We've always maintained that a good wine doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, and in fact, a high price tag doesn't always translate into a great wine.

"Is there any way to tell what the quality of a wine is based on the price? Sometimes I've paid big bucks for something I didn't like at all. And I've had $8 a bottle wine I liked a lot. Do I really have to pay top-dollar to get a decent wine?"

There is no doubt that quality and price connect to a certain degree. Below a certain price point — in my experience typically under $8 a bottle, (though we have some surprisingly good $5 and $6 "A-" rated wines in this months issue) it's rare that you find very good or better wines. As a wine maker told me on a recent visit to Napa County in Northern California, "people make mediocre wine from good grapes all the time... but you just can't make good wine from bad grapes."

Worth-It Whites: Higher grades, lower prices

"As far as I am concerned, there are only two types of wine; those I like and those I don't."

Grade: [A-]
Our grades represent a composite score developed using our proprietary system to blend wine quality and scoring information.

Vintage: 1999
This describes both the year of the actual grape harvest as well as the year the wine was made.

Price: $12
The prices quoted in the WPL are the "suggested retail prices" quoted by the wineries and the distributors. Though these are close to what you'd pay at the winery, you'll often find discounts of 20% and more off these prices at retail.

Individual Evaluations: IE: A, A-, B+
This represents the number of individual reviews and ratings on which the composite grade is based, primarily representing individual reviews in top wine periodicals converted to our scale, and ratings by our tasting panel.

Wine PocketList Exclusive Categories: WPL: BBC, W, S, B
These are four exclusive WPL categories, and many wines rated by the PocketList will fall into one of these special designations.

 

 

[W] Widely Available:
These wines typically have bottling of 20,000 cases or more, making them widely available in most regions of the U.S.

 

[BBC] Top Buy-by-the-Case:
Based on multiple, outstanding reviews and a solid history, these are wines you can purchase by the case to grow your cellar with confidence today, and into the future!

 

[B] Bargain Wines:
Top-rated wines for $10 or less. Most of these can go head to head with a typical $30 bottle sporting a fancy label . . . and beat it hands down.

 

[S] Splurge Wines:
For most of us, spending more than $20 on a bottle of wine isn't something we do lightly. These are wines that, while more expensive, are well worth the price.