10 Red Wines At Sam's Club $20 And Under, Ranked By A Sommelier

Sam's Club offers one-stop bulk buying options, whether you are looking for jumbo packs of paper towels, giant-sized shampoo, or a juicy rotisserie chicken that rivals Costco. In states where it is allowed by law, the wholesaler offers an extensive selection of wines, beers, and liquors, many at highly affordable prices, providing its members with value and great taste.

I recently reviewed the white wines at Sam's Club that cost under $20. After finding the best white wine at the wholesaler, I was curious about the red wines carried by the chain. After researching the brands available at Sam's across the country, I acquired 10 national and international wine selections, each priced under $20. To determine which wine outshines the others, I drew upon my knowledge and training as a certified sommelier and a long-time wine and spirits writer. Although the majority of Sam's Club wines are made in the U.S.A., there are a few global gems that overdeliver on expectations, particularly for the price. Here are the results. Prices are accurate as of writing, but may differ, depending on the location. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Member's Mark Pinot Noir is a fine wine if the wine were a Syrah, as it features the varietal characteristics of the French Rhone Valley red grape. However, the wine is labeled as a 14.7% alcohol pinot noir. The fruit is from Monterey County on California's Central Coast, an area influenced by its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which should produce lush, fresh cool-climate varieties like pinot noir. However, none of the nuanced qualities of pinot noir came through in this high alcohol expression of the grape, particularly as pinot noir's alcohol content typically stays below 14%.   

Pinot noir is inherently a difficult wine to produce. The skins are thin, and the grape bunches are tight, making them susceptible to sunburn or mildew. Vintners must handle the fruit with care to produce the delicate fruit that becomes expressive wines known for their freshness. This wine was hot and jammy, but in an appealing, chewy, fleshy zinfandel way, which has the tannic structure to handle the high alcohol. This wine tasted like cooked fruit, lacking the light, ethereal nuances and fresh acidity that make quality pinot noir so alluring.

Given the low $8.98 price at Sam's Club, I wasn't surprised that the wine didn't deliver, as that cost seems exceptionally low for quality pinot noir. Still, when you spend money on a wine that says it's one thing, only to find it lacks the classic qualities, it is disappointing. As such, this wine ranks last.

Merlot is one of those grapes that is easy to love. Like a Labrador puppy or warm blanket in wintertime, merlot's smooth tannins, juicy fruit-forward profile, and balanced acidity make it easy to drink and enjoy. Unfortunately, Member's Mark Columbia Valley Merlot came up short on fulfilling the comforting expectations I had hoped for. 

Using grapes sourced from Washington's expansive Columbia Valley region, the wine's vintner and producer for Member's Mark, Chateau Ste. Michelle produced a wine that oddly lacked the soft roundness of merlot, coming across as uncharacteristically tannic and bitter instead. At the same time, instead of the typical black plum, red berry, and cherry flavors that are signature elements of youthful merlot, this 14.1% alcohol wine's flavors were much sweeter, similar to grape-flavored Jolly Rancher candies.

Although the wine is an inexpensive buy, costing under $8, the selection's unfavorable, uncharacteristic, sweet yet bitter flavors, and overall lack of complexity, earn the merlot a spot at the bottom of the ranking.

In an ever-changing, stressful world, Bread & Butter Wines believes life, and the wines you enjoy with it, should be approachable and easy to drink. The winery's California appellation pinot noir is juicy, with layers of ripe cherries and red berries, with hints of toasted vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel. Its accessible style makes it a fresh pairing with a simple meal of whole roasted chicken or grilled salmon with vegetables. Or, consider pairing the wine with roasted pork tenderloin topped with a tart cranberry relish. The tanginess of the relish will cut through some of the wine's sweet fruitiness, bringing brightness and texture.

Priced under $12 at Sam's Club, the 13.5% alcohol by volume wine has a slight creaminess on the palate and a subtle hint of spice, melding with the fruit-forward profile. While the wine's structure and complexity are minimal, it offers a straightforward fruitiness, soft tannin, and nominal acidity that lean into its effortless nature. The overall weight and complexity are minimal, and the finish comes across slightly jammy. Still, the fruity, undemanding style makes this a fine weeknight wine, ranking it above others.

J. Lohr is one of Central California's leading wineries for its sustainability initiatives and its long-time belief in the quality of wines made from Central Californian fruit. Recipient of the Green Medal Leader Award from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, founder Jerry Lohr established the winery in 1974. Today, his children run the winery's operations. 

On paper, the winery's J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot should be at the top of the list. The fruit is from California's Paso Robles region, which crafts exceptional Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, as well as the larger San Luis Obispo County. While it isn't the finest red wine available at Sam's, it outperforms others due to its smooth, fruit-forward style.

