French Chic Wines for Less:
Making Top-Quality Picks on a Budget
Life is expensive and, as much as we can not escape this fact, we often need to try to save money where possible. An occasional indulgence like a glass of fine wine helps to keep us going. The good news is that there are a few secrets that consumers can use to find high quality French wines for less. Business remodeling, climate change and technique can be used to allow you and your loved ones to indulge more often in French varietals without spending more than you want.
Seeking out producers who are changing their business model is the first way to find chic French wines without the prix élevés. The cooperative is a ubiquitous part of the French wine landscape with some 619 Cooperatives across France are responsible for making 51% of all French wine. Cooperatives are businesses that operate under shared ownership, with growers pooling their vineyard holdings to gain access to expertise in winemaking and marketing and to lower the costs of production and cultivation.
Over time, the price of grapes in some regions like Burgundy have risen substantially. The increase in value has made it tempting for cooperative members with vineyards of high quality potential to leave the cooperative and produce their own wine for a greater share of the spoils.
Yet when they first withdraw from the cooperative, the now freestanding producer has limited brand awareness and no market presence beyond their cellar door. This results in price being a key selling point until the brand establishes a following and press reviews that will support price increases. Seeking out producers who have recently withdrawn from cooperatives is a great way to both try great wine at bargain prices but to also support small operations when they need it most. The Macon wines of Jean Manciat are a good example of this.
A lot of column inches are currently devoted to the threat posed by climate change. While there is no denying the fact that the climate is changing, the lesser known fact is that climate change can help you find better, and cheaper wine. You just need to know where to look. The Bordeaux region of Moulis-en-Médoc is a prime example. Large parts of Moulis-en-Médoc lie on outcrops of gravel based soils that mimic those of the best producers in the more prestigious appellations of Pauillac and Saint Julien. The free draining nature of these gravel soils make them perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, considered to be the grape with the highest quality potential on the Médoc peninsula. Despite this natural advantage, the inland location of Moulis-en-Médoc, away from the moderating influence of the Garonne river, was always cooler and its Cabernet Sauvignon struggled to achieve the same degree of ripeness as the warmer riverside appellations with the lesser quality reflected in lower prices. Today, the prices for Moulis-en-Médoc wines are still low, but the warming climate now means that it Cabernet Sauvignon is now ripening perfectly and producing charming, classically styled, Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux wines that reach their peak around 10 to 15 years from vintage. Château Anthonic is just one of the many producers worth seeking out.
The third way to find high quality wines on a shoestring is to look at technical wine styles where the method of production, in contrast to the origin of the grapes, plays a large part in establishing the quality, and style, of the final wine. Champagne is one such technical wine style with the global icon of sparkling wine being made by a process known as the traditional method. The same method is used in many other wine regions of northern France, such as Burgundy and the Loire Valley to produce sparkling wines that are known as Cremant. The combination of a cooler climate, frequent use of similar grape varieties, and an identical production method means that Cremants are often excellent facsimiles of many entry level styles of Champagne. Although similar in the glass, the lower cost of land and grapes outside of Champagne, along with smaller marketing budgets, means that Cremants are available at prices that are very friendly for everyday drinking at around the $15 mark, making them the perfect choice for quiet luxury. The wines of Langlois-Chateau are but a starting point.
In an era of rising prices, the wines of the historic—and always en vogue—regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, along with facsimiles of Champagne, are still available on a budget. Consumers can use business remodeling, climate change, and technical production methods to guide themselves toward the best deals. The only question is which region to start with.
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Matthew Cocks is a vinicultural expert with the "VinoVoss" AI Sommelier wine search engine and recommendation system developed by BetterAI. The user-friendly online platform picks the perfect wine every time, for any occasion courtesy of a highly advanced artificial intelligence assist. Vinovoss helps consumers navigate the complex world of wine with ease. Reach him at www.vinovoss.com.