love you, man... you are so different (in a vey good way) from the rest of the wine critics out there - very humble yet knowledgeable and informative. keep 'em coming!
Thank you Konstantin, the Pio Cesare stuck in my mind and today I stumbled across the 2018 Barbera d'Alba for $20aud ($14usd) and, as quickly as I checked online the standard local price ($40aud) I loaded up two cases and ran out of the store. Fantastic wine, we enjoyed a bottle with pasta and now considering going back to purchase the remaining stock. Cheers
Great to see Nossa from Filipa Pato. She and her father are making excellent wines. Would love to see you cover more from Portugal. There's so many underappreciated grape varieties and producers.
I tapped myself on the shoulder when I correctly identified the Washington Riesling based on your description :) For me the best wine under 30 dollars has to be the Jean-Louis Chauré Champagne Vielles Vignes 100% Chardonnay. At Eur 22,- this is a steal. You can also get many Georgian Kvevri wines both white(orange) and red under $30 which are amazing if you're into wine.
So happy to see the Bical grape celebrated in the Nossa from Filipa Pato. Her father turned the (in the 90's) dwindling Bairrada region (and its uttermost red expression, the Baga varietal) into a powerhouse and Filipa is doing the same with some whites, namely this and the Encruzado grape, which is a criminally under-recognized variety.
I recall when Baga was making a presence for the first time in the early 90s thanks to the Patos family. Loveky wine. Portugal has many great wines. Who has ever had aged Colares for example?
@@1949cr Colares is perfect for aging due to all that well-balanced sugar. Wines with Baga can be aged for 30+ years with no issues if properly rested in oak casks for 12 or more months. But Touriga Nacional is truly the ageing champion from all Portuguese grapes. I've tasted Douros with over 50 years that had no intent of being aged-ready wines when they were made that are still developing.
Konstantin I must compliment you on your reviewing style. You are very detailed in your reviews but you keep it nice and casual. I learn a lot from these videos. Wine can be overwhelming and you help with that. Cheers
Really great to see Portuguese wines being reviewed by you. Still so many excellent producers that are yet unknown. Which for me is great, as they stay cheap 🙂
I was surprised to see a wine I had actually tried in this video - the Cannonau di Sardinia - and happy that you vindicated my judgement of it. If I had read the article without seeing your video I might have dismissed the whole thing because of this one small sample, but instead I plan to search out some of these. Great video, as usual! My favorite sub-$30 wine lately was a surprise: a Copertino Riserva of mostly Negroamaro grapes. I bought it because it was 2011 vintage but only $15, and the label claimed it would age well. It had!
My family's from Argentina, so I do end up tasting a lot of Argentinian wine, and $20 seems to be a new quality checkpoint for Argentina. It's the price point where you're very likely to find high quality wine consistently. Personal favorites in that are the Marcelo Pelleriti Signature Series (they Malbec and Cabernet Franc are delicious) and the Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés ($16 here in the US). Outside of Argentina, I always have a Guigal Côtes du Rhône Red in my wine fridge and I scoop up some Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling every time a new vintage comes out.
Try to find the Blue Melosa from Gouguenheim Winery its a very small producer from Tupungato. That wine is, for me, one of the best i try out from argentina.
There are many amazing wines under $30. But there is one which somehow talks to my soul and makes every evening with wife and friends spectacular. Tancredi by Donnafugata - Terre Siciliane IGT - Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola, Tannat and other grapes. And thank you for yet another perfect video! You're making a lot of content nowadays, please, don't burn out :)
You are my favorite channel. Thanks for your hard work and effort in educating me and entertaining me. I watch and rewatch your videos daily. Will you ever do a tasting or blind tasting of port wines only? Because of my limitation in discerning subtleties in taste and smell I have a great fondness for fortified wines.
I love this post, thanks Konstantin, I will be able to get some of these wines in Dublin, especially Clos de los Siete Uco Valley and Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba - Seán
I see the South African wine through you a little...given you don't have a lot of SA wine experience, that makes sense....so glad you post regardless of whether you get it spot on or not...
I spent recently some time in Galicia, a neglected part of Europe which could thrive in the future just on this neglection... maybe. Of course I tried quite a few Albariños. Had never heard of it before and was surprised by its fine quality. Really loved some of these wines. Also found out that the addition of wood often made them indistinguishable from a (good) Chardonnay, at least for me. Not being Chardonnay's biggest fan I preferred certainly the elegance, complexity, finesse of the good non-oak versions. But: some Chardonnays seem to change. Recently at a restaurant I asked about a wine fitting my meal, "rather no Chardonnay, please", otherwise I let the waiter choose. He came back with a bottle with hidden label and let me prove. It turned out to be a Chardonnay, I did not recognize it at all - among others because of its well-integrated and clear acidity. A pleasure to drink. So, in the world of wine there is hope for everyone... and constant change.
I am so happy when I hear people praising Spanish wines. Although not spanish myself (rather from Romania, another wine country that could use some discovery) I love Spanish wines and I think that they are truly undervalued. I love Pazo Señorans Albariño, if you don’t know it then go for the Seleccion de Añada Albariño.Pricey but gets the job done!
