You Bet They're Betting

This article is intended to instruct how to properly identify low-cost wines at a shop. There are a few key factors:  aesthetic cost/benefit, varietal and region match, and vintage.

Labeling and Aesthetic Cost/Benefit

The label should tell you who grows the grapes, the wine style, and can convey the general 'gusto' of the wine. Here in lies a $55 bottle of wine retail in NYC:

"L'Ecole" is a lose French term which could mean the school, the growth, the farm, etc. There is no place such that grows grapes. The point I am making is that the consumer can see there is too much invested in a label to convey a meager message: hence at $55 ea: this is a deceptive aesthetic with marginal cost/benefit.

This is supposedly a designated origin wine "Ferguson Vineyard" but as such a blending company does not have to adhere to many laws in Washington State. The label says preeminence, economy, and breadth, but we could really expect a light, tart, and polished wine typical to Walla Walla Valley Merlot and Pinot Noir grapes.







Overpriced Vintage
Burgundy, Tuscany 2013

No stunning news from the front in terms of weather for Burgundy or Tuscany in 2013. The vintage was a success, yes, but there is no reason for these wines to exceed $10 an oz.  Tignanello:

(From wine-searcher.com)
NYC Retail Provider Prices
Sassicai Bolgheri 'super tuscan' 2012 ----> $180
''                                                  2013----> $245

And in Chassagne Montrachet to the Cote Nuits, Chardonnays and Pinot Noir's are exceeding $100 for the 2013 vintage.