As if we needed a reason to pop open a bottle of wine on hump day, today is National Wine Day. Not to be confused with National Drink Wine Day, National Chardonnay Day, or any of the other 20-plus “holidays” dedicated to this grapey goodness, it’s clear that Americans love their vino.
Last year, Americans consumed a total of 380 million cases, a 2.5% jump from the year before. And increasingly popular among younger drinkers, millennials drank up 42% of all the wine that was consumed, according to the Wine Market Council (WMC).
Not only are they are drinking more than any other generation, but they’re also spending more as 17% of all millennial drinkers bought a bottle costing more than $20 in the past month, compared to only 5% of boomers.
But good wine doesn’t have to drain your wallet says Gillian Sciaretta, a tasting coordinator at Wine Spectator. At the magazine, reviewers taste close to 20,000 bottles each year and find just as many award-winning wines under $20.
To get our spirits up about drinking and saving, Sciaretta sat down with me to share some of her secrets to saving on wine.
The second-cheapest wine on the menu could have the highest markup
Trying not to look cheap, many diners go for the second-cheapest wine on the menu. Knowing this, restaurant owners will often mark it up the highest. So the next time you’re about to make a selection, share that fun tidbit with your friends. And know that no one will turn their nose up at you if you go for the absolute cheapest on the list. “The cheapest wines tend to be the ones that the sommeliers, or the wine experts at the restaurant, are most excited about,” says Sciaretta.
Go for grapes you’ve never tried before
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are two of America’s top favorites, according to retail sales reported by Nielsen. But going against the current can really pay off as wineries often offer deals to encourage consumers to try their new blends.
Earlier this year, Wine Spectator launched their “Xvalues” app to help wine enthusiasts discover new varieties without breaking the bank. This free app lets you sort by price, ratings, region, and you can create a list of your favorites for the next time you want to pick up a bottle at your local wine shop.During our interview, we tasted two top-valued wines under $10 that you can find on their app: The 2014 Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Charles Smith located in Washington state, and the 2013 Portuguese red blend from Casa Santo Lima. The app is currently only available to iPhone and iPad users, but rolling out later this year for Android devices.
Now I’m certainly not a wine connoisseur, but I do enjoy a nice glass and found the Riesling to be crisp, not too sweet and perfect for summer. The red we tasted was an easy-sipper -- dry and well-balanced -- with a score of 86 points on their app.
Think outside the box with boxed wines
Packaging wine into glass bottles can get pricey for wine distributors. To cut that cost out, going for boxed wines can mean incredible savings. One box holds about 4 bottles and costs about $20 to $25, which means you’d be paying $4 to $5 per bottle. It’s great for summer parties or any big event, but boxed wine spoils faster so you should drink it within a few days of opening.
The only thing cheaper than boxed wine is Two Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s. And I was surprised that Sciaretta didn’t dismiss this discount wine. She explained that they’re able to keep prices so low because those wineries are producing mass quantities with low production costs. And what’s more, some of the wines listed on the Xvalues app can also be found at popular retailers like Trader Joe’s and Costco.
“Don’t be shy to try something new because finding out what you don’t like is just as valuable, if not more, than finding out what you do like,” says Sciaretta.
What will you be sipping today? Share them with me here or in the comments below.
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