent’s most vibrant white wines that burst in flavor in every sip, one you can also enjoy with a wide range of foods.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Peaches, Tangerine, Green Apple
This bottle has more body and structure than traditional Pinot Grigio – expressive with a wet stone undertone on the nose and filled with tropical flavors on your palate. It pairs with almost anything with its bright savory flavor and acidity balancing with a slight sweetness.
Tasting Notes: Lemon, Green Apple, Cherry Blossom, Pear, Candied Apricot
It comes from the Friuli region, where the best and most luxurious Pinot Grigio in the world comes from. But you don’t have to pay a luxury price in this best white wine made using handpicked grapes – affordable, full-bodied Pinot with a bright and refreshing expression of mineral and fruit.
Tasting Notes: Pear, White Peach, Apricot
Looking for a fruit-driven white wine? One of the bottles on our top list is this young, ready-to-drink wine. It bursts from the start, with a lovely fruity flavor paired with a refreshing acidity towards a crisper finish. A chilled bottle of this Pinot will be a crowd-favorite, whether it’s an afternoon get-together with friends on the patio or elegant dinner parties.
Tasting Notes: Meyer Lemon, Honeydew Melon, Jasmine
Light, dry, and crisp – highly versatile to pair with a range of meals like pasta, chicken, risottos, veal, and fresh seafood. It’s softly textured and delicately perfumed with spices and flowers – the ideal everyday white wine if you are looking for one.
Tasting Notes: Lime zest, Apple, Pear, Almond, Citrus
Best Riesling Under $15
If you like sweet wine, you won’t get disappointed with the balance and smooth finish of this wine. It’s highly drinkable – floral, and complex on the nose and elegantly fruity and juicy on the palate. There are also notes of minerals that end off-dry, giving you an impulse to take another sip.
Tasting Notes: Apple, Lime, Grapefruit, Peach
Made with grapes from historic vineyard sites, giving you a succulent and balanced flavor of herbs, citrus, and smoked nuts, reminiscent of varietals grown in the red slate soil. It’s herby and citrusy on the nose but all fruity on the palate – a delightful medium-dry white wine to try if you haven’t still.
Tasting Notes: Yellow Peach, Grapefruit, Herbs
Young and fresh, this bottle features distinctly fruity aromas with hints of citrus and lime. But it still has the typical Riesling minerality that levels up the wine’s depth and flavor. This Riesling makes an excellent aperitif and pairs well with fish, shellfish, and other seafood dishes.
Tasting Notes: Yellow Apple, White Peach
A delicious wine for a good cause from a boutique winery in a sunny vineyard by the western shore of Seneca Lake located in the heart of Finger Lakes. The Red Tail Ridge winery donates 10% of its sales to every state’s food bank wherever the win is purchased.
Tasting Notes: Peaches, Apple, Apricot, Stone fruit
Another noteworthy Riesling from Seneca Lake vineyard, this time on the east side. We’ve tried different Riesling bottles, but this one is by far the most approachable Riesling there is – not too sweet nor too dry. It stays pleasing for every sip and is exceptionally food-friendly, too, with ripe, luscious tropical flavors.
Tasting Notes: Peach, Melon, Green Apple, Apricot, Pear, Pineapple
If you like Riesling and you want more suggestions, check out our Top 11 Sweet Rieslings List here
**I know we’re only supposed to list the best white wines under $20, but we have a couple more favorite bottles that are just so good NOT to be on the list only because they are slightly over $20 (~$23-$24).
Located in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, this white vintage combines grapes from Windsor Oaks and a certified organic vineyard in Carneros. The final blend with a wine dance in your palate – an expressive wine well-articulated with tropical fruit and citrusy flavors with an elegant, spicy finish.
Tasting Notes: Tropical Fruits, Lemon Custard, Orange Blossom
The mild conditions throughout the summer in the Carneros region allowed the grapes to ripen slowly for maximum flavor. What you get from each taste is a fantastic burst of flavor that has bright acidity and clean on the palate.
Tasting Notes: Green Apple, Lemon Zest, Fresh Pear
An Argentinian Chardonnay with an attractive profile taken from its barrel during the aging process. If you’re looking for a rock-star white wine, this bottle’s full body, creamy texture, and long, flavorful finish is nothing to scoff at. It’s high in acidity, but that’s barely noticeable with its silky take on the palate.
Tasting Notes: Oak, Butter, Vanilla, Peach, Pear, Citrus
Complex on the nose, with tropical aroma accented by toasty oak and vanilla – rich mouthfeel, expressing a full body and intense flavor of fig, baked apple, baking spices, and nuances of minerality.
Tasting Notes: Butter, Fig, Apple, Pear, Kiwi, Apricot, Peach, Pineapple
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