Mining for value in the Napa Valley: Over 20 of the best wines for under $75

That this is a list should come as no surprise. The title, dear reader, gives it away. What matters most, however, is what you do with it.

The search for value in Napa Valley is not a fool’s errand; it can still be done!

As someone who has written wine recommendation lists for years across various publications, I’ve found they usually fall into one of two camps: wonderfully practical and helpful, or gloriously hedonistic and almost useless.

Scroll down for Jonathan’s best value Napa wines under $75

What I can promise is this: I’ve tasted every wine on this list, rated it, and logged each one into Decanter’s online reviews. These are wines worth your attention – delicious, even enviable.

Not that I envy a wine for simply being wine; rather, I imagine consumers envying those fortunate enough to already own or drink them.

Still, take a cue from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1933 advice to his 11-year-old daughter: ‘Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you – worry about efficiency [and, intriguingly, ‘horsemanship’ – Ed.].’

Efficiency matters here because you do need to worry about wines that have become impossible to find. At the time of publication, each wine is still available directly from the winery.

Though, I can’t guarantee you’ll find these in local retail shops or restaurants, especially if you live outside the US 

But let’s say you reside in a fashionable London neighbourhood, a posh Parisian arrondissement, or near a charming enoteca in Dogliani in Piedmont – print this list, hand it to your local wine buyer, and demand they import as many as possible.

The task ahead

Because here’s the truth: finding excellent Napa Valley wine that travels beyond Napa, that you can drink now, and that costs under $75 a bottle, is no small feat. (And yes, I fully expect my inbox to fill with suggestions for other sub-$75 wines I’ve missed, forgotten, or couldn’t squeeze in.)

But remember my caveat. These wines must:

• The wine must be available outside of Napa Valley.
• It must be excellent, more than a casual ‘sure, I’ll have a glass.’ These are bottles you’ll want to finish to the last drop. At least, I do.

Napa Valley has around 475 physical wineries and over 1,000 brands, so a list of 25 is but a drop in the proverbial bucket.

Wallace Stevens found 13 ways of looking at a blackbird; I’ve found 25 Napa wines under $75 in the past six months that are as enticing as they sound.

Here they are – from whites to reds.

Cristaldi’s pick of the best Napa wines for under $75

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