Top Wine Pros Share Their Picks of the Best Values $20 and Under

From the lush, exotic Pacifica Evan's Collection Riesling ($17.99) to party-pleasing Domaine La Loyane Cotes du Rhone ($16), the mouthwatering medalists from this year's competition make perfect pairings for life's everyday celebrations. This year's 19th annual challenge touts 25 wines scoring over 90 points, and 220 wines costing less than $12, making Tastings.com the value seeker's resource to discover new cost-effective favorites. The best values on the market are conveniently showcased on Tastings.com, making this year's results the go-to wine buying guide to get the most out of your budget.

Crystal R. of Chicago, IL makes heavy use of these results. "Tastings.com is my party-planning life-hack." she says. "I use the mobile site in-store when shopping for my monthly get-togethers. I trust Tastings.com scores because they don't accept advertising dollars from the brands they review. The WVWC is the ultimate guide for great wines in my budget. I use the suggested pairing ideas to pair my menu to my wine offerings and I love learning about new wines using their guides."

Highlights of the competition represent a diverse group of wines spanning four continents and eleven countries. This year, top honors for value in robust reds went to some outside-of-the-box styles. Both the "Rich and stimulating" Shiloh 2017 Privilege Red Blend ($19.99) from Judean Hills in Israel and the earthy Quasar 2016 Gran Reserva Merlot ($20) from Maipo Valley in Chile snagged a 94-point Gold Medal. 90+ Cellars lives up to their name by scoring 92-points for their 2017 Reserve Chardonnay out of Russian River Valley, which judges lauded as a "great balance of creamy, toasty oak and zippy acidity."

The WVWC results make economics and hedonics pour in unison. Check out these affordable pairing ideas:

• The fresh simplicity of seared scallops is a fantastic first course to serve alongside the pure and elegant Zonte's Footstep 2018 Shades of Gris Australian Pinot Grigio ($18.00).
• For cheese pairing, why not choose bubbles? Pop a luxurious 92-point French crémant, Louis Revoir NV Cuvee Prestige Brut ($19) and serve with triple-cream washed-rind cheese. Impress your guests with this super-sophisticated sparkler alongside a perfect bite of Camembert; you'll be the only one that knows it cost less than twenty dollars.
• Seek out the gold-medal-winning Three Ghost Vine 2016 Pinot Noir. At $7.46 a bottle, this is one of the best values on the market to pair with anything from Chinese take-out to tea-smoked duck.

With so many bottles to choose from, in-the-know tipplers love how easy Tastings.com makes it to find their favorite award-winning wines. Each recommended wine is listed with a tasting note, suggested pairings, and style guide to help discover the best bottle for every taste. Their 'Buy It' button on each high-scoring wine's page effortlessly pulls up a list of all the shops that carry the bottle. For a complete list of this year's winners and the only value wine buying guide consumers need, visit Tastings.com.

About Tastings.com: Tastings, powered by the Beverage Testing Institute, was founded in 1981 with the goal of producing fair, impartial wine reviews for consumers.

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