Everyone wants a wine that over-delivers on quality for an excellent price. But finding those kinds of deals can require a little extra wine knowledge and some research. To streamline the process, we tapped wine professionals who have tasted wines from all over the world to fill us in on the wine regions, bottles, producers, and countries that they think are worth spending your hard-earned cash on. Their recommendations range from underrated Sicilian bottles and lesser-known grapes like aligoté to excellent producers who don’t get enough shine.
Here, your best bets for getting your money’s worth on white wine.
The best bang-for-your-buck white wines, according to sommeliers:
- Orin Swift Mannequin Chardonnay
- Domaine Giachino Roussette de Savoie
- Alberto Orte Atlantida Blanco
- Hubert Lamy Bourgogne Blanc Les Chataigniers
- Giacobbe winery
- Wine from regions famous for red wine
- Aligoté
- Portuguese white wine
- Spanish white wine
- Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
- Sicilian white wine
- Willamette Valley
- German riesling
- Italian white wine
“Orin Swift Mannequin Chardonnay is a well-balanced wine with aromas of green apples, orange blossoms, and a hint of honeysuckle.” —Andy Duong, food and beverage director, Revere Hotel, Boston
“The Savoie has a really high concentration of profoundly interesting wines, with dynamic presence and alpine freshness. Domaine Giachino Roussette de Savoie is worth seeking out as it is farmed organically with some regenerative practices, and has everything you would want in a cold-weather white wine: a medley of baked and fresh fruit, spiced hazelnut, firm acidity, and great length of finish.” —Thomas Mahne, bar manager, The Lexington, Boston
“Alberto Orte’s Atlantida Blanco. Made with vijirega, a grape variety that almost went extinct, this wine from Cadiz showcases beautiful tropical and stone fruit notes, high acidity, and minerality. It is full-bodied and lively and a food-friendly wine. What more can you ask for?” —Melissa Romanos, beverage manager, Atlántico, Boston
“My favorite value wine is currently Hubert Lamy Bourgogne Blanc Les Chataigniers. I think this wine over-delivers for the price, and is made from one of Burgundy’s best white wine producers. It may be a bit difficult to find, but it’s absolutely lovely.” —Hugo Bensimon, wine director, Grill23, Boston
“Our team takes an annual trip together to Italy, and we just visited Giacobbe winery in Lazio! Alberto is a third-generation winemaker but the first in his family to bottle the wines. He is forward-thinking and very passionate about making Lazian wines more recognized. His white wines made from Passerina are super versatile.” —Charlotte Mirzoeff, wine director, Forsythia, NYC
“My trick with bang-for-your-buck wines is to look to regions in the Mediterranean known for their reds, and buy their whites. Every winery who produces high-quality reds has to have a white in their lineup, and it serves the company for that white to be great so it’ll sell, but they can’t charge what they do for reds or it won’t.” —Danya Degen, general manager and sommelier, Méli Wine & Mezze, Washington, D.C.
“I buy as much aligoté as possible. It’s a great opportunity to drink juice from legendary white Burgundy producers like Roulot, Jobard, and Lafon. The last few vintages are singing! The best part is that you don’t have to hide your credit card statement from your partner.” —Jason Stanhope, executive chef, The Quinte, Charleston, S.C.
“I often find myself enjoying Portuguese white wine. Considering the price for quality, [it’s] crazy good. Portugal is quickly becoming recognized globally for their insanely delicious wines, but in my opinion, they still aren’t priced like some of their stylistic Old World peers.” —Todd Johnston, beverage director and sommelier, Marsh House, Nashville
“Head to Spain for white wines that are opulent, complex, and unique. If I am in the mood for Burgundy on a budget, I head to Spain!” —Jessica Preston, head sommelier, Resident Hospitality, NYC
“I still remember my first taste of a slightly aged Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay. I was utterly amazed by the exceptional Burgundy-like quality of a wine coming from New Zealand, and even more blown away by its affordable price point.” —Nicholas Schulman, director of wine, RPM Restaurants, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Las Vegas
“Sicily is becoming an obvious place to travel in Italy, but their wines are certainly not obvious selections with Cataratto, Carricante, Grillo, Inzonia, and Malvasia being the main grapes that you will see in this massive region. They are influenced by the Mediterranean, the volcanic soil of Mt. Etna, and the chalk-like soil that provides a cooler soil temperature, [which] provide a certain amount of aromatic, elegant, and fresh structure to the wine.”—Katie Ellis, general manager, Giusto, Newport, R.I.
“Willamette Valley Chardonnay is currently a tremendous domestic white wine value grab, translating to a unique and beautiful American terroir, while sharing a kinship with great white Burgundy.” —Brent Karlicek, vice president of beverage, Postino WineCafé, Irvine, Calif.
“My go-to is typically German riesling. I’m able to find back-vintage German rieslings that not only offer great value, but also age beautifully. I’ve had great success finding birth-year German Rieslings from producers like Nikolaihof, J.B. Becker, Alfred Merkelbach, and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, which are great to give as gifts.” —Lauren Hoey, wine director, Jupiter, NYC
“Dollar for dollar, I don’t think there is a better bang for your buck than Italy, especially mid-range Italian white wines. From Friuli-Venezia Giulia (the northeastern corner of the boot) to Sicily (the southwestern island it’s kicking) you can find wines in the $20–$40 range that will consistently outperform their more recognizable European cousins.” —Erik Lombardo, general manager, Lupetto, NYC
Image via lomb – stock.adobe.com
