Best Cheap Red Wine Under $16
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Red wine isn’t usually the type of thing you would associate with the word “cheap.” You particularly wouldn’t want your guests to know that you bought your red wine cheaply. But with this list of the best red wine for under $16, you can save a ton of money and still have the perfect red wine to pair with any meal, whether for entertaining or only for yourself.
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Here Are 9 Of The Best Cheap Red Wines Available Are Below.
Key Takeaways
- You can find an exceptionally good red wine for under $16.
- To get red wine at such a low price, you often have to buy them in a case of 6 or 12 bottles.
- The ideal serving temperature for red wine varies from wine to wine, but it should be stored between 550F and 680F.
- You cannot go wrong if you pair red wine with fatty meat dishes that offer bold flavors.
The Best Cheap Red Wines Under $16
Red wine is more than a drink; it is a statement. Red wine speaks of sophistication and knowing how to appreciate a meal. But that doesn’t mean that a red wine should break the bank. Here are some of the best red wines for under $16.
1. Lapis Luna Red Blend 2020
- Approximate Price: $14.99
- Vivino Rating: 4.4
The Lapis Luna Red Blend is concentrated with flavors from black cherries and blackberries, and you will also notice some sweet plum tones. The tannin in this red blend gives the wine a nice, smooth texture. The Lapis Luna Red Blend offers warm tones and is a great wine to pour for yourself on those cold wintery nights in front of a fireplace.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
The temperature to serve this red wine is just below room temperature, between 60 and 650F. You can pair this wine with any red meat, like beef, veal, and lamb. When you do not know what to pair with The Lapis Luna Red Blend, you can always use the safe option of steak on the barbeque or a pot roast with a glass of red wine.
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Add big and bold flavors to your dishes, and you will have flavors that complement one another. You can also use this wine for marinating your steak since wine is always a good way to tenderize the meat you are cooking, and it is already a great start as it also imbues the meat with many flavors.
2. Grace Town Old Vines Zinfandel 2018
- Approximate Price: $14.99
- Vivino Rating: 4.4
The Grace Town Old Vines Zinfandel is full-bodied and boasts of heavy oak aromas. You will find vague tones of black fruit and dark plum that blend well with the tones of cedar, clove, and cinnamon. This dryish wine gives you a taste full of fruit, leather, terra cotta, and blackcurrants.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
Serve a Zinfandel wine at 60 to 650F; slightly below room temperature. The Grace Town Old Vines Zinfandel red wine pairs particularly well with pot roast, steak, and beef stew. If you want to spoil yourself with one of the most delicious plates of food ever, then you should let your beef stew braise in a glass of this wine for between one and three hours.
If you want to pair this Zinfandel with a dessert, you also have that option. Your perfect pairing options are chocolates or cheesecake with berries; these will enhance the berry taste of the wine.
3. One Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
- Approximate Price: $15.49
- Vivino Rating: 4.3
The One Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of sandalwood and fruity tones like cherry, plum, and tobacco. The flavoring notes of this Cabernet Sauvignon include cherry, blackberry, and redcurrant, combining to add a vibrantly rich texture to this wine. It finishes with low acidity and tannins that carry the taste of this wine.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
A Cabernet Sauvignon’s recommended ideal serving temperature is between 59 and 650F. You can pair a Cabernet Sauvignon with any food that is heartier and richer. This helps to break through the taste of the wine, complementing each other perfectly.
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Meats like steak, lamb, and veal that have higher fat levels pair well with this wine. But you don’t even have to pair this wine with something like fatty meats; pairing it with a hearty burger can also be an option. Next time you are out at a steak restaurant and thinking of trying one of the juicy steak burgers they offer, you can pair it with this Cabernet Sauvignon.
4. Ghostrider Ghostrunner Ungrafted Red 2020
- Approximate Price: $15.95
- Vivino Rating: 4.3
The Ghostrider is a blended red wine. You will find that it includes Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Syrah. This blended red wine has a dark ruby color and tingles your senses with aromas such as berries, black cherry, and oak. Your palate will notice tones of the same berries, cherry, and plum, with chocolate and baking spices.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
This blended red wine from Ghostrider is a pleasant table wine. You can serve this wine at temperatures of 60 to 650F, also slightly lower than room temperature, as this is a blended red wine. Pair this wine with your next barbeque, pot roast, stewed beef, or veal.
Pair this wine with cheese; it pairs exceptionally well with harder cheese on top of your burger or mushroom dish. Vegetarians can also enjoy this wine with Portobello mushrooms; when topped with garlic and vegan cheese, they complement each other very well. And for dessert, pair it with rich dark chocolate or a cheesecake with berries and chocolate on top.
5. Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- Approximate Price: $15.95
- Vivino Rating: 4.2
The Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon offers a wine that is rich, smooth, and luxurious. Its deep ruby color and fruity blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, and smokey leather tones make this wine exceptionally aromatic. Your palate will find this wine to be dry with notes of blackberry, plum, oak, and smoke. It has nice acidity and tannin to it and finishes nicely.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
This is a Cabernet Sauvignon, so when serving this wine, you should serve it at just below room temperature, between 60 and 650F. As for pairing this wine, because it is rich and luxurious, you should pair it with any food that is bold in its own flavors.
Pairing it with red fatty meats is always a good idea, either with a winter hearty beef stew or with a barbeque. If you want to enjoy a rich and luxurious wine such as this Cabernet Sauvignon, even more, you can pair it with a dark chocolate dessert as well. As long as the flavors are bold in their own right, they will break through the wine’s bold and rich flavors.
