Shed wine’s “Grey Poupon pomposity” and find the best bang for your buck. An expert offers tips on "how to drink like a billionaire" for a fraction of the cost.
Spring for the ‘sweet spot’You don’t need to shell out $50 for an impressive bottle of wine — you don’t even need to fork over $30. Oldman said quality and price meet in a range between $15 and $25. (Some varieties, such as Pinot Noir, ring in a bit higher since it’s a finicky grape and is harder to grow.)If you prefer to spend even less, Oldman said you can find some decent options, or what he calls “Hippocratic oath wines,” meaning they can do no harm. You might not be wowed with complexities and nuances, but “if you’re just looking for a refreshing Tuesday night swig, you can spend under $10 pretty easily and find something straight forward,” he said.But if you’re entertaining friends, some of whom happen to be wine connoisseurs, there’s nothing wrong with sticking in the $15 range. “It’s a badge of pride to say, ‘Taste how complex this wine is and I only spent $12 on it,’” Oldman said.
(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
AP Photo/Darko Bandic
Get a wine spouseNarrowing down the price range doesn’t help much if you don’t know how to navigate a wine store. With all the aisles and display cases, where does one start? This is where a wine spouse comes in. “It used to be there were just a few different types of wine, now you have these amazing wines from [all different places.] You need a river guide,” Oldman said.Much like a “work wife” or “work husband,” a wine spouse is a knowledgeable wine merchant who works in a specialty wine shop. Oldman stresses this is a person you want to get to know, as they are generally knowledgeable in the shop’s selection, varieties, up-and-coming regions and small producers. “Find someone in a good wine store who’s obsessed with wine and build a relationship with them,” Oldman said.
“Tell them your hopes and dreams about wine. They are going to steer you to good things and not up-sell you. You’re asking the lion to roar, basically.”
(AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
AP Photo/Darko Bandic
Avoid the ‘comfort premium’
Another way to snag a great deal is think beyond California and Champagne and choose a wine from a lesser known region.
By opting for a rioja or a cava, Oldman said you won’t “fall into the same old trap of cabernet or merlot, which you’ll pay a comfort premium for.”
“A lot of the great value is going to places that are not worldwide famous for that type,” he said. Here’s Oldman’s quick guide for choosing something different:
If you like chardonnay, try albariño.If you like merlot, try a Portuguese red.If you like cabernet, try malbec.If you like pinot grigio, try a verdejo from Spain.If you like shiraz, try a cabernet franc from California.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Fernando Bustamante)
ASSOCIATED PRESS/Fernando Bustamante
Entertain like a billionaire
Bubbly isn’t just for birthdays and ball drops. Oldman said sparkling wine is perfect for any occasion, even if it’s just a casual gathering with friends. That is why he advises keeping a bottle in the fridge at all times.
“It’s uplifting, it’s happy and it sounds so good when it’s popped,” he said.
When hosting a dinner party, Oldman starts with sparkling wine, then moves to white, then red. He said it’s always a good idea to ask guests ahead of time what they like to drink. If they don’t have a preference or are open to trying something new, he picks something “just exotic enough.”
“It’s good to go beyond the usual suspects,” he said, but don’t get too adventurous with the latest trends, such as orange wines. Opening an albariño or a malbec is just fine.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Order like a billionaire
Before you study the wine list, be up front with your waiter or sommelier. Let him know the types of wines you enjoy drinking and how much you’re willing to spend. Don’t be shy if your price point is low — the expert on staff will be able to point you in the right direction.
When the waiter comes out with the wine, opens the bottle, pours a small amount into your glass and waits for your reaction, he’s checking to make sure there isn’t anything obviously wrong with the wine.
More specifically, Oldman said, the point of this ritual is to make sure the wine doesn’t suffer from “cork taint,” an uncommon reaction that makes the wine smell like “moldy lockers and basement floors and waterlogged Buick Rivieras.”
If you detect something is a bit off, but are not sure (most aren’t familiar with the smell of cork taint), ask your waiter or bartender to take a whiff. They’ll likely open another bottle to avoid serving a bad wine.
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
AP Photo/Eric Risberg
Don’t save it: Drink up!
Oldman said a common misconception is that if you let a wine age, it will taste better. In most cases, this is not true.
“It loses its va va voom. It loses its acidity, or bitterness and flavors,” Oldman said. “Only 2 percent of all wine is ageable and almost all of that is red. So unless you have a wine that you know to be ageable, don’t worry about aging it.”
If you aren’t planning on drinking the wine right away, store it in a cool, dry place that isn’t exposed to too much light or vibration.
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
WASHINGTON — There’s no need to break the bank the next time you’re looking to pop the cork on a good bottle of wine.
Mark Oldman, wine expert and author of “How to Drink Like a Billionaire,” said there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to wine, and how much you pay is a big one.
“Price is not proportional to deliciousness,” Oldman said. “There are amazing wines at a relatively low price, you just need to know where to look for them.”
Here are Oldman’s best tips for shedding wine’s “Grey Poupon pomposity” and finding the best bang for your buck.
