How to choose wine in a bottle shop for school night or luxe event
Confused about the wine you should buy on a school or date night? An expert wine merchant shares his secrets on how to navigate the bottle shop, bypass the bargain bin and land a delicious drop every time. READ THE LIST
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Ever walked into a bottle shop with the task of finding a school night wine and felt completely overwhelmed with choice?
Perhaps you’re after a date-night drop that’s great value without a high price tag.
Wine expert and Dan Murphy’s Alphington merchant Richard Doumani shares his tips to help you decide.
SCHOOL NIGHT WINE HACKS
Bypass the bargain bin and two-for-one deals, and head to the international wine section.
Spanish red grape variety tempranillo is food-friendly and can cost as little as $10.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
Expensive wine isn’t always great quality. A fruit-forward riesling can cost as little as $7 a bottle. Doumani said the grape variety, region and production influenced the price.
“Pinot noir is so hard to grow, very fickle and faces disease pressure,” he said.
“It needs to come from a good quality vineyard … and be hand-picked. You can’t mass produce pinot noir (and sell it) for $10 or $15 dollars a bottle.”
BARGAIN BIN 101
It’s the home of $5 to $10 bottles, usually the last of a range. The wine isn’t necessarily ‘bad’, the cheapest or lowest quality in store. However a $3 bottle should make you question how much time, effort and money was put into the winemaking. Were the grapes hand-picked and aged in oak? Very unlikely.
DEBUNK THESE MYTHS
— Wine sulfates give me a hangover: Alcohol gives you hangover not sulphur dioxide according to Doumani.
— Pretty label wines contain good booze: Lots of money is invested in marketing to help you remember the product and winemaker. Doumani said some pretty labels held great wine, while others looked the goods (because of a big budget) but didn’t taste great. Consider the winemaker and when and where the wine was made to judge quality. If you’re stuck, ask for help in store.
— Heavy wine bottle equals quality: They don’t always hold fancy wine. It’s another marketing ploy, Doumani said.
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SO … WHAT SHOULD I DRINK?
Date night
Doumani recommends buying Victorian or Australian wine for date night.
Yarra Valley is a prime area for growing pinot noir, with Oakridge’s Hazeldene pinot noir a top choice. Doumani also suggests a House of Arras sparkling from Tasmania or De Bortoli’s La Bohème Act Two Pinot Noir Rosé.
Great value, underrated varieties
Ditch the merlot and cabernet for a different red variety like gamay from Yarra Valley’s Punt Road. The light-bodied drop is a great food match. Nagambie’s Tahbilk is well-known for its marsanne, a fruity white variety, while Penfolds’ chardonnay, like Reserve Bin A or Bin 311, is often overlooked for big, bold shiraz.
