We are all looking for good values when it comes to spending our hard earned dollars on wine.  Here are six tips to help you find fabulous wines without emptying out your wallet.  All it takes is a willingness to experiment.  

ORDER SMART   Most US wineries make more money by producing wines made from Cabernet and Chardonnay than any other grape. So substituting a Viognier for a Chardonnay, or a Malbec for a Cabernet, can often save you money without sacrificing taste.

TAKE A CHANCE  Less popular or unfamiliar varieties are often better deals. So give Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio a rest and order Spain’s great white wine Albarino. Or Austria’s top white called Gruner Veltliner. If you aren’t sure how to pronounce the name of the wine, just point to something new on the wine list and say “I’d like that.”  

PICK A SUBSTITUTE   Even if you are wedded to a particular grape, you can hold down the cost by ordering the wine from a less celebrated wine region.   Chilean Chardonnay can easily be 20% cheaper than their counterparts from California.  And a Chardonnay from South Africa could easily be 35% less.

SWITCH GEARS   Taste the “second labels” that are often dead ringers at half the price for renowned wines made by great producers in both Bordeaux and California. Your wine store person or sommelier can help steer you to them.

DISCOVER THE WANNA BE’S  These are the up and coming stars of the wine world that recently have doubled and tripled in price as well as wines that are next door to pricey vineyards.  Your wine store person or sommelier can help steer you to them.

ASK FOR HELP   Ask the sommelier or wait staff for suggestions.  Be sure to indicate your price range by discreetly pointing to the price of a bottle of wine, not the name of the wine, and ask the server to “recommend something like this.”  All but the most dense waiters will get the message and suggest bottles near that price, while your guests are non the wiser.