How to find a good bottle of wine cheaply, according to an expert
Wine is not just for the wealthy, despite its haughty reputation. Even good wine is available at affordable prices, but sifting through the endless options to find cheap wine is an acquired skill.
To help you hone your eye for good wine without the high costs, I turned to Cara Patricia, a sommelier and co-owner of San Francisco’s DecanterSF. Patricia assured me that Real good wine does not have to be Real duration. You can uncork new and interesting bottles of red, white and sparkling if you know where to look, how to look and who to talk to.
First, let’s look at why a good bottle is not the same as a ‘cheap’ bottle.
Cheap versus valuable wine
Cheap wines may only cost you a few dollars, but their quality is questionable. Value wines, on the other hand, can have a wide range of prices, from really cheap to quite pricey, but they oversell regardless of price. “Like [the price] It seems too good to be true, and it is,” Patricia told me. ‘Wine can be cheap, but it has a price.”
Finding wines that represent excellent value can be challenging, even for educated wine consumers. That’s why people like Patricia have a job they love. (Pro tip: Corks on screw caps don’t necessarily mean a better wine.) Wine is a huge category that people like sommeliers and other wine professionals dedicate their lives to.
Buying wine can be intimidating for several reasons, but Patricia’s wine motto is “drink for yourself,” and DecantSF is known for its relaxed approach to connecting people with wines they love, without even a soup con of pretension. As a women- and gay-owned company, inclusivity is the top priority at DecantSF, even when it comes to budgets.
Using Patricia’s wine expertise and consumer-friendly attitude, here are seven strategies on how to buy the best wines.
(We have too tips for finding delicious cheese cheaply And the best budget-friendly beef alternatives to expensive ribeye.)
1. Shop local
“You don’t get a wine expert at a big box store,” Patricia said. “Shop in boutiques where the experts are,” and you will gain access to a wealth of knowledge honed through many years of studying, evaluating and most importantly: drinks wine. Wine professionals often also have a limited budget. “Go to a store and ask about staffing choices within your budget,” Patricia advised. “If you’re looking for wines under €25, ask for the staff’s favorite wines as they’re probably the ones they drink most often at home.”
“At DecantSF we blind taste everything before we bring it to the store, and the hardest part to taste blind is our cheapest wines,” Patricia said. “We Real We want these wines to deliver more value and deliciousness, so we’re super picky about what we bring in. We have our own houses full of those wines, so they must be good!”
A good local wine shop offers expertise. Many also host weekly or monthly curated tastings so you can try before you buy.
Local is not always an option. If there is no reputable wine shop in your area, you can check out our list of wine shops best online wine clubs And best alcohol delivery services for 2024.
2. Know your price
You have every right to your budget and you should never feel insecure about what you want to spend. Every day, wine professionals deal with people whose budgets are in the tens of dollars, as well as people whose budgets are in the tens of thousands of dollars. Either way, they are willing to play matchmaker and have a lot of professional pride in matching people with the right bottles, taking into account any budget considerations.
Some local wine stores like DecantSF offer deals and discounts on wines if you join a membership program.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a restaurant sommelier and shop owner, it’s get to the heart of the matter and be honest in what you’re looking for,” Patricia said. “Be honest about what you want,” especially if you’re working on a tight budget. For example, she suggests starting with something like, “I’m looking for a red wine under $30. I’ve previously enjoyed wines like X, Y, and Z and would like something similar. Do you have any suggestions?” You’re more likely to have a positive wine shopping experience if you open honestly.
Wine apps and websites are a great way to compare prices and make sure you don’t pay too much. Try one of these three free wine apps to make sure you don’t get into trouble.
3. Avoid wine trends
“Be wary of fads, Instagram favorites or blatant marketing,” Patricia said. A disproportionate amount of marketing dollars is spent on just a fraction of the world’s wines. (I’m looking at you, Whispering Angel.) Most top quality wine producers prefer to keep their dollars in the vineyards and wineries and make excellent wines. They rely on their own tasting rooms, plus sommeliers and wine shop staff to do the marketing for them, based on truly enjoying the wines, rather than expensive advertising and sponsorship with influencers. “There’s often a premium price for the coolest or hottest wines,” Patricia said, “and you can tell when a lot of the money goes into the marketing rather than the product.”
