Maximize your wine-buying dollars

Getting the best bang for your buck, wine-wise, isn’t always the most straightforward endeavour — the razzle-dazzle of marketing, the safety of brand recognition and fear of the unknown can prompt imbibers to stick with the same old-same old.

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After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks. Getting the best bang for your buck, wine-wise, isn’t always the most straightforward endeavour — the razzle-dazzle of marketing, the safety of brand recognition and fear of the unknown can prompt imbibers to stick with the same old-same old. But for those with the know-how, there are some tricks to maximizing your wine-buying dollars.

Here are a few of my favourite ways to optimize your budget the next time you’re at your favourite shop. Stay connected I know, most of us feel like we get way too many emails already, but for those looking to save a few bucks on wines, signing up for updates/newsletters from your preferred shop can provide benefits. Liquor Marts, for example, tend to send out emails at the beginning and midway point of each month detailing limited-time offers and “hot buys.”

Private wine stores such as the Pourium, Jones & Co. and De Nardi Wines also send out email newsletters featuring wines that are on sale and upcoming promotions (and tastings). This past week, for example, the Pourium sent out an email outlining its annual “Christmas in July” sale, where wine buyers can purchase a certain dollar value of unlisted wines and get other heavily discounted bottles for $10 each. If shops aren’t as active on the newsletter front, social media is the best way to stay informed.

Calabria Market & Wine, for instance, held its annual inventory sale on July 14-15, with many deeply discounted wines available, as well as regular-priced unlisted wines $13.99 and up on sale for 25 per cent off. Try a new grape/region The Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon Blancs of the world are all well and good, but wines made from more off-the-beaten-track varieties are often priced more competitively than their better-known brethren. If you’re a fan of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, check out Carmenère.

If crisp Sauvignon Blanc floats your boat, try an Alvarinho, Verdejo or Grüner Veltliner. These are wines that often offer more flavour and character for your money than tried-and-true options. Exploring new regions can also result in discovering great value wines.

While Chianti and other reds from the popular Tuscany region are great, lesser-known grapes/regions such as Sicilian Nero d’Avola or Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region are also excellent, and because they’re not as popular can provide a killer bargain. Other under-the-radar budget bets include Portuguese reds (or almost anything from Portugal, really), Chilean Viognier, Argentine Torrontes or wines from the south of France. The benefits of volume Anyone who has ever shopped at Costco or other big-box stores knows that when you buy something in bulk or in a larger format, you tend to get a better deal.

With that in mind, it’s worth checking out the boxed wine section of your favourite shop to see what’s on offer in two-, three- or four-litre boxes. Buyer beware: this wine writer will never promote the “bottled and blended in Canada from a blend of domestic and international grapes” boxed wines that include some of Canada’s best-known brands that shall not be named here. The wines are boring and damage the reputation of the excellent wines being made by Canadian-grown grapes.

(Don’t get me started.) Look for boxed wines that list a region, or at least where it can be visibly confirmed that the grapes are coming from one country (or, better yet, one region). Volume-wise, they’re typically good deals and will last for a few weeks once opened.

If you’re not sure about a particular boxed wine, many of these products are also sold in 750-ml bottles, meaning you can test drive the wine before making a bigger commitment. Going once, going twice... Winnipeggers love a good deal, and many of the best deals on wine come just as a product is set to leave our market.

On the Liquor Marts website (liquormarts.ca), click on “Promotion” and scroll down to “Last Chance” to see what’s being blown out. If you see something of interest, check the store availability before heading to your favourite location, as de-listed products sometimes only land at certain stores. (Click on the product in question, then click on the “store inventory” button to see what stores have stock.)

At private stores, the more deeply discounted products are dubbed “bin ends” — root around and see what kind of deals you can find. But buyer beware — once de-listed products are gone, they’re generally gone forever, or at least for a long period of time. Good luck, and happy bargain shopping out there...

Wines of the week Spinelli 2024 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy — $16.99, Calabria Market) Made from the red grapes grown in eastern Italy, this rosé is medium-deep pink in appearance, with ripe strawberry and watermelon aromas, secondary raspberry and plum notes and a hint of bubble gum. It’s light-bodied and dry, bringing the slightest hint of sweetness that accentuates the intense ripe red fruit flavours, while peach and watermelon notes round things out nicely. A great value — drink now.

4/5 KWV 2023 Roodeberg (Western Cape, South Africa — $47.79/3L box, Liquor Marts and private wine stores) A red blend dominated by one-third each of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s some subtle smokiness that comes with the black cherry, cassis, iron, tar and cracked black pepper on the nose. It’s medium-plus bodied and dry, with cherry and cassis flavours landing with smoked meat, peppery and plum notes, with medium tannin, light acidity and, despite the 14 per cent alcohol, a finish that’s fairly modest.

The 16 months of aging with French and American oak is also surprisingly subtle. Also available in 750ml bottles (for $17.99); the wine is on sale in the 3L format (regular $52.99) until the end of July. 3.5/5 Feudo Antico 2023

Tríbùm Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy — $13.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) This organic red from eastern Italy is bright violet in appearance and brings plum, mocha, violet, red current and subtle black licorice and cherry notes on the nose. It’s dry, full-bodied and plush, delivering big dark and blue fruit flavours with great depth, while the leaner, more subtle tannins add some structure.

A peppery note emerges on the medium-length finish (it’s 13.5 per cent alcohol), as does some modest acidity, while pretty blueberry notes persists. This product has been de-listed (it was regular $19.99), so stock up while you can if you can find it. 4/5 Escudo Rojo 2022 Carmenère (Colchagua Valley, Chile — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

There’s a lovely wild eucalyptus note on the nose of this Chilean Carmenère that comes with blackcurrant, dark chocolate, violet, savoury herb and white pepper aromas. It’s full-bodied and dry, with ripe dark berry and eucalyptus notes complemented by dark chocolate, black tea and cracked pepper. Tannins have softened with time, and a vanilla note comes courtesy of 10 months in French oak barrels, 30 per cent of which were new.

At 14.5 per cent alcohol, there’s some heat to the finish. Drinking great now — a nice value. 4/5 winnipegfreepress.com/bensigurdson Ben Sigurdson Literary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press‘s literary editor and drinks writer.

He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben.

In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press’s editing team before being posted online or published in print. It’s part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

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