It’s that time again.

I’ve been paging through my 2025 tasting notebooks, reviewing how many good and great wines I’ve sipped, as well as the number of boring overpriced duds. This year, my total of reds, whites, rosés and sparklers hit 2,874, from 26 countries. Admittedly, I sampled only a few from Moldova, Bolivia and Peru, but I plan to up that in 2026.

In my annual top 50 buys under $50, I’ve tried to highlight wines new to me along with perennial bargains. My biggest sticker shock was how few Champagnes are still available at this price point, even on sale. I had to cheat a little to get one favorite in.

Although I sampled a surprising number of good value chardonnays this year (is that because of grape oversupply?), under-the-radar varietals and regions are where to look. Think the Languedoc-Roussillon in France, Ribeira Sacra in Spain, all of Portugal and South Africa, the Lodi region in California, the Finger Lakes in New York and more I’ll tell you about in 2026.

Unhappily, in the US, tariffs on European Union wines, rising interest rates and increased shipping costs have led to slimmer selections and some price hikes. Will the US Supreme Court knock down those tariffs on wine? Keep your fingers crossed. In the UK, increases in duty on alcohol volume (lower levels pay less) and packaging fees mean costlier bottles. Average prices are listed for both regions when possible.

A few tips: When you see a good buy, don’t wait. And remember that retailers frequently offer discounts, especially on Champagne, before the holidays and throughout January. Cutting back? Click through here for quality nonalcoholic options.

FUN FIZZ

Top sparkling bargains, including pét-nats, come from almost every continent.

NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classique South Africa (US $20, UK £15)Fun, flirtatious, festive — this pale pink South African rosé fizz brims with bright strawberry fruit. It’s made the same way Champagne is, and it’s my favorite big party pour.

NV Keush Origins Brut (US $24, UK £21)Armenia is now creating exotic bubbly from grapes you’ve never heard of, Voskehat and Khatouni in this case. This big value sparkler by Keush would be twice the price if it had a different address.

NV Langlois Crémant de Loire Réserve Brut (US $25, UK £22)French crémants are ideal Champagne alternatives, made by the same traditional method but from different grapes that depend on the region. In the Loire Valley this means chenin blanc. This creamy textured example is a fine partner to food.

2023 Bosman Family Vineyards Méthode Ancestrale Chenin Blanc (US $27, UK £19)Made by a South African family dedicated to environmental sustainability, this is the ultimate feel-good brunch pét-nat, and it’s an approachable, lively natural wine for nonbelievers.

NV Clothilde Davenne Crémant de Bourgogne Extra Brut (US $32, UK £22)This Burgundian crémant is a chardonnay-pinot noir blend from chilly Chablis territory. It’s aperitif style: light, crisp and chalky, perfect with savory gougères, salty potato chips or sushi.

NV Louis Pommery Brut England (US $38, UK £28) Pommery was the first major Champagne house to release an English sparkling wine. It’s frothy and light, pure and floral, with green apple overtones. It’s not a wow fizz, but it’s oh so stylish. Winter wedding, anyone?

WHEN ONLY CHAMPAGNE WILL DO

Nonvintage blends from little-known growers still offer the best values, but entry-level cuvées from the big brands are frequently discounted right before the holidays. US and UK merchant Berry Bros & Rudd offers an excellent grand cru Champagne, under their own label, at US $50, UK £37.

NV Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut (US $41, UK £44)The emblem fizz of this almost century-old grower Champagne house is a rich, round, complex cuvée of premier and grand cru wines.

Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs Hugues de Coulmet Brut (US $45, UK £40)A fresh, citrusy all-chardonnay Champagne is the classic aperitif before a grand dinner. This appealing cuvée wafts up aromas of dried flowers and warm pastry, and provides a crispy zing to prime your taste buds.

NV Champagne Ponson Premier Cru Brut (US $48, UK £38)The once overlooked meunier grape has a starring role in this grower bubbly, contributing a vivid fruitiness and richer texture.

NV Champagne Chavost Blanc d’Assemblage Brut Nature (US $50, UK £35)The chef de cave, a darling of Paris natural wine bars, works with a collective of organic growers in a new model of a cooperative. This fizz has red fruit aromas, a label like an old-fashioned children’s book and no added sulfur.

NV Champagne Palmer La Réserve (US $50, UK £40)If you like an almost opulent Champagne with soft bubbles, the winery’s renamed signature blend is for you. It has a layered richness that’s rare in less expensive bottlings.

NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Le Réserve (US $56, UK £45)A bit out of price range (shhh!), but this well-known Champagne house has been in the throes of change. It’s now certified organic, the quality has risen, and the reimagined basic cuvée is drier, livelier and more seductive and charming.

WHITE WINES

From light, bright aperitifs to elegant, rich wines for a grand dinner

2024 Aia Vecchia Vermentino (US $15, UK £15)Crisp, salty and grapefruity, this vermentino from coastal Tuscany is my light refrigerator white for sipping while cooking. Think of vermentino as the new sauvignon blanc.

