30 wines under $30 (and rated above 92)

Best wines under $30

It’s often assumed that a higher price point equates to a higher quality product, especially when it comes to wine. After all, it costs money to make good wine – how the grapes are farmed, picked and processed, fermented, matured and eventually packaged all influence the amount it’s sold for. Factors like taxes, distribution costs and even demand play a part, too.
 
Still, while this goes some way to explaining why certain wines are more expensive than others, there are still plenty of delicious, well-made, well-farmed wines that go gently on the hip pocket.

The key is to hunt out varieties that are easier (and therefore cheaper) to produce, such as riesling, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc. Alternative varieties like fiano and tempranillo also generally represent pretty good value (at least they will until they become mainstream!).

On the flipside, it's harder (but not impossible – there's one in the list below) to find a cheap-but-not-nasty pinot noir, as the famously finicky grape is tough to grow, prone to disease, and requires gentle handling in the winery – all factors that can drive up price. Anything that requires a lengthy rest in new oak barrels will also tend to be more expensive, due to the cost of the oak and the time the wine spends maturing and not in market. 

If you'd rather not spend your time analysing wine labels or technical notes, here's a list of 30 of the best wines under $30, all scored between 92 and 97 points by our Tasting Team.

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Through Introduction to Wine, students will learn about Australian wine and wine regions, how wine is made, how to taste and describe wine, how to approach food and wine matches, along with handy tips that address common wine questions. And in part one of our Wines of the World course, discover and explore the iconic wines, regions and laws of France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Germany and Austria.