Life's Too Short…

How does the saying go? Life’s too short for cheap wine? Life’s too short for boring wine? Something like that but I forget. But really both are accurate.

There are so many wines now available that those who have more than a passing interest are spoilt for choice; decent wine abounds. There is a heck of a lot of dross, of course, (did someone mention Pinot Grigio at the back there?) but for wines with an interesting story, hands-on provenance and reflection of foreign cultures, you have never had it so good (to coin Macmillans phrase).

Sadly, most of the interesting stuff comes at a price. What if you are poor? What if this months salary has gone the way of Britains reservoirs in the summer heat? Is there really anything worth drinking that costs pence rather than pounds (or cents and dollars depending on where you are)? And yes, although a Brit, I have tried several Two Buck Chucks…

Yeh, of course there is. There are the massed ranks of big brands offering consistent drinking and immensely popular they are too, but you should look a little further than all those money-off promotions. Go to Eastern Europe for a start. They are all clamouring for market share, so quality is on the rise and for the jaded palate, the mix of indigenous grapes and international varieties makes for interesting flavours. Thinking Bulgaria here, Romania, Slovenia, Moldavia and the like.

The other day I found a cheap wine. Just £3.79 (about US$7). Origin is Italy, the Marche to be precise and do you know it was quite nice. Soft, juicy, medium-bodied, no great pretensions but very easy to drink. In the UK it is available from Oddbins. For a weekday glugger – something to go with the bolognese, chorizo, or meaty pizza this lovely little red is well worth money.

Palvino Rosso, 2005, Marche, Italy Oddbins £3.79

Source: wellfed.net