Wines that won’t break the bank
Dry January is finally over, and wine is back on the menu, but you might find your usual favourite has gone up a price point or two at your chosen restaurant.
With Christmas a distant memory and January a quiet month for eating out, producers tend to hike their prices up in February each year. Furthermore, the commercial pressures of the pandemic have made a rise in cost even more inevitable.
However, in the face of these costly challenges, I am very much an optimist; there has never been a better time to try something new and exciting on the wine menu.
With increased costs to the global supply chain and drastically reduced yields due to weather-driven poor harvests, the headline casualties in 2022 will be wines from Burgundy, Champagne and New Zealand.
Pre-pandemic sales figures suggest these are all popular wines in the UK but up to 30 per cent price increases might cost them their place as favourites. But not to worry, there are plenty of worthy replacements.
For a French flavour –
If Burgundy remains your preference, seek out the lesser-known areas of that part of France; try the Côte Chalonnaise (look for Rully, Mercurey, Givry or Montagny on the label) as here the price increase is not as crippling.
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise 2017 La Buxynoise – Majestic Wine
For a Sauvignon swap –
Due to its unique style, New Zealand’s Sauvignon is a harder wine to directly replace but look to Chilean wines from the coastal areas of Leyda or Casablanca for a similar balance of tangy fruit and crispness.
Vina Leyda – Garuma Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 75cl Bottle: TheDrinkShop.com
For a fizz fix –
If you’re after a fizz, check out the wines of Franciacorta from the northern Italian region of Lombardy. Made by the same “Traditional method” and from the same blend of grapes used in Champagne, this wine is a well-kept secret and in my opinion, better than many big brand champagnes.