How much should I spend for a decent bottle of wine?

I mean, it’s a difficult question.  I used to say that you were safe in the £8-15 range but with tax and overheads on the rise, those prices have increased, and we are all feeling the squeeze at the same time, a double whammy.

But, let’s just have a look at the basics.  Mr and Mrs Tax take Excise Duty of £2.67, on EVERY bottle, as well as 20% VAT.  Then there is costs for logistics, packaging, marketing and of course, margins all along the supply chain.  The money spent on the of the wine, you know - the wine actual grapey bit, can be pretty low on a cheaper bottle of wine.

In fact, in your £5 bottle of wine, a mere 20-25p is going to be actual wine!

Things improve, the more you can afford to spend.  If you can spend £10, you’re likely to see over £2.50 worth of wine- 10x more on the actual wine.  Double it again to £20 and you’ll be seeing nearly £7 worth of wine.

So how do you decide what to spend? My £8-15 guideline is now at about £12-18.  If you can afford it, c£17 is getting you something pretty good.

Therefore, it pays to really shop wisely.  Look for the deals, spend the most you can and of course, decide your budget based on the occasion.  Most of the supermarkets do 25% weekends. – stock up on your favourites

10  great ways to save money on wine

1.     Look at the Wine Society.  Yes, you pay a membership fee, but it’s a one off and for the rest of your life you will get great prices on great wines.  It’s not a club – you buy when and what you like

2.     If you love a certain wine, look for neighbouring areas that are less well known and therefore cheaper – Sancerre, look for Touraine, for example

3.     Look for lesser known countries – Portuguese reds can be fabulous and a fraction of the price of trendier Malbecs etc.  Likewise, Chile for cab sauv and Romania for Pinot Noir can be brilliant value

4.     Look for the cheaper sister wine of big brands.  These are reliably good if not quite as wow as their flashier siblings.  But the brands don’t want to tarnish with second rate wines so it’s a fairly safe bet.  Studio by Miraval is a good example for rosé fans

5.     Get brave.  Don’t be frightened by a label – take some time to work out what it’s saying, rather than buying big Brands.  A lot of money has gone into that marketing, and it has to be paid somehow! 

6.     Keep it local.  English wines are getting more reasonable and accessible and don’t have as much cost to transport.  Particurlaly some of the house sparklings from the supermarkets which are made by solid UK wine houses like Balfour.

7.     Think about how your wine is bottled.  Bag in box has hugely improved in quality over the last five years and it’s a lot more economical to drink wine this way – only problem is knowing how much you’ve drunk!

8.     Use a refill company.  Borough Wines is one such company but they are popping up all over the country and the traditional problem of variety is beginning to improve

9.     If you’re into Champagne, try a Cremant de Bourgogne.  Same way of making, same grapes, less price tag!  Then branch out to try other area Cremants, such as Loire or Bordeaux

10.  Drink less!  So here’s a novel idea from a wine girl…. Buy a more expensive bottle of wine that you really love and pour a small glass and REALLY savour it.  Taste every sip, enjoy it with your dinner and then vac it with a vacuum pump and store it in the fridge