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6. Roscato Rosso Dolce Sweet Red
- Approximate Price: $11.99
- Vivino Rating: 4.2
The Roscato Rosso Dolce Sweet Red is from Provincia di Pavia, in Italy. Avid wine drinkers enjoy this wine for its aromatic cherry, red raspberry, and blackberry. It is smooth and extremely easy to drink; even if you are not a regular wine drinker, you will still enjoy this wine. Though it is sweet, it finishes dry.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
Before serving the Roscato Rosso Dolce Sweet Red, you should put it in the refrigerator and serve it at 52 to 580F, slightly more chilled than some of the other darker and dryer red wines. If the wine is more tannic, which this one is not, then you can drink it slightly warmer.
As this is a sweet red wine, you can pair it with other foods that you would not usually pair with a dry red wine. This wine pairs well with cold smoked meats and cheese platters. But that is not the only pairing option you have since this wine also goes exceptionally well with seafood and, in particular, shellfish.
Purchase a few extra bottles of this red wine and invite your friends over for a barbeque since this is a delicious sweet red wine for everyone to enjoy.
7. Casale Del Giglio Cesanese Lazio Rosso 2019
- Approximate Price: $14.99
- Vivino Rating: 4.2
This Casale Del Giglio wine from Cesanese grapes is a ruby red color, opening up to bold aromas of black and red fruit with notes of violet, spice, and pepper. The wine ages well, giving your palate a soft wine with just enough tannin and acidity to make this wine finish well.
This wine is truly exceptional value for money since it is an enjoyable wine you can put on the table for your guests to enjoy.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
You can serve this wine just below room temperature, at 60 to 650F. Serve this wine at the table with a delicious veal stew that is slowly braised in a ½ cup of this wine, and you will be smiling from ear to ear. Follow your favorite recipe for a slow-braised stew and, where it calls for the liquid, change it to half of that liquid and half of this wine.
Nevertheless, this isn’t the only pairing option you have. You can still pair it with other fatty steaks thrown on the barbeque or make a bowl of your favorite rich pasta dish. You can even pair it with poultry and a salad with bold flavors; for example, an escarole salad with grape and nut tossed with hazelnut vinaigrette.
8. Big Smooth Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- Approximate Price: $15.95
- Vivino Rating: 4.2
The Big Smooth Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that gives warm aromas of black fruits and tobacco, followed by notes of oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate. It has big and bold flavors; it is dry but has a full body with medium acidity and tannins. Avid wine drinkers enjoy this wine for its smoothness and a well-rounded finish.
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Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
Serve this Cabernet Sauvignon just below room temperature at 60 to 650F. Pairing this wine is a rather unique experience that may change your life forever, as you would not want it any other way from that point forward.
Next time you are wondering what to serve for dinner, then imagine this for a moment—slow-braised short rib with red wine as the ultimate cooking liquid. Or, if you prefer poultry, you should pair it with roasted duck with a pecan nut sauce. The bold flavor of the duck ultimately enhances and complements the tones of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
And as for dessert, pairing a Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark chocolate lava cake is one of those delicacies you absolutely have to experience in your life if you haven’t done so already.
9. Meiomi Pinot Noir
- Approximate Price: $15.99
- Vivino Rating: 4.1
The Meiomi Pinot Noir opens to a red garnet color, followed by aromas of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, vanilla, mocha, and oak. The oak tone in this wine offers an experience of depth. Your palate will also notice the tones of dark and red fruits, with the mocha flavors adding to the smoothness and depth of this Pinot Noir.
Which Foods Pair Well With This Wine?
The ideal serving temperature for a Pinot Noir is slightly chilled, between 55 and 600F. The smoothness of this wine makes it easy to pair with food. Pair it with a pasta dish with tomato and basil, or you can even pair it with a Margherita Pizza.
Of course, you can still pair the wine with a barbeque, slow braised beef stews, venison, and poultry. It is still red wine, after all. Set your creativity free and have fun experimenting with different pairings of your wine with food; just stick to the rule of pairing it with bold and fatty flavors. And add some dark chocolate with berries for dessert; it’s absolutely worth it.
Related Questions
A light-bodied red wine is best served slightly chilled at temperatures between 55 F and 60 F. As for full-bodied red wines, it is best to serve them at room temperature, generally between 63 F and 68 F.
Red wines will usually last two to five days after opening. Not all red wines react in the same way once they are opened, though. Red wine with heathier tannin and higher acidity levels will remain good for five days. However, a younger red wine can last only two to three days and still be good.
No. You can get a fantastic wine for cheap. However, some will claim the aromas and flavors of a cheaper red wine will not be as intense as those of a more expensive wine. Nonetheless, the same grapes are used for both cheap and expensive wines; the only significant differences you could have will be in the aromas and flavors of the wine if your tastes are calibrated enough to even notice the difference.
What Does Red Wine Do For Food?
Cooking with wine intensifies the flavor of any meal. Wine adds acidity to the meats when used as a marinade and helps to break down tougher meats. Dry red wine should be used in savory dishes and certain desserts. You can also use red wine for braising meats and steaming fish. If you’ve never tried this recipe before, now is an excellent time to try it for your next fish dinner.
Index
- Key Takeaways
- The Best Cheap Red Wines Under $16
- 1. Lapis Luna Red Blend 2020
- 2. Grace Town Old Vines Zinfandel 2018
- 3. One Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
- 4. Ghostrider Ghostrunner Ungrafted Red 2020
- 5. Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- 6. Roscato Rosso Dolce Sweet Red
- 7. Casale Del Giglio Cesanese Lazio Rosso 2019
- 8. Big Smooth Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
- 9. Meiomi Pinot Noir
- Related Questions
- Index