Best Value Wines under $25

Textured & Mineral

A collaboration between Nicholas Pearce and Will Predhomme to create wines from their favourite regions. This Chenin is made from old bush vines grown in decomposed granite/quartz on the Helderburg (Clear Mountain), in the southwestern-most corner of Stellenbosch.

Behold, Chenin Blanc! The most widely planted varietal in South Africa simply shines in this charming expression from Stellenbosch. Sourced from old vines and naturally fermented, expect elegant notes of white peach, lemon and tangerine with an underlying layer of crisp yellow apple. Bright and fresh on the palate, but with good depth and concentration, this wine is ready to drink now but will also cellar nicely for the next 2-3 years.

This Chenin Blanc pairs perfectly with all kinds of fresh seafood; and also with tartare. Smoked salmon or trout would also be delicious next to a glass of this old vines Chenin. Its rich texture makes it suitable to be paired with goat cheese, roast chicken and butternut squash.

Zesty & Mineral

Gilvesy winery is located in the outskirts of Lake Balaton, near an ancient dormant volcano, in Hungary. Hungarian expat Robert Gilvesy moved back to his homeland from Canada to start this exciting project involving native grape varieties and volcanic soils.

This blend is light and fresh. On the nose, it's all about hints of mint, lemon and fresh cucumber, while on the palate it's zesty, with notes of green apple and citrus fruit.

It's delicious when paired with summer meals: fresh salads dressed with dried fruits such as cranberries and walnuts, grilled fish with potatoes and zesty ceviches.

Fresh & Juicy

The Cortonesi family has owned the La Mannella farm in Montalcino for decades and are devoted to the production of Brunello di Montalcino. This wine, Lèonus, is a humble but mighty Toscana IGT made from grapes that are in fact declassified Brunello grapes, from vineyards in Montalcino.

It is one of the best value wines from the area. ​This Rosso Toscano is juicy and fresh. Full of red cherries and dark berries on the nose, with a delicate astringency on the palate. It has such a great balance and it drinks so well that it's the perfect everyday wine.

This wine pairs brilliantly with dishes prepared with tomato sauce and herbs, such as lasagna or pizza. It's also great with antipasti (olives, cured meats, pecorino cheese), and simply roasted meats or chicken.

Bright & Creamy

The Baud estate dates back to 1742, today the 9th generation manages the winery. Siblings Clementine and Bastien, both under 30, are making some of the best value wines in the area. Jura is that narrow valley in the remote hills between Burgundy and Switzerland, which millions of years ago was covered by an Ocean and today still bares many of the fossils from that time.  If you kick a stone in a Jura vineyard, it will probably be a fossil. 

This sparkler, or Crémant, is made in the traditional Champagne style, where the second fermentation happens inside the bottle. This Crémant has rich aromatics of apple fruit with citrus, toasted brioche and a striking minerality. It sparks a great balance between creaminess and vivacity.  If you like Champagne, but not the price tag, then this is the wine of choice for you. 

It is very versatile at the table and you can drink this with almost any dish: try it with all types of classic cuisine or even spicy Asian dishes, caramelized popcorn or fried chicken!

Tropical & Mineral

This is by far one of the coolest Sauvignon Blanc wines we have ever tasted. This white wine is made next door to Auxerre, in the region of Chablis. It's kind of a unicorn wine: in Burgundy, Chardonnay and Aligoté are generally the only white varieties allowed to be grown. However, St Bris is the exception! This white Burgundy is made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The Saint Bris has aromas of citrus fruits like grapefruit and mandarin orange that jump out of the glass, this is followed by peach, and crushed blackcurrant leaves with light exotic scents like lychee. This complexity on the nose follows through on the palate which is textured, soft and floral, with a distinct minerality on the finish.

Saint Bris calls for oysters! It's also a wonderful choice with herb-driven sauces over chicken and fish dishes. We also love pairing it with Vietnamese and Thai meals with lots of lemon-grass, and fresh cheeses.

