The Foodie: Wine on the Cheap
June 08, 2008
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Our new column is a weekly bite of the gourmet Web. This first edition approaches the aspiring oenophile with ways to learn about wine and enjoy it for less money.
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A recent study by the market research firm Nielsen found that the majority of wine drinkers are “overwhelmed” by what is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby. The reason? Perhaps it’s that there is too much pressure to believe that, when it comes to wine, expensive equals good. Another study by the California Institute of Technology uncovered money’s masterful “placebo effect:” participants who believed they were drinking an expensive wine reportedly enjoyed it more (then again, they also weren’t footing the bill.) Read more about that study in our Beyond the Headlines coverage.
Source: findingDulcinea
But buying and appreciating wine doesn’t have to come at a steep price. Those who know a little about wine are simply more likely to enjoy it, no matter how much or how little the bottle costs. Get literate in labels and master your knowledge of varietals, and you’re on your way to drinking the best wines for under $20—or even under $10—with minimal bad eggs in the bunch. Our Wine Web Guide checks off the best sites to help wine lovers at all stages of the hobby.
Source: findingDulcinea
It helps to have the names of several varietals, or grape types, up your sleeve when you venture into a wine store. Professional Friends of Wine has a great section called “Varietal Profiles” that will help you purchase your pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon or Riesling with confidence.
Source: Wine Pros
Next, the labels. Alcohol content, region, year, or even the label design can make or break a bottle’s success. After picking a varietal and a region, a budding sommelier depends on the label to make the final selection. Professional Friends of Wine (mentioned in the previous paragraph) has a “Wine Labels” section that will sharpen the eye of the frugal wine buyer; soon you’ll pass up a swanky label design in favor of a wine that will actually deliver the goods.
Source: Wine Pros
The blog Good Wine Under $20 impartially explores wines sniffed and swilled by its contributors. This blog also explains how to pair wines with certain foods; discusses seasonally appropriate wines; and provides links to intriguing studies about wine, like the Nielsen one mentioned above.
Source: Good Wine Under $20
Flip through the tasting notes on CellarTracker or Cork’d to find out what real people—not just sommeliers—think of cheap and pricey wines from all over the world. Use the search box on these sites to see what people have to say about a wine you’re already thinking of buying.
Source: Cork'd
Wine prices fluctuate depending on a variety of factors. One of those factors is simply reputation and the tastes of the many (or the privileged few). As the New York Times critic Eric Asimov laments in a recent blog entry on Bordeaux wines, “it’s oddly unfashionable these days to like Bordeaux. In fact, it’s downright au courant to express contempt for this hallowed region.” Consequently, you can find a fine bottle of it for a reasonable price. Asimov notes that “every time I have a good Bordeaux I remember that I love it and ought to drink more of it.”
Source: The New York Times
An article to which the wine enthusiast can habitually return is Eric Asimov’s article “Happiness for $10 or Less.” Chronicling the tasting mission of a disparate group of oenophiles, the article makes a selection of dirt-cheap wines that are “gulpable,” and have “personality” and a “modest level of intrigue.” The Times tasters “tried to pick out not only the best bottles but also the best regions to explore for good values,” harking back to Asimov’s blog plea to enter the wine market unbiased. An open mind just may yield a diamond in the rough.
Source: The New York Times
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