Why a $15 bottle rates in wine snobs’ top picks
What the experts would buy for $15, $30, $50 and $100.
If there’s one thing you wouldn’t expect leading sommelier and wine importer Jacq Turner to recommend, it’s a $15 wine from Aldi.
But here we are. Turner is the head sommelier at Neil Perry’s Double Bay restaurant, Margaret, and she is really enthusiastic about Aldi’s wine.
“I went into an Aldi recently and found a delicious bottle of Mosel riesling for $15. It was a stonker. Aldi has a really good buying program – they buy in pretty weird lots for their shops, and I happened to pick it up because I am a giant fan of riesling.”
Jacq Turner, wine importer and sommelier at Margaret. Kathryn Alley
The riesling she snapped up was a kabinett style, or “the ultimate sports drink”, according to those in the wine world. “It’s low in alcohol, it’s got sugar, but it’s got high acid as well, so it cleans up the palate,” says Turner. “It’s just the most delicious drink – ever. And only the Germans make it, really.”
Wine, it turns out, does not need to be expensive to be good.
This is good news, especially as the high cost of living remains high on Australians’ minds. The latest Australian Financial Review/Freshwater Strategy polling finds 71 per cent cite this as the issue they want the government to focus on.
Meanwhile, a Finder survey has found 51 per cent plan to buy less or cancel Christmas plans altogether because of the cost of living. Younger Australians are more likely to be cutting back.
Serial wine collector and former stockbroker Danny Younis says the price of a bottle of wine isn’t necessarily reflective of the objective quality.
“While wine companies would like you to think that [price equals quality], as luxury goods companies do, they’re pricing it based on scarcity and availability. For example, a $1000 bottle of wine is not 10 times better than a $100 bottle of wine.”
Plus taste itself is naturally subjective.
All wine experts contacted by the Australian Financial Review for this article agree that if there’s one thing drinkers should do this Christmas, it’s to not be ashamed of their own personal preferences.
“It is subjective,” says Bridget Raffal, vice president of Sommeliers Australia and beverage director at Where’s Nick Wine Bar in Sydney.
“In my late teens, I would’ve been buying $6 clean skins and really enjoying them, and there was nothing wrong with those wines.
“Nobody needs to be getting shamed for enjoying their styles.” Raffal was named Good Food’s top sommelier in 2022, so she knows what she’s talking about.
But Andrew Shedden, head of fine wine at Dan Murphy’s, says the first step for those who want to expand their vino horizons is simply to step outside their comfort zone.
“If you’re in a wine store, most people working in wine are doing it because they’re really, really passionate about it, and they get a huge kick out of helping people find the right wine for them.
“There are brilliant wines across all price spectrums, so you do not need to spend a fortune to drink well this festive season.”
With that in mind, here’s what the wine experts would buy if they had a limited, or generous, budget.
At $15: Aldi riesling, or perhaps some Spanish sherry
Bridget Raffal: Barbadillo manzanilla
Given $15, she would buy a 375ml bottle of manzanilla, a type of sherry from the Jerez region in Spain.
“It’s delicious. It’s a good apéritif – it’s probably my preferred apéritif,” she says.
Own your preferences, says Sommelier’s Australia vice president Bridget Raffal. Louie Douvis
Barbadillo is a good entry-level producer, she adds. “They’re very dry, salty, savoury styles that work nicely with most of the things that you start with in the evening, like olives, charcuterie or anchovies.”
Jacq Turner: Aldi Mosel riesling, or whatever your local independent store recommends
When she’s not picking up “stonkers” from Aldi, Turner’s biggest tip is to go to your local independent wine store, and whatever they have for $15 is usually going to be specifically chosen to be great wine for that price point.
In Sydney, she loves Prince Wine Store in Zetland and Five Ways Cellars in Paddington. In Melbourne, she rates Rathdowne Cellars in Carlton North.
“The good thing about independent wine stores is they have people working there who are trained in wine. If you go to Annandale Cellars in Sydney, they’ll have had four different wine producers in there that day, so they can just rattle off what they’ve tried.
“They’re fine-tuned into that world. I like hanging out with them, they’re like great libraries.”
Andrew Shedden: Colpasso fiano
This Sicilian drop is “perfectly chilled” as an apéritif, but also great with a plate of seafood, says Shedden.
“The perfectly ripened grapes combine with crisp, citrus acidity to give the wine a lovely balance.”
Danny Younis: Half bottle of Vietti moscato
Younis sold more than $1 million of fine wine at auction in September, including a famed Burgundy estate Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (DRC) red for about $30,000.
But if he had just $15, he reckons it’s hard to beat the “delightful summer wine” that is moscato.
“It’s slightly sweet, with some bubbles, and it’s absolutely delicious.”
He is cheating a bit here, though: it’s tricky to find anywhere selling this wine for less than $20.
At $30: Hello, Germany!