Ripe & Fruity

Pardevalles is recognized for being one of the driving forces behind the D.O Tierra de León, betting on the development of the indigenous grape varieties Prieto Picudo and Albarín Blanco.

This 100% Prieto Picudo rosé is intense and fresh on the nose.  Rich and hypnotizing aromas of raspberry, strawberry, herbs, citrus and red rose petals jump out of the glass.  These flavours follow through on the palate, which is both powerful and flavourful, while maintaining great freshness.

Enjoy this one on its own while basking in the sun.

Floral & Fruity

A collaboration between Nicholas Pearce and Will Predhomme to create wines from their favourite regions. This Cinsault/Syrah is made from bush vines planted in Koffieklip soils in the Southwestern of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

It has a brilliant medium purple colour in the glass. On the nose, it's all about fresh ripe red & black fruit: cherry, strawberry, wild raspberry; with hints of intense spice, it also has a granite minerality. On the palate it is light-bodied, with a vibrant acid and grippy though delicate tannins. It intermingles with surprisingly powerful fruit & spice; punching above its weight in flavour. It is very balanced with low alcohol.

This light red pairs with all manner of dishes: from barbecue meats to grilled salmon and veggies, to spicy dishes.

Full & Fresh

Mas Carlot is situated in the south of the Rhône Valley, extending across 76 hectares of pebbly land southeast of Nîmes. This blend of 60% Roussanne, 30% Marsanne and 10% Viognier is outstanding.

An elegant white that offers up notes of peach marmalade, apricots, honeyed pears, candle wax and a touch of buttered brioche. With a good fresh acidity as well as abundant fruit and flavour, this attractive, medium-bodied wine overdelivers.

Pair this rich white well with shellfish, chicken, veal, pork and vegetables prepared with savoury butter, cream or mild cheese-based sauces.

Bright & Juicy

At the very heart of the Rhône Valley, at the northerly tip of the Southern Rhône, lie the vineyards of Grignan-Les-Adhémar.

Le Devoy checks in as a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. It has terrific notes of forest floor, cracked pepper, flowers and darker berry fruits as well as medium-bodied richness, an elegant, supple texture and notable purity of fruit. This wine has considerable charm and appeal and makes for a great everyday bottle.

Pair this wine with just about anything!

Rich & Bold

Finca Aylés is located in the northeast of Spain, near the city of Zaragoza, halfway between Madrid and Barcelona.  The wine project of the Ramón Reula family began its journey in the 1980s and ended with the reunification of various properties that had belonged to the Finca Aylés since the Middle Ages. Today, Aylés is one of the largest private historical farms in Aragón.  

Attractive deep cherry red in colour. The wine displays a pronounced intensity on the nose, well defined, with an extraordinarily complex and wide range of aromas; think dark red fruits, ink, and spices.  On the palate the wine is clearly defined by its elegance and ripe fruit intensity. It's harmonious and well balanced leading to a rich finish. 

It's the perfect wine to pair with rich meats and anything on the BBQ.

Mineral & Zesty

A collaboration between Nicholas Pearce and Will Predhomme to create wines from their favourite regions. This Pinot Gris is made from vines planted in Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon.

Brilliant straw colour with youthful yet intense aromas of white peach, stone fruit, green apple and citrus. Bright acidity and freshness on the palate with a round mouthfeel but it stays surprisingly refreshing. Distinctly Oregonian; a clean, fresh style of Pinot Gris.

This Pinot Gris is zesty and fresh, and pairs amazingly with sushi, ceviche and even richer meals like fish and chips! It is also beautiful with white meats, such as chicken and turkey.

Bright & Creamy

Our favourite bubbly wine is back for its 8th vintage and as always, made in partnership with Lighthall Vineyards in Prince Edward County. This is a small batch “Brut Blanc” Cuvée, made using the Charmat method bottled as VQA Ontario. This vintage shows a blend based on early pick Niagara Peninsula Vidal from St David’s Bench with Prince Edward County Riesling from South Bay.

