3 ms·

2 options spring to mind for me 1) Placebo effect - you know it's expensive, so your mind makes it taste better 2) It's expensive /because/ it tastes better ed

by elthran 11y ago

2 options spring to mind for me 1) Placebo effect - you know it's expensive, so your mind makes it taste better 2) It's expensive /because/ it tastes better edit: Although, if we run with the hypothesis it only tastes nice because of the alcohol content - alcoholic drinks are usually taxed according to their proof (in UK at the very least), therefore a wine with higher % will be more expensive than a weaker wine, all other things being equal.

danieltillett 11y ago
I tend to think that hypothesis 2 is the more likely. I like good wine, but I love it when I get a good wine for a low price. I get far more pleasure out of drinking good cheap wines than I do out of drinking good expensive wines. Also pointing towards hypothesis 2 is that unreliable wine regions are on average cheaper than consistent regions (all other things being equal). The best value wines in my experience are wines of a good vintage from a marginal region. The history of the region prevents a producer being able to charge a premium when they actually have a great product.
- curiousGambler 11y ago
  Can you give any examples of great wines from marginal regions? This sounds like a great strategy for finding great wine at a decent price, but I'm not enough of a connoisseur to know where to start.
- runamok 11y ago
  At the end of the day it's all farming. Granted one region can have more consistent rainfall and temperature but there is still a pretty wide variance. Even in the same area one winemaker may be more talented and know when to pick, etc. I think certain areas are very overhyped and thus receive a price premium. I tend to enjoy the general flavor of Paso Robles more than Napa for instance even though the 2nd is usually much more expensive. At the end of the day making wine is still very high touch and manual and I am happy to support the industry. I do miss the days not so long ago when wine tasting was at most $10. Last weekend I went to a place in Napa where it was $40 and they only had one wine to taste! O.o

by elthran 11y ago

danieltillett 11y ago

I tend to think that hypothesis 2 is the more likely. I like good wine, but I love it when I get a good wine for a low price. I get far more pleasure out of drinking good cheap wines than I do out of drinking good expensive wines. Also pointing towards hypothesis 2 is that unreliable wine regions are on average cheaper than consistent regions (all other things being equal). The best value wines in my experience are wines of a good vintage from a marginal region. The history of the region prevents a producer being able to charge a premium when they actually have a great product.

curiousGambler 11y ago
Can you give any examples of great wines from marginal regions? This sounds like a great strategy for finding great wine at a decent price, but I'm not enough of a connoisseur to know where to start.
runamok 11y ago
At the end of the day it's all farming. Granted one region can have more consistent rainfall and temperature but there is still a pretty wide variance. Even in the same area one winemaker may be more talented and know when to pick, etc. I think certain areas are very overhyped and thus receive a price premium. I tend to enjoy the general flavor of Paso Robles more than Napa for instance even though the 2nd is usually much more expensive. At the end of the day making wine is still very high touch and manual and I am happy to support the industry. I do miss the days not so long ago when wine tasting was at most $10. Last weekend I went to a place in Napa where it was $40 and they only had one wine to taste! O.o