I’d pay to watch Leon’s face when he first saw the footage 🤣 I commend you for keeping the video honest, even when it wasn’t your best performance. Other people would never dare really do a blind tasting, or would edit the video later. The selection was very broad and varied. I guessed the chardonnay correctly just from the description, though, because I’ve had other wines with very similar characteristics - chardonnay is ready for a resurgence, and I’m all for it!
I agree with you! I love Konstantin's honesty and humility. It's so refreshing and much more educational. And Chardonnay can be very surprising, depending on the region it comes from. I always thought I hated Chardonnay, but after tasting different types from various regions, I realized how much I loved it! I just don't like the typical variety from California.
Just picked up six bottles of Monte del Frà Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro 2019 for 9,50€ per bottle. I couldn’t resist after the review here .. as always thanks for your great work, Konstantin and Leon !
My favourite wine under $30 is from a Tuscan family called Ampeleia and the wine is called Un Litro (aptly comes in a 1 LTR bottle). They produce some more serious wine, but this is more of a table wine and is SO goddam delicious, it's a blend of Sangiovese, Carignan, Alicante, and Mourvedre. Crunchy, spicy, light, absolute glou glou, chill it for a bit and guzzle it down. I used to drink buckets of it in London when I found it in a local bottle shop (for 15 quid!) and now I'm very lucky to have found it here in Australia.
As i watched, you got through your gears :-) I very much look forward to Sundays as your videos are available :-) Danke/gracias/merci/obrigada/thanks x
There are various iterations of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, also the usual suspects in the red dept., Chilean Merlot &c&c here in UK that can be had for less than £6.00..I don't know how many US dollars this means, but, if you are looking for an inexpensive wine here in UK then it pays to stick with the major supermarkets' own brand selections. These buyers have both the knowledge and the muscle to get the best value. Relax, Konstantin.. Considering that EVERY grape variety can be made into wine ANYWHERE in the world, you did pretty well. Cheers! 👍🍷
Thanks for providing your thoughts on some of the more reasonably priced wines from the list. I am still a wine newbie so how you describe the wines is helpful when I have an opportunity to try one myself!!
So ironic, I bought the Clos de Los Siete a few months back to try a Uco Valley wine. Opened it last week and was as surprised as you. Thought it was great value for money. Thanks for your vids!
Great topic ! Almost all wines available here in Brazil ! But here they arrive at arround 50 us after taxes … My favorite wine under 30 this days is a very Barbaresco called Autinbej! Fresh and grippy! Cheers Konstantin !
Mal wieder ein tolles Video, Konstantin :) schön unprätentiös wie immer und total interessant! Falls du eine Idee für ein Video suchst, hätte ich da einen Einfall. Du hast ja bereits von Weinen in Kombination mit Fleisch gesprochen, vielleicht wäre ein ähnliches Video für Paarungen von vegetarischen Speisen und Weinen ganz interessant, die über den klassischen Weißwein zum Spargel hinaus gehen. Vielleicht sogar in Richtung Rotwein oder Rosé? Vielleicht findet ein Master of Wine ja einige geniale Mischungen ;)
Although I would say it's very hard to "really" love a wine under $30 USD (no grudges, it's a personal thing), with some rosés, it seams easier for some reason to find some super solid candidates. I would say the most deserving is the "Trois Moineaux" from the Niagara Falls region in Canada ($29), followed by Whispering Angel which at this point everyone already knows about it anyway so no introduction needed. Thanks for your extremely enjoyable content Konstantin!
Konstantin is not dropping any shots. FUN to watch the process, very enjoyable tasting. The medals comment is priceless! I'm just sarcastically amazed that K couldn't call the South African Chard. Haha! WS top 100 carries weight ...I think. Wi Spec to me is all over the place with their ratings. At least a couple of the other rags that overrate are more consistent. The magazines do have some use, I suppose. As I'm sure K knows, just to comment; evaluating any single btl on any single day and moment is a snapshot in any wines life.
The points system seems to have less value than ever and most industry sources are overly generous. It's probably most useful if you can find a similar high score from more than one source. I think among the top rags, Wine Enthusiast is the most generous, while Wine Advocate at least had the reputation for a long time for being the most reserved when doling out higher scores.
Konstantin, You know I really appreciate the misses as well as the hits. If you edited your video together with nothing more than Konstantin gets it right. Again. You will attract an adoring fan base, but not one that would learn anything. So again, thanks for the honesty. The wines of Chateau Ste. Michelle are quite common in my cellar. I live in the region and here they are very affordable, and at least average in quality. Which is impressive for a winery as large as they are. The Eroica was a "Gateway" Riesling for me. I was used to $8 CSM Riesling, and Gewürztraminers, but was buying the Eroica as well, and considered it pretty good Riesling and then I saw your Video feature the Rieslings from Germany and Alsace. In particular wines that are outstanding. So, I acquired a few, and now, am branching out on my own discovering more from these areas, but I still keep the CSM on hand for cheap eats.
interesting how you mentioned priorat in this segment. ive tasted many and would love to hear your commentary on this region. some of them are fabulous and hold up to some of the better french and italian wines. very underated globally
Great review! My fav white is the German Riesling Dr.Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling dry GG My fav red wine: South-Africa De Toren fusion V, the wine costs 32euro’s but damn it is worth it.