2024 Apollo’s Praise Dry Riesling Lahoma Vineyard (US $17, UK £35 for 2023)With its first vintage (2023), this Finger Lakes winery grabbed global attention — and mine. A basic dry riesling of this quality, with white flower aromas, intense fruit balanced with mineral overtones and some elegance, at this price? Simply astonishing.

2024 Familia Deicas Atlantico Sur Albariño (US $19, UK £19)Cool coastal Uruguay has become one of the most exciting regions for albariño outside of Spain’s Galicia. This one has the peachy round character and electric acidity I love about this varietal.

2024 Terra Alpina Chardonnay (US $19, UK £16)Northern Italian producer Alois Lageder’s latest project is creating mouthwatering whites in partnership with organic growers in the rugged Dolomites. This spicy, slightly smoky chardonnay has Golden Delicious apple appeal.

2023 Guilhem and Jean-Hugues Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté (US $20, UK £22.50)Even though wines from aligoté, Burgundy’s other white grape, are getting more expensive, the Goisot family west of Chablis delivers a low-cost example with crisp, flinty minerality.

2023 Familia Zuccardi Chardonnay Q (US $21, UK £17 at Tesco)Feel good while drinking this Argentinean white: The winery is a global sustainability leader. The regional Q line chardonnay offers more sense of place than most inexpensive examples and shows off lovely apple and stone fruit notes.

2022 Marchelle Old Vines Colombard (US $23)The lush texture and dried mango nuances of this tart, fresh white blew me away. Celebrated California winemaker Greg LaFollette nursed the century-old colombard vineyard back to health.

2024 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc (US $24, UK £20)New Zealand “savvy” is still a deal. Dog Point’s is on a whole different level than supermarket brands. Relish its savory citrusy notes, chalky texture and zesty acidity with raw oysters.

2022 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Nozze d’Oro (US $29, UK £30)Sicily is a perennial source of bargains, and this reliable producer’s blend of local grape Inzolia and sauvignon blanc never fails. I love its bitter almond aromas and wild herb and citrus taste.

2023 La Garagista What There Was (US $32)The latest from Vermont’s pioneer of natural winemaking is a refreshing white from hybrid grape Brianna that mirrors the year’s weather challenges. The idea is to start a conversation about climate change. So, drink and talk!

2021 Oremus Tokaji Furmint Mandolas (US $32, UK £24)Hungary is noted for expensive sweet wines, but producers are increasingly using furmint grapes for dry ones. Mandolas’ combo of flint and ginger aromas and vivid mineral and apricot notes is wrapped in lush texture.

2023 Symington Casa de Rodas Alvarinho Vinho Verde (US $36)This is the first vintage of a sophisticated, complex white from the Symington port family and winemaker partner Anselmo Mendes. It’s delicious and comes with history too. The casa was built in 1566.

NV Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla en Rama (US $37, UK £20)“En rama” means a sherry that’s bottled straight from the cask, so it has more character and flavor. This delicate, dry manzanilla, made from palomino grapes in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, has a subtle nutty and salty tang.

2022 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis (US $40, UK £27)Flinty minerality and edgy acidity make Chablis the best wine with oysters and any other shellfish. Plus, as white Burgundy prices rise, it still offers value.

2021 Centennial Mountain Vineyards Carricante ($45)Venture capitalist Kevin Harvey made a splash with his Rhys pinot noirs. Recently he planted the first Mount Etna varieties in Sonoma. The white carricante is a stunner: tangy, zingy, charged with energy.

2022 Domaine de Montille Bourgogne Blanc Le Clos du Château (US $45, UK £32)This famous estate has a couple of Bourgogne blancs, and this one from a special walled vineyard in front of the château drinks like a grander white. Call it a baby Puligny-Montrachet. It’s all lemon cream and wet stone, with a kiss of oak.

RED WINES

From light and lively to big and bold

2024 Badia a Coltibuono Labedia Chill Ya Jolo Labadia (US $19)This new, playful, chillable red from a historic Chianti Classico estate delivers charm and food-friendly freshness. Made from the little-known ciliegiologrape (get it?), it’s light and positively gluggable. (UK, check Chambers & Chambers.)

2023 Château Combel-la-Serre Cahors Le Pur Fruit du Causse (US $20, UK £22)If you want a big, bold, ripe red that’s still fresh and bright, this malbec from an organic estate in Cahors, the grape’s original French home, is more than satisfying for the price.

2023 Avignonesi Rosso Da-Di (US $23, UK £24 for 2022)The biodynamic Italian estate’s Da-Di wines (there’s a white too) started as experiments. This mouthwatering blend of five red grapes was aged in amphorae and has aromas of violets.

2022 Guímaro Camino Real (US $24, UK £27)Just about everyone loves the lushly fruity reds made from the mencia grape. This velvety, surprisingly complex Spanish version from trendy Ribeira Sacra also contains heirloom varieties grown in steep terraced vineyards.

