Smart Wine Buying

Because I love wine and buy it regularly, I’m always looking to get the most for my money. It’s not just because the economy is in the proverbial toilet, nor that today it might be cheaper to fill my car with Chateau Margaux instead of gas. I want the best possible price. Also, I love that wonderful feeling in finding a $13 wine that tastes better than bottles costing two or three times as much. Here’s how to get the most for your wine dollar.

Save by the Case. It’s no secret that you can get a discount buying a whole case of wine. These discounts average 15%, but range from 10% to 20%. Forget about buying at only 10% off and look for a shop that offers 20%. Sometimes, you can even do better than that.

A local shop offered a case of Barbera Italian wine at a terrific price of $85 ($7.00/bottle) or a 30% discount on a case that would have been $120 ($10/bottle) otherwise. Not wanting a full case, I split it with a friend, getting six bottles at the same great, low price. At that price for a decent wine, who could pass it up?

Splitting a purchase with a friend is a creative way to benefit from case savings. A friend and I split a case of Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon retailing for $70/bottle two years ago. It cost us $55 a bottle for a wine I recently saw in a shop for $90. Also, it was a lot easier to justify paying for only six bottles at that price, versus incurring the full case cost myself.

Save on a Mixed Case. Unless you are totally in love with a particular wine, twelve bottles is a lot of it. There are so many wonderful wines out there and you can only drink so many in a month, so why limit yourself? The good news is most retailers will provide you with the same discount on a mixed case of wine. Simply pick out any twelve bottles and you’ll still save 15-20%.

What’s the perfect number of bottles to buy of a wine? I’m convinced the optimum number is between three and six, depending on how much you like the wine. With a single bottle of good wine, if you love it, once the bottle is empty, you’ll be kicking yourself for not buying more. Trust me on that. Buy three or four and, after the first delicious bottle is finished, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have another bottle or two left to enjoy another day.

Save at Tastings. You like wine and want the case price, but don’t have money to splurge? Maybe, it’s time you got a new spouse. I’m just kidding, that’s no way to save money; attorneys will take you to the cleaners, not the wine store. Instead, go to a shop running wine tastings evenings or weekends. Retailers always discount the wines featured in their tastings. Typically you’ll save 15% or more and 25% discounts are not unusual. Often the discount applies if you buy a minimum of three or six bottles, and I’ve attended many tastings where discounts applied to a single bottle. It’s the perfect solution: you sample the wine to ensure you like it and get the case price savings on a small quantity. Whoever said, “it’s a wonderful world,” must have just come from one of these tastings.

Save at Sales. Most wine stores run sales from time to time with discounts of up to 25% or 30%. Sometimes you have to buy twelve bottles, sometimes only six, occasionally only one to earn the discount. Usually spend $15 for a bottle? A sale is your chance to get a $20 bottle for that amount. Heck, why not pick up a $50 champagne for $37 and celebrate life?

Save on Wine Regions. California, and some French, wines can be ridiculously over-priced while some from lesser known regions can be as good or better, while saving you dollars. Look for wines from Argentina, Chile, southern Italy and Spain for wonderful wines at bargain prices. I’ll make recommendations in future columns. In the meantime, try Finca La Linda Torrontes ($14) from Argentina, available at Dyer’s (Watertown), Gordon’s (Waltham), Panzano (Southboro), and West Concord Liquors (Concord). It’s a wonderfully aromatic and pleasant white I know you’ll savor.

Enjoy.