This wasn't an easy tasting at all, as there were quite a few surprises. The only one I partially guessed was that the Argentine cuvee had some Syrah in it. I thought the Bical from Nossa by Filipa Pato was quite intriguing, as Portuguese wine is often underappreciated. (But that's a good thing as it's prices are generally lower). All in all I think you did pretty well, Konstantin and got most of them correct. I don't go by WS reviews that much, I read Decanter, Falstaff and watch Wine King, this channel and pay more attention to other European critics reviews & ratings.
Interesting topic! I had the Eroica on a video a few months ago and was impressed with it too, especially since it can be found for as low as 15 USD in the states. Great to see Luis Seabra make it and way to nail it blind! I had dinner at his house a few weeks ago and we had that as well as wines from all over the world. He and his wife taste EVERYTHING blind which was a lot of fun... As for Filipa Pato's wines, I get so much bottle variation in her wines.
Yet another excellent video. Suggestion for future content: A similar take on top 10 Hachette Guide wines. You could potentially do it every year, given the release cycle of the guide. And perhaps aim for under EUR 50 to punch a little bit above the waistline and yet accessible.
Under 30 dollars I have a lot, but I'll just mention two or three: -Bin Otto from winery BIRA (Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina): a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah. -Bouza Tannat Pan de Azúcar (Maldonado, Uruguay). -Tacuil 33 de Dávalos (Salta, Argentina): oakless and dark wine; a blend of Malbec and Cab Sauv (50-50) that comes from a vineyard at 2600 meters of altitude, full of black olives, green pepper and something like canned tomatoes.
I was in Argentina working during this 2022 harvest, in Michel 's Rolland winery in Uco valley. And clos de los 7, it's a wine that I know very good. Let me recommend you, the wines produced by Alejandro Vigil .
Monte del Fra is a very good family producer from Sommacampagna village in Veneto, Italy. Ca del Magro is definitely one of the top white wines of the area. It has multitude of flavors that shine in different way with different foods.
Really really tough blind tasting. Happy to see that Clos de los Siete, even if we have better wine that's a great example of classic Arg bordeaux blend. Cheers!
Better than Clos de los Siete!? I know it’s hip in Argentina to hate on Michel Rolland these days, but it’s hard to find a better wine than a good C7 without diving into super-specialized shops and paying through the nose for it. At least that’s my experience.
Blind tasting is so humbling and frustrating to us amateur tasters. But I love how humble you(expert MoW) are with your tasting/evaluation process. Thanks for the great video. Favorite wine under 30? Yes, let me pick my favorite child(sarcasm)…
Great again KB!. when you drink white wines in this video, how did you control the temperature? was it cool enough to appreciate them? sorry its silly question
Hey. Usually if you taste white wine in a professional setting you will taste them unchilled. You can now easily pick the flavours out if they are around room temperature.
Concerning who's the biggest Riesling producer in the world. I'm currently studying for my WSET4/Weinakademiker and just so happens that I'm on the Germany chapter now, and the book (2021 edition) mentions explicitly that the Moselland co-operative in Bernkastel is the world's largest producer of Riesling.. So perhaps the tables have turned in recent years :)
Tough decision, but I think Penfolds Bin 28 (bold style) and Thivin Cote de Brouily (delicate, Pinot style) offer great value for the price. I recommend aging both at least 6-7 years.
Great video. Thanks Konstantin. Love your content. In terms of great value under $30 have you tried Jannasse's vin de pays Terre de Bussiere? Like a mini-CDP. Enjoy.
I appriciate this episode very much, thanks! Uusally I buy wine in the region of 15€. It would be great if you could do an episode for your fellow Germans with wines from the well known German retailers like Jacque's. I really like the Pirramimma Shiraz, the Ojo de Agua Malbec, the KONCHO & CO Saperavi and the medium priced Primitivi.
Hi again. I would humbly ask you if you could do a Priorat tasting sometime in the future. It's a lesser known region and might be interesting for many viewers that enjoy big, bold reds - and it's one of my favorites, and I would of course be interested in your opinions. Thank you from Dortmund, and Cheers.
Nice and interesting video again. I would be interested in vines from the Canary islands, since it is a very old, though less addressed vine region. Would be cool if you cover them ☺️
That is a super hard question! For reds I go directly to Spain and list couple from Sara Perez - Dido, Martinet Bru. I also love En El Camino from Michelin i Muffato from Bierzo (this is their entry label, higher would fit this category as well! Whites... Under 30 you can really get a lot of good stuff! Torrontes from Zuccardi, Insolite from Thierry Germain, Albamar Albariño and many many more :)
Great tasting episode. I am aware that there are tons of wines to be tested and rated but maybe you can do some blind testing episodes based by region. Sicily, Piemonte, Mendoza, Stellenbosch, etc. Anyways I love all the episodes so doesnt even matter :)
I picked up a few of those Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva from the 1990s at an auction and they were FABULOUS! Rich, beautifully aged, gamy and sweet. Compared to those the 2018 I bought was disappointingly lousy..... not even 85 but a totL miss....
