I tend to spend way too much money on wine
It’s a not so guilty pleasure.
I generally spend anywhere from $25 to $40 on a bottle. And am quite picky as to what I consume. I generally don’t buy expensive wines, but do like to splurge occasionally.
I’m heavily biased towards South Australian reds. And mostly drink Shiraz.
Recently, I discovered a wine wholesaler near my new house here in little old Adelaide. They source local wines and sell them at a discounted price. Which is something that makes me very happy indeed.
I’m now able to source good quality wines at a much cheaper price. And occasionally I come across an excellent deal that is impossible to pass up.
Last week I was sad to discover that I had run out of wine. So visited the wholesaler to see what was on offer. They had a mystery box of reds available for only $150. I wouldn’t normally buy blind like this, but since I was buying to supply a family gathering at my home, I happily made the purchase.
And what a surprise this turned out to be
After unpacking the box I began sorting through my new collection of reds. I knew a few of the wines. But a number of them were complete unknowns. Including this one:
That’s right, the wine maker is Dominic Versace. Not the clothes designer, but the Italian wine maker who resides in Adelaide, Australia.
He makes his wines on the Adelaide plains which is not your typical location for making wines.
Interestingly, I have actually had his wines before. And they aren’t terrible. Some even quite decent. But I’ve never had this one before. So I looked it up to see what it normally sells for.
And that’s where the surprise arrived. The wine retails for $200 per bottle! And to think that I bought the bottle as part of a $150 dozen... insanity.
But it begs the question; is the wine really worth that much money? I had to try it to find out. Screw waiting for a special occasion.
And the verdict?
Well, without writing a long and drawn out review; it’s decent, well made, but overall underwhelming.
If it retailed for $40 per bottle I’d say it was a good wine. But if they’re claiming that this is worth far more than my usual favourites - Soul Growers, First Drop etc. who produce some exceptional bottles in the $50 to $60 range, I would have to say that the wine is pleasant, but nothing to rave about. And definitely not worth $200.
I suppose the lesson here is; buy expensive wines with great caution. There is no justification for the price on some wines.
Have a great weekend!