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As is the case with every industry, clever business people with big ideas and great connections often find ways to accelerate industry growth and take a cut of the market for themselves.  These entrepreneurs figure out an angle on how to get their own piece of the pie by targeting the consumer market. The wine world is no exception.

While you may not know the names of these companies, you have likely heard of a few of their wines. This post covers the different approaches these innovators are taking: Bronco Wine Company, Cameron Hughes Wine, Latitude Beverage Company, and Oriel Wines.

Method 1: Reach the most consumers by making cheap wine widely available

"Two-Buck Chuck" (Charles Shaw Wine)

You may not know the name Bronco Wine Company but I’ll bet you a year’s salary you know their biggest brand–Charles Shaw (a.k.a. Two-Buck Chuck). Did you also know that Bronco Wine Company has over fifty other brands, too? According to Wikipedia (the only web-presence the company maintains), Bronco Wine Company is the fourth-largest wine producer in the US with total annual sales of approximately 20 million cases.

Bronco is a 30-year old wine company that has had some troubles along the way, but it’s never easy for the pioneers; CEO Fred Franzia (no relation to the wine in the box) has successfully executed his vision of bringing wine to the masses. (See earlier comment about you knowing the name of their #1 brand.) They did it by buying grape and wine overruns from existing wineries and repackaging them. They did it by buying 35,000+ acres of grape-growing land in California and making their own wines in less-expensive areas than the Napa Valley. They did it by specializing in distribution and getting their wine into grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and other national chains.

Bronco can safely claim they did a tremendous amount to contribute to the explosion of wine-consumption in the US because at $2 a bottle, it’s a risk-free experiment for nearly everyone and since most consumers don’t know good wine from bad they’re happy drinking the two-buck bottles. Some people refer to Two-buck Chuck as a gateway wine–it introduces people to wine and when they’re ready for something more adventurous, they’ll step up and start buying better wines. I don’t know what percentage of the Charles Shaw audience are upgraders, but I’ll bet brands like Yellow Tail and Coppola are thrilled they do.

Method 2: Diversify in different methods of selling oversupply and partner with others to help do it

Cameron Hughes Wines - Lot Series

Another innovative company aiming to bring more value to the consumer market is Cameron Hughes Wines. They’ve diversified their approach to include purchasing oversupply and backblending some of it into their Rock Ridge series while maintaining the integrity of the better wines in their Lot Series. When they find good winemaker partners, they create ongoing relationships for their Flying Winemaker Series, even going so far as to choose one uber-partner for their Evergreen Series.

Cameron Hughes also cultivated strong distribution channels with major retailers maintaining great brand loyalty like Costco, Cost Plus World Market, and Safeway. These are stores where consumers aren’t looking for fine wines, but good quality wines at a good value and Cameron Hughes thinks they can build lifelong consumer loyalty for their brands through these distribution channels. If the quality is there, and the prices are fair, I’ll bet they keep growing at a record pace.

Method 3: Specialize in high-end oversupply and only source the best varietals from their best regions

90+ Cellars Malbec

Latitude Beverage Company is an example of an innovative business which sees that the fine wine market is declining and that there’s more growth opportunity in bringing good quality wine to the mass consumer market. They’re doing it in two different ways under two unique labels–90+ Cellars and Ku De Ta Wines.

90+ Cellars is just like Cameron Hughes’ Lot Series except that the wines Latitude Beverage purchases come with a ratings pedigree. While we don’t necessarily advocate buying wines based on their ratings (because everyone’s personal taste is different), we think only selecting wines that are well-structured enough to earn a 90+ rating in the first place is a great place to start. When you purchase a 90+ Cellars wine, you’re getting premium quality at value pricing–a great way to win over sophisticated wine buyers on a budget.

Ku De Ta Wines, Rioja

Ku De Ta is more like Cameron Hughes’ Flying Winemaker Series in that they’ve hand-selected varietals from the regions where they perform best. When you want to produce consistently high-quality wines, why buy your grapes from a region that doesn’t have the best terroir to support superior winemaking? Why buy your Cabernet grapes from anywhere other than the Napa Valley? Why buy your Malbec from anywhere other than Mendoza? You get the point. I can’t tell if they make their own wines or if they contract with winemakers (probably the latter), but it’s almost irrelevant because winemaking that starts with the best grapes and that respects the varietal’s characteristics produces wonderful wines.

