These days Italy became a symbol of the crisis. But we know of another Italy - a beautiful wine country.
Have you heard of Vernaccia di San Gimignano? Its history runs so deep that it was the very first DOC in Italy when the new quality system was introduced in 1966. In 1993 it earned the status of DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). It means that it's at the top of the Italian wine pyramid.

2018 Podere La Casa Rossa is an excellent example of younger Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine. It's made from the Vernaccia di San Gimignano grape native to this region in Tuscany. What's great about this wine, it's among a few white wines that have the potential for aging and acquiring more complex character.

Aromas: White blossom, biscuit cookie, yellow apple, beeswax, and minerality.
Flavors: Asian pear, apple, flinty, and wet stone minerality.
Podere La Casa Rossa has a character that lands it somewhere in between aromatic Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay with substantial body, borrowing the best from both wines.

Did we say we loved it? The kicker, it's under $20 and a slam dunk on our list of great value wines.

What is your favorite Chardonnay style? One of our favorites is something in between those two - Pouilly-Fuissé.

2017 Clos Noly Pouilly-Fuissé is an excellent example of it. A bright nose with apples, lemon, and a whiff of minerality. Not as much as in Chablis, but just enough to add complexity. On the palate, yellow apple, melon and tangerine, and a touch of beeswax. Not as ripe as California Chardonnay, but just enough to be in a sweet spot.

Clos Noly is a classic pairing with seafood, vegetables, and pork chops.

If you a fan of aromatic white wines with refreshing acidity such as Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño, you might add Gota Prunus to the list of your favorites.

It's a blend of native Portuguese varietals, including Encruzado, Cerceal Branco, Malavasia Fina, and Bical.
Aromas and flavors of white blossom, peach, apricots, and lemon twist accompanied by mouth-watering and refreshing acidity are easy to like.

It will pair well with hard aged cheeses and grilled octopus.

There's less and less Sylvaner grape in Alsace because it's being replaced by noble varietals: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat. So when we saw it, we bought it without consulting with any of the wine apps. Wines made by Agathe Bursin, the young and talented winemaker from Alsace, are sold even before they released, and we lucky that our local store has it at all.

This aromatic wine with complex notes honeysuckle, peach, and candle wax charmed us from the first whiff. The off-dry flavors of apricot, cantaloupe, and minerality made us think of the summer on the gray winter day.

So if you like aromatic white wines, you must try this Sylvaner. With a price tag under $20 this is an excellent bargain.

2017 Greyrock Te Mana Sauvignon Blanc from the legendary Marlborough region of New Zealand.

Unlike cheap Kiwi Sav Blancs, it wasn't overly grassy and grapefruity. The aromas started on the tropical note with passion fruit and pineapple, and grapefruit was complimenting other flavors rather than leading the charge.

On the palate, it had a more substantial feel that $10 bottles and felt almost buttery and velvety. The flavors were a balanced combination of nectarine, grapefruit, and touch of pineapple and minerality. It had a rather lengthy finish with pronounced nectarine and almond notes.

We compared it at room temperature and chilled. We enjoyed it more chilled because it felt fresher (duh) and fruitier. We also realized that it had a sweet spot because the aromas disappeared when it got too cold.

2018 Ohh! Poitou Sauvignon Blanc from relatively young Haut-Poitou appellation of the Loire Valley of France is another addition to our recommendation list of wines under $20.

With passion, fruit, grassy, lemon, and white blossom aromas, it reminded us of New Zealand Sauv Blancs but without an "in-your-face" attitude.

It's dry, flinty, and vibrant with chalky, dusty citrus and mineral flavors reveal its French roots.
So if you want to take a break from New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc, Ohh! Pitou is an excellent alternative to wines from Southern Hemisphere.

2018 Rosé by Domaine Brazilier from Loire Valley of France is made with red grape Pineau d’Aunis.
This red grape used to be the favorite variety of the English King, Henry Plantagenet, who introduced wine made from it to England in 1246.

In the present day, the grape is allowed in many Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) wine areas of the Loire valley along with Coteaux du Vendomois and Cheverny. Pineau is often used like Pinot Noir and is utilized to produce white wines and rose in both sparkling and still wine styles.

Domaine Brazilier has a beautiful salmon pink color. We loved the aromas of red apple, apple candy, and hay that are not what we typically expect from Rosé.