INTERESTING ! You were correct to pick Washington State ...........the majority of Clare Valley Rieslings are bone dry...............but once again have not seen one of the wines tasted in Australia which takes away a great deal of interest !
How does this sampling of 8 wines compare to what is typically provided on the MoW exam? Some of these would be impossible to guess, so trying to understand if they select more representative (i.e. varietally correct, regional markers, etc.) wines or these impossible ones? Best wine under $30 (maybe not anymore with inflation and it becoming more well-known) is Meerlust Rubicon. Other wine i like is Monteti's Caburnio IGT.
Thanks for the great video Constantine, I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from watching your approach to less obvious wines where it's difficult to identify the varietal. I live in Sydney, so the best value wines are generally local. Pewsey Valley Clare Valley reisling is widely exported and I imagine would still be sub 30us. I think it's worth a mention as it's rare to fine such age worthy wine at this price point. Recently I've been really enjoying Morretti Lange Rosso 2018 for $20 local aud along with 2016 Barolo $50. Import tax is high in Australia so there as chance the Barolo would be available for less than 30us in Europe. This would in my opinion make it bargain of the century. Despite its relative youth for a barolo it's quite open and drinking excellently. I'd be interested in yours and others thoughts on this wine.
Very nice episode. If one is searching for wine below 30 US$/EUR, look at Rioja red wines from 18 Eur up. That's incredible value for money almost always. Muga, Faustino, Marquez de Riscal, Luis Canas, awesome wines. If I would go for a great value, I would select Luis Canas Familia Reserva
Here is a favorite red and favorite white under $30USD. Perhaps not greatest wines ever, but I get a lot of pleasure from them. These are my "go to" bottles. Red: Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils Arbois Vielles Vignes Poulsard - After going to a dinner that featured wines of Jura, I became a fan of this producer. I like the favors of cherry, cranberry and mushroom. Light-meidum body with plenty of acidity. White: Francois Cazin Cour-Cheverny Le Petit Chambord - a wine produced from the Romorantin grape. I undersatnd Romorantin was once much more popular throughout the Loire but now is much more rare and only produced in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. I really like the acidity and flaovrs of pear, grapefruit and beeswax.
Next level in wine tasting is when you can determine the grape variety from watching Konstantin's facial grimaces.
I'll make pins
love you, man... you are so different (in a vey good way) from the rest of the wine critics out there - very humble yet knowledgeable and informative. keep 'em coming!
Your humility got me to subscribe! Good show and thank you!
this is the official „i want to see a cellar tour of konstantins wines“ button!
Hello Mr. K. I have no idea what are you talking about this particular wine. But do enjoy the way you described it. Very enjoyable. Thanks!!
Thank you Konstantin, the Pio Cesare stuck in my mind and today I stumbled across the 2018 Barbera d'Alba for $20aud ($14usd) and, as quickly as I checked online the standard local price ($40aud) I loaded up two cases and ran out of the store.
Fantastic wine, we enjoyed a bottle with pasta and now considering going back to purchase the remaining stock.
Cheers
Wow! That's a bargain!
Great to see Nossa from Filipa Pato. She and her father are making excellent wines. Would love to see you cover more from Portugal. There's so many underappreciated grape varieties and producers.
I second this motion, agreed!
Totally agreed. I allready challenged Konstantin to have a tasting of portuguese wines. That would be great!!
I tapped myself on the shoulder when I correctly identified the Washington Riesling based on your description :)
For me the best wine under 30 dollars has to be the Jean-Louis Chauré Champagne Vielles Vignes 100% Chardonnay. At Eur 22,- this is a steal. You can also get many Georgian Kvevri wines both white(orange) and red under $30 which are amazing if you're into wine.
Yeah for RSA 🇿🇦.....you really need to explore high quality RSA wines ,they are unbelievable
So happy to see the Bical grape celebrated in the Nossa from Filipa Pato. Her father turned the (in the 90's) dwindling Bairrada region (and its uttermost red expression, the Baga varietal) into a powerhouse and Filipa is doing the same with some whites, namely this and the Encruzado grape, which is a criminally under-recognized variety.
So true! I love their wines. Encruzado is a favorite. Just shared a bottle last night. Portuguese wines need more love.
@@RedRoverTW encruzado from dão always delivers ! Cheers !
I recall when Baga was making a presence for the first time in the early 90s thanks to the Patos family. Loveky wine. Portugal has many great wines. Who has ever had aged Colares for example?
@@1949cr Colares is perfect for aging due to all that well-balanced sugar. Wines with Baga can be aged for 30+ years with no issues if properly rested in oak casks for 12 or more months.
But Touriga Nacional is truly the ageing champion from all Portuguese grapes. I've tasted Douros with over 50 years that had no intent of being aged-ready wines when they were made that are still developing.
@@panaceiasuberes6464 you are a scholar and a gentleman, as The British say.
