How to Find Great Value Wines?

It is a truth universally acknowledged that in order to drink great wine, you’ve got to flash your cash. We’re told time and time again that the very best stuff is going to cost a small fortune, and most of us don’t bother to question this when hunting for a fantastic new wine.

In some ways, there is some accuracy in this belief - in the sense that the reverse is usually true: very cheap wine is rarely worth writing home about, and the mass-produced budget-friendly bottles you can find in any supermarket range from being decidedly boring to being downright undrinkable.

There are many reasons for this - generally, the most interesting wines come from vineyards with very low yields (the yield is how many grapes each vine produces) which concentrates the ‘character’ in the grapes grown. Low yields mean lower volume, lower profit margins and thus a higher price.

Does this low yield affect the flavour? Very much so. It's best referred to as detail. When you smell or taste a great wine, you can generally note a number of different characters, from fruits to flowers to spices to herbs. Plus there's the texture - is it sharp, round, dense etc. Wines from vigorous vines with high yields will generally just show one or two flavours - eg a simple sauvignon blanc might be all lime and passionfruit and not much else.

Furthermore, if a great wine finds itself in high demand and popular among wine drinkers, simple market forces are going to push the price tag higher and higher. Wine may have overtones of romance and rusticity, but business is business at the end of the day.

However, wine is a world full of mythology and misdirection, and one of the great lies that has sprung up from the snobbier and more elitist corner is that you cannot drink fantastic and fascinating wine for relatively little money. We're pleased to say this it completely false!

Here are some top tips for buying great wine at low prices, how to spot them, and how to stock up your wine rack without breaking the bank.

Focus on value regions--red

Everyone knows Champagne, but that's not the only sparkling wine made in France....far from it. There's great value fizz from all over the country, but Champagne is the big name, and commands the big prices. Look out for 'Cremant' wines that are made the same way but offer big value.

Buy the 'uncool' grape varieties--aromatic

You know the ones I mean. Merlot, Petit Verdot, Marsanne, Trebbiano... sometimes they're unknown, sometimes they've just fallen out of favour.

The big names in the grape world get all the props, but there's over 2000 different grape varieties to choose from, so spread your wings and discover your new favourite

Enlist an expert--racy

This might seem blindingly obvious, but it can be as simple as a hot tip from a mate on a great value bottle, or perhaps a group of brilliant online wine lovers who can recommend something brilliant 😉

About the Author

Alex Tanner is a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and holds her WSET 3 with distinction. Her experience in the wine industry stretches from working as a sommelier in award-winning restaurants in British Columbia, judging national wine competitions, and utilising her background in design and communication toward commissioned art, writing, and branding for wineries and wine bars and columns across the globe.