The flavor profile is an exciting combination. We sensed apple, tangerine, sweet lemon, ripe white grapefruit, strawberry, and a touch of salinity and minerality. Coupled with a more substantial body and almost off-dry finish, it made an unforgettable impression.

2018 Rosé by Château de Montfaucon comes from Lirac Cru terroir in the heart of Rhone, France. Chateau located right next to Châteauneuf du Pape.

This Rosé is a blend of almost equal parts of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and a little of Carignan and Clairette.

On the nose, it's a bouquet of strawberry, red apple, nectarine, and bubble gum aromas.
The flavors of cherry, cream, and peaches with the spiciness of white pepper make this wine irresistible.

It's delicious on its own or can be paired with many summer dishes.

2013 Viña Vilano Reserva from Ribera del Duero of Spain.

It has everything that we expect from a good quality Tempranillo from this region and more.100% The Tempranillo grapes for this wine come from 50-year old vines located in the infamous Ribera del Duero region of Spain. The wine is aged for 20 months in French and Croatian oak barrels and 18 months in a bottle.

Aromas: sour cherry, cedar, dark chocolate, and a touch of plum and earthy notes.
Flavors: cherry, plum, chocolate, and earthy notes.

Overall: 2013 Vina Vilano is a well-balanced wine with fruit-forward aromas and flavors complemented by incorporated tannins and refreshing acidity.

Many Italian wine lovers worship the Friuli region (full name Friuli-Venezia Giulia) in the north-east corner of Italy.

Friuli wines are somewhat foreign to Italians. They are a product of a hilly, no man's land between Veneto, Slovenia, and southern Austria, and they taste like it. It's the land of the varietal wine, and they can grow 17 of them, made principally to express the fruit of the grape variety specified on the label. What Friuli is most known for are aromatic whites. It's the only part of Italy in which they can be produced with ease.

So when we saw the 2016 Vigneti Le Monde Cabernet Franc, naturally, we were curious to explore it.
Aromas: black currant, wet leaf, leather, and rusty iron.

Flavors: black cherry, ripe red currant, and distinct prune aftertaste.

This Cab Franc has sensible acidity and medium tannins that complement the nicely fruity and savory profile of this wine. You might enjoy this wine on its own, but as with many Italian wines, it goes better with food. Try it with roasted duck, rabbit, or liver pate.

It is hard to imagine a good Bordeaux wine under $20, but you are an occasional French wine drinker, and in love with dry red wine, this wine might impress you.

While wines from this region are usually kept in a cellar for several years before drinking, we still think it is nice to have a preview tasting before you decide to buy more.

What we particularly liked about this wine its minerality. The south-facing slopes of Château La Prade vineyards are filled with black mica and iron, and half of all vineyards soil has lots of limestone in it, which gives the wine that important sense of minerality.

In the glass: tobacco leaf, black currant, blackberries, and cherries. The long finish filled with cherry pits and dried red berries.

Well-integrated tannins make it pleasant enough to add a drop or two more in a glass, which we can't resist.
Chateau La Prade is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Al least one hour of decanting is recommended.

2015 Chateau Labadie Comes from small communes whose names are less well-known than their famous neighbors. This small Saul has a long history, and it is family-run.

Jérôme Bibey Is a young generation winemaker who modernizes the state and brings up the winemaking style to the current standards.

It's a Merlot forward blend with notes of cassis, plum, black cherry, and a bit of cedar. On the palate, it has balanced acidity and tannins with flavors of chocolate-covered plums and sour cherry.
We didn't think twice before adding this bottle to our list of great wines under $20.

La Mascaronne Fazioli 2014 is an excellent example of Syrah from Provence. The aromas of plum, cherry, herbs, cured meat, and flavors dark fruit and chocolate paired great with the sauteed liver.
Fazioli is delicious on it's own and with food and makes an excellent weekday wine.

2015 Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge Les Arbousiers comes from the certified organic Domaine located in the small high altitude village of Sabran in Southern Rhone.

Owned by Rémy Klein and his son Oliver, the vineyards are planted at a relatively high altitude between 600 to 900 feet. Effectively, it's a cooler climate than Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas and results in livelier and fresher wines not often encountered in the Southern Rhone.

In the bottle:

The wine has a deep ruby color, just as we expect from Côtes du Rhône.
Plum, raspberry, dark chocolate, leather, graphite, and touch of smoke.
Cherry, red currant, lingonberry, dry strawberry, plum, dark chocolate, and toast.