Konstantin I must compliment you on your reviewing style. You are very detailed in your reviews but you keep it nice and casual. I learn a lot from these videos. Wine can be overwhelming and you help with that. Cheers
Your presentation just keeps getting better and better. Keep it up man.
And it reflects in your subscriber count, look at that thing grow!
Really great to see Portuguese wines being reviewed by you. Still so many excellent producers that are yet unknown. Which for me is great, as they stay cheap 🙂
Nice job. Enjoy your work. TY
I love that the way you make your videos allow us to try and guess along with you, based on your description.
I was surprised to see a wine I had actually tried in this video - the Cannonau di Sardinia - and happy that you vindicated my judgement of it. If I had read the article without seeing your video I might have dismissed the whole thing because of this one small sample, but instead I plan to search out some of these. Great video, as usual! My favorite sub-$30 wine lately was a surprise: a Copertino Riserva of mostly Negroamaro grapes. I bought it because it was 2011 vintage but only $15, and the label claimed it would age well. It had!
My family's from Argentina, so I do end up tasting a lot of Argentinian wine, and $20 seems to be a new quality checkpoint for Argentina. It's the price point where you're very likely to find high quality wine consistently. Personal favorites in that are the Marcelo Pelleriti Signature Series (they Malbec and Cabernet Franc are delicious) and the Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés ($16 here in the US). Outside of Argentina, I always have a Guigal Côtes du Rhône Red in my wine fridge and I scoop up some Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling every time a new vintage comes out.
Guigal and Pewsey for sure!
I love that Zuccardi! My local wine store has it + Robert Parker's great review of it, also below $20. I love these affordable videos!
Try to find the Blue Melosa from Gouguenheim Winery its a very small producer from Tupungato. That wine is, for me, one of the best i try out from argentina.
I have already heard that Marcelo Pellerite is a very good producer.
There are many amazing wines under $30. But there is one which somehow talks to my soul and makes every evening with wife and friends spectacular. Tancredi by Donnafugata - Terre Siciliane IGT - Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola, Tannat and other grapes. And thank you for yet another perfect video! You're making a lot of content nowadays, please, don't burn out :)
Great suggestion! I won't 😉
You are my favorite channel. Thanks for your hard work and effort in educating me and entertaining me. I watch and rewatch your videos daily. Will you ever do a tasting or blind tasting of port wines only? Because of my limitation in discerning subtleties in taste and smell I have a great fondness for fortified wines.
Cannonau is at least a 90 IMHO ok maybe 89 :-) .... needs to breath a bit but excellent value. Love your channel even if we don't always agree.
Really enjoying the videos, always keep it honest. Keep drinking!
I love this post, thanks Konstantin, I will be able to get some of these wines in Dublin, especially Clos de los Siete Uco Valley and Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba -
Seán
Very nice always looking forward for your next episode
Setting the mood with that music
Another great video. As usual, I am impressed (but not surprised) at your confidence in reviewing some of the most acclaimed wines. Great work!
I see the South African wine through you a little...given you don't have a lot of SA wine experience, that makes sense....so glad you post regardless of whether you get it spot on or not...
I spent recently some time in Galicia, a neglected part of Europe which could thrive in the future just on this neglection... maybe. Of course I tried quite a few Albariños. Had never heard of it before and was surprised by its fine quality. Really loved some of these wines. Also found out that the addition of wood often made them indistinguishable from a (good) Chardonnay, at least for me. Not being Chardonnay's biggest fan I preferred certainly the elegance, complexity, finesse of the good non-oak versions. But: some Chardonnays seem to change. Recently at a restaurant I asked about a wine fitting my meal, "rather no Chardonnay, please", otherwise I let the waiter choose. He came back with a bottle with hidden label and let me prove. It turned out to be a Chardonnay, I did not recognize it at all - among others because of its well-integrated and clear acidity. A pleasure to drink. So, in the world of wine there is hope for everyone... and constant change.
I am so happy when I hear people praising Spanish wines. Although not spanish myself (rather from Romania, another wine country that could use some discovery) I love Spanish wines and I think that they are truly undervalued. I love Pazo Señorans Albariño, if you don’t know it then go for the Seleccion de Añada Albariño.Pricey but gets the job done!
Did you get to try Godello?
@@1949cr no, I did not. Maybe some day in the future?
Great video K. Hope you do more of these. I love the lesser known wines from Italy and Argentina.
I’d pay to watch Leon’s face when he first saw the footage 🤣
I commend you for keeping the video honest, even when it wasn’t your best performance. Other people would never dare really do a blind tasting, or would edit the video later. The selection was very broad and varied. I guessed the chardonnay correctly just from the description, though, because I’ve had other wines with very similar characteristics - chardonnay is ready for a resurgence, and I’m all for it!
I agree with you! I love Konstantin's honesty and humility. It's so refreshing and much more educational. And Chardonnay can be very surprising, depending on the region it comes from. I always thought I hated Chardonnay, but after tasting different types from various regions, I realized how much I loved it! I just don't like the typical variety from California.
Just picked up six bottles of Monte del Frà Custoza Superiore Cà del Magro 2019 for 9,50€ per bottle. I couldn’t resist after the review here .. as always thanks for your great work, Konstantin and Leon !