Bridget Raffal: Wangolina gruner veltliner
Raffal believes this is the price point where you want to be looking for “really pure expressions of the variety” that haven’t been too heavily interfered with. For example, wines that are oak-aged tend to be more expensive simply because they need more time to age, and the barrels aren’t cheap.
But if you’re looking at really “fresh, crunchy, acid-driven wines”, that are made in stainless steel, the overheads are lower, so you can get a great wine for a lower cost.
Jacq Turner: Italian rosato
This wine, Turner says, is “just joyful”. And it pairs well with many foods. “It’s just delicious. It has texture. There’s fruit waste, but it’s also balanced – there are savoury notes.”
Danny Younis auctioned five thousand bottles of wine because it’s costing him $40,000 a year to keep at Kennards Storage. Dominic Lorrimer
She says it’s her go-to wine on Sundays when she just doesn’t want to think.
Andrew Shedden: Te Kairanga Estate pinot noir
At $30, Shedden says it’s time to enter pinot noir territory. “Some of the best Australian and NZ producers have their entry or their estate offerings at this price point,” he adds.
“There are many options here but the Te Kairanga Estate pinot noir is an outstanding expression of Martinborough (my favourite region for pinot noir in NZ) that is difficult to go past.”
Danny Younis: Hoddles Creek Estate chardonnay.
Where to spend $30? “Hoddles Creek chardonnay,” Younis answers instantly.
This Upper Yarra Valley winery focuses on minimal intervention wines, and Younis thinks they are one of the best value wineries in Australia.
“They make a chardonnay and a pinot which are fantastic value for $25.”
At $50: It’s time for a shiraz, or perhaps a Kiwi chardonnay
Bridget Raffal: Domenica Estate shiraz
With a bit more cash, Raffal seeks out wines with more richness and complexity. If we’re talking winter drinking, she’d be aiming for a beautiful cool-climate shiraz.
“Domenica shiraz is based in Beechworth, and I like all of these wines. But the shiraz is lovely for a spicier, richer red.”
Jacq Turner: Schmölzer & Brown Thorley 2021 chardonnay
Australian chardonnay experienced a renaissance over the last decade but is still evolving, says Turner. She’s particularly enjoying the Schmölzer & Brown Thorley 2021 chardonnay from Victoria’s Stanley
“There’s so much extraordinary value in Australian chardonnay, especially now that French chardonnay is becoming more and more difficult to find at a reasonable price.”
She rates Yarra Valley and Margaret River producers. “I haven’t been disappointed when I’ve spent that amount of money at a retail store on an Australian chardonnay. They’ve just been delicious.”
Andrew Shedden: Tony Bish Heartwood chardonnay
Shedden considers this vineyard to be one of New Zealand’s best chardonnay producers, with a sole focus on mastering this variety.
“This is a wine of great energy and vibrancy but also has some serious complexity and weight. An impressive wine.”
Danny Younis: Setiono shiraz
This single-vineyard shiraz can be considered the “new Sami-Odi”, says Younis.
While Sami-Odi is one of the “iconic” Australian wines, and hard to get your hands on, this Setiono shiraz epitomises the new style of shiraz coming out of the Barossa, says Younis.
“It’s just a beautifully ripe, polished, fruit-forward, very well-balanced and elegant shiraz.”
At $100: Did someone say party time?
Bridget Raffal: Muchada-Léclapart palomino
Raffal, looks to Spanish producer Muchada-Léclapart. This project is a collaboration between a French champagne producer and a Spanish sherry producer, and makes “fantastic” single-site palominos.
“If you like a manzanilla, you’d like that. They’ve got a lot in common.”
Jacq Turner: Cool climate cabernet
While she thinks she should probably recommend some sort of champagne at $100 – “because that’s what all bratty Sydney sommeliers say” – it’s time for cool climate cabernet to have its moment.
“It needs to have its time now. It did in the ’70s, and I believe people are coming back to the table, but it’s an extraordinary drink.”
“There are really good winemakers making world-class exceptional wines. I’d be looking at the Yarra Valley or mid-west Victoria.”
Andrew Shedden: Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 3
If you’re spending $100, Shedden says you want it to be one word: “Iconic”.
“I’d be buying Sarah Crowe’s wines from Yarra Yering. There’s not much Sarah hasn’t won in the last few years and the accolades she receives are all incredibly deserved,” says Shedden.
“She’s got many option in the $100+ price bracket but Yarra Yering Dry Red No.3 is a brilliantly crafted blend of six Portuguese varieties (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, Tinta Amarela, Alvarelhao, Roriz and Sousao).”
Danny Younis: Joh Jos Prum kabinett
Younis suggests German riesling. But not just any: a Joh Jos Prum kabinett.
This leading German riesling is produced from four vineyards, although the Wehlener Sonnenuhr is the most famous. The producer offers several rieslings under $100.
“Pure, fresh, mildly sweet, they last forever,” says Younis. “They go with a whole potpourri of different types of cuisine, but particularly Asian. They’re absolutely fantastic with Thai or Vietnamese.
“That’s what I would choose for under $100.”
And we’ll drink to that!
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