There’s a lot of hyperbole surrounding the “proper” cost of wine. Some people insist that procuring quality wine means spending money hand over fist, while others are wedded to ordering the second-least expensive bottle on the menu. And once you take into account production costs and tax, the maths behind how much of your hard-earned money is actually going towards the wine you’re drinking can feel quite murky.
But what do the experts say? Here, Julian Dyer, UK chief operating officer for Australia’s McGuigan Wines, clears away some of the myths attached to buying a delicious drop that won’t break the bank.
Myth 1: your minimum spend should be £10
The price of every bottle you buy includes overheads, which means it’s worth paying a little extra to make sure the wine inside is good quality. But the amount you need to splash out is lower than you might think.
“Alcohol duty and VAT is about £3 for a typical bottle of wine, so over 50% of the cost of a £5 bottle of wine is tax,” says Dyer. “By spending just one or two pounds extra, you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck when it comes to the value of the wine in the bottle, as opposed to the tax.”
So how much should you be spending on wine to hit that sweet spot of quality and value? “If you can afford it, I recommend between £7 and £10, and above that for special occasions,” says Dyer. “Equally, though, there are great everyday examples out there at £5 – they won’t be as subtle or complex, but they’ll still be good.”
Myth 2: the higher the price, the tastier the wine
If you splash out on an expensive wine, it’s easy to assume it’ll be exceptionally delicious. But, says Dyer, it depends on what you’re looking for.
“You can get great quality at all points of the price spectrum: it comes down to what you want and expect from a glass of wine,” he says. “Just because a wine is ‘higher quality’, doesn’t make it a nicer drink. A great example is rosé. You could buy an expensive Provence rosé at £15, but it’s actually the easiest wine in the world to make. You’re not looking for complexity in a glass of rosé – you just want refreshing flavours and purity of fruit.”
Myth 3: when in doubt, go for a fancy-looking label
If you choose a wine solely based on what will look great on your dining table, you’ll quickly discover looks can be deceiving.
“Clearly a label needs to tell you what it is, where it is from, and when it was made, but don’t overcomplicate things,” says Dyer. “It helps to know what styles of wine you like – for example, Australian chardonnay, or a particular brand – but it’s best to rely on a brand you trust, rather than the look of the label.”
Myth 4: older means better
The dustier the bottle of wine, the better the drink inside it: or at least that’s what many of us think. But although vintage wines can be a great investment, age doesn’t always equal quality.
“It really isn’t that relevant,” says Dyer. “Most wines available on the shelves are ready to drink right now – and it’s also down to personal preference. Personally, I like pure, bright, fruit flavours in a wine, so I tend to buy the most recent vintages. Some wines benefit from a bit of ageing, but this only really applies to premium wines.”
Myth 5: any style will do – as long as it’s expensive
In the absence of real expertise, you might be tempted to make life easier by choosing wines based on price, reaching for more expensive bottles when you want to impress. But, says Dyer, that approach won’t work if you’re choosing the wrong style of wine for the occasion.
“I hope the days when your guests judge you on which wine you bought are long gone,” he says. “You just want a great wine that will match your occasion and meal. For example, a super-expensive red priced at £25 will typically be richer and more concentrated, with firmer tannins and more structure – which would be pretty useless at a barbecue or sitting on the sofa after work.
“It’s best to rely on a brand or retailer you trust. They might offer different styles: one white might be fresh, crisp and lemony, while another might be softer and peachy with a hint of vanilla, but in theory the quality should be the same. That’s why McGuigan Wines over-deliver at every price point – so you can experiment across the range with confidence.”
McGuigan Wines are available in most UK supermarkets. For more information, please go to: mcguiganwines.co.uk
