Considering reports that 8 out of every 10 bottles of wine sold in Canada retail for less than $10, we anticipated there would be a lot of interest the InterVin award winners that offer the best value. To meet that demand we decided to celebrate the top scoring wines — in this case, wines that received at least a silver medal — that sell for less than $15 per bottle with a special judge’s citation for best value.

After all of the results were tallied, we ended up with 30 best buys from producers hailing from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the United States. These rare beauties include a diverse assortment of varietals and wine styles so there are a lot of options out there to enjoy for everyday drinking.

A special note of congratulations goes to the wineries that placed more than one bottle in this category. It’s always heartening to see producers of bargain bottles consistently deliver great wines across their portfolio. Certainly the success of Argentina’s Argento Wine Company, Australia’s Hardys and Italy’s Farnese merits a hearty cheers from all wine lovers. It’s also thrilling to see Canadian producers, including as Niagara’s Inniskillin Wines and the Okanagan Valley’s Artisan Wine Company, Calona Vineyards and Skimmerhorn Winery, rack up multiple citations. Buy with confidence.

Editor’s note: Our photos depict a selection of value award winners available to us at press time. Reviews appear in alphabetic order, with numbers corresponding to those in the appropriate picture.

Bodegas Esmeralda 2008 Argento Wine Co. Malbec

Region:Mendoza, Argentina
Price:$9.95
Product #:591693

This is a big wine that retails for a low price. Pronounced blueberry, warm spice and earthy notes animate the nose, while the medium-bodied palate reveals bold intensity and complex character with its lingering nutmeg and leathery finish.

Bodegas Esmeralda 2008 Argento Wine Co. Pinot Grigio

Region:Mendoza, Argentina
Price:$9.95
Product #:620492

Appealing peachy/tropical fruit and a soft, round texture stand out on the palate of this flavourful Pinot Grigio. Tasters noted its depth of flavour and its stylish character.

Artisan Wine Co. 2007 Rigamarole White

Region: Okanagan Valley
Price:$13.95
Product #:

Impressive rose and other interesting floral notes make a nice first impression for this fragrant blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and other Germanic varieties. The palate is appealingly honeyed and nicely balanced. artisanwineco.ca

Artisan Wine Co. 2007 Sonora Ranch Chardonnay

Region:Cellared in Canada
Price:$9.49
Product #:

his is a simple style of Chardonnay that puts emphasis in the right places. Its high intensity aroma suggests banana, cream and butter character, while its palate features flavours that are rich, warm and citrussy. artisanwineco.ca

Artisan Wine Co. 2008 White Bear Wines Riesling

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$12.95
Product #:

This well-made Riesling opens with a pleasant nose suggesting honeysuckle, apple and citrus notes. On the palate, fruit and acidity are nicely balanced and there’s an impressively long finish. artisanwineco.ca

Artisan Wine Co. 2008 White Bear Wines Sauvignon Blanc

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$12.95
Product #:

The pretty honey and melon notes on the nose might not be typical Sauvignon Blanc characteristics, but judges enjoyed the clean, rewarding character of this nicely structured and balanced white.

Banrock Station 2009 Unwooded Chardonnay

Region:South Eastern Australia
Price:$10.95
Product #:455022

Here is an unassuming Chardonnay that makes the most of its lemon and apple fruit notes and nicely balanced acidity. The nose is nice and clean with attention-grabbing fruit and floral notes.

Calona Vineyards 2008 Artist Series Unoaked Chardonnay

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$13.95
Product #:

There’s a lot to like on the palate of this clever unoaked Chardonnay. Its nice core of fairly ripe fruit (the flavour profile hints at melon) carries through to a long, lingering finish. calonavineyards.ca

Calona Vineyards 2007 Artist Series Merlot

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$13.99
Product #:

Bold aromas of coffee and smoke abound on the nose of the richly concentrated red wine. Nicely structured and balanced on the palate, this reveals a generous core of sweet ripe cherry along with some mint and vanilla notes. calonavineyards.ca

Farnese 2007 Casale Vecchio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Region:Italy
Price:$12.35
Product #:

Judges were asking the identity of this dry red wine as the glasses were being cleared away. Its mix of red fruit, herbs/spices and leather offered terrific complexity in the glass, especially the longer it had to open up and reveal its true character.

Cesari 2008 Chardonnay

Region:Veneto, Italy
Price:$7.45
Product #:572461

This value Chardonnay is marked beginning, middle and end by a subdued almond/nutty character. A hint of melon and tropical fruit adds some flesh to the palate, but this low intensity white remains charmingly low-key.

Farnese 2008 Sangiovese

Region:Italy
Price:$7.55
Product #:512327

Black cherry, raspberry and blueberry notes stand out in this extremely charming, fruit-driven red wine. Youthful tannins, tar and leather notes add interest and savoury complexity to the juicy, fresh palate.

Farnese 2008 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Region:Italy
Price:$7.55
Product #:621912

Here is a bargain red from Italy that delivers big fruit intensity and spicy flavours on the nose and palate. It’s less complex than its big brother (reviewed above) but its mix of dried fruit and leather notes make a profound impression

Hardys 2008 Stamp of Australia Shiraz Cabernet

Region: South Eastern Australia
Price:$10.95
Product #:338012

Judges awarded consistently solid scores to this nicely made blend that delivers pleasing cola and spice character throughout. On the palate, this generous and flavourful red reveals soft texture, supple tannins, decent complexity and nice length.

