I remember when I was a kid hearing about the Great Depression, and how booze, movies and cosmetics all fared well, while other commodities died a horrible death. While we’re not in a Great Depression, and hopefully won’t be, it looks like both movie attendance and wine consumption are alive and well. When you think about it, it makes sense. Not only from the “it makes you feel better” aspect, but also from the aspect of great entertainment values.
I taste a lot of new wines, almost every day. And I have to tell you, the number of excellent wines for not-a-lot-of-money are staggering. Find yourself a good wine store and a person working there who knows their stuff, and you can ride this baby out with a smile on your face and some money left in your pocket. You have to be adventurous, however, and can’t get into the same-wine- or-wines-from-the-same -region-every-night rut. Travel to Portugal, Spain, Germany, Chile, South Africa, or Eastern Europe. Dig deeper into places you think are overpriced, like France and Italy, and ask for wines from Puglia, Marches, Siciliy, Sardinia, the Languedoc, the Rhone, Alsace, or Bordeaux satellites.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a bottle of wine to get something that is eminently delicious and enjoyable. Try something new every time you decide to grab a bottle for the evening. Just be smart and daring about it, and you’ll find yourself asking, “What recession?”
Check out my list of recommendations that will help you drink like a king on a serf’s budget.