Method 4: Leverage winemaker contacts to produce the best line of wines from around the world

Oriel Wines

Among myriad platitudes there are two popular truisms in the business world that help companies focus: “know your strengths” and “stick to your core competencies, outsource the rest.” Oriel Wines understands focus and knows their own strengths don’t lie in vineyard equipment and property operations, but in evaluating wines and winemakers for greatness. Oriel has created partnerships with the world’s finest winemakers from the best regions and hand-selected varietals to be crafted into world-class wines. They then bottle these wines and distribute them under the single brand, Oriel.

The difference between Oriel and Cameron Hughes in this area is that Oriel is specialized. Specialists tend to excel at their niche and often can bring exceptional quality to their work. Oriel has managed to do this and still sell their wines at consumer-friendly prices, and they consistently get top ratings on their wines, too. With a range of pricing from $15 – $75 per bottle, Oriel knows that consumers who get to know their brand through one of its well-priced selections will become a loyal brand follower and continue to discover a world of wines as their wine experience and appetite for more extraordinary wines grows.

Bottom line: If you buy wines that are priced according to innovative business practices (as opposed to local real estate prices and ratings-driven demand), odds are good you’re getting better quality wine for your money–who doesn’t want that?

This past weekend my husband and I flitted off to San Diego to visit some friends and chill out. In addition to excellent company and excellent food, it was a fun wine weekend, too.

Wine #1: 2006 Beringer Napa Chardonnay

2005 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay

As a pre-dinner diversion, our friends Greg & Celine had us over for snacks and a glass of wine before heading out. They served us homemade dips (a delicious Greek yogurt dip with herbs in it and a yummy parmesan-artichoke dip) with pita chips and edamame. They served it to us with (and here’s an adjective I never thought I’d use to describe a Beringer wine) Napa Valley Chardonnay. It was crisp, a little oaky, and had hints of green fruit. A well-structured, enjoyable white wine for $10-13 per bottle.

Wine #2: 2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Greg & Celine brought us to their friends’ new restaurant in Del Mar, California called Zel’s. The patio was lovely, the food (mine at least) was excellent, and the service was an adventure. Greg insisted that since I have a wine blog I needed to choose the wine for the table. Unusually, there was a choice to be made because Zel’s has a great wine list and really great bottle prices on the wine. I asked around and everyone liked Cabernet, so I chose the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. You’ve heard me say before that you can’t go wrong with a Cab from Alexander Valley and this gem was no exception. A delicious Cab typical of Alexander Valley, it carried us gracefully through mussels & french fries, warm spinach salad, sea bass with mushroom risotto, steak, pork shoulder, and a serrano ham woodfired pizza. We happily ordered 2 bottles during dinner and not only would I go back to this restaurant (a rare compliment from me) I would buy this wine at twice it’s normal price of $14-17 per bottle.

Wine #3: 2005 Clos du Bois North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

In the afternoon, I took my friend Gary shopping at Walmart. There are so many parts of that sentence which sound strange to me, but the strangest of all is that I voluntarily went into a Walmart (stranger still I spent money while I was there… on wine!). While we were wandering the aisles, I discovered they sell wine. In fact, I picked up a couple bottles of the Bonterra Organic & Biodynamic Chardonnay for $6 which is a STEAL. While perusing the shelf I saw the 2005 Clos du Bois North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and opted to pass. Boy was that dumb. Later that afternoon, while sitting around playing games and drinking (that’s what Sunday afternoons are for, right?) we opened a bottle that Gary already had at his place… and it was better than I’ve come to expect from Clos du Bois which can be SO hit-or-miss. (Example: I love their Pinot Grigio but hate their Pinot Noir.) This Cabernet was not of the same exceptional quality as the one from the night before, but nonetheless, when you’re looking for value in your limited wine budget, this wine will make you think you spent more than you did for your $12-15 per bottle.

Wine #4: 2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros

2006 Domain Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros

When we made it to our final dinner of the weekend, we were ready to keep the good times rolling, so we ordered another bottle of wine. Well, I guess we technically ordered two bottles of wine. The first one was a Zolo Malbec… a wine I love! Or thought I did. I in fact love the Zolo Gaucho Select Malbec which I bought at BevMo! (which is, near as I can tell, a Reserve wine). They also bottle a lesser-version of it without the Gaucho Select, and I can tell you it’s not as good as the Gaucho Select. So, I sent it back. Instead we ordered the 2006 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Carneros because Mitch loves Pinot and we were all eating dinners that would go nicely with a Pinot. Lately I’ve felt like every Pinot Noir I taste is overwhelmingly cherry or tastes like water even though it looks like wine. Finally that streak has been broken but I don’t have a new Pinot to add to my shopping list when I want a wine in the $20-25 range because I don’t think it was worth that much. More like $15-18 per bottle.

