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Everyday Wines

Written By: Brian Freedman on Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Don't let high-end obsession blind you to good, inexpensive wine!

One of the biggest misconceptions about wine lovers is that they prefer complex, so-called serious wines at the expense of all others. That those who have the most well-stocked cellars or access to the rarest old wines will open up those bottles whenever they have the chance. That they will turn their noses up at simpler, less expensive bottles because they don't have to drink them.

But this could not be further from the truth. For those who truly love wine are open to the entire world of it, and would never dream of avoiding a bottle just because it doesn't cost a fortune or come with a platinum-plated pedigree. In fact, the opposite is true.

As winter finally begins its retreat into memory, this has been thrown into sharp relief for me, as is the case every year around this time.

Not that I don't love those wines. This past year I tasted some of the most profound bottlings I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Even now, all these months later, I still remember the Antinori Tignanello 1997; the Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 1982; the Warre's, Dow's, and Graham's vintage Ports from 1977.

They were among the most profound wines I've ever tasted, every bit as satisfying on an intellectual level as they were on a sensual one. And knowing all that has happened in the world and in my life since the grapes for those wines were harvested made tasting them an emotional experience, too.

But that does not mean that I would drink them every day. In fact, because they are such rare treats, sipping a glass of them is that much more special an experience. Sure, I would drink them more than I do (if I could), but I don't think I'd limit myself to only those kinds of wines even if it were an option.

After all, there are just too many wines--and types of wine--produced around the world every year to limit yourself. Much of the cellar I maintain for aging wines is filled with Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, and Barbaresco. And like any collector, I take great pride in knowing what I have stashed away in there, and anticipate the day when I will open them.

But I also have another cellar next to it, and that one is dedicated to what I like to call my everyday-drinking wines. These are the bottles I can open on the spur of the moment and not have to worry about their being at their peak, or about pairing the perfect meal with them, or about giving them the time and effort required of more "serious" wines.

That, in fact, is a very real part of the fun of these inexpensive wines: There's no pressure involved, no high expectations, just the simple pleasure of enjoying a glass or two because I want to.

It's the kind of thing that brings me back to why I fell in love with wine in the first place: For precious little money, I can experience the world, one sip at a time. These days, after all, we are living in an era of astounding wine variety and richness.

As recently as a decade or two ago, you had to be much more careful than you do now when buying inexpensive wine. Not that the risk is gone, of course; it's just that now more than ever, there is an embarrassment of riches in terms of what you can fill your shopping cart with.

Much of this has to do with the vast improvements that previously underperforming wine regions have made. It also has to do with the increased competition around the world for shelf--and, subsequently, cellar--space: As wine has left the realm of the elite and entered the mainstream, the quality of inexpensive wine has jumped dramatically.

Whites from Spain and Greece, Malbec from Argentina, Sauvignon Blanc from Chile's magnificent Leyda Valley, poolfuls of reasonably priced Dolcetto and Barbera--anyone with an aversion to spending a fortune, and a willingness to try something new, can easily fill their cellar or wine rack with enough good, cheap wine to last them a long time.

And this is the time of year to drink them. Personally, I tend to focus on the more profound wines in the cooler months. Not that I'd ever turn down a great bottle this time of the year--a rare treat is a rare treat no matter when the opportunity presents itself--but I more often than not find myself stocking the lay-down cellar and drinking from the other one as the weather turns warmer.

Just the other night, I opened a bottle of Montecillo White Rioja 2006, a refreshing $10 beauty that sang with notes of citrus, damp stones, and pine needles. It was perfect with grilled trout over rice, light enough to allow the fish to really show nicely yet possessed of enough acid to keep the excess oil it was drizzled with from weighing the preparation down. For $50 or $100, I cannot imagine a better pairing partner for that dish.

The same goes for a simple bowl of linguine with tomato sauce I recently threw together at the last minute: The $12 Dolcetto I drank with it was exquisitely straightforward and nearly custom-made for that kind of dish.

So keep stocking your cellar with the good stuff this time of year, but don't hesitate to start investing in a case or three of less expensive, everyday-appropriate wines. Tempting as it sounds, none of us can live on high-end wine alone. In fact, to do so would be to miss out on one of the most exciting wine moments in history, and to cheat yourself out of some great bottles.

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