Orange or amber wines are wine trends worth exploring for some excellent selections.
Trendy wine may cost you more, especially if you are in the grip of its trendiness. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them altogether.
4. Pull out the world map
Becoming a sommelier has a huge amount to do with geography, which is another good reason to put them to work for you when it comes to finding good quality wines. You don’t need to know every small wine-producing region, or even every major one, but you can do yourself a favor by getting to know a few key regions for the styles or grapes you like best and then their neighbors.
“Look for regions that are just outside the known regions,” Patricia said. “Maybe Sancerre is getting a little too expensive, but there are plenty of nice sauvignon blancs from Touraine to try. The prices in Napa Valley are crazy! Let’s try something from the El Dorado foothills instead.”
Madroña is just one of many great wine producers you can find in the foothills of El Dorado.
It can also be valuable to know which New World or other emerging regions produce wines of a similar style to some of the big players, as these are often places that overachieve for their price. If you like big cabernet sauvignons from Bordeaux or Napa Valley, look for big reds Chile or Washington State to save money without compromising on quality. Luscious chardonnays aren’t limited to France and California either, where beautiful, wallet-friendly expressions come from Australia And South Africa.
5. Explore entry-level wines
The world’s most famous wine producers have become so for making some of the world’s most legendary, big-money wines. These are very rarely the only wines they make, and most offer bottles from wider, cheaper wine regions than their top cuvées.
“Do you like dry Grosses Gewächs Riesling, but can’t spend a hundred dollars? Try a dry Trocken Riesling from the same estate, for a quarter of the price,” said Patricia. “Want to splurge on Puligny-Montrachet? Try your favorite producer’s Bourgogne Blanc, which is often a blend of released fruit from younger vines.”
Trocken Riesling is comparable to the dry Grosses Gewächs Riesling, but at a fraction of the price.
In addition to taking a broader look at the wine list, it can also be a smart financial strategy to try lesser-known grapes from very well-known producers. “Try different grape varieties from legendary producers,” said Patricia. “Do you like a particular Barolo? Try their Barbera d’Asti and get the same great winemaking with a different grape that costs much less to make.”
6. Consider joining a wine club
Some wine stores offer membership deals that are worth checking out. “There are usually discounts for members and you get a lot more variety each period than you would get as a member of a wine club,” Patricia said. “For example, members of DecantSF’s bottle clubs receive a 10% discount on all club wine reorders, waived corkage for in-store drinking bottles, free wine flights, discounts on classes, pre-sales and other benefits.”
When it comes to online wine memberships or subscriptions, she advised exercising a healthy skepticism. “Stay away from online wine clubs that want you to be an ‘investor,’ or use an algorithm quiz instead of a sommelier to match your preferences, or guarantee a case of wine for way too cheap,” Patricia said. “These are often the lowest quality wines, using mass-produced fruit and exploited labor, blended and bottled under fantasy names. You might as well buy from the bottom shelf at Walmart.”
Nothing beats a great local wine shop, but if something is lacking in your area, a sophisticated online wine club will do the trick.
If there isn’t a reputable wine shop in your area, we’ve vetted some online wine clubs for you CNET’s Best Wine Club for 2024. Some online wine stores, such as Wine.comalso offer introductory offers for starters, and Last bottle periodically offers marathon buying weekends, all of which can be a good way to stock up.
7. Buy wine in bulk
Buying in bulk is a time-honored, money-saving strategy, and it certainly doesn’t stop with wine. “Buy more, save more,” said Patricia. “For example, DecantSF offers a 5% discount on six bottles or a 10% discount on 12-plus bottles.” You can also save on shipping or delivery by stocking up on wine multiple times throughout the year, rather than buying a bottle for each individual occasion that needs one. Also larger size bottles like magnums, or even boxed wine — yes, I said that — from reputable producers can save you some money.