Hardys 2007 Bankside Shiraz

Region:South Eastern Australia
Price:$14.95
Product #:436022

Judicious use of oak has given more oomph to the intensity of fruit and length of this boldly flavoured Shiraz. The wine’s core of cherry and dark fruit gives this wine easy appeal.

Hernder Estate Wines 2007 Gewürztraminer Silver Acres Vineyard

Region: Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula
Price:$11.95
Product #:

There’s a ripe, honeyed fruit component and a funky, dried herb intensity to this exotic single-vineyard Gewürztraminer that makes it both interesting and enjoyable. Good weight and extract on the palate. hernder.com

Inniskillin Wines 2007 Varietal Series Chardonnay

Region:Niagara Peninsula
Price:$10.95
Product #:066266

This inexpensive, unoaked Chardonnay surprises with some smoky notes that suggest an expressive mineral element on the nose and palate. Ripe citrus and spiced apple fruit gives the palate some appeal as does the lingering finish. inniskillin.com

Inniskillin Wines 2008 Reserve Riesling

Region:Niagara Peninsula
Price:$14.45
Product #:034025

This surprisingly floral and fragrant expression of Riesling conjured up visions of Gewürztraminer in the minds of our judges. Made in a refreshingly dry style, its palate reveals a grapefruit pith bitterness on the finish that wakes up the tastebuds. inniskillin.com

Moon Shadows Estate Winery 2008 Black Currant

Region:Ontario
Price:$14.95
Product #:309625

The only gold medal winner from the fruit wine category is also the only top scoring wine to retail for less than $15. Tasters were bowled over by the purity of black currant aroma and flavour, its “juicy” texture and terrific balance.

Mission Hill Family Estate 2008 Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$13.99
Product #:

This fresh and flavourful Pinot Blanc has a lot of charm, particularly from its pleasing fragrant aroma. Candied citrus, baked apple and honey notes add to the appeal. missionhillwinery.com

Nederburg 2007 Winemaster’s Reserve Shiraz

Region:Western Cape, South Africa
Price:$10.95
Product #:527457

Wonderfully complex notes of roast coffee, chocolate and spices come across on the nose of this nicely structured, robust Shiraz from South Africa. The flavour profile also reflects an abundance of earthy notes as opposed to plummy fruit.

Osborne 2006 Montecillo Crianza

Region:Spain
Price:$14.95
Product #:144493

Impressive complexity and fleshy strawberry fruit are featured on the nose and palate of this Spanish Tempranillo. There’s a funky edge to this robust red that isn’t for everyone.

Peller Estates Winery 2007 Heritage Series Riesling

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$12.99
Product #:

Lovely fresh and ripe aromas of this Okanagan Riesling suggest honey, citrus and candied notes. Flavours on the palate are drier and more intense than one might expect given the sweeter aromas profile. peller.com

Prospect Winery 2007 Fats Johnson Pinot Noir

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$14.95
Product #:

Ripe cherry/raspberry fruit mixes with vanilla, smoke and earthy notes in this surprising Okanagan Valley Pinot Noir. Judges were quick to praise its Pinot-like character, which isn’t something you’ll often hear about sub-$20 Pinot Noir. prospectwinery.com

Reif Estate Winery 2007 Riesling Late Harvest

Region:Niagara Peninsula
Price:$10.95/375 mL
Product #:321927

Tasters of this honeyed and apple-laced sweet Riesling picked up candied lemon and other intense, exotic notes. A pleasant spicy note is revealed on the nose and palate. An impressive wine at an unbeatable price. reifwinery.com

Sonoma Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay

Region:California
Price:$14.95
Product #:060624

Ripe tropical and melon fruit provides the central focus for this enjoyable flavorful, balanced and persistent Chardonnay. There’s a toasted element to this wine that stands out on the nose and palate.

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyards 2008 Gewürztraminer

Region:British Columbia
Price:$13
Product #:107904

This is a well-made, balanced model of a wine that can easily be too wild and flamboyant. It offers textbook floral and spicy aromas with some tropical fruit notes thrown in for good measure. The palate follows suit with more spice and rich fruit notes. skimmerhorn.ca

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard 2008 Pinot Gris

Region:Okanagan Valley
Price:$13
Product #:107904

Here is a vibrant, youthful model of Pinot Gris with nice pear and apple fruit flavours and appealing weight and texture. It’s an impressive fresh style that delivers pleasingly pure fruit flavours with each sip. skimmerhorn.ca

Viña Santa Rita 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Reserva

Region:Casablanca Valley, Chile
Price:
Product #:

Classic Sauvignon Blanc character (cut grass, asparagus and elderflower) resonates out of the glass in this well-made, desirable Chilean white. Nice weight and bright acidity keeps things balanced and lively on the palate.

Wolf Blass 2008 Yellow Label Riesling

Region:South Eastern Australia
Price:
Product #:

This focused and taut model of Riesling shows good complexity on the nose and an edgy mix of high acidity, rich minerality and long length on the palate. Citrus oil notes peek through on the nose and palate.

INTERVIN JUDGES