Wine Tips & Tricks
In this video the 305 Wine Guy and Dusky are back with some wine tips and tricks. Curious how an open bottle can last up to a week long (or more)? Sick and tired of the wine dripping off the bottle and then on to the table? Why are some glasses different shapes? There are so many little things you will learn from this video to make your wine life easier!
Finding Value Wine
I frequently get questions how one can find "good wine on the cheap". While there is no easy answer to this question and everyone's perception of what's good and what's not will be different, there are some generally agreed upon rules that you can apply to your wine search that will help.
First and foremost, read. Buy a book like The Wine Bible and educate yourself. I can't stress how important this is. Of course, you're not here to buy a book, so if you don't have the time or the will to get through hundreds of pages on wine, here are some ways you can improve your search!
- Figure out what kind of style of wine you like.
- Do you like new world wine (wine from anywhere besides Europe)? Do you like Old World (European) wine?
- Generally wines are produced in a corresponding style to where they are from, and knowing which you prefer will help you choose a wine when you go to a wine shop or when you're searching online.
- Once you've sorted out whether you like a big, bold, muscular California Cabernet (New World style) or a lean, elegant, and vibrant red Burgundy (Old World style) you can start drilling down to specific countries.
- As a general rule, warmer climates will produce bigger (riper), bolder wines and cooler climates will produce leaner, fresher (more acidic, less ripe) wines.
Burgundy, France
Village wines. That's where the value is. Burgundy is classified from Grand Cru, to Premier Cru, by Village, and then finally by the catch-all Burgundy AOC (regional wines). Grand Cru means the vineyard site has been deemed a top site by the government, premier cru is a step below, and village just means that the grapes can come from any vineyard land within the delimited area of that specific village. A "Bourgogne" just means the grapes were sourced from anywhere in Burgundy.
Before prices skyrocketed in Burgundy, premier cru used to be the value play. While you can still get lucky there, you're talking a minimum of $50+ per bottle. Stick to the village wines and you can find something great in the $20-30 range.
Some top villages in Burgundy are Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Mâconnais, Pommard, Côte Chalonnaise, Chablis, Volnay, Mersault, Pouilly-Fuissé, Nuits-St-Georges, and Mâcon-Villages.*
Despite all of this, I think the best pro-tip I can give you is to look for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon. You will end up paying 1/4 the price and get extraordinary value out of every dollar. Look for producers making wines in the subregions of Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills. If you want to get super nerdy about it, look for producers that are working vineyards planted on sloping hillsides above the valley floor.
*Note: I have left some top villages out because even the village wines can be expensive and/or hard to find.
Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux, the largest fine-winemaking region in France, is chock full of value wines. Bordeaux is classified in a strange manner, prioritizing Chateaux over plots of land. But to simplify it, look for "Cru Bourgeois" or "Crus Graves" for Left Bank value and "St. Emilion" for Right Bank value. The key with Bordeaux is to stick to the $20-30 range and get to know the specific terroir of each appellation. Once you've found an appellation you like, search for value within that specific zone.
Piedmont, Italy
The home of Barolo, this wine legend regularly fetches upwards of $50 a bottle nowadays. To some this might be doable, but for most of us those are special occasion wines only. Luckily for us, there is a way to drink high quality Nebbiolo without forking over what you would spend on a few tanks of gas or more!
Langhe Nebbiolo - Climate change is having its way with every wine-producing region, and nowadays grapes from sites that were not considered prime because they struggled to ripen are now considered to be higher value because some sites are producing grapes that are almost too ripe. A "Langhe Nebbiolo" with the "Langhe DOC" designation means the grapes are sourced from anywhere in the greater Langhe region of Piedmont (which includes subregions Barolo & Barbaresco), it must contain at least 85% Nebbiolo, and it need not be aged as long as Barolo or Barbaresco before release.
Alto Piemonte - Look for any wines from the following DOCs: Ghemme, Gattinara, Lessona, Boca, Sizzano, Bramaterra, Fara, Coste della Sesia, Colline Novaresi, and Valli Ossolane (I have bolded my favorites). While they might contain small percentages of Vespolina, Uva Rara (aka Bonarda) and/or Croatina, they're majority Nebbiolo and these other varieties lend a softness that is sometimes needed to tame Nebbiolo's tannins (especially in a cooler climate).
