Wine Price and Value
A question we often get here at Old Vine Wine & Spirits is regarding the price of high-end wines. Is there an appreciable difference between the $100 bottle and the $20 bottle of wine? We think so. But the answer for you may be different depending on your taste preferences. Let’s face it, if a wine doesn’t taste good then we aren’t going to think it’s worth the money, especially if we parted with quite a few $ to buy the bottle.
Wine, Art & Science
In my opinion wine is bottled craftsmanship. It’s part art and part science. Higher priced wines cost what they do because a whole lot of care, thought, time and expense goes into each batch. The reward for this meticulous attention to detail is sensorial complexity. By that I mean taste, aroma, texture and physical sensations that layer upon each other. When you taste wine, you experience all these things simultaneously. The more sensory elements that are there to explore, the more interesting and satisfying a wine is to drink (in my opinion). Let’s go over what drives the price of a bottle of wine and let you decide what makes a wine a good value for you.
Drivers Of Wine Pricing
- Fruit Quality– Grapes, like any agricultural product, require a certain set of conditions to grow optimally. Different varietals have different requirements like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay needing a cool climate for optimal ripening, and Cabernet needing a warmer climate and longer ripening period. In addition to climate things like terrior (place/soil), aspect, sunlight exposure and rainfall also impact the grape’s development and ripening. A vineyard that is known to have optimal growing conditions for a certain type of varietal can demand a higher price for the fruit produced because the high quality fruit will produce wines that have more longevity, balance and complexity due to those ideal growing conditions.
- Yield– Availability of the fruit can also play a factor in a wine’s price. Vineyards with less acreage to make wine (like many boutique wineries) and vines that produce lower yields can drive up the price. Some vineyards are owned by the winery and some pay other vineyards for fruit. Sometimes yields are kept low on purpose, to help with optimal ripening of the fruit. With lower yields comes less juice with which to make wine and lower production volumes overall, which drives the price/gallon higher.
- Vineyard Location– Sense of place is important in winemaking. Some very high-end wines are made from fruit grown on mountain slopes. Grapes from these steep mountain slopes are often considered higher in quality because the berries grown in the mountain environment have thicker skins which impart more color and complex flavors into the wine. Lower yields that come with mountain fruit is another reason the cost of the fruit is higher.
- Winemaking choices- There can be big and costly differences in the oak barrels winemakers use (wood type, used vs new, toast level, barrel vs oak staves). New French oak barrels cost anywhere from $1000 – $3000 each. Because oak can soften a wine and add complexity by imparting vanilla and coconut notes, it is often advantageous to use as much new oak as you can afford to age a wine. Time in barrel can also impact cost because they longer you have wine in barrel the more $ is tied up in the aging process that the winery cannot use to make profit.
Individual Preferences and Palate Play a Big Role
All of the above will determine the end cost of the wine. Whether or not you like a wine will depend on your individual palate. You definitely won’t think a $100 bottle is a good value if you hate the way it tastes and want to pour it down the drain. If you haven’t tried many Cabernets over $25, chances are you won’t enjoy the some of the high priced Cabernets. The reason is because a lot of those higher priced Cabs will have more tannin and acid than their lower priced counterparts. Tannin and acid can be a big turnoff for people if their palate hasn’t acclimated to it. It’s best to work your way up in price slowly over time as the tannin and acid profile will usually correlate with the price. The key to finding a higher-priced bottle that you will enjoy is making sure that the wine is made in a style that you enjoy and is in it’s drinking window. This is where your wine stewards at OVW come in handy. 😊
Get $25 Bottles that taste like $50+ Bottles at OVW
Not ready for the $50+ bottles but want to know what those bottles taste like without the hefty price tag? We’ve got you covered! We have made it easy for you to find outstanding wine at a great price. Check out our OVW Fabulous Finds! We have tasted and procured bottles in the $15-$30 range that taste like the more expensive bottles so you can drink fantastic wine any day of the week. Now go enjoy some great wine!