I am a professional person who has grown accustomed to fine wines (e.g., Caymus, Bel Glos, Pine Ridge, Sonoma Cutrer, Whitehall Lane). Now I am about to go back to school on a VERY strict budget. Do you have any tips on finding good food-friendly wines in the $10 retail price bracket? Are there any clubs that do evaluations and communications about inexpensive but well-made wines?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
There are several sources for information about bargain-priced wines including most of the leading wine magazines and their websites: Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine (including their annual guide), and many others. Is your budget too strict to accommodate an annual subscription to one of these publications? The $10 price point tends to be dominated by drinkable but rather anonymous wines, particularly the mass-market offerings produced at industrial volumes. As a retail merchant with access to thousands of wines, I would say that you stand a better chance of finding the largest selection of true values - wines with personality - at $10 retail from Spain, Italy and Portugal in terms of the Old World, and Chile and Argentina as far as the New World is concerned. I suggest that you go to a large store with a global selection and take some chances on a few wines from these countries - you just might find some wonderful surprises!
