{"id":22331,"date":"2013-05-03T08:42:29","date_gmt":"2013-05-02T22:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=22331"},"modified":"2013-05-03T08:42:29","modified_gmt":"2013-05-02T22:42:29","slug":"top-5-wines-under-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.co.nz\/vc\/blog\/top-5-wines-under-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 wines under $20"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s no secret we love a bargain and we love wine and we figure there\u2019s a good chance you do too \ud83d\ude09 We asked our Wine Expert Rowena for her favourite bargain drops, all ready to be delivered to your desk or door. Too easy! <\/strong>
\nWhat can $20 get you these days? A movie ticket if you\u2019re lucky? A cab ride home? 15 minutes of a personal training session to work off the popcorn from that movie? Nothing\u2019s getting any cheaper these days.
\nNothing except wine that is! A strong Aussie dollar and higher production than ever before has seen the relative price of wine fall in recent years. While the occasional bottle from the top shelf still has its place, gone are the days that you had to give the ol\u2019 plastic a serious workout to get a half-decent bottle of vino.
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Top tip: <\/font><\/strong><\/em>Forget lugging overpriced single bottles home from the shops when you need them on a whim. For the price of a few bottles over the counter you can have a whole case of the stuff delivered to our door to be tucked away for when it\u2019s needed. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Ro\u2019s top wine picks under $20 a bottle <\/font><\/font><\/strong>
\nThese aren\u2019t cancelled exports or questionable cleanskins, just my favourite drops of red, white and bubbles that you can get into, some for less than the price of a coffee and a muffin.
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\n1.\tThe perfect red: $7.67 a bottle when you buy a dozen <\/strong>
\nA bottle of red is the liquid equivalent of eating a block of chocolate at home in your oldest track pants, but with the added bonus of being able to enjoy it with friends and not have them think you\u2019re an emotional wreck. And when it comes to easy-drinking reds to sit on a couch with, the Grant Burge Batch 26 Merlot<\/em><\/a> gets five comfy stars out of five. Smooth, plush and fruit-forward with a rounded finish, this is the perfect companion to any evening that includes too much food, d&m\u2019s and bare feet.
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<\/p><\/div>2.\tThe crowd-pleaser Sauv Blanc: $8.99 a bottle when you buy a dozen<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s a good bet that every party you\u2019ve been to in the last three years has featured a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. They\u2019ve dominated the market as drinker after drinker has fallen in love with their aromatic tropical fruit flavours that float straight out of the glass. The vineyards of Marlborough have become synonymous with great Sauv, and if that\u2019s your favourite tipple then look no further than the Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc<\/em><\/a>. Passionfruit and gooseberry with a fresh zesty palate, this is a no-brainer if you love your Kiwi whites.
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<\/p><\/div>3.\tThe one when you need to impress: $12.99 a bottle when you buy a dozen<\/strong>
\nWhen you need to pull out the big guns, it\u2019s time to reach for a Pinot. Premium enough to impress even the most hardened wine snob amongst us, our choice is the Secret Pinot Noir<\/em><\/a> like Secret Hotels<\/em><\/a> but for wine!) from Central Otago in New Zealand. If you\u2019re looking for class, elegance and a mega bargain, this is for you. Complex and brooding yet slippery and light on the tongue. Think long black dresses, satin bed sheets and skipping dessert.
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<\/p><\/div>4.\tThe go to Chardy (yes, really!): $5.50 a bottle when you buy a dozen <\/strong>
\nChardonnay has languished in the background for years now, with most people still trying to forget the overly oaky offerings of years gone by. But don\u2019t let flashbacks to Pac-Man and Bon Jovi turn you off the new generation of Chardies. Wines like the Naked Owl Chardonnay<\/em><\/a> are leading the charge in an era of tighter, leaner more subtle versions of what was for many years Australia\u2019s favourite white. Just leave the leather pants at home this time.
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<\/p><\/div>5.\tThe bubbles to get any party started: $12.99 a bottle when you buy a dozen <\/strong>
\nYes, Europe is in a financial mess. And yes, we spare a thought for those poor Europeans. But look at how cheap we can buy their stuff now! The
\nSaint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux<\/em><\/a> is the oldest sparkling wine ON EARTH. Discovered by accident monks in the 16th Century, it\u2019s a delicate blend of wines that form a dry, tight bubbly that the rest of the world has envied for almost half a millennium.
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<\/p><\/div>We\u2019re sure the French weren\u2019t happy to see it go at these prices, but seeing as they had it to themselves for hundreds of years before Australia was even discovered we figure it\u2019s about our turn to have a go at the finer things in life.
\nBag yourself a delicious bargain here.<\/a><\/em><\/strong>
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What\u2019s your favourite bargain drop? Let us know in the comments below!<\/em><\/h3>\n

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