Just because the Great Recession has you cutting back on expenses doesn’t mean your holiday festivities must degrade to a bag of corn nuts and a box of wine. In fact, according to David Derby of Oakland, California, getting good wine at rock bottom prices is all about thinking outside the box.
Wine Bargains Abound
As the wine buyer for J. J. Buckley Fine Wines, a web-based wine retailer, he has watched wine prices fall dramatically this year as the recession continues to curb consumer spending. According to Derby, there are lots of bargains in the wine world these days with winemakers slashing prices to drive sales. “For any given price, you can buy a much higher quality bottle of wine this year than you could for that same price last year,” he notes.
While some of the best bargains will come from overseas, due to lower costs of land, labor, distribution, and branding, there are also deals to be found in domestic wines. However, according to Derby, “The best values are almost always going to be wines that you’re not familiar with.” Of course, that poses the question: if you’ve never heard of it, how will you know to buy it?
Skip the Grocery Store
For help finding high quality wines at bargain prices, find a retailer that specializes in fine wines. Specialty wine retailers can be either traditional bricks-and-mortar wine shops or on-line wine purveyors like J. J. Buckley. Regardless of format, specialty wine sellers are staffed with knowledgeable associates who have studied wine, have a passion for it, and will thus be able to recommend lesser known varietals or vintners in your price range.
When asking a wine purveyor for assistance selecting wine, Derby advises being as specific as possible about your needs. Let them know the occasion for which you will serve the wine, what food you intend to serve with it, and most importantly, your budget. Recession or not, you should never be embarrassed about your personal budget constraints. Finding wine to fit your needs is what wine specialty stores do.