Although the wine ages for 12 months in oak, 15% of which is new, it shows a youthful style with notes of fruity black plum and currant. Adding a touch of cabernet franc and malbec contributes ripe cherry and floral aromas of fresh violets. Aromas of coconut and vanilla show the influence of barrel aging on the wine.

The wine has an alcohol by volume content of 14% and a reasonable price of under $12 at Sam's. Its juicy, fruit-forward character makes this a lovely wine to pair with an Italian sausage dinner, roasted game meats, or grilled spare ribs. While it lacks the well-structured complexity and depth of character compared to some, its approachable style and sustainability earn it a mid-point ranking.

The beauty of creating a wine blend is that various varieties come together without a preset recipe, allowing the particular vintage to dictate the wine it will create. Of course, a winemaker may have a general idea of the wine they will blend, ensuring it remains consistent with the brand's profile. Still, a blended wine is a true representation of the vineyard's terroir and the year of the fruit's harvest.

Decoy's Red Blend brings together fruit from Sonoma County, Mendocino County, and California's Central Coast in its California appellation wine. The unique blend brings together Bordeaux, Rhone, and American varieties, including 25% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 16% zinfandel, 13% syrah, 12% petite sirah, 6% petit verdot, and a touch of malbec to create a medium-bodied wine. Each component lends a different characteristic to the wine. 

The cabernet, petite sirah, and petit verdot lend power and tannin. Merlot lends grace, and malbec, zinfandel, and syrah bring fruit and spice, resulting in a multi-layered, balanced wine. Aromas of blue and black fruit mingle with vanilla and toast notes, followed by blackberry, ripe plum, red and black cherry flavors, with hints of mocha and spice. Aging the 14.1% alcohol wine for 18 months in a combination of new and neutral French oak helps round out the fruit's tannin, while lending wood tannin, contributing to the wine's complexity and structure. Available for just under $18 at Sam's Club, this well-made wine ranks among the top tier.

Erath offers a juicy, fresh, and easy-to-drink wine in its pretty Oregon Pinot Noir. The wine combines cool-climate freshness, thanks to the vineyard's proximity to the Pacific coast. Ocean breezes blow off the water through vineyards, ensuring the Pacific Northwest state's fruit has bright, crisp acidity and full phenolic character.

A Willamette Valley pioneer, Dick Erath started the winery in 1968, when the region was still in its developmental stage. He became known for creating balanced, complex, and elegant wines, fully representing Willamette Valley's terroir. The winery's dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship earned it B Corp Certification.

With a modest 13.5% alcohol by volume, Erath's 100% pinot noir wine sources fruit from cool-climate vineyards throughout Oregon. Tasting this wine, I first noticed its inviting aromas of woody herbs, wild strawberry, cherry, and cranberry, with purple flowers and an earthy forest-floor note. These characteristics carried over to the palate, showing bright, ripe red fruits, subtle truffle notes, with a touch of minerality on the finish. It is the type of wine you can easily enjoy on its own, or pair with mushroom risotto, brined and grilled salmon, or roasted pork chops. Costing just over $15 at Sam's, this sustainably-sourced, well-crafted, medium-bodied wine earns a top-five ranking.

From the hills of Asti within Italy's Piedmont region, Vietti Winery crafts its exceptional Barbera d'Asti Trevie. Barbera is the wine for you if you appreciate a light-to-medium-bodied wine with juicy, fruit-forward flavors. Barbera's fruit is balanced by an earthy undertone, fragrant aromatics, and its signature bright, fresh acidity and soft tannins. 

The Barbera d'Asti Trevie fruit comes from Asti's Grand Cru growing area in Agliano Terme, where vintners practice organic farming methods. Vietti crafts the wine with sustainability at the forefront. The wine ages for 12 months in a combination of large oak casks, small barriques, and stainless steel tanks. Barrique aging lends tertiary characteristics, such as earthy, mushroomy, and dried-fruit notes, along with tannins from the wood. Using the stainless steel tanks ensures the wine's natural fruitiness and freshness remain at the forefront. The combination results in a balanced, multilayered wine with character. 

Trevie opens with layers of wild berries, cherries, vanilla, savory, woody herbs, and toasted hazelnut. Well priced at under $15 at Sam's, the 14% alcohol content is higher than that of some other selections. However, the variety's naturally fresh acidity and soft tannins create an approachable character, with fruitiness that pairs nicely with rich game dishes, such as braised osso buco, or earthy fare, such as creamy mushroom risotto. The wine's balance, freshness, and nuanced flavors are consistently delicious vintage after vintage. Add in its reasonable price and food-friendly character, and it earns Vietti a spot near the top.

