Wine industry professionals are inundated with questions on what to drink – “best value” might tie for “what’s your favourite” as the most common.

While there are no shortage of wines that fall within the category of affordable – $10-15 bottle being that sweet spot – most are styles many wine pros would not stand behind, or admit to drinking.

Sadly, the reason behind affordable wine isn’t always a sexy story.

For example, oak staves are often used in the place of oak barrels to produce a wine with a buttery, praline-like character – a style achieved without the lengthy waiting time or costly price of an oak barrel.

Sparkling wine might be produced similarly to beer, by being CO2 injected, as opposed to a secondary fermentation that happens in bottle, but takes years to produce like Champagne.

Generally, expensive wine tends to be so, because of time. Winemaking often comes down to a choice – what is convenient versus what time will resolve.

Given the high demand for value wine, here are a few examples that’ll scratch that Tuesday night itch. They might not be the most coveted additions in your cellar, but they’ll meet the quaff-ability factor.

Chianti – Fontella

This is a great Chianti coming in at $13.99. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in crush-ability. Grab a large Domino’s pepperoni pizza and smash them together.

Soave – Bolla

Remember that suggestion for replacing your bottle of Chardonnay with Soave? Give the Bolla a try – plenty of orchard fruit character, clean and precise – perfect for enjoying with a cheese board at Monday night book club. At only $12.99 a bottle, you won't feel too guilty throwing back a few bottles either.

Mt. Bubbles – Mount Boucherie

Made in the "frizzante" style – the bubbles are achieved in a pressurised stainless steel tank – this sparkling wine is as affordable as it is fizzy. It's a steal at $20.99/bottle.