The holiday season is upon us, the time of year for friends, family, food — and wine. While several wines can be quite expensive, you do not need to purchase an expensive bottle to enjoy great wine. The price of a wine does not dictate its taste or value. Buying great wine on a budget requires patience, research and different buying techniques. Shopping by region and in bulk allows you to drink wine that’s friendly on the finances. Below you’ll find how to buy wine on a budget so you can prepare for your upcoming holiday festivities.
REGION MATTERS
Some wine regions give you a lot more bang for your buck than others. Look for wines from Slovenia, Southern Italy and the Languedoc and Cotes du Rhone regions of France — all of which have high quality wine, some of which are $10 or less. South American wines are also beginning to get the recognition they deserve, but the price tags have not yet caught up.
Certain European wines that aren’t as popular can also be excellent value buys. For example, when people think of Italian reds, they often think of Tuscany. Wine from the southern region of Italy, (look for Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia), are also great and often sold at a lower price. Lastly, Spanish wines like Verdejo can run around $9 a bottle.
PURCHASE IN BULK
If you find a wine you love and it’s over your budget, buy it in bulk. While purchasing at the grocery store, you can typically combine deals with a bulk discount to save even more. It might seem extravagant to order a case of wine, but you generally get a discount of between 10% and 15% by doing so. Additionally, many retailers apply the case discount to mixed cases as well – so you wouldn’t have to buy 12 bottles of the same wine.
Ultimately, it’s completely normal not to have a go-to wine or be 100% deliberate in your selection process. If you’re looking to experiment, pick a price limit and treat yourself to a different bottle each time to explore the endless possibilities!