Bargain Wines

Locating great tasting discount wines can seem like a bargain hunt that even the most patient wine enthusiast might not venture upon. However, finding your favorite wines and even some terrific new ones at deep discounts is not as challenging as it might seem.

First off get to know obscure grapes and enjoy wine tasting with all the different red wines, white wines, and sparkling wines. I’d suggest, for starters, familiarize yourself with some of the more unusual wines like Soave and Beaujolais, and learn the names of unpopular grapes like Malbec and Gewurztraminer. A rule of thumb: The more difficult a grape is to pronounce, the cheaper the wine is likely to be. Instead of red Burgundy, I’d recommend ordering Moulin-a-Vent. Made from Gamay, not Pinot Noir, this wine is the biggest of the Beaujolais crus, and can be, in many instances, richer and fuller-bodied than many Burgundies. In Italy, alternatives to overpriced Barolos and Barbarescos abound, including other Piedmontese reds like Dolcetto and Barbera. Both were once considered lowly, second-rate grapes but, thanks to some of today’s top producers, are now accorded the same care and attention as more “noble” varietals. The wines they turn out are lush and concentrated - and unlike Barolo and Barbaresco, are (mostly) ready to drink right after release.

I would also suggest learning about vintages. A wine from a good vintage isn’t necessarily going to be much more expensive than a wine from a bad one (unless the vintage is really, really bad - but I’ll get to that later). In fact, Bordeaux has famously jacked up the prices of its premier wines regardless of whether the vintage is good or bad. However, wines like Bordeaux, Chianti and Burgundy tend to be high in acidity and/or tannins and can be particularly disappointing in future years. The faults are magnified in a bad year, since these wines rarely have enough fruit to cloak the tannins or cover the acidity.

So once you have mastered a bit of the lingo and several of the grape varieties the choices grow tremendously and the prices drop drastically. So go enjoy tasting and learning; and you will be surprised at some of fantastic bargains out there for some very delicious wines.