2007 Costco Napa Valley Chardonnay

I noticed recently that Costco has come out with more wines in their Kirkland Signature wines line and naturally, since I’m there once a month trolling the wine bins like the wine whore, er value seeker, that I am, I picked up a bunch more of ‘em.

This time I tried the 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand line of house wines. In a different but happy way, I’m as impressed with this Chardonnay as I was with the Kirkland Signature Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

First, I’ve never had such a well-balanced Chardonnay under $20, much less under $10. California Chardonnays are often overly oaky, frequently too acidic, and sometimes taste like Sauvignon Blanc. Occasionally we come across Chards we love, but this one is a solid enjoyable player in a field of mediocre wines priced under $15.

What they say: 2007 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Chardonnay is opulent and richly flavored. The succulent notes of apricot and fig are surrounded by intense bursts of apple and pear, finishing with bright, mouthwatering acidity; a distinctive, buttery edge; plus hints of cedar and oak. Chardonnay from Napa Valley is scarce, highly sought after, and the source for some of the finest California Chardonnay from the 2007 vintage. Drink now through 2010.

What Jess says: The bouquet is oaky, but don’t let it fool you, other wonderful flavors come out to play once you take a sip. At first I noticed a brightness at the front of my mouth, oakiness in the mid-palate, and a smoky finish. The wine lingered in my mouth to offer a mild green-fruit and buttery finish. This wine would be great with any of the traditional foods one pairs with a Chardonnay (cheese, salad, fish, chicken, etc.) but could also compliment a heartier meal.

It doesn’t seem to be on their website (I think because it’s only available in California), so if you live in California you’ll have to go to your local Costco to pick some up at the super bargain price of $7.99 a bottle. Here’s an article about Kirkland Signature wines at Costco.com.

A few weeks ago I went to a tasting event hosted by the Rhone Rangers which is an organization focused on wine produced from Rhone varietals grown in the United States. Being a Southern California event, most of the wineries (if not all) were from Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and the Santa Ynez Valley appellations.

Prior to attending, I researched the wineries to see which 20 I should actually taste because I knew I’d never make all 40-something. During my research I found the 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley had been rated 92 by Wine Spectator (for my palette, that almost always means I’ll like it). I found that highly suspect because I’d had Zaca Mesa wines before and been, as I like to say, underwhelmed. The other thing I found surprising was a $22 bottle of Syrah from Santa Ynez was rated so highly. Now I LOVE Syrah, especially Santa Ynez Syrahs, so for me, it was a little jewel to behold.

2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah

I managed not to get to the Zaca Mesa table while I was at the tasting event, but that’s okay because it’s a fairly large-production wine and I knew I could find it elsewhere. On tonight’s trip to Costco I noticed the Zaca Mesa Syrah and grabbed a bottle. Being me, I naturally couldn’t wait more than 5 minutes to crack it and see if it passes my critical (ha!) muster, or at least lives up to its hype.

What Jess says: First impressions are great. A nice cherry/jammy bouquet with a little smoke at the back of the nose. Chewy, but enjoyable, mouthfeel. It does something funny toward the back of my tongue that I’m not loving (somehow reminds me of the other Zaca Mesa experiences I’ve had). Hardly noticeable jamminess in the mouth (some people love it, some hate it… I’m a lover) as opposed to the nose. Some kind of salty or some other mineral taste in the finish. Would almost certainly benefit from aeration, age, (I was too eager) and some red meat (or any food probably).

What Wine Spectator said: “Tight and beefy, with focused blueberry and wild berry flavors that are spicy and complex. Full-bodied, with a hint of stewed plum and wild berry peaking through on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 13,090 cases made.”

What Zaca Mesa said: “Our Syrah displays rich blackberry, cassis, espresso, mocha and our signature sage spice aromas and flavors. The silky finish lingers from the ripe tannins and smoky oak. This full-bodied wine should be enjoyed over the next ten years. A traditional pairing for this wine is a rack of lamb marinated in rosemary and garlic. However, a peppercorn steak or mushroom risotto would work incredibly well.”

[Editor's note: Even though I don't think all wines at Costco are priced as "deals," knowing what your favorites cost elsewhere helps you identify when Costco has listed something at a lower price than most other places. We paid $16.79 and which seems to be a middle-of-the-road price for this wine in today's market despite it's $22 release price.]

