Cheap and cheerful wine

Now's the time to take advantage of some of the great deals on offer in the wine world. Photo / Babiche Martens

Tough times don't mean you have to start drinking bad wine. On the contrary, the recession has brought with it a bumper crop of cut-price bottles ripe for the drinking by cash-strapped consumers, with avenues to be explored by the bargain hunting wine buyer that can yield some seriously good drops at sometimes silly prices. Here are 10 tips for tracking down the best deals and avoiding the duds:

1 Soak up the surplus

As New Zealand starts bottling its second huge harvest in a row while international markets cool in the current economic climate, supply and demand dictate there will be increasing amounts of lower priced local wines on the market.

It's not just New Zealand finding itself in this situation; Australia has been making more wine than it can sell, while the world has been in the throes of a global wine glut in recent years that's put pressure on wine prices. This may be bad news for the winemakers, but it's brilliant for imbibers.

2 Discount diving

Hand in hand with oversupply and the increasingly competitive local market as more wineries open their doors, has come a tidal wave of deeply discounted wines. Supermarkets may have pledged to ditch selling wine at below cost to lure shoppers into their stores, but sharp deals can still be expected in the foreseeable future.

Be warned though, marked-down wines are not always the steals they appear. As wines on promotion sell at far higher volumes than those at full price, a practice can be employed whereby brands are created at prices that outstrip their value, with their true price closer to the one that they'll be sold at on promotion. To avoid disappointment, go for names that you know deliver at their full price.

3 Internet deals

Wines sold online through websites such as Blackmarket cut out a chunk of distributor and retailer costs and can consequently come in at lower prices. Some of these operations also act as a discrete channel through which wineries can offload surplus stock, offering cheap deals on often highly quaffable drops.

4 Bin ends

These are wines a shop wants to clear. If they're ends of lines, maybe at the change of vintage, then they can be good value. However, if they're on special as no one could stomach them, have been getting out of condition on hot shelves for years, or made from a grape variety like sauvignon blanc that's often best consumed within a year or two of its vintage, they may not be that great a buy. The best bin end bets are likely to be more obscure grape varieties there out of shoppers' ignorance, and varieties like riesling and reds, which are robust enough to age.

5 Seasonal cheer

The shops offer some of their smartest deals at Christmas, so if you've got the cash to spare over the festive season, it's well worth stocking up.

6 Bulk buys

Many stores and wineries will give you money off if you buy by the case. If you can't get through a whole box by yourself, club together with some friends and share the spoils.

7 Think up-and-coming rather than established

Wineries and regions that have still yet to be fully discovered are often far more competitively priced than those that have already made their name. Instead of buying a rioja, if you go for something from the lesser-known Campo de Borja - you'll save dollars. Also, keep your ear to the ground about exciting new producers who've yet to make it big.

8 Go to auction

Auction houses don't just sell rare wines for the moneyed collector. A house like Fitzgerald's Auctions can offer well-priced everyday wines, as well as the opportunity to net some impressive older and rare wines, sometimes for a song.

9 Cleanskin roulette

A relatively recent phenomenon is the cleanskin, unlabelled wines often offered at knock-down prices. They're the product of wineries who'd rather you didn't know they'd got too much stock to sell at full price, which can offer good value or turn out to be real shockers - the gamble is yours.

10 Cheapest is not so cheerful

Wines with the cheapest shelf price are made from the lowliest and lowest cost grapes, which in terms of quality to price often makes them the worst value vino. It pays to shop around for bargains, or pay a bit more and you'll get a significantly better bottle.

CREDIT CRUNCH CRACKERS

Jehan Guillaume Cotes-du-Rhone, France 2007 $13.95

One of the best value wines I've tried this year and something that could easily be passed off as a far more expensive bottle. This gutsy grenache and syrah blend from the Rhone exudes Mediterranean warmth in its bounty of rich and ripe plummy fruit combined with notes of coffee. It's also got a bit of structure, with a food-friendly lick of tannin and attractive freshness. (From Wine Direct.)

Winegrowers of Ara Pathway Marlborough Sauvignon 2009 $15.95

Given last vintage's sauvalanche, there's plenty of cheap sauvignon being poured into the market at present. Some are distinctly lacking in character, often with more than just a soupcon of sweetness to compensate for this. However, this one from Winegrowers of Ara's recently launched second label is a breath of fresh air in being bone dry. Light with a fresh zip of citrus that underpins its notes of melon, passion fruit and gentle herb. (From Glengarry, New World, and quality wine retail.)