My favourite wine under $30 is from a Tuscan family called Ampeleia and the wine is called Un Litro (aptly comes in a 1 LTR bottle). They produce some more serious wine, but this is more of a table wine and is SO goddam delicious, it's a blend of Sangiovese, Carignan, Alicante, and Mourvedre. Crunchy, spicy, light, absolute glou glou, chill it for a bit and guzzle it down. I used to drink buckets of it in London when I found it in a local bottle shop (for 15 quid!) and now I'm very lucky to have found it here in Australia.
Thank you, it opens up more wines to me and my family to try. Price point is great.
Hitting the US wine was “nuts” , just like a boss! Great job, Konstantin))
Great stuff, thanks Konstantin! Will definitely pick up a couple of bottles of the Custoza.
Glad you enjoyed the Clos de los Siete. I got some recently and have been absolutely loving it. Great value.
Great theme! It’s so exciting when you find very good wine at
Very happy to see more Portuguese wines!
Keep bringing them, if you can :)
Great video!
You're the best when you're off about the wine ;) With this video you introduced me to the white blends of Portugal and Italy. Excited to try. Thanks
As i watched, you got through your gears :-) I very much look forward to Sundays as your videos are available :-) Danke/gracias/merci/obrigada/thanks x
There are various iterations of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, also the usual suspects in the red dept., Chilean Merlot &c&c here in UK that can be had for less than £6.00..I don't know how many US dollars this means, but, if you are looking for an inexpensive wine here in UK then it pays to stick with the major supermarkets' own brand selections. These buyers have both the knowledge and the muscle to get the best value. Relax, Konstantin.. Considering that EVERY grape variety can be made into wine ANYWHERE in the world, you did pretty well. Cheers! 👍🍷
Thanks for providing your thoughts on some of the more reasonably priced wines from the list. I am still a wine newbie so how you describe the wines is helpful when I have an opportunity to try one myself!!
Hi Konstatin, liebe deine Videos. Mit eingefügten Kapitelmarken in den Videos würde ich sie nicht nur lieben sondern auch heiraten :)
Right on again. We sell alot of barbera d'alba including Pio Cesare.
I'm happy I can actually find 1 of the wines in my area.
Wine number 8 and Konstantin was I little bit tipsy 😂😂😂
Great topic, excellent job man
So ironic, I bought the Clos de Los Siete a few months back to try a Uco Valley wine. Opened it last week and was as surprised as you. Thought it was great value for money. Thanks for your vids!
Great topic ! Almost all wines available here in Brazil ! But here they arrive at arround 50 us after taxes … My favorite wine under 30 this days is a very Barbaresco called Autinbej! Fresh and grippy! Cheers Konstantin !
Also a thumbs up to Leon , to make it a little more interesting !!!!
Mal wieder ein tolles Video, Konstantin :) schön unprätentiös wie immer und total interessant! Falls du eine Idee für ein Video suchst, hätte ich da einen Einfall. Du hast ja bereits von Weinen in Kombination mit Fleisch gesprochen, vielleicht wäre ein ähnliches Video für Paarungen von vegetarischen Speisen und Weinen ganz interessant, die über den klassischen Weißwein zum Spargel hinaus gehen. Vielleicht sogar in Richtung Rotwein oder Rosé? Vielleicht findet ein Master of Wine ja einige geniale Mischungen ;)
Although I would say it's very hard to "really" love a wine under $30 USD (no grudges, it's a personal thing), with some rosés, it seams easier for some reason to find some super solid candidates. I would say the most deserving is the "Trois Moineaux" from the Niagara Falls region in Canada ($29), followed by Whispering Angel which at this point everyone already knows about it anyway so no introduction needed. Thanks for your extremely enjoyable content Konstantin!
Have you ever tried barefoot wines? Or echo falls? Both fantastic wines you can buy for £3 and you’ll fall in love with anything after a few bottles.
really enjoy your his channel
Konstantin is not dropping any shots. FUN to watch the process, very enjoyable tasting. The medals comment is priceless! I'm just sarcastically amazed that K couldn't call the South African Chard. Haha!
WS top 100 carries weight ...I think. Wi Spec to me is all over the place with their ratings. At least a couple of the other rags that overrate are more consistent. The magazines do have some use, I suppose.
As I'm sure K knows, just to comment; evaluating any single btl on any single day and moment is a snapshot in any wines life.
The points system seems to have less value than ever and most industry sources are overly generous. It's probably most useful if you can find a similar high score from more than one source. I think among the top rags, Wine Enthusiast is the most generous, while Wine Advocate at least had the reputation for a long time for being the most reserved when doling out higher scores.
Konstantin,
You know I really appreciate the misses as well as the hits. If you edited your video together with nothing more than Konstantin gets it right. Again. You will attract an adoring fan base, but not one that would learn anything. So again, thanks for the honesty.
