More bang for the buck

CHEERS: Barton on Wine

At about this time every year many of the wines – made last summer to be consumed this summer, when it finally arrives, or next – come flooding in.

 And flooding is no exaggeration if you are a target for producers vying for space in newspapers and magazines and on bottleshop and supermarket shelves.

They know, probably better than you and I, that it's a tough old world out there and that when it comes to wine we are spoilt for choice; a choice that has become doubly difficult over the past two or three years. We are not talking simply about the number of New Zealand wines that are now on the market but also about the discernable lift in the quality of new and established entry level and second label wines, which has complicated matters further.

Maybe it is a result of producers putting more of their lesser quality juice into the who-the-hell-is-that? and no-name brands spawned by the supermarkets and the liquor chains; better juice into what we previously regarded as the cheap wines.

Maybe it is just to do with vintages, an expanded national vineyard, or the need to up the ante if we are to compete in a world that wants more value for its money. Or maybe it's a response to a market that is becoming more sophisticated and demanding. I really don't know.

But what I do know is that discounted or not – and many of them will be, which makes it even better – some of these entry level and second label wines are the best reason I have ever seen for not spending more than you need or playing scrooge to get more bang for your buck.

Such is the impact, in fact, that I have decided to concentrate in a project I undertake each year to select 100 wines to concentrate this time round on those which represent the best value for money – some of the them entry level and second labels.

Among the many who have created big reputations with second labels are premium producers such as Craggy Range with Wild Rock and Strugglers Flat, Palliser Estate with Pencarrow; Pegasus Bay with Main Divide; Te Mata Estate with Woodthorpe; Fromm with La Strada; Escarpment with Edge; Chard Farm with Rabbit Ranch; Peregrine with Saddleback; CJ Pask with Instinct ... and so the list goes on.

Meantime many of the larger producers Villa Maria and Pernod Ricard (Montana) have chosen to continue to fly the company flag and use the tier system (reserve, cellar selection etc) with the same effect, or to use other of their labels (Thornbury, Saints, Triplebank and others) to achieve the same result.

Here's a good value six-pack (and they could be even cheaper):

Three Paddles 2008 Pinot Noir, RRP $24.95: A taste. An outstanding value-for-money wine from the Nga Waka vineyard in Martinborough. Floral, smooth and spicy.

Mission 2009 Estate Gewurztraminer, RRP $17: One the best-priced examples of this exotic Alsacian white. Rings all the right bells with its florals and trademark spice, it's softness and full flavour.

Kumeu River 2008 Village Chardonnay, RRP $20: A bottom of the range, supposedly simple chardonnay that is better than many more expensive. Peaches and nuts assembled with great finesse.

Montana 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, RRP $18: The cheapest of at least six made under the Montana label its trademark Marlborough stuff: pungent. full-flavoured, crisp and crunchy. Oysters love it.

Instinct 2007 Hawke's Bay Syrah, RRP $21: There are not many better introductions to Hawke's Bay's new red darling than this berried, pepper and spice model from CJ Pask.

Selaks 2008 Winemakers' Favourite Chardonnay, RRP $21: This is a full-on chardonnay, barrel-fermented, the works. For those who like them with a bit of creamy, toasty generosity. A great value range.

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