This Wednesday on #Winechat: Value Wines

Hello Friends,

“Don’t judge a book by its cover or a bottle of wine by its price point: If you’re like me, you probably try a wide variety of wines at all different price points. In the wonderful world of wine, there is always something new to taste and learn. For this episode of #winechat, the focus will be on [super] value wines. Approximately 80% (perhaps more) of wines sold in the U.S. are under $10, and the selection seems endless. I’ve [personally] found some of these budget bottles to be bland and insipid, while others have been a pleasant surprise and offer good everyday value. I invite you to join me and oodles of other wine enthusiasts on May 30th at 9PM EST to share some of your favorite [preferably nationally available] everyday value wine selections that are priced at a little over or under the $10 price mark. After all, summertime is ripe for fun outdoor cookouts and backyard barbecues, so I will especially be eager to hear (and record) your pocket-friendly value wine recommendations. We’ll also scratch the surface on the business side of super value wines – which is an interesting topic within itself.

#Winechat ~ Under $10 Value Wines

A [somewhat] short parable on value wines: I still consider myself a wine newbie and a budding wine enthusiast, but in 2005, when I was first bitten by the wine bug, I was really new. How new? It wasn’t until week three that I figured out how to pronounce vee-ohn-yay. I included a 2005 Honey Moon Viognier, priced at $5.99, into one of the very first blind Viognier tastings I hosted simply to have an inexpensive bottle of wine included. The median price range was just under $20, with the most expensive being a Condrieu ($50). Several months before, a Chinon -- the least expensive wine in the line-up, ranked first in a blind Cabenet Franc tasting I hosted. At the end of the day, the Honey Moon ranked first – scored by a panel of Virginia wine bloggers and savvy wine consumers. Since that time, I’ve included various vintages of the Honey Moon Viognier in blind Viognier tastings and it has come in first place four times and placed in the top three five times. I personally drink wines at all price points (extreme value to luxury), so I’m not pushing value wines by any stretch. I’m just repeating what I said at the beginning of this post, “Don’t judge a book by its cover or a bottle of wine by its price point.” For some odd reason, I find that wines from lesser known (US) regions and inexpensive bottles are sometimes judged before being properly tasted. Horse before buggy, my friends! Cheers!

Click here to view the upcoming #winechat schedule on Marie Payton's 'The Life of Vines blog'. Cheers!

Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned ...more to come.

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