[montaine]

There is more great wine in the world now than there has ever been. If you can pay $50 a bottle, you can drink great wine. If you can afford that every day, you can drink great wine everyday of you life. The great French wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy have been priced out of hand by nouveau-riche Chinese and Arabs.who only know big names and labels and want to impress others, show off their wealth or use it as an investment.

[Night Hides Not]

Well said. I purchase my wine from two sources: Lost Oak Winery in Burleson TX (wine club member for 5+ years), and Weingut Eduard Kroth in Briedel Germany. My friendship with Herr Kroth began during my tour in Germany. I’d pay a visit every 4-6 weeks. Their wines are world class, mostly Riesling.

I’ve taken a few friends to Lost Oak, and they were pleasantly surprised at the quality and the price. Their most expensive wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, retails at $40. The price range for their wines ranges from $20 to $35.

My palette isn’t sophisticated enough to discern the difference. When it comes to Riesling, a Mosel Riesling is tough to beat.

[brookwood]

“There is more great wine in the world now than there has ever been. If you can pay $50 a bottle, you can drink great wine”
I agree. There are very good Brunellos in the $30 range, for example Trambusti, Terra Nere, Talenti. There are great Bordeaux also, for example Capbern St. Estephe, which is made by Calon Segur, but not marketed as a “second wine”. Its around $31. The 2016 vintage in Bordeaux was extremely good, so the non-classified wines e.g. Clos Du Marquis (which is made by and adjacent to the property of Leoville Les Cases) are rated 94-96 Wine advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and sell for about $60. Another good one is Lagrange 2016 St. Julien, around $60 also. Burgundy is where IMHO it is difficult to get a good one for less than $60.

[Lou L]

The great French wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy have been priced out of hand by nouveau-riche Chinese and Arabs.who only know big names and labels and want to impress others, show off their wealth or use it as an investment.

I couldn't have said it any better. There are plenty of great wines available to regular consumers. $20 will get you a fantastic bottle of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc; $25 a terrific Pinot Noir; and a delicious, full-bodied Cabernet can be had for less than $50.

I dare say that most people couldn't tell the difference between a $7000 bottle of wine and a $70 bottle; it's so pretentious to think otherwise.