A balanced approach, guided by expert advice and individual preferences, can lead to rewarding wine choices that fit both taste preferences and financial considerations, Lovenworth says. In the case of red wine, they will be aged in barrels and will come from medium to large wineries that can harvest their grapes by hand (especially in economically depressed countries). In addition, the premium category is a bit inappropriate because, on the one hand, you can find quite a few decent varietal wines from good, high-production wineries. And if a bottle exceeds expectations in relation to its cost, it can be considered “excellent value for money”.
The lower quality “Extreme Value” wine includes some well-known labels, such as Gallo Family Vineyards, Sutter Home, Crane Lake (Bronco Wine Co), Tisdale (a Gallo brand), Rex Goliath (Constellation Wine brand) and several bag-in-a-box brands (costing less than four dollars per bottle). There are also some wines from economically depressed wine regions or made with esoteric varieties such as Greek Agiorgtiko or Portuguese Vinho Verde. There are different price segments for wine, including words such as “ultra premium”, “popular, premium” and “super economical”. But how much does money really matter in terms of the quality of the contents of a bottle of wine? And where are the best values in the wine world hidden? We asked the sommeliers to explain their knowledge to us and to tell us all their inner secrets.
Let's take a look at these wine price categories (and how they've increased) and understand what to expect based on how much you spend. In general, at a given price, the cost no longer only adjusts to the quality of the wine, but encompasses other aspects, such as style, sustainability or history, according to Lovenworth. If a wine offers a level of enjoyment equal to its price, it can be considered to be “good value for money,” says Lovenworth. Anything below that rate can be lower than the average, and anything above it often offers diminishing returns, unless you are a wine expert.
The price of a wine depends on many factors, and the price isn't always indicative of quality, explains Tiffany Tobey, sommelier and owner of Tiffany's Toast in Dallas, Texas.
