Over the past few years, as more and more Americans embrace wine, two words were bandied around with great frequency. These sacred words were "premiumization" and "affordable luxury." Premiumization meant that we, wine drinkers, were steadily trading up, spending more on average per bottle of wine purchased. And compared to treating ourselves to a new bag or pair of shoes, wine became a very affordable luxury.
But is it still affordable for you?
Over the past decade wine has become increasingly integrated into the lives of American consumers.
Whether winding down after a long week at work, meeting friends at a bar, or accompanying a meal at home or in a restaurant we have been drinking more wine and better wine.
The United States is the largest (by value) wine market in the world, and it has enjoyed uninterrupted growth over the past 15 years. In 2008, it was valued at over $300 billion and per capita consumption passed the 3 gallon mark for the first time. As we tread cautiously into 2009, we wonder about the impact of the recession on wine consumption. While restaurants and retailers are suffering and consumers are cutting back, there is a firm belief that we will continue to drink wine, and that growth, while predicted to be more modest, will still be positive.
I'd love to hear from you on how the recession is changing your wine drinking habits. Do you still buy wine? Is it still an affordable luxury? Are you trading down? Are you consuming more at home and less in restaurants? Are you sticking with a few familiar favorites, or experimenting with new regions offering better value?
In our house, we are certainly, more careful about what we spend. We are eating out less and entertaining more at home. And while, we are comparing prices more carefully, we still support our local wine stores. We want them to survive, so that when the economy gets better, we still have a buoyant local community.
Three great value and great tasting wines that we enjoyed last week were:
• 2007 La Framboisière Côtes du Rhone, France $15 - Enjoyed at a friend's house. Smooth, rich, spicy and went so well with the Goulash made by our friends (and hosts) Lia and Carter.
• 2007 Navarro Correas Malbec, Argentina $11 - Deciding that I did not taste enough Malbec, I bought this and it was just the match for a yummy Shepherd's Pie. Brimming with ripe soft red bramble fruits and spicy, peppery notes.
• 2007 Las Brisos Rueda, Spain $12 - Delightful light and refreshing Spanish white made from a blend of Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and Viura. Great on its own or with lighter dishes. We had it with linguine and clams.
Looking forward to hearing about what changes (or not) that you've made to your wine buying patterns.
Until next week, keep seeking out the great value wines that do exist out there.
Mary
Related: Cheap Wines for Tough Times
(Image: Flickr member cafemama licensed for use under Creative Commons)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Las Brisos is one of my favorite wines. It's very affordable and I think it's the perfect summertime wine.
view realjen01's profile
Eh, my affordable luxury is chocolate. But keep the affordable wine suggestions coming, and we'll see if wine makes the list.
view whytephoenix's profile
HA! i get Las Brisos for $10 (sometimes less if it's on sale) at my local whole foods.
i'm also a huge fan of cheap bubbly. i nearly cried when i saw imperial sized bottles of Freixenet for $7 before new years.
view nenasadije's profile
my regular wine prices come in a bit less than half of yours.
granted, all the wines come from Trader Joe's.
torrantes,
vinho verde,
primitivo
good, cheap, everyday quaffers.
It's usually off to Binny's for more special occasion selections--usually under 20 bucks.
view art's profile
I make my own wine at home...so it's a very affordable luxury :-D
view spossberg's profile
Yes. The answer to this will always be yes. There are good $10 bottles and if all else fails, now we're in Cali and there's $2chuck.
view EmmieB's profile
Yes, it is still an affordable luxury in our home. Whether by circumstance (a new baby last year) or necessity (the bad economy), we had already begun to cut back on our dining out and hence high markups on wine drunk elsewhere. But for home consumption, we continue to scout out affordable wines for everyday drinking but don't hesitate to pull out a "special" bottle from the wine fridge when making a memorable meal, celebrating something momentous, or just your average Tuesday night dinner. Because we live in such close proximity to with wine country, we go two or three times a year and purchase anywhere from a case to a case-and-a-half during those trips so we always have wine at the ready. However, it still doesn't stop me from buying a bottle on almost every weekly shopping trip as I always love to try something new. For us, we definitley have not cut back. Food and drink eaten at home will always be a good investment in my book.
view rosebud's profile
I made my own wine last year, and it turned out really well. I am planning on another batch soon. (I just have to get off my lazy butt and do it)
What you lose in variety, you gain in quantity and frugality.
I just have to stop giving it all away next time! Out of the nearly 30 bottles that my first batch made, I probably only drank ten, with the rest as gifts. "Hey, I made my own wine! you should try it!"
view jumpyfroggy's profile
two buck chuck is now three dollar charles most places, (I thought even in cali? but maybe not). tragic.
view foodefafa's profile
we were poor before and we're poor now. But we still need to eat/drink well! We aim for local beer and wine, there are some fantastic beverages in Southern BC and we love to support them.
view Hanna's profile
I am willing to admit (with only a hint of shame) that I've been buying the 3L boxes of Corbett Canyon and Banrock Station for a few months now. In fairnerss, I do tend to think of wine as more a staple than a luxury. These wines are nothing to set the world on fire, and like previous posters I'm frequently opening a 'nice' bottle to celebrate a special occasion. Still, for table wine and cooking, the 3L boxes are perfect.
view lordnelson's profile
The Primitivo wine can be found at TJ's for a great price, so delicious!
view Elissa-D's profile
I think now there are so many inexpensive wines that are actually good, no one should have to cut it out. Trader Joe's and places like Best Cellars are great options and I always find things I enjoy. You can still entertain well with them and its easy to bring to other's homes.
view footballfoodie's profile
On the everyday, I will drink a glass of something cheap in the $5-8 range, that I can put in the fridge overnight until the next day. If we have people over or want something nicer, we'll do a $10-20 bottle. Or if we really want a nice wine, we'll do something more expensive. We get a lot of wine for Xmas, have good wineries around here (in Missouri) and joined that Wall Street Journal wine club, so we have a lot of different varieties to choose from. It's nice, too, that we can go to the winery, find out what we like, buy a bottle or two at the winery at premium, then buy from our local grocer at half the price!
view sleggo's profile