Tuscany, Italy
Montalcino - Like Barolo, a decent Brunello can run you $40-50+ these days. That's where Rosso di Montalcino comes into play. Made from grapes sourced from the same areas, just deemed slightly inferior to grapes that are used for a producer's Brunello, these wines are not aged as long and are typically less ferocious than their bigger brothers.
Chianti - If you want to explore the rest of Tuscany, stick to Chianti Classico. Luckily for us, most of these DOCG designated wines only run $15-25 and you can find a Riserva (the higher end bottling only made in the best years) for around $25, depending on the producer. You can, of course, find good value in other parts of the Chianti DOC, but sticking to the Chianti Classico DOCG is a pretty good rule of thumb for those just starting out.
Spain
Most wine shops will struggle to stock their shelves with wines outside of Rioja and Ribera del Duero (though that is changing), so I am going to keep it very, very simple here. Look for a "Crianza" designation if you want to find the lowest prices and best value for your red Rioja or Ribera de Duero. These wines will be a step above the "Joven" designation, but will never break the bank (they should be priced no higher than $15). But if you want to shell out a little more, dip your toes into the "Reserva" or even the "Gran Reserva" categories. I have found some Gran Reserva for less than $30 and been blown away by it.
If you're searching for white wine, opt for an Albariño from the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Pair it with some shellfish and you'll be in heaven.
Napa Valley, USA
If you are into big, extracted Cali Cab, I would suggest not paying the prices and looking elsewhere. There is some amazing wine to be found in Napa, but you are going to have to shell out $100+ to get the top tier stuff. Unless you are a serious wine collector and know the vintages and producers like the back of your hand, it's just not worth the effort and money.
Luckily there are some wine regions in America that are producing wine for a quarter to a third of the price without sacrificing on quality. My best recommendation is to look for wines from Washington State. Specifically the Walla Walla and Columbia valleys stand out to me. You could also go south of Napa to Paso Robles or even hop over the Mayacamas mountains into Sonoma, specifically seeking out Cabernet from Alexander Valley or Dry Creek Valley. Be careful, though, as some Sonoma prices are creeping up on Napa's.
Champagne, France
Ah, bubbly! Who doesn't enjoy a good sparkler from time to time? The problem is that Champagne prices have skyrocketed and the methode champenois is quite labor intensive, time-consuming, and therefore expensive. So how does one find good value in sparklers?
Cava. There is nothing in the sparkling wine world that compares to the value you will find in Cava. While sometimes the varieties used in Cava can make for a less compelling version of the style, Cava is produced the same painstaking manner as Champagne. Not to mention, the Penedés region has a significant diversity of soils: calcareous, clay and areas with important quantities of marine fossils. Much of the soil in the Champagne region of France includes large quantities of marine fossils.
Sweet or Dessert Wine
Sweet wines, like Champagne, are painstakingly produced. But unlike Champagne (and some sparkling wine), you need a lot more grapes to produce a lot less sweet wine. Why is that? Because the sweetness in the wine comes from the high concentration of sugar relative to water in the grapes. In other words, the grapes have lost water weight in order for there to be sweetness.
Some of the world's best sweet wine can easily be priced at $100+ for a half bottle. Luckily the world is still rediscovering the region of Tokaj, Hungary. The sweet wine produced there, called Tokaji Aszú, can still be found for less than $50 (some even in the $20-30 range) and is intense, deep, rich, and profound for what you pay. They also last forever, so never feel like you have to drink it soon after you buy it. As long as it is stored away from heat and light it is almost indestructible.
Up and Coming Countries/Regions
Finally, the last piece of advice I can give is to try searching in countries and/or regions that are up and coming in the world wine scene. Below is a short list of places I look towards when trying to find good value:
- Portugal (Douro & Dao)
- Argentina (Salta & Jujuy)
- Chile
- Georgia (the home of wine)
- Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
- England
- Beqaa Valley, Lebanon
The 305 Wine Guy
