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If You're Opting For The Cheapest Wine On The Menu, Then You're Making The Right Choice

If You're Opting For The Cheapest Wine On The Menu, Then You're Making The Right Choice

Cheers!

James Dawson

James Dawson

Good news for anybody who opts for the cheapest option when they're selecting wine at a restaurant - according to a wine expert you're actually making the right choice.

Apparently this is because when most of us eat out, we'll choose the second or third wine from the bottom so we don't look like the absolute cheap-skates we really are. Clocking on to this, wine directors, restaurants, and sommeliers are likely to mark wines in those positions up the most.

In his book "How to Drink Like a Billionaire," sommelier Mark Oldman says: "Knowing that it will sell swiftly they may have slotted an overstocked bottle into the position on the list.

Stop faffing about and get it down you, lad. Credit: PA Images

"Even worse, he may have marked up this wine more than any other, making it potentially the worst value on the list."

He adds that: "You are better served to order the cheapest wine, which diners often neglect out of fear or embarrassment and thus is often a better value.

"Just make sure you do so at a restaurant that cares about its wine, where even modestly prices wines are of admirable quality."

But how do you know you're at such an establishment?

Too much wine has been known to induce nausea. Credit: PA Images

Well, according to him, that should be clear by the presence of knowledgeable servers, thoughtful commentary on the wine list, and interesting wines offered by the glass.

So, sadly for me, this trick isn't going to do me a lot of good at my Nando's or Pizza Hut.

"When it comes down to it, any chimpanzee can peddle good wines that cost a fortune," he writes. "Truly talented sommeliers are able to find and sell deliciousness at the lowest end of the list."

It comes after the tragic news earlier this week that the price of wine is set to go up.

Booze Prices Hiked In The Budget

Credit: PA Images

The chancellor, Philip Hammond, on Wednesday set out his plans for the UK's spending (and taxing) for 2017/18.

Recently we've been let off. Beer duties haven't risen for the last five years, fags have seen a slight rise.

Cigarettes will go up by 35p for a 20-pack. A 30g rolling pack will shoot up by 42p.

Where's the nearest duty free? /Credit: PA

There's also worse news. There's now a 'minimum duty' being introduced, meaning no pack of cigs will cost less than £8.82. Oh and this kicked in at 6pm, Wednesday, March 8.

As of tomorrow, beer will see an extra 2p stuck on top of a pint, 10p to a bottle of wine, and 30p to a bit of the hard stuff - whisky.

So hoard up right now, or you'll have to dig-deep going forward.

How can Philip Hammond do this?

Using the 'escalator' rule, the chancellor can get away by sticking to his previous statement of 'nothing will change'.

The escalator means that unless it's stopped, tax on beer rises with retail prices (currently up 2.6 percent per year) and tobacco duty goes up by that PLUS another 2 percent. So basically you can keep seeing this rise. By the time you're old, a pack of cigs will probably cost a mortgage.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Wine, Cheap