Bumper wine guide: Fine wines that represent terrific value for money
Wine can taste all the better when you find one that delivers value for money. Photo / Getty Images
There’s no shortage of good wine on the shelves. The real challenge in wine buying – and the greatest satisfaction – lies in discovering wines that deliver great value for money, or more bang for your buck.
To assess value for money, after rating a wine for quality, I check its retail price. The price-quality ratio, which can vary between grape varieties and wine styles, indicates whether it offers below average, average or above average value.
The following wines are all bargains.
Whites
Babich Marlborough Pinot Gris 2023
★★★★
Finely balanced for early enjoyment, this full-bodied wine has very good depth of vibrant, peachy, gently spicy flavours, a distinct touch of barrel-fermented complexity, and a dryish finish. $16-$20
Church Road New Zealand Pinot Gris 2023
★★★★
This is typically estate-grown in Hawke’s Bay, but the 2023 vintage is labelled as being of “New Zealand” origin, which presumably reflects the cyclone-hit growing season in North Island regions. Attractively scented, it is fresh and mouthfilling, with generous, peachy, spicy flavours, hints of pears and ginger, a sliver of sweetness and finely balanced acidity. A distinctive wine, it’s delicious in its youth. $18
Cotes Des Sommets Pays D’Oc Chardonnay 2022