[Editor's note: This post has been updated... at the end of the post]

Many moons ago, in a land far far away (90-ish miles south) I used to only buy wine at Cost Plus World Market. In those days the prices seemed good and you could sum up my wine knowledge/experience with a phrases like these, “1994 Chardonnay is good” and ” I think I like Pinot Grigio.” I was more of a tequila girl in those days and I really went to Cost Plus for those heavenly Belgian Chocolates (note: only heavenly if you like hazelnut and chocolates with creamy centers) and to buy a papasan chair.

Over the years, we’ve wandered in to the one near us a few times. We’ve discovered it’s a great place to purchase lightweight Christmas gifts that travel cross-continent in our luggage very well. We’ve also discovered that they have great prices on Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label around the holidays. I’m not sure why, but I added myself to their email list and over the last several months the company has been significantly gearing up the importance of wine in their stores and improving their online presence.

At first the wines scared me. I hadn’t heard of 95% of them, the prices were either ordinary or the wines were so cheap I didn’t trust them, and the mediocre ratings didn’t increase my likelihood of purchasing. But lately… the only thing stopping me from making a CPWM run is the 20-something bottles of wine I already have in the house.

Regardless, here are the pros and cons I’ve been weighing on the decision to go try wines from Cost Plus World Market.

Pro: Unbelievable prices. I’ve used a couple of wines that they sell to make assessments about their general prices (specifically in search of the answer to “how good is the deal?”). The aforementioned Veuve at $34.99 a bottle (sale price any time of year, including the holidays) made me sit up and take notice. I’ve consistently seen that their prices are under $15 for just about everything. Also, they’re constantly sending (seemingly) great deals that are even lower than their already-low prices.

Pro: The list of wines is starting to include wine regions I know and like: Today’s email caught my attention with a Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero (see my post about the Vina Santurnia Tempranillo) for $6.99 a bottle (normally $9.99). $9.99 is a low price (though not bargain-basement) for a Tempranillo from this region in Spain. $6.99 is a steal and I really want to try it.

Pro: The list of wines is starting to include wines I know and like. After catching my attention in the email, I browsed the website for a bit and was surprised to find these wines which I know and like

• Franciscan Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (shop it)
• Conundrum (shop it)
• Simi Cabernet Sauvignon (shop it)
• Bodega Norton Reserve Malbec
• and many many more well known wines

Con: The website doesn’t publish a LOT of their prices. This is a con for two reasons. It requires me to go to the store to check out their prices, which I’d prefer to do at my computer because I live in a congested area and I’m not a fan of traffic. It’s also a con because it makes me think/know they’re adjusting prices based on local markets. This drives me batty. Why should I have to pay  more than the wine lover in Encinitas just because I live in Los Angeles? How can I figure out which stores have the best prices? These shouldn’t be questions I have to ask.

Con: They’re still carrying some skeevy wine labels. There are a couple of classes of wine I’m wary of… Wines with great marketing approaches (“Wine that loves chicken” and “Promisquous” come to mind). In my experience to date, these wines are all ordinary. It’s an attempt to sell a large volume of ordinary wine to unsuspecting consumers who might not know (or care) what good wine tastes like. Fine for them, not for me. The other group of wines are anything that’s regularly priced under $8. Mostly this is because these wines are almost always produced by the Bronco Wine Company (the esteemed makers of Charles Shaw a.k.a. Two-buck Chuck).

Con (if you don’t live in California or near an CPWM): Most of these deals are only available in California. It seems that they’re only selling wines (or trying these deals) in some states. I live in California so I have fantastic access to wines and I wouldn’t be surprised if the deals are extra special because it’s California.

Bottom line: It’s gotta be worth a visit if you live near a Cost Plus World Market and you like to find wine values by buying good wines at great prices.

Do you buy wine at Cost Plus World Market? Share your thoughts and leave a comment, please!

Update!

