Great wines get your attention with seductive aromas on the nose, followed by a burst of fruit when you sip. They then expand across your tongue and fill your palate with layers of flavor.
There's an evolution in your mouth of secondary and tertiary flavors. Finally, when you swallow, the taste lingers — the longer the better. In first-growth Bordeaux, it might be measured in minutes; the wine just refuses to die.
Unfortunately, this comes at a prohibitive price for most of us. What to do if your wine budget is $10 a bottle and under? Here are a few tips to get the most out of bargain wine.
Lower your expectations
Because of modern technology, it's even harder to find truly terrible wine. Winemaking is so sophisticated these days that even mass-produced box wines are drinkable. They're just simple.
The elements are present on the nose and palate, but in a single dimension — one smell, one taste and a short finish. But with a little bit of effort, you can pair affordable wine to your tastes and limited budget. A great example is "Two Buck Chuck," the Trader Joe's extreme-value wines from Charles Shaw. At those prices, you can buy several bottles to compare with friends and find the ones you like.
Pay special attention to food and wine matches
You likely have an individual preference for simple quaffing wine if you're just drinking an everyday glass after work. You're either a fan of the buttery, oaky richness in chardonnay or jazzed by the crisp, lean citrus of sauvignon blanc. In reds, it's the accessible softness of merlot or the big, lush fruit bombs from Australia. But when you're eating with food, your experience will be greatly enhanced if you pair with care — especially with wallet-friendly wines.
A great match makes an inexpensive wine soar. My favorite is pairing the off-dry Chateau Ste. Michelle riesling ($9) with spicy food: gumbo, Mexican or Indian. The touch of sweetness balances the spice, making the wine come alive. Try this with your go-to chardonnay and you'll be shocked at how poorly it fares in this situation. When it comes to budget red wine, it's likely to show better with food. Something with fat, like cheese or a burger, helps to balance wines that might otherwise seem too harsh because of unintegrated tannins (the wine's pucker factor).
Branch out with different wine varietals
Pinot noir and cabernet are underwhelming at budget prices. But there are great bargains to be had coming out of Spain or South America using lesser-known grapes. Try a tempranillo or malbec. Take a chance on a blend or grape varietal that's unfamiliar. Costco has great deals because they purchase in bulk. Look for the ratings — bottles judged from 85 to 89 are a steal under $10. Lately, the warehouse club's had some great bargains with high scores from Robert Parker, dean of America's wine critics.
Serve budget wine colder than normal
Serving white wines very cold mutes their flaws, so you'll probably be happier with putting the big chill on bargain whites. The same is true for reds, all of which are most often served too warm. They show best at cellar temperature (55 degrees) and evolve as they get warmer.
Regardless of price, red wines pair better with food when there's a slight contrast to the room temperature in your home. Try an experiment. Taste a glass of red wine from a bottle that's spent 30 minutes in the fridge and do side-by-side comparison with a glass stored in your closet. That slight chill is a difference that perks up your taste buds.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 3, 2016.