Wine Values

Wine Values

Unless you have a limited supply of funds (and if you do, where have you been?) you are looking for value for your wine dollar. We at Dover Wine are always willing to share our secrets to picking great wine value. Wine value does not mean the least expensive bottle. If you save a few dollars but don’t like the wine, that isn’t really value. So here are a few hints:

1. Venture off the beaten path. Napa Valley Cabernet, while often great quality, can be very expensive. Choose Cabernet (or other varietals) from less popular regions. Cabernet from Sonoma or Washington can often be a better value. We actually have one from Oregon (not their best-known varietal) that we really love.

2. Stay away from cute labels. Buying wines by the label is a bit like buying a car by the color. The color of the car or the label on the wine botle tell you nothing about the quality. Cute labels are often hiding the flaws inside the bottle. That isn’t always the case, but ask yourself: can you tell if it’s a good bottle of wine by looking at the outside? Many think they can. It is our experience that you cannot. 

3. Experiment! If you drink the same thing all the time, that may be ok, but you may well be missing out on some great value.

4. Watch for declining quality from mass producers. Wines that become very popular early on (think of an Australian wine with a cute yellow jackaroo on the label) because of their quality and price often give in to their popularity and try to keep up with demand. To do so they cut corners on both quality, because they need to produce more, and price, because they need to remain competitive. Wineries that do this inevitably reduce their quality to keep up. You may not notice it at first, but your favorite wine is not as good as when you first tried it. 

So why should you and all of your friends shop at Dover Wine? We are your trusted wine tasters. You may not like every wine we bring in, but you will be certain that each wine that we sell has been approved by one of our owners. No guess work, just quality.