Wine’s Sweet Spot is a $20 Bill
WHAT’S the right price for a bottle of wine? Silly question, I know. All sorts of prices are right, depending on the quality of the wine, the scarcity, the demand and other economic, social and psychological imperatives.
Strictly speaking, a wine can be a great value at $10 or $200, though for most of us, a steal at $200 is small consolation, like a $5 million apartment deemed an excellent deal because its price has dropped by half.
Beyond the realm of the theoretical, though, there are wine bull’s-eyes where high values intersect with low prices. On the low end, that sweet spot ranges from $15 to $25; practically speaking, let’s call it $20.
…Touring a few shops in Manhattan last week, I was overwhelmed with good choices, reds and whites, sparklers and rosés. I culled 20 excellent bottles that are not only great for drinking now, in the oppressive heat, but throughout the year. Many are from small family domains, the equivalent of handmade wines, but not all. Size is not always a bad thing, as long as the wines express the regional flavor…