2023 Bedrock Wine Company Old Vine Zinfandel (US $25, UK £30)Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson is one of the saviors of California’s old vineyards. Grapes from nine of them go into this savory red with rich raspberry and plum aromas. Zinfandels are woefully undervalued.

2022 Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet Sauvignon (US $25, UK £20 for 2021)Margaret River in Western Australia is prime territory for surfers and memorable cabernets. Lovely herbal notes combine with rich sleek fruit in this one, and the tannins promise it will age brilliantly.

2022 Hermann J Wiemer Cabernet Franc (US $27, UK £30)I’m a huge Cabernet franc fan, and this New York state winery makes a couple of my favorites. This one is like a light, quaffable Loire Valley red, and Wiemer’s Magdalena Vineyard bottling is more serious and age-worthy.

2023 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia (US $30, UK £29)For wine insiders, this is the not-so-secret value buy from Super Tuscan icon winery Ornellaia. The blend proportions vary, but this fresh, earthy, spicy vintage is mostly cabernet. Save it for a grand dinner.

2021 Château d’Aussières (US $30 for 2020, UK £27)The flagship red from the Corbières estate owned by Château Lafite Rothschild is a wine worth twice the price. It’s a rich, ripe, satisfying Rhône-style blend, overlaid with Bordeaux polish.

2021 Le Ragnaie Rosso di Montalcino (US $30, UK £25)Often dubbed “baby Brunello,” affordable Rosso di Montalcino is released and ready to drink sooner than its brother. The Ragnaie version, with its smoke and dried herbs, isn’t just Brunello discards; it comes from a special site.

2020 Chateau Musar Hochar Pere et Fils (US $31, UK £22)The Hochars are my wine heroes for creating great vino in Lebanon even when bombs were exploding. This silky-textured single-vineyard blend of cabernet, grenache and cinsault is what to drink if you’re toasting peace.

2022 Château Tronquoy Saint-Estèphe (US $40, UK £26)Don’t ignore Bordeaux’s bargains! This is the best vintage I’ve tasted from an estate in Saint-Estèphe owned by the billionaire proprietors of the more famous Château Montrose. It’s powerful and structured, with earthy tones and spicy fruit.

2013 López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Rioja Reserva 2013 (US $40, UK £35)The traditionalist producer in Rioja has a following of aficionados for its classic reds and whites. And for a full-bodied, complex, savory great wine that already been aged 12 years, the price is very, very low.

2022 Ex Post Facto Syrah (US $50)Esteemed winemaker Greg Brewercrafts this syrah from California’s cool Santa Rita Hills as though it were pinot noir. The result is a smoky-spicy red with bright fruit and a leathery finish.

2023 Pali Wine Co. Pali Vineyard Dornfelder (US $50)My first take: juicy berries, violet-y aromas, a bit peppery, only 12% alcohol and similar to a cru Beaujolais. It’s the first vintage of a new red from Pali, a winery on California’s Central Coast.

ROSÉ AND ORANGE WINES FOR ALL SEASONS

Dry pink or orange wines are an all-year drink, as an aperitif or party sipper, or with food.

2024 Field Recordings Skins (US $22)This crisp California orange wine made from 12 white grapes (led by chenin blanc) in Paso Robles has a cult following. Vivid, earthy and richly textured, it will make you a believer.

2024 Istine Rosato (US $24)I’ve raved about the Istine Chianti Classicos, but winemaker Angela Fronti also makes an easy drinking rosé from Sangiovese. It’s fruity and fun, with herbal hints, and made for a lunch of bread and dry Italian sausage.

2023 Umathum Rosa (US $27)A serious fuchsia-colored rosé that satisfies even during a chilly winter, this unique Austrian wine is full of deep cherry and raspberry notes. It’s for hearty pork roasts.

2024 Les Vins Pirouettes Eros de Vincent (US $27) Just say yes! The collective of Alsatian organic wine growers was founded by natural wine guru Christian Binner, and the label is in most natural wine bars. Eros is a versatile light-bodied orange combo of white grapes that tastes of spice and ripe nectarines.

SWEET WINES

And for dessert?

2024 G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti (US $20, UK £19)Think summer in a glass. With only 5.5% alcohol, scents like a bouquet of flowers, candied peach flavors and a gentle fizz, you could sip it all day while sitting on a patio. You don’t need an excuse.

2021 Château Rieussec Les Carmes de Rieussec (US $30, UK £25; 375mL)I love sweet Sauternes, but not enough drinkers do, or it would cost more. Inhale the honeysuckle-scents of this second wine from a cru classé château, and savor the flavors of candied lemon peel, honey and apricots with salty Roquefortcheese.

2020 Feudo Montoni Passito Rosso (US $37, UK £38; 375mL)Made from sun-dried perricone and nero d’avola grapes, this ultraripe, deeply sweet red is part of a long Sicilian tradition. A few sips with dark chocolate create a fabulous dessert.

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