In terms of quality-to-cost, La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is one of the best value wines at Sam's Club. With a price just under $20 at Sam's, the cool-climate appellation wine reveals the terroir's influence in every sip. The wine's fruit comes from 43 different vineyards dotted throughout Sonoma County, each with a slightly different microclimate, elevation, and soil type, adding complexity, texture, and richness to the wine. Cooling ocean breezes off the Pacific keep fruit healthy and free of disease, allowing the grape's natural, bright freshness to shine through, harmonizing with silky tannins, and creating an enjoyable, well-balanced wine. 

The overall profile shows authentic varietal character, which is sometimes hard to find in inexpensive pinot noir wines. The wine opens with aromas of crushed berries, black tea, allspice, and nutmeg, leading to a palate of ripe red berry, pomegranate, and cherry flavors. The fruit-forward flavors meld with subtle, earthy forest-floor and warm baking-spice notes, creating a complete, 13.5% alcohol-by-volume wine that ranks near the top. I suggest trying it with a slightly sweet, smoky maple-plank bourbon-glazed salmon, autumnal butternut squash soup, or an umami-packed vegan mushroom carbonara over pasta.

From one of California's historic wineries comes one of the best red wines you can buy for under $20 at Sam's Club. Louis M. Martini has its roots in 1933, when the winery's namesake founder first began making wine in Napa Valley. Today, the winery crafts a range of wines, including distinct Bordeaux varietal wines from Napa and Sonoma, as well as impressive zinfandel selections from 140-year-old vines growing in the high-elevation, volcanic soils of its Sonoma Valley Monte Rosso vineyard. 

Translating as "meadow" in Italian, Prati is a nod to the Italian roots of many of the early Northern California wine producers, including the Martini family, and the Sonoma vineyards that grow the well-made selection's expressive fruit. From grapes grown throughout Sonoma County, including in Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley, Prati blends 85% cabernet sauvignon with 6% petite sirah – lending weight, color, and tannin — and 8% other red grape varieties. 

Aromas of ripe cherries, plums, and berries open in the wine, with hints of spice and mocha, leading to layers of cherry cordial, boysenberry, espresso, and black licorice. The wine ages for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak, balancing the fruit's tannin while adding notes of toasted vanilla and black cherry. With a 13.9% alcohol content and a Sam's Club price tag of under $14, Prati is a well-rounded, concentrated, balanced wine that takes the second highest spot, pairing beautifully with a peppery steak au poivre.

From high elevation vineyards in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, Argentina's Catena Zapata Winery crafts well-rounded malbec wines. The Catena family has been making wines in these Argentine foothills since 1902. Today, fourth-generation vintner Laura Catena is at the winery's helm as managing director. 

Malbec is one of the lesser-known varieties that make up a Bordeaux blend. However, it found its home in Argentina over 150 years ago, thanks to the area's terroir, specifically in the Mendoza region. Catena Malbec shines as a well-crafted example of New World malbec. The wine blends sustainably grown fruit from four Catena high mountain estate vineyards, each ranging from 2,800 feet to almost 5,000 feet in elevation. 

The higher the elevation, the cooler the vineyard temperatures, with dramatic diurnal shifts from hot to cold. These vineyards also receive more sunlight. The combination ensures that the fruit develops complex phenolic character while maintaining freshness. The intense sunlight helps the fruit develop thick skins with an inky, black color, one of Argentine malbec's signature characteristics. 

Catena's malbec opens with dark fruit, wildflowers, earthy, woody herbs, and vanilla aromas, leading to a juicy palate of Morello cherry, blackberry, leather, and spice. Aging the wine for 14 months in French oak helps to mellow the tannins. With 13.5% alcohol and a price tag under $20, this full-bodied selection is packed with quality and refined character, earning Catena its spot at the top. It is a wine I can enjoy a bottle of, instead of simply a glass, and is ideal with roasted game meats or red wine braised short ribs.

To create this ranking, I acquired a group of red wines currently available at Sam's Club locations across the country, each costing under $20. I tasted each wine on its own, as well as pairing each wine with cheese – such as Parmesan and cheddar — to see how the wine's tannin and acidity melded with the cheese's flavor and fattiness, to determine how the wine paired with food.

In evaluating the wines, my top priorities were the taste, balance, and complexity. I also considered the wine's production and whether the winery follows sustainability practices or initiatives as a steward of the land. While some wines had higher alcohol than others, I considered how the alcohol interacted with tannin and acidity to create harmony. If the combination produced balance, a wine received a higher ranking. Conversely, if the wines were hot and unbalanced, they received a lower ranking. 

To assist in determining the ranking, I used my knowledge, training, and expertise as a certified sommelier, certified specialist of wine, and a wine writer with over 20 years of experience. I have traveled to each region in this review. By walking among the vines, I have gained an understanding of the importance of terroir and how it shapes a wine's character.