Have you ever wondered what contributes to a wine’s price? Discover the factors that make wine cheap or expensive and how to suit your shopping to your budget.
We all love expanding our wine palates. From smelling the cork to drawing out the different flavor notes while tasting, the process is as fun as it is sophisticated. However, though we’d probably like to partake in this activity more often, our wallets may not always be up to the task.
Fortunately, the beauty of wine is that it provides a lot of diversity—and this also applies to its price. So if you want to find products that fit perfectly within your budget, one of the first things you should do is understand why they cost what they cost. These are some of the prominent factors that make wine cheap or expensive and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
Terroir
When you’re trying to distinguish an expensive wine from a cheap one, the first thing you should consider is where and how its grapes were grown. The concentration of the soil, the local climate, and even the arrangement of the land all affects how those grapes will taste. Contrary to popular belief, expensive wines often come from areas that have a harder time growing these crops. This is because those that do sprout have a much richer and more distinct flavor.
Barrel Type
The type of barrel used during the fermentation process is also a key factor that makes wine cheap or expensive. Wines aged in oak containers tend to take on woody or fruity notes after combining with oxygen, giving them an additional flavor that makes them unique. Products aged in steel drums, on the other hand, may not achieve this depth, and they can have less expensive price tags as a result. A quality wine can still come from steel barrels, but oak will be the pricier option every time.
Time
Speaking of which, how long a wine is left to ferment is another crucial contributor to think about. As a general rule, older wines tend to be more expensive because they take up valuable resources in the cellar during that time. Younger wines have a faster turnaround rate, which makes them less costly to produce and, therefore, cheaper for you to buy.
For a selection of top-quality wines from all over the world, Wines ’Til Sold Out has you covered. Whether you’re interested in a weekly tasting or picking from our premium stock, we go the extra mile to ensure we have everything you’re searching for. Additionally, we supply frequent deals on many of our wines. So check out our set of special wine offers to find a quality bottle at a fraction of its usual cost.