LIFESTYLE
Wine
ON A
Budget
By Rod Michael
W
hether you are a casual wine drinker or a student
of the grape, who doesn’t like a deal? It is truly a lot of fun
to find that special “little” bottle that fits your pocketbook.
We all have our individual pain threshold for price and in
today’s wine world you do not have to overspend.
There is no better way to stay on budget than to buy
what you like to drink. Buying a bottle on a whim could
lead to you pouring it down the drain, believe me I’ve
done it. Stick with your favorites, but always partake of a
wine tasting for free and try to broaden your palate.
Some take wine drinking very seriously, that’s fine, but
let’s try to keep it fun!
A nice bottle of wine with a great meal either out or
home cooked and the bonding experience that one
can experience by sharing is what it is all about. You
needed to learn the language of wine which will enable
you to broaden what you already know and enable you
to make better choices when the opportunity presents
itself. Budget wine connoisseurs should be ready to do
research and read reviews.
Two great periodicals that I have used over the years
are the Wine Spectator and the Wine Enthusiast. There are
more out there to read, but for a beginner these will do the
research for you, give a rating and a suggested retail price.
Use the internet to help guide you through the wines that
fit your pocketbook. Make a list of what you believe strikes