Bargain wines for post Christmas saving

We all know that December can be an expensive month. The money we spend on the high street buying gifts for our friends and family seems to increase year after year. Not to mention the amount spent on extra food, goodies we would not normally eat during the rest of the year. The same can be said for wine and other bottled delights. How much Baileys do we drink at Christmas compared with other months? Sherry sales also increase as Grandmas’ around the country enjoy a few extra glasses. We also spend that little bit more on wine as we treat ourselves to something special for the festive lunch. Christmas is a time for treating ourselves and others, and why not? We work hard the whole year so we deserve it.

But then January arrives. The holidays and festivities go and the office and hard work arrive once more. It’s this time when we have to tighten our belts a little and revert back to our normal eating and drinking habits. But that does not mean we have to drink cheaper wines which are of lesser quality.

On an average priced bottle of wine the tax makes up 52% of the overall price. The duty is £2.05 per bottle plus VAT on top of that. With this in mind, finding bargain bottles should in theory be difficult. ‘What makes a bargain wine a bargain?’ It’s a question I often get asked along with ‘is a wine that cost £50 significantly better than a wine that cost £5?’ The answer I usually give is if you prefer the £5 bottle better than the £50 bottle then no its not.

Wine is all about personal preference. Its good to go for different styles and explore different wines but we generally know what styles we like. Remember one thing, if you like the wine then its a good one.

Supermarkets tend to be the obvious place to start looking for good value wines. They have the buying power to push prices down as they buy in bulk. Big brand names will usually dominate the shelves and the discounts. But don’t take to much notice of these deals and if you look beyond these names you will find some classic wines from some fantastic smaller producers.

Own label wines are also a good bet. These tend to be from those smaller producers who take pride in their wine making. Here are some suggestions that you may like to try.

Cuvee Prestige Red, France Soft fruity red made from Cinsault, Grenache and Merlot from the Languedoc Roussillon region. Light with ripe plum flavours. This is a real bargain. Tesco £4.79

La Folie Douce Chardonnay France
Another cracker from the Languedoc region. 100% Chardonnay, its full of creamy fruit with a fresh finish. Tesco £4.9

Carta Roja Gran Reserva Spain
From the Jumilla region in Spain and produced from the Monastrell grape. The Gran Reserva red is aged in Americain oak and then a further five years in bottle giving it a smooth flavour with bags of vanilla and plum characters and smooth tannins. Simply amazing at this price. Sainsburys £5.00 - £8.00

Villa Nostra Bianco NV Italy
A brilliant white from my favourite region of Italy, the Veneto. Made from a blend of Grecanico Catarratto and Trebbiano its full of peach fruit chracters with a beautiful floral finish. Waitrose £5.99

The Solent Wine Experience will be holding a five week wine course at Tuppenny Barn near Emsworth in February.

By
Jonathan Rogers of The Solent Wine Experience
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