Cape Bay Pinotage South Africa 2008 $13.50

Warm climates and cheaper labour enable a country like South Africa to come in with some of the richest pickings in the lowest price brackets. This is made with the country's flagship red variety, pinotage, a cross between cinsaut and pinot noir, that's a more than acceptable everyday quaffer with smooth and juicy blueberry and raspberry fruit and just the faintest whiff of spice and smoke. (From Wine Circle, Point Wines, Artisan Fine Wines, Mairangi Bay Fine Wines.)

Sherwood Estate Stratum Waipara Riesling 2008 $15

Sherwood winemaker Petter Evans has spent time working in the riesling heartland of Germany, which is reflected in the quality of the clutch of rieslings the estate produces. Its entry level example seriously over-delivers with a wonderful balance between its gentle sweetness and mouthwatering notes of lime that are joined by succulent stonefruit and wafts of blossom in this lighter alcohol wine. (From Liquor King, selected branches of New World, Scenic Cellars, Farro Fresh)

W5 Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007 $15.99

The path to cut price pinot is strewn with insipid examples as the variety tends to require more costly lower crops and kid glove treatment to coax out its best. This one from reliable online bargain retailer, Blackmarket is one of the few sub-$20 examples that really shine, with its juicy midweight plum and cherry fruit and more complex hints of savoury and spice. (From www.blackmarket.co.nz.)

Woollaston Tussock Nelson Pinot Gris 2008 $18

Like its progenitor pinot noir, pinot gris needs low yields to develop decent flavours, so you should be prepared to pay more for it than something like sauvignon. There's an increasingly good array of gris now available at this price point, often as a second label from a respected producers like this one from Woollaston. This is a characterful example with a palate of juicy tinned pear fruit and sweet cinnamon and nutmeg spice. (From Caro's, Farro Fresh, Titirangi Wines, West Harbour Wines, Grapes Wines, Greenlane Liquor, Liquorlands in Newmarket, Mt Eden & Albany, Smith and Caughey.)

Unison Gimblett Gravels Recession Red 2008 $15

"Enjoy now, recessions don't last forever" advise the makers of this fresh, light and fragrant red, from the respected Hawkes Bay estate, Unison. Under the guidance of recently appointed winemaker, Jenny Dobson - who made some great wines when at Te Awa - this blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah has bright cherry berry fruit and florals, finishing on a spicy chocolatey note. (From www.heraldonsundaywines.co.nz)

Lonestone Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2007 $19.99

Chardonnay is a variety that can be churned out at lower price points to make inoffensive but very often unexciting wines. However, this example, produced by local Master of Wine Stephen Bennett, is one classy chardonnay that offers real interest and value at its price. It has a creamy textured palate in which ripe stonefruit combines with rich notes of vanilla, barley sugar, spice and a gentle toastiness backed by fresh citrus. (From Fine Wine Delivery Company, Caro's, Primo Vino, La Vino.)

Hardys Oomoo McLaren Vale Shiraz, Australia 2006 $19.99

While many of the big wine brands appear in the budget bracket, not many offer much character, which makes Hardys Ooomoo something of a standout. One of the first wines produced by the label's founder, Thomas Hardy, it was resurrected with great success to celebrate his 150th anniversary. Its latest vintage offers a generous mouthful of bold and juicy plums and fruitcake spice underpinned by grainy tannins for structure. Often to be found on special well below this already attractive price. (From fine wine retail outlets and supermarkets.)

Instinct Hawkes Bay Syrah 2007 $19.95

Until recently most homegrown syrah weighed in at over $20, with conditions here making it impossible to compete on price with cheap shiraz from Oz. Budget-conscious fans of New Zealand's fresh cooler climate style will be pleased to hear more affordable local examples are starting to emerge. This is a storming syrah made by CJ Pask's winemaker, Kate Radburnd, that's brimming with the variety's characteristic black pepper and spice aromas, with a plush velvety palate of ripe dark berry and briar fruit, supported by powdery tannins. Amazing value. (From Caro's, The Mount Wine Barrel - Mt Maunganui, www.instinctwines.co.nz.)