There is considerable research out right now supporting the wisdom and health benefits of drinking wine (in moderation, of course). Studies show that a glass or two of red wine a day significantly reduces cholesterol, lessens the chances of stroke and heart disease, and of course improves one’s overall attitude. So let’s party!
Some of you may remember that I really enjoy wine. One thing I’ve noticed is that wine improves with age. The older I get, the more I like it. I also like to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
I arrived at someone’s home over the weekend as was greeted with “We only serve the finest vintage wines. Did you bring any?”
That got me thinking about how these days you can certainly spend a lot of money on a great tasting wine, but you really don’t have to. Great wines are available at great prices all over the place. All you have to do is look.
As I’d mentioned a while back, I don’t pretend to be a wine connoisseur. But I look for good value in wine and do it often enough, whether it be a good wine pour or a good price, that you may find some of this interesting. So where do you go for a good value?
Most grocery stores have decent prices and a selection that will do in a pinch. At Sendik’s, for example, I like that you can browse wine while you’re grocery shopping (or someone else is), and there are always sales. Two of my favorite Sendik’s deals are Louis Martini Cabernet, which retails for $17.99, is listed at Sendik’s for $14.99 but is frequently on sale for $11.99 – this is a wonderful wine that you can drink by itself or with a meal – and Chateau St. Michele Chardonnay – a nice, crisp, tasty white – which sells for $12.99 but is often on sale for $9.99 or $10.99.
For variety and price, the discount liquor stores around the Milwaukee area are probably your best bet. Otto’s has locations in Brown Deer, Bayside, Cedarburg, Elm Grove, Menomonee Falls, and on 76th as well as Oakland in Milwaukee. You can’t go wrong there. Discount Liquor on Oklahoma is also very good. But my personal favorite is Ray’s in Wauwatosa, where you get the whole package. Good prices, great variety, and frequent educational and tasting opportunities right on site.
Orey and Rick Laev are Ray’s proprietors and are more than willing to help you find the best values. They make a point of trying to find wines that taste like $30/bottle and sell for $10/bottle. And their prices are as good as anywhere. The aforementioned Louis Martini is $11.99 and the Chateau St. Michele is $9.99. Everyday.
Orey was kind enough to talk about their philosophy with me last week:
“We try to be true to our own pallets. We believe in sticking to what we love and sharing that with our customers. We taste a ton of wine, some aren’t very good, but in our weekly emails we feature the new discoveries that we can’t wait for our customers to try. We like to give people the opportunity to follow along, and so we try to have something for everyone and give everyone a chance to try something new.”
You can sign up for Ray’s weekly e-List on their web site, rayswine.com . I’d recommend it.
As you prepare to investigate some great wine values, I leave you with a few pearls of wine wisdom. Take them for what they’re worth.
Wine is like opera. You can enjoy it even though you don’t understand it.
Drinking wine makes other people much more interesting.
A woman I know gave me a great perspective on men and wine. She says: “Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes. It’s our job to stomp them, and then keep them in the dark until they mature. And hopefully they’ll turn out to be something we would like to have dinner with.”
And finally, when all is said and done, wine a little. You’ll feel better.
