Rejoice! It’s the weekend and, as such, some of you may well be tucking into a bottle (or two – just remember to drink sensibly, folks) of plonk. But how much should you spend for a decent bottle?
Other people are probably more discriminate when it comes to choosing wine than I am. But as Alfa explained previously, it’s quite tricky to find a reasonably priced wine that’s not just drinkable, but enjoyable, too.
When I hit the alcohol aisle in the supermarket, I usually scan the shelves for offers, and if I can’t see anything that looks like a steal, plump for the usual big-name, mass-produced Shiraz or Malbec, too stumped/nervous to try anything else. It’ll usually cost around £6.
But there’s apparently a simple ‘secret’ to wine-choosing success that might get me a little more adventurous. All I have to do to get the perfect bottle is choose one that costs £10. No more, no less.
Nice drop
According to former Waitrose managing director (now Minister of State at the Department for International Trade), Lord Mark Price, this is the ‘sweet spot’ that gets you the best balance between quality and price.
His theory is that the tax, transport and bottling costs are fixed and don’t change according to how dear the wine is. This means you pay the same amount of tax on a £5 bottle as you do on a £50 one, so you effectively get less for your money with the cheaper option.
He adds that the value of wine inside a £5 bottle is just under 50p, but £3 in a £10 one, so you get wine that’s twice as much but six times the quality.
If you go up to a £20 bottle, however, the quality of wine is about £7-£8, but you’ve doubled up in cost. This makes the £10 bottle the best bet in terms of quality against cost.
How much do you normally spend on a bottle of wine from a supermarket?
£5-£10 (64%, 695 Votes)
£5 or under (31%, 337 Votes)
£10 - £15 (5%, 50 Votes)
£15 - £20 (0%, 5 Votes)
£20+ (0%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,092
Loading ...Wine list woes
But what about when you’re at a pub, bar or restaurant?
Well, if it’s left to me, I’ll usually pick the second or third on the list, thinking the cheapest will taste like paint stripper.
A wine-loving friend swears that you’re actually better off going for the house – and it seems she’s got a point. Apparently, the second and third cheapest wines are actually the ones most likely to have been marked up the highest amount, so are the worst value.
So how do you pick your wine? Do you agree with the £10 theory? Or do you think it’s too extravagant?
