Over the past 15 years at least a couple of major things have
changed. A lot more people are enjoying
wine and budget price wines have been improving over the years. Technology
has a lot to do with it; but so does the fact that winemakers have been
replanting vineyards with grapes that make better wine. Just like plant
breeders go all-out to offer more robust, more fragrant roses for gardeners,
grape scholars and scientists have helped winemakers improve their vines.
So basically winegrowers are learning how to get more flavor
from the grapes they grow by careful timing of watering and pruning. Money
matters too. When wines cost $7 or $8 a bottle and above, winemakers can afford to use the better-quality grapes than they used
too.
These changes probably mean that today's under $10 wines
would have cost $15 five years ago. Or your $15 wines are hitting a quality level that is worth seeking.
Then apply that to a $20 bottle and so on.
Just to think that the price for a high quality Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon or French Bordeaux is roughly $50.
But we are talking the budget wines here… and their
advancements!
When you walk down the wine aisle will you will see dozens
upon dozens of sensibly priced wines on the shelves, yet picking one amongst
the often-whacky labels—including everything from funky monkeys to long-tailed eagles—can
be a royal pain. In regards to the style or the appeal of the wines in the
bottle can be night and day.
So how in the heck do I find a wine I like?!? How do I find
the winners?!?
Here are a few tips to follow to find a really decent wine
of good quality.
Choose a grape you previously
tasted but this time from a country you've never tried. For example some of
the best budget or value wines have recently come from Argentina (try
Chardonnay or a Malbec) , Chile (try its Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and
Chardonnay too). In Spain lower-priced wines from Rioja make good-value (usually
the classic Tempranillo grape). Also, South Africa (Chenin Blanc, also known as
‘Steen’ sometimes) are a great opportunity to enjoy.
In the same way; try
up-and-coming grapes and wine styles now before they take off in appreciation and
reputation (and price). If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon style, try a
Malbec—those again from Argentina are good values. Vinho Verde is a light,
refreshing white wine from Portugal that's famously inexpensive.
Also, just because it’s pink does not mean it is White
Zinfandel.
Don’t pass over rows
of massively unrecognized and underpriced
rosé wines—many of that are enjoyably dry and crisp. Just so you know…this wine
generally goes really great with lightly seasoned fish or chicken dishes.
Riesling, too, is so under-appreciated and that the price
remains low for many of these well-designed and delicious wines. Riesling is very versatile. It can be
bone dry, semi-sweet or very sweet. So have fun with that. Remember hot and spicy food goes great with Riesling
By the way…A quick very
basic food pairing hint…match ‘Power with Power’
You can't really judge a quality of a wine by its label, but
the label might tell you a bit about the
style of wine inside If you see a wine label with a beautiful pastel
collage of flowers on it, it’s not going to be a big, heavy concentrated red
wine…but you never know… Likewise, a
wine with a huge red or dirty old truck on it is unlikely to be anything too
light-bodied or sweet.
Look, If you see the brand..Barefoot, Robert Mondavi, Jacob’s
Creek, Lindeman’s, Beringer, Kendall Jackson, Echo Domani, Chateau St,
Michelle, Yellow Tail, Concha Y Toro, Gallo…even Joseph Drouhin brand is in the
budget price game now. Those wines are standardized uniform and consistent, regular-
even unvarying.
While it's tempting to stick to your "same old same old,"
usual’s… it's worth rolling the dice
to find a new favorite at a low price. It's great to know that with all the
good wines out there at this price range,
the odds are now better than ever that you'll find winners.