Expensive Wines vs Cheap Wines

What makes a wine expensive and why a wine sells at less price? These two questions might have come to your mind many a times while buying wines, be it cheap or expensive. Another question that hooks is that whether it is possible to find quality wine traits in an inexpensive wine? Let's get deep into this and explore the truth behind expensive wines vs cheap wines. The following tips will help you seek a better wine.

There are three main factors that play a major role in developing the taste and determining the price for a wine.

Oak

Oak barrels are used to age a wine and evolve it with nutty flavours. The most coveted winemakers in the world prefer using new oak barrels to add in vanilla and baking spice flavours. On the other hand, wines that are aged in old oak barrels develop less characters than the wines aged in new oak. Also the new oak barrels, especially the French ones, are in huge demand, hence they come costly when compared to American oak. That increases the value of the wine by $2-4 per bottle.

Time

It is generally assumed that the wine gets better with time. It does, in some reds, but it is equally important to know that ageing wine actually changes the taste of fruit flavours, and reduces tannins and acidity in the wine. Some wines taste better when holded for 10 years but the point here is that holding wines for years takes space and money both. This adds more cost, probably $1 to $5 per bottle (depending on the time for which the wine has been holded) to the wine. As far as white wines are concerned, most of them taste better when enjoyed young and fresh.

Terroir

A wine’s journey begins in the vineyard, and a vineyard’s site plays a very important role in determining the value of the wine. For producing premium and fine quality wines, winemakers focus at making their vines low-yielding. The location of the vineyard also matters. For example, a vineyard located at hill with low nutrient soil tend to produce quality grapes when compared to the fertile soils of a river delta. Also, the variety of the grape grown in a particular region might add to the value of the wine. Take example of Shiraz from Barossa Valley and a Riesling from Clare Valley. Both places have earned a reputation worldwide for the respective varieties. So, even if you have a low-priced varietal from a region where it is best grown, it might be worth trying.

Wine on Tap vs Wine in Bottle

Wine on tap must be gaining popularity, but is it really a great taker on wine in bottles? Let’s find out!

Wine efficiency

Those who are new to trying wines may not find any difference at all. However, wine connoisseurs can immediately notice the difference between the wine served from a bottle and the one served through a tap. Bottled wines open up much faster than a wine on tap. The nose is especially more noticeable and opens on the bottled wines, enhancing the flavours on the initial sips. The wine on tap takes some time, opening after a few minutes of swirling and breathing in the glass. On the palate, both wine pouring styles have a similarity. However, that totally depends on specific wines. Ultimately, the choice is yours, whether you want to enjoy wine to the fullest or partially!

Cleanliness & handling

Wine on taps requires a lot of attention in terms of cleanliness. If taps or tap lines aren't clean, the gas mix isn’t perfect, the temperature isn't right, or if the pressure is wrong, the wine on tap will end up tasting terrible. The same is not the case with a bottled wine, which just needs to be stored in the right place

Economy

Economically, a keg wine or a wine on tap will be efficient for those restaurant owners who have a big footprint of customers and have long queues to tackle and where wine can be sold by the glass. On the other hand, wine in bottles is perfect for restaurants whose customers prefer quality over quantity. Wine on tap can be an economical choice for customers but there will always be some loss of aromas in initial sips when a wine is served from a keg. On the other hand, a carefully cellared wine bottle will preserve and enhance the flavours and complexity of the wine, which is not possible with wine from a tap.

Concluding

Online wine retailers like Just Wines in Australia have made it possible to buy premium and fine wines from Aussie and New Zealand wineries at eye-opening discounted prices. That means wine on bottles have now become a savvy affair for both retail buyers and bulk buyers. Just Wines also offers free shipping to its Trophy Club members, which cuts the cost of travelling to a wine bar too! Now you can judge which one is more economical!

5 facts revealing Australia's drinking habits

If you are in Australia and company with your lady friends, there is a high chance that you might be

drinking wine. If the guess was right, there is nothing to be surprised about!

Here are few statistics revealing some of the interesting facts about Australian people and their drinking habits -

1. Total consumption of wine in Australia is 69 million litres for 2013-14

2. Australian women prefer wine over other alcoholic drinks such as beer and spirits as compared to men.

3Bottled wine is the most preferred drink by Australians succeeded by beer and bottled spirit

4. Average weekly spend by a household on wine is ~$8.5 as compared to ~$12.5 for beer.

5. Australian’s in the age group of 30+ is more likely to drink wine over other alcoholic drinks.