Drinks: Fab and frugal, 6 wines under $20

In the ocean of wine out there, you'll find a lot of bottles at very good prices. This week: six for $20 or less.

New from Banfi in Tuscany is the 2008 Banfi Chianti Superiore ($11), a fresh, fruity and food-friendly ruby-hued red that goes with hearty pastas, stews and slowly cooked beef or lamb.

The 2009 Barone Ricasoli Chianti del Barone ($14) has a floral quality and traces of spice. There's a hint of chocolate, too. Very good with red-sauced pastas, maybe a beef braciola; chicken scarpariello.

You'll find plenty of plum and some floral notes in the 2007 Peter Lehmann Barossa Clancy's Red ($16), a juicy blend led by Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. It works with pizza, baked pastas, hamburgers.

Citrus and tart apple mark the 2009 Grooner Grüner Veltliner ($12), a balanced white from Austria that's good on its own or with Asian dishes, salads, vegetarian entrees, a light antipasto.

The 2009 Dashe Cellars McFadden Farm Riesling ($20) arrives slightly floral and earthy, with a hint of pear and peach. The Mendocino white is a fine foil for spicy cuisine, especially Asian.

Jules Taylor used to make wine for Kim Crawford. Her own label 2009 Jules Taylor Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($15), a lively dry number, carries a suggestion of grapefruit. Try it with shellfish, or solo.