We had an instant crush on this new vintage: the beautiful bubbles are so nicely integrated and complement the wild floral aromas of the Vidal, all backed by the bracing acidity and orchard fruit of the South Bay, Prince Edward County Riesling. Dangerously delicious in the glass, this wine is built for both celebration and gastronomy.

The Ward 5 Brut Blanc’s very well balanced acidity makes it perfect to pair with oily and fatty foods, such as cheese boards, salmon, roasted chicken or even fish and chips!

Fresh & Balanced

A true Niagara Villages wine focused on a blend of organic, biodynamic and uncertified sustainably farmed vineyards throughout the Peninsula with a focus on Quarry Road (Vinemount Ridge), Cherry Road (Twenty Mile Bench) & the Tintern Vineyard. The grapes are harvested, destemmed, wild fermented "whole berry" for 18 days, before gravity flow takes them into French barrels. This fresh Pinot Noir was then left to age for 16 months in barrel before bottling.

The 2019 vintage is marked by elegance over power, brimming with brightness and approachability straight out of the gate, with not hard edges. Light ruby-red in the glass, high toned aromas of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, backed by roasted herbs, spice and pepper. Great weight and poise for Ontario, but still the light to medium bodied Pinot Spectrum with balanced tannins and acids holding on to fine and lengthy finish.

Certainly a vintage on the edge, marked by many cold and wet days. However, as every mother does, mother (nature) kicked in and saved the day with a gloriously warm and dry finally to the cooler growing season.

Fresh & Balanced

Emblematically Niagara, this vibrant Chardonnay is made with organic, biodynamic and sustainably-farmed grapes from the Peninsula with a focus on three star vineyards, Quarry Road (Vinemount Ridge), Cherry Road (Twenty Mile Bench), and the Kocsis - Red Foot Vineyard (Lincoln Lakeshore).

The 2018 vintage in Niagara marks a full and warm growing season, with just the right amount of heat and rain. The crops came in showing low yields with great quality. A vigneron's dream! Expect straw gold in the glass with gorgeous orchard fruits, apple and peach on the nose with notes of marine, hazelnut, lemon custard, and blonde caramel essence. This elegant wine offers a lovely texture on the palate, rich and round with biscuits and cream, while boasting a lip-smacking acidity with an herbal tea tannin.

Bright, lively, and slightly viscous, ready to pair with cream sauces or white fish in beurre blanc.

Fresh & Zesty

The Vitas Winery has been in the family since 1937, for four generations. Despite its French origin, Pinot Grigio has been cultivated in Friuli since the 18th century, where it has found an ideal habitat to produce wines of exceptional quality.

This dry-farmed Friulian Pinot Grigio is different in style than its counterpart from Veneto. The wine wears a straw yellow robe with elegant copper-gold overtones. Its bouquet is elegant and intense, with hints of acacia flowers, dry hay, walnut kernel, yellow peach and golden apple, intertwined with fresh and mineral notes. On the palate, it promises a concentrated palate full of fragrant white peaches, tangerines, and a spritzy minerality.

A perfect casual sipper, or to complement antipasti, fried fish or vegetables and light pasta dishes.

This mixed case includes 6 bottles of 2018 Crew Sauvage Chardonnay and 6 bottles of 2019 Crew Sauvage Pinot Noir.

Emblematically Niagara, these two wines are made with organic, biodynamic and sustainably-farmed grapes from the Peninsula with a focus on three star vineyards, Quarry Road (Vinemount Ridge), Cherry Road (Twenty Mile Bench), and the Kocsis - Red Foot Vineyard (Lincoln Lakeshore).

The 2018 vintage in Niagara marks a full and warm growing season, with just the right amount of heat and rain. The crops came in showing low yields with great quality. A vigneron's dream!

These Crew Sauvage have a remarkable balance of concentration and weight, while remaining fresh and lifted in their youth.

Floral & Fresh

Stéphane Aviron can be considered a pioneer is his approach to winemaking in Beaujolais, however he would just tell you that he’s simply returning to the traditional practices that have always made fantastic Gamay wines. Sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques.