We stopped by World Market the next day (because my curiosity was insatiable) and picked up a six-pack (as I lovingly call them) to take for a test run. We had two shopping goals in mind here… The first was to see if World Market’s prices are low and bring great value or just low because they’ve purchased cheap wine. We also decided to further explore Tempranillos from Spain as it’s a region/varietal we’ve found some great values from in the past. We bought:

1. Campo Viejo Riserva, $12.99 per bottle – Haven’t tried it yet
2. 2007 Vivir, Vivir Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, $6.99 per bottle
   This PROBABLY belongs on the “do not drink these wines” list. I was able to finish the bottle despite its finishless grapiness. Definitely will not be purchasing again. Would rather spend a few more dollars and like what I’m drinking.
3. Bodega Norton Malbec (x2), $7.99 per bottle
   This was a wine I had previously purchased at Costco more than once for $12-15ish per bottle. It’s a nice quality Malbec. Not something that jumps out at me in the $12-15ish range, but definitely a good value at $7.99 per bottle.
4. 2006 Etim Seleccion, $10.99 per bottle
   Robert Parker rated this wine 91. I thought it was okay and the price made it okayer. By now I’ve started to realize that not all Tempranillos from Ribera del Duero are good. This was an important realization because now I won’t just buy blindly when I see one… I’ll only do it for 2004 or 2005. Another lesson in why if you’re going to use ratings to buy wine, be sure you agree with the ratings system at least some of the time. I personally prefer Wine Spectator’s ratings and find them the most accurate for my palette.
5. Cortijo III Tinto, $7.99 per bottle- Haven’t tried it yet

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Label

One of the best ways to get value in wine is to buy it on sale. Even more value happens when a big retailer buys so much of it they got it at a great price, which they pass onto you, and then they add coupons to it! For this reason, I pay special attention to Costco Wine Coupon Sale time… which, coincidentally happened last week.

This time, I restocked on the Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec, the Kirkland brand Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, and the J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon. I also tried an experiment from the sale wines because the price seemed right for experimenting… $10.49 with coupon. It was the Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

I ate it with a spaghetti & meat sauce recipe that I spent all day cooking (six hours, to be precise) figuring it would pair nicely with a hearty meaty dish. It left me flat. It wasn’t bad, but it was tannic and very very dry… too dry… and I usually prefer very dry wines. Then again, so was the food. Well, not tannic, but dry. I’ll blame the chef for that.

About a year ago I decided to try an experiment. It was this: use the Wine Spectator region/year rating system to pick out wines even when I’ve never heard of the vineyard or winemaker (which constitutes at least 90% of wines I encounter). I can honestly say I’ve never been disappointed with this wine-buying method.

The Vintage Ratings Chart at Wine Spectator (subscription required to view the chart)

Here are some example region-vintage combinations that I like, and the full list of winners as decided by Wine Spectator (who I trust for their wine reviews explicitly… better than Parker in my opinion).

• Australia: Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale 2003-2005
• Spain: Ribera del Duero 2004-2005
• California Pinot Noir: Anderson Valley 2003-2005, Sonoma 2004, Santa Barbara 2004
• California Cabernet Sauvignon: Napa 2004-2005 and (in my experience) you can never go wrong with a Cabernet from Alexander Valley in Sonoma
• California Syrah: Napa 1999-2006, Paso Robles 2004 and 2006, Sonoma 2002-2006
• Washington: 2005 and 2006

I keep this short list in mind as I peruse wine lists in restaurants and when I go to wine stores. This helps me pick out the best bargains. It’s led me to some of my favorites including:

• 2004 Vina Santurnia, Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, Spain
• 2004 and 2005 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, from McLaren Vale, Australia (ok in all fairness, a friend brought a bottle of this over for dinner, bit I’ve continued to test the vintage/region combination and am pleased with it)
• 2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon, from Washington

Last week I was out for happy hour with a friend at my favorite wine bar in town (Bodega Wine Bar in Santa Monica) and I ordered a bottle I’d never heard of, but it was a 2005 Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero and since I love that Vina Santurnia I figured it was worth a shot. We both enjoyed the wine!

Try this! If you don’t have a Wine Spectator online subscription and you don’t want to purchase one just to get your hands on this list, I found pre-printed copies of it at my favorite local wine store… yours might have them, too. It’s called the Vintage Ratings chart.

Editor’s note: This post was written on Mother’s Day

This morning I received the greatest gift a mother could get: My preschooler slept in. This bit of amazingness allowed me the opportunity to wash dishes and scrub the toilet. It’s Mother’s Day not Miracle Day – these things aren’t gonna clean themselves.

And so it went until I found myself at Target.

Let me be clear: Normally, I do not buy wine from household discount retailers! But I was there anyway, my son was in tow and I wasn’t about to drag him to another store, so I made the best of it.

And, actually, “making the best of it” was surprisingly easy.

