S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G Your Wine Dollars

Stretching Your Wine Dollars

I really don’t think it matters much if you are in shipping, tourism, politics, stock brokerage or the wine business, the world’s economic woes are being felt in most every direction. With a big election coming up in November in the US, retailers already talking about how there are “only” 80 shopping days left until Christmas and much more, I thought this would be a good time for me to pass along a few gems of information to help your wine dollar S-T-R-E-T-C-H just a bit further.

Idea # 1 – When in a restaurant with more than three people, talk with your tablemates and order a bottle…

Most restaurants drop off at least $5.00 or more per bottle when they add a wine to their bottle list vs. the By-The Glass (BTG) pours. Don’t get me wrong, I love exploring wines on BTG lists, but if you are out with a couple people this is a great way to save a few dollars and also have a wine that you all can enjoy + discuss the nuances of. If you choose wines that are versatile for food matches, you can still compliment the fare and have enjoyable wines in the process; great examples might be a Grenache Blend (Mmmm possibly the Marquee Classic GSM), Spanish Tempranillio’s, or an Oregon Pinot Noir.

Idea # 2 – Find a good local wine store and use their case discount program…

One of my favorite wine buying activities is choosing a local wine shop that I know has a good selection and stopping in to buy a value case of wines to try. Many great shops offer discounts on cases that range from 5% to 10% and even up to 17-20% if you buy a full case of 12 wines at a time. Sure, the idea of choosing 12 wines and spending $15.00 per bottle on each of them sounds like you aren’t going to save money, but make a game out of it. OK, you splurged and chose a single-vineyard Chardonnay for $20.00, round it out by getting a bargain bottle of Riesling on sale for $10.00 and ask the staff for a couple suggestions. In the end you will have a unique box of 12 wines to try and choose your favorites from plus you saved yourself another $1.50 on each bottle. Every little bit counts and if you want to get picky about it, you may have also saved a few more dollars by not going to the liquor store three times in one month.;)

Idea # 3 – Put a little gas on it, take a little off, or just let it develop and test the results…

I am not going to speculate as to what the best option is, but the fact of the matter is that there are several market solutions available to help you preserve the wines you have tasted one day, but did not consume the entire bottle. I find that many wines actually improve with a bit of time being opened and exposed to air. My advice is to have a couple options in your wine “toolkit” and test out what works well with the style of wines you are used to drinking. One option, that I routinely use is the vacuum pump wine seal… you literally are pumping out additional air to keep a wine sealed more tightly. Other people prefer the use of an inert gas that is sprayed into the bottle and because it is heavier than oxygen, it settles below normal “air” and on top of the wine creating a barrier to wine oxidation.

Frankly I don’t use these techniques all of the time, because in many circumstances I taste/consume the wines in the next day or two where they have still retained freshness, but also have been allowed to breathe and develop secondary flavors. It may come as a surprise to some, but one of Marquee’s newest wines is a light, lively Sauvignon Blanc, that I really like at first sip, but ADORE after having put the bottle away and opening it on day number two. Have a taste of the 2006 Classy Sauvignon Blanc and you will understand perfectly!

OK, I hope I stretched your dollar a bit further and will keep my fingers crossed that the markets bounce back before we start hearing Christmas carols~Email me any helpful hints and tips at cjcribb@marquee.com!
Cheers!

Christopher J. Cribb, CSW
GM - General Manager
Marquee Artisan Wines - www.marquee.com