The appellation of Côte de Brouilly sits on the high slopes of the extinct volcano Mont Brouilly and is surrounded by the larger appellation of Brouilly.  This wine has Finesse, elegance it shows loads of rich red and dark berry fruit, spice notes, and avery good concentration. It has a soft texture with a touch of spice.

We recommend to pair Aviron's Côtes de Brouilly with mushroom risotto, rabbit or cheese.

This mixed case includes 12 bottles: 6 bottles of Ward 5 and 6 bottles of First Contact.

Ward 5 Brut Blanc Cherry Valley Prince VQA Ontario 2020. Our favourite bubbly wine is back for its 8th vintage and as always, made in partnership with Lighthall Vineyards in Prince Edward County. This is a small batch “Brut Blanc” Cuvée, made using the Charmat method bottled as VQA Ontario. This vintage shows a blend based on early pick Niagara Peninsula Vidal from St David’s Bench with Prince Edward County Riesling from South Bay. We had an instant crush on this new vintage: the beautiful bubbles are so nicely integrated and complement the wild floral aromas of the Vidal, all backed by the bracing acidity and orchard fruit of the South Bay, Prince Edward County Riesling. Dangerously delicious in the glass, this wine is built for both celebration and gastronomy.

First Contact Skin Fermented White VQA Ontario 2019. Vidal and Sauvignon Blanc (50/50ish) were sourced from the infamous Wismer Vineyard, in Niagara's Twenty Mile Bench. Grapes were crushed and fermented on skins for the entire primary fermentation, which lasted 17 days. The juice was then left to settle and bottled during the first signs of Spring in March 2020.

Deep straw gold in colour with punchy aromatics of fresh fermentation; Green tea, Meyer lemon, tangerine, hops, olive brine & salted almonds. Truly energetic and fresh with notes reminiscent of a delicious Weiss Beer. On the palate, it has a great tannic structure, lovely acidity and beautiful balance. With low alcohol at 11%, this wine was built to drink, not just to taste.

We have been having fun pairing it with a variety of vegetables and meats using Middle Eastern, North African & Mediterranean inspired spices and techniques. Or even just a bowl of marinated olives, to keep it simple. 

Floral & Juicy

Husband and wife duo Ilya and Nadia started Leaning Post winery in Niagara over 10 years ago. Initially a virtual set up, the winery now located on Highway 8, has become a reference producer in Niagara.

This rosé is a blend of Pinot Noir (70%) and Cabernet Franc. Leaning Post makes this wine in the style that they love to enjoy.  The nose has vibrant red fruits such as, sour cherry, raspberry, watermelon with complimentary savoury notes with hints of floral orange blossom. The palate supports the nose with rich texture and a delicate finish. This bright, refreshing Rose was built for warm summer days and good company!

Fresh & Mineral

After working several vintages at wineries in France, South Africa and California, Chris & Andrea chose to settle in the Swartland region of South Africa, firmly believing that the granite and schist based terroirs and the old vineyards had the potential to produce truly great wine. They were not wrong.

The Kloof Street range is all about freshness, balance and great drinkability. This wine has notes of sun ripened pears and wet granite. The palate has a vibrant acidity balanced by a soft, round texture and some pithy character. The wine has a fresh, mineral finish.

We recommend to pair this zesty wine with ceviche-style dishes. Pasta al pesto is another terrific pairing option!

Tropical & Mineral

Pardevalles is recognized for being one of the driving forces behind the D.O Tierra de León, betting on the development of the indigenous grape varieties Prieto Picudo and Albarín Blanco. The Albarín grape is an indigenous variety from the south of the province of León. This grape variety had almost disappeared until Pardevalles recovered it. 

This expressive Albarín Blanco shows fresh aromas of herbs and citrus, notes of white fruit and some earthy and mineral qualities.  Lively and crisp, this wine is quite original. Good acidity, with flavours of herbs and citrus on the palate and a smooth finish.  

This Spanish white goes perfectly with pasta dishes, seafood and fish. If you are feeling adventurous in the kitchen, make a paella with some mussels and shrimps!