The wines of Chateau Ste. Michelle are quite common in my cellar. I live in the region and here they are very affordable, and at least average in quality. Which is impressive for a winery as large as they are. The Eroica was a "Gateway" Riesling for me. I was used to $8 CSM Riesling, and Gewürztraminers, but was buying the Eroica as well, and considered it pretty good Riesling and then I saw your Video feature the Rieslings from Germany and Alsace. In particular wines that are outstanding. So, I acquired a few, and now, am branching out on my own discovering more from these areas, but I still keep the CSM on hand for cheap eats.
interesting how you mentioned priorat in this segment. ive tasted many and would love to hear your commentary on this region. some of them are fabulous and hold up to some of the better french and italian wines. very underated globally
Great review!
My fav white is the German Riesling Dr.Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling dry GG
My fav red wine: South-Africa De Toren fusion V, the wine costs 32euro’s but damn it is worth it.
Great tasting. I bought a case of the 2019 Pio Cesare on the back of your experience. I look forward to trying it
just by way of an update. It's really good.
This wasn't an easy tasting at all, as there were quite a few surprises. The only one I partially guessed was that the Argentine cuvee had some Syrah in it. I thought the Bical from Nossa by Filipa Pato was quite intriguing, as Portuguese wine is often underappreciated. (But that's a good thing as it's prices are generally lower). All in all I think you did pretty well, Konstantin and got most of them correct. I don't go by WS reviews that much, I read Decanter, Falstaff and watch Wine King, this channel and pay more attention to other European critics reviews & ratings.
you are so real! 👍🏻Konstantin :)
Thanks to Leon! I love to watch Constantine squirm.
Interesting topic! I had the Eroica on a video a few months ago and was impressed with it too, especially since it can be found for as low as 15 USD in the states. Great to see Luis Seabra make it and way to nail it blind! I had dinner at his house a few weeks ago and we had that as well as wines from all over the world. He and his wife taste EVERYTHING blind which was a lot of fun... As for Filipa Pato's wines, I get so much bottle variation in her wines.
Yet another excellent video.
Suggestion for future content: A similar take on top 10 Hachette Guide wines.
You could potentially do it every year, given the release cycle of the guide.
And perhaps aim for under EUR 50 to punch a little bit above the waistline and yet accessible.
Under 30 dollars I have a lot, but I'll just mention two or three:
-Bin Otto from winery BIRA (Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina): a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah.
-Bouza Tannat Pan de Azúcar (Maldonado, Uruguay).
-Tacuil 33 de Dávalos (Salta, Argentina): oakless and dark wine; a blend of Malbec and Cab Sauv (50-50) that comes from a vineyard at 2600 meters of altitude, full of black olives, green pepper and something like canned tomatoes.
I was in Argentina working during this 2022 harvest, in Michel 's Rolland winery in Uco valley. And clos de los 7, it's a wine that I know very good. Let me recommend you, the wines produced by Alejandro Vigil .
Clos de Los siete is a great wine and is not very expensive in South America. Nice to see it tasted and broken down here.
Monte del Fra is a very good family producer from Sommacampagna village in Veneto, Italy. Ca del Magro is definitely one of the top white wines of the area. It has multitude of flavors that shine in different way with different foods.
Right on. Clos de los Siete is a very popular wine at my store, but we're having a hard time getting it back in.
Very useful tasting. Thanks a lot.
Clos de Los Siete is the only one of these I tasted, and it's really good. It's cheap even in Brazil.
Really really tough blind tasting. Happy to see that Clos de los Siete, even if we have better wine that's a great example of classic Arg bordeaux blend. Cheers!
Better than Clos de los Siete!? I know it’s hip in Argentina to hate on Michel Rolland these days, but it’s hard to find a better wine than a good C7 without diving into super-specialized shops and paying through the nose for it. At least that’s my experience.
My favorite wine under $30 is Marques de Riscal Reserva Rioja. The PRICE is around $15 in spain.
Blind tasting is so humbling and frustrating to us amateur tasters. But I love how humble you(expert MoW) are with your tasting/evaluation process. Thanks for the great video. Favorite wine under 30? Yes, let me pick my favorite child(sarcasm)…
Great again KB!. when you drink white wines in this video, how did you control the temperature? was it cool enough to appreciate them? sorry its silly question
Hey. Usually if you taste white wine in a professional setting you will taste them unchilled. You can now easily pick the flavours out if they are around room temperature.
@@N0xN0ctis wow Thank you so much. I thought the glasses don't seem chilled.
Concerning who's the biggest Riesling producer in the world. I'm currently studying for my WSET4/Weinakademiker and just so happens that I'm on the Germany chapter now, and the book (2021 edition) mentions explicitly that the Moselland co-operative in Bernkastel is the world's largest producer of Riesling.. So perhaps the tables have turned in recent years :)
Recent find but it is $33 is Chateau Buena Vista, thanks for the video Mr. Konstantin . I will try the Riesling and the 2 reds. Peace.
Tough decision, but I think Penfolds Bin 28 (bold style) and Thivin Cote de Brouily (delicate, Pinot style) offer great value for the price. I recommend aging both at least 6-7 years.
Amazing ratings and explanations, great knowledge, where do you get the black covers for the bottles?
Favorite Wine under $30, any Wine from Jolie Laide but especially their Glen Oaks Vineyard Pinot Gris
Great video. Thanks Konstantin. Love your content. In terms of great value under $30 have you tried Jannasse's vin de pays Terre de Bussiere? Like a mini-CDP. Enjoy.
