Many casual drinkers will admit one thing: They don’t know much about wine. That’s okay, of course. After all, you don’t need to be a wine expert to appreciate a glass of your favorite whites and reds. But if there’s one thing you should know about wine, it’s that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy it.
Below are four tips to help you save a few dollars on your favorite pinot noir or white zinfandel. Cheers!
1. Drink Cheaper Wine
I’m assuming you’re not a wine snob (otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading a blog entry about how to save on wine), so you should be open to this tip. It’s a common misconception in wine circles that you have to spend a lot of money to get good wine. Truth is, for most casual wine drinkers, there’s not a big difference between a $10 wine and a $30 wine. So what’s that mean? In other words, buy the $10 bottle.
2. Buy Boxed Wine
Just like frozen pizza, boxed wine has made tremendous strides over the past decade with it comes to quality and reputation. The best part, of course, is the price. At $15 to $20 for a box – which can contain up to four bottles of wine – you’ll pay less than $5 per bottle! (Bonus: The tap system keeps air out of the bag inside the box, which helps the wine last a loooong time.)
3. Buy By the Box
This is a different kind of boxed wine. For this one, I’m talking about buying your favorite bottled win in bulk – usually still in the case. This method can result in savings of 10 to 20 percent per bottle.
4. Keep a Wine Journal
No, I’m talking about writing pages upon pages of your most personal thoughts and feelings about wine in a secret diary. A wine journal is nothing more than a few pages in a notebook which you can use to jot some basic notes about the wines you like and don’t like. How does this help you save money? A quick scan of your notes might save you from wasting $20 on a bottle of cabernet sauvignon that you don’t like.
5. Get to Know Your Local Wine Clerk
The best way to save money on wine without spending hundreds of hours studying it is to become friends with the clerk at your local wine store. They know more about wine than anyone and are more than happy to make a few recommendations in your price range.
How do you save on wine?