FOUR WAYS TO FIND A GREAT BOTTLE OF WINE FOR CHEAP

When you’re buying wine, do you ever feel overwhelmed at all the choices?  This might help you narrow it down.  Someone asked a wine expert what to look for.  Here are her top tips . . .

1.  Avoid the mass-market brands.  Things like Barefoot, Yellowtail, and even Josh.  If you feel like you’ve seen their name EVERYWHERE, they’re probably spending their budget on marketing instead of the actual product.

For example, some wines brag about a nice oaky flavor.  But instead of aging it in oak barrels, they just shortcut it and stir in a bunch of oak chips at the end.

2.  Don’t buy a bottle with the word “sweet” on the label.  It usually means there’s added sugar.  If you like your wine a little sweeter, look for the term “off dry” instead.  It means there’s a little residual sugar left after fermentation.

3.  Avoid wines that brag about being “bourbon-barrel aged.”  It probably means the wine sucks, and they did it to cover up the taste.  Bragging about other weird “natural flavours” is also a sign a wine’s no good.

4.  Don’t assume all good wine comes from California.  Washington makes great wine too.  Same for South America, especially Argentina and Chile.