I appriciate this episode very much, thanks! Uusally I buy wine in the region of 15€. It would be great if you could do an episode for your fellow Germans with wines from the well known German retailers like Jacque's.
I really like the Pirramimma Shiraz, the Ojo de Agua Malbec, the KONCHO & CO Saperavi and the medium priced Primitivi.
Great tasting! You were way too hard on yourself for missing just a few really tricky ones while nailing most of the others. 😄
Nice. I enjoy your content.
Being summer here I have gravitated to Vinho Verde. Aveleda makes a great sit-out-on-the-deck and sip away one.
Hi again. I would humbly ask you if you could do a Priorat tasting sometime in the future. It's a lesser known region and might be interesting for many viewers that enjoy big, bold reds - and it's one of my favorites, and I would of course be interested in your opinions. Thank you from Dortmund, and Cheers.
Barista pinotage 2019 was outstanding wine about 15$ cost from RSA. REALLY GREAT
My favorites under 30 US dollars are: red - Angélica Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon and white - El Enemigo Chardonnay
Thank you for another interesting video. My favorite at 29.95USD is Domaine Gour de Chaule Gigondas Cuvée Tradition.
Awesome video as always, I wonder what you think of Tunisian wines (I live there)
It might not have been the 2018 vintage, but I drunk the Cannonau di Sardegna in the last year. Never thought I’d see a wine that I purchased
Nice and interesting video again.
I would be interested in vines from the Canary islands, since it is a very old, though less addressed vine region.
Would be cool if you cover them ☺️
love your channel, would be great to see you cover merlot some time.
That is a super hard question!
For reds I go directly to Spain and list couple from Sara Perez - Dido, Martinet Bru. I also love En El Camino from Michelin i Muffato from Bierzo (this is their entry label, higher would fit this category as well!
Whites... Under 30 you can really get a lot of good stuff! Torrontes from Zuccardi, Insolite from Thierry Germain, Albamar Albariño and many many more :)
Great tasting episode. I am aware that there are tons of wines to be tested and rated but maybe you can do some blind testing episodes based by region. Sicily, Piemonte, Mendoza, Stellenbosch, etc. Anyways I love all the episodes so doesnt even matter :)
Great fun blind tasting!! 👌🏻😊😊
I picked up a few of those Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva from the 1990s at an auction and they were FABULOUS! Rich, beautifully aged, gamy and sweet. Compared to those the 2018 I bought was disappointingly lousy..... not even 85 but a totL miss....
INTERESTING ! You were correct to pick Washington State ...........the majority of Clare Valley Rieslings are bone dry...............but once again have not seen one of the wines tasted in Australia which takes away a great deal of interest !
How does this sampling of 8 wines compare to what is typically provided on the MoW exam? Some of these would be impossible to guess, so trying to understand if they select more representative (i.e. varietally correct, regional markers, etc.) wines or these impossible ones?
Best wine under $30 (maybe not anymore with inflation and it becoming more well-known) is Meerlust Rubicon. Other wine i like is Monteti's Caburnio IGT.
Favourite wine under $30 US: Trimbach Riesling Reserve - v consistent through the vintages and a high level of complexity and interest for the price.
The end all, be all :) Hey Konstantin, have you ever had any wines from Clay Shannon (Lake County)?
Not yet
Thanks for the great video Constantine, I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from watching your approach to less obvious wines where it's difficult to identify the varietal. I live in Sydney, so the best value wines are generally local. Pewsey Valley Clare Valley reisling is widely exported and I imagine would still be sub 30us. I think it's worth a mention as it's rare to fine such age worthy wine at this price point. Recently I've been really enjoying Morretti Lange Rosso 2018 for $20 local aud along with 2016 Barolo $50. Import tax is high in Australia so there as chance the Barolo would be available for less than 30us in Europe. This would in my opinion make it bargain of the century. Despite its relative youth for a barolo it's quite open and drinking excellently. I'd be interested in yours and others thoughts on this wine.
Very nice episode. If one is searching for wine below 30 US$/EUR, look at Rioja red wines from 18 Eur up. That's incredible value for money almost always. Muga, Faustino, Marquez de Riscal, Luis Canas, awesome wines. If I would go for a great value, I would select Luis Canas Familia Reserva
Here is a favorite red and favorite white under $30USD. Perhaps not greatest wines ever, but I get a lot of pleasure from them. These are my "go to" bottles.
Red: Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils Arbois Vielles Vignes Poulsard - After going to a dinner that featured wines of Jura, I became a fan of this producer. I like the favors of cherry, cranberry and mushroom. Light-meidum body with plenty of acidity.
White: Francois Cazin Cour-Cheverny Le Petit Chambord - a wine produced from the Romorantin grape. I undersatnd Romorantin was once much more popular throughout the Loire but now is much more rare and only produced in the Cour-Cheverny AOC. I really like the acidity and flaovrs of pear, grapefruit and beeswax.
The Clos (wine no.7) is excellent, especially as I picked it up for around £12 in the UK.