Why you should always buy £10 bottles of wine

It'll get you the best quality for the price

Rachel Hosie
Wednesday 29 March 2017 12:12 BST
Comments
(Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

When it comes to buying wine in the supermarket, a lot of people are stumped.

Does quality always increase in line with price? How much should you spend for a decent bottle?

The answer may be incredibly simple - choose a bottle that costs £10.

According to former Waitrose boss Mark Price, this is the “sweet spot” that gets you the best balance between quality and price.

“A lot of the things you get in a bottle of wine are fixed prices,” he said. “The tax you pay in the UK is the same on every bottle, no matter how expensive.

“The cost of the glass is roughly the same and the transport is probably the same. So if you buy a bottle of wine for £5 the value of the wine inside that bottle is just under 50p. It’s actually 47p.”

His advice is to buy a bottle for a tenner because that means the quality of the wine inside is just under £3 - you’re paying twice as much for wine that’s six times the quality.

“If you go up to £20 a bottle the quality of the wine is about seven or eight pounds. So it is better, but you’re effectively doubled up,” Price says.

A bottle for £10 is the perfect mid-point.

But according to a study by drinks specialist Harpers, only seven per cent of people in the UK are willing to spend a tenner on a bottle of plonk, and over half wouldn’t spend more than £6 at the supermarket.

When it comes to wines costing upwards of £30 a bottle, Price says you’re paying for the chateau and taste.

Last year, top food critic Jay Rayner made headlines by recommending people always order the cheapest wines when dining out because restaurants hike the prices up so much, and you should just enjoy higher quality wines at home.

And when it comes to getting bang for your buck, it seems like £10 may be the ideal amount to spend.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in