Extract $$$ without losing quality

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/01/2025 (510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The typical January post-holiday cash crunch feels like it stings a little more this year thanks to the rising cost of, well, everything.

Consumers want quality products that don’t cost an arm and a leg and wine is certainly no exception. While there are plenty of bargain bottles out there, navigating the less expensive wines to get the best bang for your wine-buying buck can be a tricky undertaking.

There are, however, a few tips to keep in mind that can help you score a top tipple while going easy-ish on the wallet…

Bulk buyers beware

While buying wine in larger formats — think boxed wine, 1.5-litre bottles and the like — is typically a solid way to save money, quality-wise it can be a bit of a crapshoot.

Many of the big-name “Canadian” boxed wines in our market, for example, are actually made from some combination of imported and domestic grapes — and those imported grapes come in the form of bulk wine from Chile, Spain and elsewhere. If made in B.C., these “bottled and blended in Canada” wines need only contain one per cent Canadian juice; in Ontario it’s 25 per cent.

So if opting for larger-format wines, make sure you know where the wine is coming from. There are some decent options in our market from Spain, France and Chile that will be friendly on the old pocketbook.

Veer off the beaten track

You can also maximize your wine-buying experience without breaking the bank by trying wines from less popular countries or regions, or those made from grape varieties that haven’t been as widely planted.

Portuguese wines, for example, manage to tick both the above boxes — their sweet and pricey ports aside. The country is not a global viticultural powerhouse, and yet many of their dry reds and whites, often made from indigenous grape varieties, overdeliver for the price.

Or how about an Austrian Grüner Veltliner? A Greek Xinomavro? Perhaps a Kekfrankos (also known as Blaufränkish) from central Europe? An Ontario Baco Noir?

Geography matters

If you prefer to stick with the tried-and-true grape varieties and wine-producing countries, a close-ish read of the label can help steer you towards the best bargain bottles. Generally speaking, the more specific the region on the label, the more character a wine will typically bring.

There’s plenty of $20 Aussie Shiraz in our market, for example. Many are labelled as coming from Australia, South Australia or South Eastern Australia, meaning grapes could be sourced from any number of areas.But there are also similarly priced (and more interesting) Aussie reds coming from more specific regions such as Limestone Coast, Barossa or McLaren Vale.

Similarly, you could get a $20 Zinfandel that comes from California, but finding one for the same price from the Lodi region of the Golden State is typically a smarter buy. Same with Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile’s sprawling Central Valley versus sub-regions such as the Rapel, Maipo or Colchagua valleys.

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Wines of the week

Pilpil by Astobiza Txakoli (Txakoli de Álava, Spain — $42-45/1.5L pouch, private wine stores)

This Spanish white, made from Ondarabbi Zuri grapes from the Basque region of Txakoli, brings herbal and spice notes along with lime zest, green apple and saline notes. It’s light-bodied and dry, delivering citrus rind, green apple skin, tart lemon, salty and savoury notes, with medium-plus acidity and, at 12.5 per cent alcohol, a modest finish. There are cheaper wines out there in 1.5-litre pouches, but this one’s likely better. Available at G.J. Andrews, De Nardi Wines and Kenaston Wine Market. 4/5

Lavadores de Feitoria 2023 Branco (Douro, Portugal — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Made from a blend of indigenous grapes Malvasia Fina, Gouveio and Siria, this Portuguese white is very pale straw in colour and aromatically offers toasted nut, peach, red apple, reedy and cantaloupe notes. It’s light-plus bodied, slightly viscous and mainly dry, with peach and ripe pear flavours coming with red apple, fresh melon and tangerine flavours, a subtly chalky note and a modest finish (it’s 12.5 per cent alcohol). 3.5/5

Viña Ventisquero 2023 Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley, Chile — $13.94, Liquor Marts and beyond)

There might be a splash of Syrah blended in with this Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; regardless, it’s medium purple-garnet in colour, with cassis, eucalyptus, herbal, blackcurrant and spice aromas coming through. On the medium-plus bodied, fruit-driven palate the cassis and blackcurrant flavours show well, with red licorice, spice, eucalyptus and white pepper notes playing a supporting role, coming with modest tannins and a medium-length finish (it’s 13 per cent alcohol). A very good value right now while it’s on sale (regular $15.49). 3.5/5

Heartland 2021 Shiraz (Langhorne Creek, Australia — $17.49, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Deep inky purple in colour, there’s a lovely mashup of brambly blackberry, black cherry, eucalyptus, earth and spice aromatically. It’s dry, full-bodied, gutsy and ripe, delivering black cherry, blackberry, eucalyptus, white pepper and licorice flavours with grippy tannins and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a moderately warm finish. Drink now or hold for 18-24 months. A killer value right now while it’s on sale (regular $19.49). 4/5

uncorked@mts.net

@bensigurdson