Living in $10 Land

In 1982 I moved from the east coast to Northern California. In an attempt to immerse myself in the culture and the wine industry, I took every wine seminar and attended every wine event I could find. Living on waiters wages and San Francisco rent even for that time, wasn't easy. One of the first articles I remember reading was how to build up a personal wine cellar. The premise was to begin buying in layers of wines in different price ranges, varietal types and styles. A few bottles at $10, a few at $15 a few at $20. Eventually one could amass a fifty bottle inventory that then might grow and "WA-La", you have a personal cellar.

I took this article to heart and soon found myself rotating around 200 bottles for the average bottle price of $15 and an occasional $50 keeper when I had the cash. Today I have been able to keep this practice up and continue to rotate around the same amount of wine, but recently I have been buying and consuming in the $10 range. There has been a tremendous amount of press these days concerned with wine industry sales volume. While volume is up, revenue's are down as people like me are buying less expensive wine. Not willing to give up our curiosity of wanting to try new wines but not willing to pay top dollars for the passion, we buy what we can afford in hopes of finding a keeper or two in a great bargain.

This leads me in many directions as I live in a control market and when you get to the counter the taxes alone on the purchase might equal another bottle or three. I use a number of on-line tools and services to accomplish this task and consider gas, money and time when deciding where to go and what to buy. Let's face it, there is usually a marked difference in the quality of a $20 bottle versus a $10 bottle. Quite frankly, some $10 bottles out there shouldn't be and then again there are some $20 wines that shouldn't be either but one feels less pain with the $10 disappointment than the $20 stinker and recently there have been some very nice $10 wines that bring a smile for the find and experience.

To get started I use these services which I would suggest everyone use.

Winesearcher.com has a good base to begin with. you can access area markets and wine prices on the same items to find the best deal.

snooth.com has a very objective board of wine palates that review wines for quality and price. I use this site when looking for a style or varietal type. The social forums are great for hints, information, and tips.

wineaccess.com has an equal board of wine information, links to very good wine shops around the country and mailing list sign-ups that will give you great leads on new wine releases in every price point.

lcb.state.pa.us I would be remiss if I didn't mention this. Living in a control market has its pluses and minuses. Their site gives product searches, up to date inventory, and new chairman's selections and deals.

pennsylvaniawine.com for PA local wineries follow the link and you will find ninety wine producers that will ship, direct to your door, a wide selection of wines from across the commonwealth.

OK so now you have the sites, what next? Well, that is subjective. I am going to give you a few selections I think are fun and won't cost a lot even if you don't like the wine. Ideally, you should always ask the wine steward or store buyer that has a history of tasting these things and may help you identify you flavor preference. I am finding very nice quality in wines from Spain, Portugal, South Africa and Argentina around $10. For $12 to $15 the wines from Chile, Australia, and Washington are good buys. California, New Zealand and Oregon will also have a few "keepers around $15 - $20, but locally you may be surprised by PA wines in the $10-$15 area as well. Italian wines offer the full range and for the purpose of this article, there are a few solid $10-$12 name brands, but I will always ask the buyer their opinion before jumping off to Rome. Lastly I think everyone should take a chance on Mediterranean and Eastern European wines, I have been consistently pleased with the wines from Israel and the Golan Heights. Wines from these regions will run anywhere from $5 Egri Bikaver to $20 Yarden Organic Chardonnay.

So for fun and not a ton of money, start with these, buy two one to drink and one to cellar and begin the cellar building for less:

Spain - Tapena Verdejo $10
Portugal - Gazela Vinho Verde $8
Germany - Twisted River Gewurztraminer $9
California - Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc $10
Spain - Torres Sangre De Torro Rose $10
Italy - San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio (natural)$10
California - XYZ Zinfandel $12
Australia - Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz $8
South Africa - Fair Valley Pinotage $11
Chile - Molina Pinot Noir $10
Argentina - Pascual Toso Malbec $9