Just what qualifies for a wine selection on the 90 points or higher under $25? Well the wine would have to have a review from a credible source, such as the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate or Vinous. These publications take care to have reviewers who are well-trained in tasting wines across the world.

Why 90 points or above? Well, we Amer­i­cans are score keep­ers. We love to “grade” or make lists of the best. The mod­ern wine rat­ing sys­tem is based upon a 100 point scale. For exam­ple, accord­ing to the Wine Spec­ta­tor:

• 95–100   Clas­sic: a great wine
• 90–94     Out­stand­ing: a wine of supe­ri­or char­ac­ter & style
• 85–89     Very Good: a wine with spe­cial qual­i­ties
• 80–84     Good: a sol­id, well-made wine
• 75–79     Mediocre: a drink­able wine that may have minor flaws
• 50–74     Not Rec­om­mend­ed

And last­ly, one has to have tast­ed it and liked it too! We hope that you will find this a great place to start when look­ing for some­thing new to taste.

• 2013 Fin­ca Vil­lacre­ces Pruno, Spain, $24.99
  • 91 Robert Park­er
• 2013 Bound­ary Breaks No. 198 Sin­gle Vine­yard Reserve Ries­ling, Fin­ger Lakes, $22.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2013 Tikal Nat­ur­al Organ­ic Red Blend, Men­doza, Argenti­na, $21.99
  • 94 James Suck­ling
• 2016 Astro­labe Sauvi­gnon Blanc, Marl­bor­ough, New Zealand, $19.99
  • 92 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2014 J. Lohr Estates South Ridge Syrah, Paso Rob­les, Cal­i­for­nia, $14.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Gérard Bertrand Cor­bières, Cor­bières, France, $17.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2014 Tenute di Emera Prim­i­ti­vo di Man­dura­ia Anti­ca Masse­ria del Sig­illo, Puglia, Italy, $16.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor, #63 Top 100 2016 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2015 Feu­di di San Gre­go­rio Gre­co di Tufo, Cam­pa­nia, Italy, $22.99
  • 92 James Suck­ling
• 2014 Famil­ia Zuc­car­di Mal­bec Series A, Men­doza, Argenti­na, $15.99
  • 90 Robert Park­er
• 2013 Ercavio Tem­pranil­lo Roble, La Man­cha, Spain, $15.99
  • 90 Robert Park­er
• 2012 DFJ J Vin­hos Pax­is Red, Lis­boa, Por­tu­gal, $10.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Gérard Bertrand Vin de France Kos­mos, Langue­doc-Rous­sil­lon, France, $24.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2011 Arin­zano Pago de Arin­zano Hacien­da, Spain, $22.99
  • 91 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2015 Can­non­ball Sauvi­gnon Blanc, Sono­ma Coun­ty, $15.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast, Best Buy Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2013 Famille Per­rin Vin­so­bres Les Cor­nuds, Vin­so­bres, France, $22.99
  • 90 Vinous
• 2014 Michael David Freak­show, Lodi, $22.99
  • 92 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2010 Teso la Mon­ja Almirez, Toro, Spain, $24.99
  • 92 Robert Park­er
• 2013 Tait The Ball Buster, Barossa Val­ley, Aus­tralia, $22.99
  • 91 Vinous
• 2014 Galerie Nais­sance Sauvi­gnon Blanc, Napa Val­ley, $24.99
  • 92 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Wines of Sub­stance Caber­net Sauvi­gnon, Wash­ing­ton State, $19.99
  • 90 Robert Park­er
• 2014 Michel Gassier Cer­ci­ues Cotes du Rhone, South Rhone, France, $15.99
  • 90 Robert Park­er
• 2013 Bon­ny Doon Le Cig­a­re Blanc Beeswax Vine­yard White, Cen­tral Coast, $23.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Joseph Drouhin St.-Véran, Bur­gundy, France, $23.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2010 D’Arenberg d’Arry’s Orig­i­nal Shi­raz-Grenache, McLaren Vale, Aus­tralia, $15.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Dun­ham Three Legged Red, Colum­bia Val­ley, Wash­ing­ton, $19.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Sev­en Dead­ly Zins Old Vine Zin­fan­del, Lodi, $14.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Bode­gas Ate­ca Hon­oro Vera Gar­nacha, Calatayud, Spain, $10.99
  • 90 Vinous
• 2013 Acen­tor Gar­nacha, Calatayud, Spain, $13.99
  • 92 Vinous
• 2015 Ambra Carmignan Bar­co Reale, Tus­cany, Italy, $16.99
  • 90 Vinous
• 2015 The Four Graces Pinot Gris, Willamette Val­ley, Ore­gon, $19.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Bode­gas Volver Tari­ma, Ali­cante, Spain, $10.99
  • 91 Robert Park­er
• 2015 Jeff Car­rel Les Darons, Langue­doc-Rous­sil­lon, France, $17.99
  • 91–93 Robert Park­er
• 2015 Mono­pole White, Rio­ja, Spain, $16.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2010 El Coto de Rio­ja Coto dee Imar Reser­va, Rio­ja, Spain, $24.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2014 Car­men Gran Reser­va Car­menère, Colch­agua Val­ley, Chile, $15.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Can­ti­na del Taburno Falanghi­na del San­nio, Cam­pa­nia, Italy, $15.99
  • 90 + Vinous
• 2016 A to Z Ries­ling, Ore­gon, $17.99
  • 92 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Argi­o­las Can­nonau di Sardeg­na Costera, Sar­dinia, Italy, $19.99
  • 90 Vinous
• 2014 Michael David 6^th Sense Syrah, Lodi, $18.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2013 Boutinot Cairanne Les Six, Cotes du Rhone, France, $21.99
  • 90 Vinous
• 2013 Sean Minor Nicole Marie Red Blend, Napa Val­ley, $21.99
  • 90 The Tast­ing Pan­el
• 2015 Leeuwin Estate Sib­lings Sauvi­gnon Blanc-Semi­l­lon, Mar­garet Riv­er, Aus­tralia, $21.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2012 Koyle Gran Reser­va Car­menère, Colch­agua Val­ley, Chile, $18.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2015 Insur­rec­tion Red, South East­ern Aus­tralia, $14.99
  • 91 Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Foris Gewurz­tramin­er, Rogue Val­ley, Ore­gon, $16.99
  • 90 Wine Enthu­si­ast, #23 Top 100 Best Buy Wine Enthu­si­ast
• 2014 Ric­car­do Barac­chi O’lillo Red, Tus­cany, Italy, $17.99
  • 90 Wine Spec­ta­tor
• 2014 Cel­lar Cap­canes Mas Donis Bar­ri­ca, Spain, $15.99
  • 91 Vinous

Updat­ed, August 26, 2017