In face of slightly declining wine sales, producers are attempting to appeal to younger consumers who are not as set in their ways as wine enthusiasts who favor traditional regions such as Bordeaux. Although we still cling to European wines, it’s clear seniors are no longer a primary target of marketing geniuses.
Besides this demographic shift, the average price of wine continues to inch up. We remember buying decent wines for $8 to $10 a bottle. Today, the sweet spot is $15 to $20 a bottle — and that’s the lower rung of a ladder that stretches north of $200. For many consumers, wine remains a luxury item.
As we taste wines each week, we struggle to find something to recommend under $20. We are conscious that our palates might expect more from wine than the average consumer who reads this column. But when we taste a flawed or uninspiring wine, we pass even if it is cheap.
We taste more and more inexpensive red wines that have been spiked with grape concentrate to round out the natural acidity and increase sugar levels to appeal to American palates. Instead of covering a flaw, producers have created one.
Instead of buying these doctored wines, you could look for a few companies that resell top-quality wine at a fraction of the price. For instance, you can get a $50 bottle of pinot noir for $25 although you won’t know the name of the producer.
DeNegoce, Last Bottle and Cameron Hughes, for instance, buy up excess wine from top producers and rebrand them with the understanding the source will not be disclosed. We have tried these wines with good success. Other good sources of wine whose prices have been significantly reduced are Wine Spies and Wine Slashed.
We always encourage people to look to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Argentina for reasonably priced wines, but even these are priced around $15 to $25. Red wines in particular cost more because they ferment or age in expensive oak barrels. White wines that see only stainless-steel tanks are usually cheaper.
Here are 10 decent, inexpensive wines we recently discovered:
Benziger Family Winery Merlot 2021 ($20). A pioneer in green farming, Benziger wines are reliable. This merlot from Monterey County, California, has a velvet texture and notes of black berries, truffles and vanilla.
Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay 2022 ($16). Pear and mango notes highlight this softly textured chardonnay with noticeable oak and spice.
Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($25). Duckhorn Vineyards continues to turn out some of the best values in California wine. It can keep the cost down by sourcing fruit from multiple regions — Sonoma, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. It has blackberry, plum and blueberry notes with a dash of spice.
Brancaia Il Tre 2021 ($25). This is an easy-drinking wine to share with grilled fish or pasta. Sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot team up to provide juicy red fruit flavors.
Inma Carmenere Piu Veneto Rosso IGT 2021 ($22). This producer has been making wine in Italy’s Veneto region for more than 40 years. Although it concentrates on indigenous grape varieties, this grape variety is serving them well.
Argiano Non Confunditur 2021 ($25). This Tuscan blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese is lively and rich with black cherry flavors and enough tannins to make it a decent complement to beef and meat-based pasta.
Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge 2020 ($25). This blend from Paso Robles offers generous plum aromas and layered flavors of black cherries, cassis and cola.
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($15). Many of our friends scoff at Josh Cellars, but it delivers a pleasant wine with classic blackberry flavors and hints of vanilla and spice.
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($13). From New Zealand, this zesty sauvignon blanc sports citrus and tropical fruit notes with hints of grass and herbs.
Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($13). For the price, you get a lot of juicy and ripe red berry flavors and supple tannins to make this a decent match with grilled beef. We’re not a big fan of the aromas, but tasted blind this wine has gotten a lot of accolades in our circle.
Wines from the locals
We recently wrote about two former residents who jumped into the California wine business. Mark Davis is the winemaker of Cobden Wini; Elena Capousis helps design labels at Desparada in Paso Robles.
We recently tried several of their wines and were very impressed. It must be because they are Marylanders!
Desparada Kleio Chenin Blanc Paso Robles Highlands Shell Creek Vineyard 2020 ($34). We got this a year ago, so it is probably gone from the shelves. We’re confident the current vintage will be just as good. Lean, peachy fruit. Very minerally with a rich creamy finish. Best with food especially rich food like cheese.
Desparada Vela Sauvignon Blanc Chelle Mountain AVA 2022 ($48). Peach, yellow plum notes in a lean mineral driven style, with bright acidity that demands a food accompaniment.
Desparada Sack Cloth and Ashes Central Coast 2021 ($65). An amazingly impressive red blend that can rival some of the best-efforts from Napa Valley. It is 45% cabernet sauvignon, 21% petite verdot, 19% cabernet franc and the balance merlot. Very expressive with bright red fruit notes and a hint of elegant French oak. Open and ready to drink now.
Cobden Wini Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2021 ($65). This stood out in contrast to several other California pinot noirs we tasted, primarily because of its damp forest-floor notes. Very delicious after we let it breathe for 15 minutes — loads of plum and black berry notes with a dash of spice.
Wine picks
Orin Swift Eight Years in the Desert California 2022 ($53). Sporting a high alcohol content, this dense legend from Orin Swift broadcasts ripe dark fruit flavors with hints of cedar and chocholate. It is primarily zinfandel with some petite sirah and syrah to keep it interesting.
Appassionata Pinot Noir Allegro Willamette Valley 2019 ($95). This is a big chunky style of pinot noir more in keeping with a California style. Deep berry, cherry notes with an interesting under current of cinnamon.
Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly, syndicated wine column since 1985. See their blog at moreaboutwine.com. They can be reached at marq1948@gmail.com.
