CHEAP WINE

[WJT]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[Chris Head]

There's a boxed Pays D'oc in Aldi for about 4 euro I think, it's very smooth and clear, I'm impressed with it, they also have a Muscadet for about 1,30 which is more than passable, and the Saumur Methode for 4 euro is just a fantastic bargain.

[TWINKLE]

You're making me thirsty Chris!

[Davidball]

I'm lucky enough tio have a wine merchant in the village . . . .

he delivers 5 litres of good AOC Minervois for £1 a litre,

the very quafffable rose is 70p a litre, as is the vin de table . . .

he just asks for the cubes back . . .and always service with a smile :)

David

[Gardian]

[quote user="WJT"]

I am sitting here now with a glass of red that we bought yesterday for about 12 euros and it is pretty ropey [:(]. But at the same time we have bought some at around the 5 euro price that has been very nice. So if anyone has the secret could you please let me know what it is? [:D]

[/quote]

I honestly don't think there is a secret.  There's more snobbery about wine than just about anything I know. The taste of any wine and it's value for money to you is a very personal thing. I would never (well, almost never!) knock anybody else's taste, because one man or woman's 'ideal bottle' might taste like rat's piss to somebody else, or alternatively be OK-ish, but simply not worth the money.

It's bit like the 'Come and look at this area to live' contributions: I've done it, we've all done it, and they're honest and well intended. But at the end of the proverbial day, what's nice to me or you, might be hell for somebody else. 

 

[Jc]

I flew from England to Italy with a German airline;they served only French wines-they must be cheap.

[WJT]

[quote user="Ian Horn"][quote user="WJT"]

I am sitting here now with a glass of red that we bought yesterday for about 12 euros and it is pretty ropey [:(]. But at the same time we have bought some at around the 5 euro price that has been very nice. So if anyone has the secret could you please let me know what it is? [:D]

[/quote]

I honestly don't think there is a secret.  There's more snobbery about wine than just about anything I know. The taste of any wine and it's value for money to you is a very personal thing. I would never (well, almost never!) knock anybody else's taste, because one man or woman's 'ideal bottle' might taste like rat's piss to somebody else, or alternatively be OK-ish, but simply not worth the money.

It's bit like the 'Come and look at this area to live' contributions: I've done it, we've all done it, and they're honest and well intended. But at the end of the proverbial day, what's nice to me or you, might be hell for somebody else. 

 

[/quote]

Ian, I agree whole heartily, my comment was really tongue in cheek. It was made to perhaps emphasize the fact that a lot of French wine is at times not very consistent. If you don't know the particular wine or particular vineyard it can be a real minefield trying to choose.

I do believe it all does boil down to taste and a good example is that my husband and I generally have different taste in wine and on occasion find one we both love.

I just did a search on TF and couldn't find the poster that recommended "Rasteau" a Cotes de Rhone wine, a very low cost wine that was excellent, I believe it was under 5 euros. We bought one bottle and loved it and went back to Casino last summer and bought what they had left. I had totally forgot about it until we just opened the last bottle of what we had left.[:-))]. It is really really good so if the poster reads this and recognises them self, I would like to say a big thank you for the tip. I am going to Casino tomorrow to try and find more , I will also check out the other recommendations in LIDL as well.

Al this wine tasting  is a hard job but someone has to do it. [Www]

[Jo53]

Why did the OP make this into a dig at the British? Who do you think a) makes and b) drinks all that vast range of 2 euro cough mixture, sorry table wine, that fills the supermarket shelves???

Couldn't be the French, oh no, obviously not.

[Dick Smith]

There was a thread here recently in which several posters said that the attraction of cheap wine was fairly temporary, after a few months people were starting to look for good quality at good value rather than rock-bottom prices. I certainly found that (in fact we can get a quite drinkable everyday Bordeaux for about €3 in our local Intermarché). I now drink much less but better quality, and I believe others have said the same.

[Miki]

Yes it makes sense and although I believe people should drink whatever

they like, I do feel many expats (and certainly French as well,

naturally) buy purely on price and that can lead to all kind of

'orrible stuff being slurped with the usual retort, "I can't tell the

difference" which is fair enough but it doesn't take a genius to inform

anyone that for a few euros more and chosen with help from someone or

even a book, there is a whole new wine game out there !

Many caves, especially in wine areas, will often sell you a wonderful wine en vrac

which is wonderful and at the same time often very cheap. So certainly

in some cases, yes wine can be bought at a good but economic price. It

is just a  matter of research (tough hey) and getting

about......[;-)]

[Dick Smith]

Or boxes, some of which can be surprisingly pleasant.

[Miki]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Or boxes, some of which can be surprisingly pleasant.

[/quote]

I quite agree, our local two wholesalers are carrying more and more

quaffable (there's luvvly word eh) wines these last few years in the

old BIB's.

[Dick Smith]

But are a buggle to force into the wine rack. But easier to pack in the car.

