They say money does not buy happiness but I disagree. I believe money will not buy love, but there are many things I can do with money that make me happy. Money buys groceries so I can eat every day. Money buys clothing and you all know why we wear clothing so I will spare you that bit of imagery. Money pays rent so I have a home to live in and it also bought the awesome bed I sleep in every night!
Money is a double-edged sword though, most of us are limited to the amount we have. We love to spend it but then we must justify the worth of what we purchase. For me, and many others I know the greatest feeling is when you get "more than your money's worth". In a society where the cost of everything is rising, finding a great buy can make you feel good.
This rings true when I am shopping for wine as well. The value wines I am going to talk about are all under $15, however it is important to understand that good value does not necessarily mean you are spending very little money. You can spend a lot of money on a car, a house, or dinner for that matter but the question again is, did I get more than my money's worth?
Would I pay more money for this bottle of wine if I had to? When the answer to these questions is yes, I am happy. I tasted 3 different wines this week, two which I had never tried before. Now I hear you asking, how and where do I find these "value wines"? The answer is very simple, ask! When I go to an MLCC(Liquor Mart) or a private wine store, I ask for the opinion of the resident wine drinker. They have been good recommendations too! Just ask what is a good value wine to try. A knowledgeable clerk will know where to go right away so keep that in mind.
I went with a reliable blend from Chile first. Dona Dominga makes a wonderful cabernet/carmenere blend which I first tried at a local wine and cheese festival. At $10.29 a bottle for the 2009 vintage, this is a wine I can enjoy everyday after work or with dinner. With notes of blackberries, black currants, coffee and black pepper. Very complex and would work well with a variety of spicy or meaty dishes. Think flame grilled or barbecue, that's my kind of food! Affordable, great for cooking and drinking. What more could you want?
The next bottle was The Penascal Estate Tempranillo from Spain. The 2007 is very spicy, yet not overwhelming. Nice notes of cedar, blackberry and strawberry with a nice bit of cracked black pepper on the finish. The tannins were still biting a bit so I have a bottle I am cellaring. This was an amazing buy at $12.39 and I can't wait to revisit it in a year.
The last was another tempranillo from Spain. This one was not as good as the last one but still nice. Bonal Tempranillo had notes of pepper, black currant and raspberry. Fairly soft tannins and nice fruit the 2008 vintage would be good with a nice tomato based pasta dish and is a pretty good buy at $10.59 a bottle.
In the end, I was happy with all the wines I bought. What is even better, I did not have to drain my bank account to get a bottle of wine I enjoy. I will continue my search for the greatest value wine, because good value is always a great buy.
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