(WSJ) - Dolcetto has long been in the shadow of Piedmont’s much more famous Nebbiolo grape. But for wine lovers, that’s good news: Top Dolcettos are among the best bargains around.

SOME GRAPES, through no fault of their own, are the perennial plus-one, the second banana, the vinous add-on. That’s the sad story of Dolcetto today. This red grape from Piedmont, Italy, is cultivated much in the shadow of the more famous Nebbiolo grape, used in the region’s most sought-after wines, Barolo and Barbaresco.

And yet top Dolcettos can be great bargains; even the best rarely cost more than $20—a tenth of the price of a great Barolo. In fact, the early maturing, easy-drinking Dolcetto is a fast-cash grape for its producers. Unlike Barolo and Barbaresco, Dolcetto takes months rather than years to mature, moving quickly from fermentation tank to bottle to stores—and the tables of producers themselves.

“Dolcetto is the wine that Piedmontese people drink every day,” said Bruna Giacosa, winemaker at Bruno Giacosa estate, in an email.