[Miki]

Chris might make you a special rack from Oak, with lots of nice big square or rectangular holes to park the boxes in....[:)]

[Gardian]

WJT ...........

Funny you should mention it, but Rasteau is probably my favourite poison of all the CdR Villages. The Co-op there does their 'Tradition' mid-range' red for about €5.50, but you can get the same stuff (labelled slightly differently, but essentially the same) in the grands surfaces for €4-ish. I bought some in Leclerc's Foire de Vin last week.

Look out for anything with Vignerons du Mont Ventoux Bedoin embossed on the neck of the bottle. The co-op there is in a nice little village on the south side of the mountain - technically Ventoux, but southern Rhone as near as makes no difference and 2/3rds the price. They sell extensively to the hypers (saw it in Auchan at Calais a few yrs ago) and they once told me that the price that they have to sell it to them means an undercut of 30% on what they ask at the retail shop. Got some at Leclerc the same day as the Rasteau for less than €3 and it's a bargain!

Like you say, it's hell, but someone ............   Happy drinking.

  

[Georgina]

I have been buying Australian, Chilean and Californian wine for a treat since I have been here from the "étranger" shelf (usually consists of about 5 bottles compared to the hundreds displayed (I wonder why that is) - much cheaper than in the UK.  I drink the french wine as standard but I have not found one that does anything for me yet.  I don't want to waste money trying them out as I know the before mentioned to be quality.  Sorry French people!! 

Georgina

[WJT]

Well, I am sitting here with another glass of Rasteau that I got at Leclerc today (Ian the secret is out [:)]). I have not seen it in there before today, I got three bottles two were just under 5 and the other just over and the the one I am drinking now is very good [:-))]. Both my husband and I like it which is not common with the French wines.

It is funny but up until a year or so ago I hadn't had a Cote de Rhone I liked but since having some at a friends here in France we have had several that I like very much and the Rasteau wines will now be pretty regular [:)].

I know that Dick has said he has had some Bordeaux that he likes very much but unfortunately,  we have had some bad luck with them. We find unless you spend a lot of money the mid to lower price range is again we find not to be very good and we have even had some that weren't good that were quite expensive. Having said that, we had a mid price Bordeaux in a restaurant a few months back that was absolutely wonderful but can't seem to find it in the caves. I guess it is just a matter of knowing what you are looking for of which obviously we don't. [:)]

By the way, I am not an alcoholic, I promise! First week back in France after a few months and well, a good excuse for most nights at the moment at least. [:D]

[Cassis]

I know it's dead common and all that but for everyday "cooking wine" the red Cellier des Dauphins Cotes du Rhone is reliable.

Of course, this is coming from someone who normally quaffs from a chilled white wine box of LeClerc's  "Vieux Carion" Colombard Sauvignon.  A glass of Old Crow, as I call it.  [:D]

[Dick Smith]

I like the Vieux Carion. Red. Old Carrion. Loverly.

[Cassis]

Merlot?  Or Cab Sauv?

[Dick Smith]

Merlot for pref, either in extremis (ie the local Champion running out of one or the other).

[WJT]

[quote user="Cassis"]I know it's dead common and all that but for everyday "cooking wine" the red Cellier des Dauphins Cotes du Rhone is reliable.

Of course, this is coming from someone who normally quaffs from a chilled white wine box of LeClerc's  "Vieux Carion" Colombard Sauvignon.  A glass of Old Crow, as I call it.  [:D]
[/quote]

 

Will have to give Cellier des Dauphins a try, I have not noticed it.. As far as the "Vieux Carion" I don't have a clue, tend to only drink red, it is good for you, you know [:D].

[chessfou]

Check out your local cavistes - most of them will be more expensive than the local super/hypermarché but not in all cases. I have five$ (that I'm aware of) near me (excluding the local vignerons who sell direct). It transpires that one (and one only) of them* does a particularly good job of turning up excellent bottles at about €4.50.  At a recent tasting (proper glasses and proper temperatures, not your little plastic pots served at 25C - that's degrees centigrade - as in the Foires aux Vins^ in the grandes surfaces) there were about 10 wines (4.50-31.00) with, arguably, the best of the bunch being the "grand" vin of the €4.50 one at a very reasonable €11 (for a 2001 at its apogee). Above all, get to know the wines of the South-West.

$ regional population ca. 60,000.

*However, all of them do a great job of supplying a superb range (including one that does a long line of ultra cheap BIB/VRAC, if that takes your fancy).

^ which are, nonetheless, great opportunities to pick up some superb wines at keen prices.

[Btuckey]

I picked up some excellent local wine at, of all places, Aldi today.  The price; €1.09 a bottle!

Brian

 

[Renaud]

The thing that puzzles me is that should you buy an expensive red wine in a restaurant it is never really drinkable much before the pudding / cheese course.

I guess the thing to do would be to go to the restaurant a couple of hours beforehand and have it opened then, but I have never managed this.