The Cheese Shop of Salem

View Original

Our Favorite Wines Under $20



Say hello to the perfect wines for Memorial Day weekend!

These bottles are tasty, organic, natural, and affordable. With price tags below $20, they bust the myth that natural or organic wine is always expensive.


2020 Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño

If you ever see the word Pipeño on a bottle of Chilean wine, this means that it’s a perfect warm weather bottle! Pipeño is a traditional style of light-bodied red wine that is high in acidity and meant to be slightly chilled down. Winemaker David Marcel moved from France for new wine opportunities when he was just 22 years old and has since planted roots, figuratively and literally, at his organic winery Viña Maitia in southern Chile. 2020 Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño is made mostly from the historical grape País with a splash of Carignan; it is fermented and briefly aged in concrete. This zero-oak, party in a bottle has robust and tart notes of cranberry, pine, and Luxardo cherries. The Aupa 1.5L MAGS just arrived too, so that’s even MORE Aupa fun.

2019 Domaine Rimbert ‘Cousin Oscar’ 

This is a flirty bottle of fun whose name and vintage label design are inspired by the irresistible boyfriend of the winemaker’s cousin. In the sunny, hot Languedoc region of southern France, Jean-Marie Rimbert crafts this wine from 100% Cinsault; it is all organic, fermented with native yeasts, and aged in tank seeing no oak. Oscar boasts a fruity, minerally finish and is the perfect pairing for cheese and charcuterie. But watch out for Oscar, this rascal, - ‘on se l’arrache’ - you’ll be fighting over the last drop!

2020 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco 

Say hello to your new go-to white wine for summer. This Italian stunner is made high up in the Dolomite mountain range in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige. The Lageder family has a long history of biodynamic winemaking in this prestigious wine region, and nowadays Alois Lageder IV happily spends time in the cellar with his son Alois Clemens crafting up their next new cuvée together. 2019 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco is aged for 4 months on its lees, giving it a full-bodied mouthfeel. Enjoy notes of pears, apples, and stoniness, and for an excellent cheese pairing, try a chilled glass of Lageder Pinot Bianco with a savory Alpine style cheese like Alpha Tolman or Challerhocker.