As one would expect, Target has an incredibly small selection. The store where I was shopping carried fewer brands than my local grocery store. But, that being said, there was actually an okay selection of decent wineries, with prices starting at around $6 for a Barefoot Merlot and going all the way to $32 for a  2006 Stags Leap Merlot. Also on the shelves was a 2007  Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio  for $10, a 2007 Hess Chardonay for $11, a 2007 J Lohr Cab Sav for $14, and Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne for $37. Honestly, I was really just expecting a box of good ol’ Ernest and Julio Gallo.

I decided on a 2006 Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel. I happen to be a huge fan of Ravenswood Zin, and this one was even on sale! $6.99 marked down from $9.99.

I’m used to seeing these wines start at around $12 and go up from there. But lately I’ve noticed a preponderance of 2006 Ravenswood Zins on the market between $6 and $10, and I’ve wondered if 2006 was a bad year for them.

I think so. Probably.

The normally rich, mellow body seemed sharp and sour in this bottle – it tasted very, very “young.” Perhaps it would’ve been improved by more time to breathe, although the bottle was open for almost an hour before I could settle down and enjoy my first glass. It was still a delicious wine, but this one – the bottle of wine I bought on sale at Target, let me remind you – didn’t possess the depth and deliciousness I’ve come to expect from a winery that’s widely known to produce some of the best Zins on the market in the under $25 range.

This, of course, did not stop me from drinking the whole bottle. Happy Mother’s Day to me!

My take-away from all of this? 1) If a solid wine suddenly sells for far below its average retail price, there is probably a reason. Go for something known to be scrumptious on the less expensive side (stay tuned for that piece). Just because the winery is well-known for higher-end varietals, doesn’t mean their budget-priced products will be worth their salt 2) Target never stops proving its usefulness, and 3) It’s really hard to explain a cheap wine hangover to a four year-old.

This is a new feature I’m starting to show everyone how easy it is to buy great wine at fantastic prices. The only times I ever spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine are as follows:

1. When I’m out wine tasting in wine country somewhere.
   I’m usually caught up in the moment (buzzed if it’s the end of the day) and willing to pay full retail under these circumstances.
2. When I’m buying someone a gift (I’ll often spend $20-50 on a bottle for a friend)

Otherwise, there’s no reason to spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine. Ever.

It’s actually quite easy and here’s my recipe:

1. Find a store near you with great prices (there must be one) and visit it often (I like Safeway stores, best prices around, plus you get a 10% discount if you buy any six bottles)
2. Find a store near you that gets special deals (they buy large quantities of small-production wines) and get on their mailing list (I like the Wine House, best prices at a wine-specific store on this side of town)
3. Only buy on sale! (This is my all-time money-saving tip for everything… it stretches your dollars by however much you’ve saved)

My latest trip was especially triumphant… here’s the tally:

1. 2008 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc (made from Organic grapes)
   Regular price: $14.99, Sale price: $11.90, Six-pack price: $10.71
2. 2006 Sanford Chardonnay (Flower label)
   Regular price: $21.99, Sale price: $15.39, Six-pack price: $13.85
3. 2006 Steelhead Sauvignon Blanc
   Regular price: $18.99, Sale price: $9.98, Six-pack price: $8.98
4. Promisquous Red
   Regular price: $16.99, Sale price: $9.98, Six-pack price: $8.98
   So-so. For $9 it’s okay.
5. 2006 Coppola Malbec
   Regular price: $18.49, Sale price: $13.98, Six-pack price: $12.58
6. 2005 Keltie Brook Merlot
   Regular price: $18.99, Sale price: $6.99, Six-pack price: $6.29

Grand total Regular price: $110.44
Grand total Sale price: $68.22
Price I paid: $61.39 (plus tax)

TOTAL SAVINGS: $49.05 (44%)
Price per Bottle: $10.23

Caveats: I’ve not had most of these, so I can’t yet vouch for their quality… I know the Sanford Chardonnay is good.  I don’t normally drink Merlot but that was too good a price to pass up just to see if it’s any good.

UPDATE

The 2008 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc was great. It was light, not too acidic, and (as is my usual test for success) makes me want to drink/buy more of it. The Promisquous Red and the 2005 Keltie Brook Merlot were undrinkable. The Coppola Malbec was  much like the other Coppola wines (Director’s Cut excluded from this description)… decent but nothing to write home about for a fair price. The Steelhead went down smoothly, very fruity and tart, though not overly tart. I’d say the Steelhead is a classic-style reasonably well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc. It’s regular price feels steep, but the sale price was a “steel.” The Sanford Chardonnay was good as usual… That’s my go-to white wine.