What Gives “Value Wines” Their “Value”?

VinoVoss Publications

Dec 12, 20234 minutes read

3 key factors that create value wines

A value wine is one that is both affordable and palatable. Ideally, it not only tastes good but also offers appealing aesthetics and branding. It's a bonus if the wine comes in fancy packaging. But what exactly lends value to such wines? The answer is more nuanced than one might initially think.

A lot of factors contribute to the production of budget wines. (WavebreakmediaMicro/stock.adobe.com)

High Volume Production

Value wines typically range between USD 5-15. To offer these prices, many such wines are produced in large quantities, with some reaching over 3 million bottles per variety. Sogrape in Portugal is an example of an innovator in the entry level price sector, experimenting with robots and automation to maintain sustainable vineyards and counter labor shortages. These automations assist in tasks like weeding, spraying, and using infrared sensors for vineyard analysis. Incorporating automation can, in the long run, reduce production costs and potentially stabilize shelf prices. However, there are smaller producers who provide excellent value by selling their “second wines.” These wines are especially prevalent in Bordeaux and other prestigious regions often come with a higher price tag than their primary counterparts.

In the winemaking process, entry-level wines are typically produced faster than their prestigious counterparts, primarily for economic reasons. Grapes are processed in sizable presses and fermented in vast vessels, some with capacities surpassing 50,000 liters. A controlled fermentation with commercial yeasts and swift settling process, often facilitated by clarification methods, usually wrap up within two weeks. Some innovative producers even refrigerate grape juice (must) to ferment it on-demand, ensuring a consistent fermentation process year-round, which in turn guarantees a fresh and consistent wine flavor.

These wines are then sterile-filtered, bottled, and ready to leave the winery early in the subsequent year, positively impacting the winery's cash flow.

Despite their rapid processing and technical methods, these are the wines that most wine lovers, including the author of this article, savour and enjoy.

Efficient Logistics

Consider Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay from Australia—a superb wine offering a dry palate, full body, and a leesy texture complemented by dairy notes, white pepper, and pear. The freshness and complex flavor suggest it has been bottled in the export market. By transporting it in a 24,000-liter flexitank to the market before bottling, the wine remains of higher quality than if shipped in bottles since minimal temperature fluctuations influence its quality. Although such savings in shipping might trim only a dollar or so, it's a key attribute to the lengths producers go to ensure value.

Large volumes of wines are shipped in those flexitanks. (Credit: portalspozywczy.pl)

Beyond Thirst Quenchers

On the other end of the spectrum are the "super seconds" like Château Mouton Rothschild's Le Petit Mouton from Pauillac, retailing at approximately USD 300. Bottling such a wine within the market is unimaginable. Even when compared to its original, which is priced 3 to 4 times higher, this wine still presents significant value.

In the intricate world of winemaking, the notion of "value" extends beyond the cost. It's a delicate balance of production strategies, innovation, and market positioning. Whether through high-volume production, strategic fermentation methods, or efficient shipping practices, producers worldwide continuously endeavor to provide consumers with wines that offer both quality and affordability. And while luxury wines have their esteemed place in the market, value wines play a crucial role in democratizing the wine experience, making it accessible to a broader audience.

As wine VinoVossers, it's enriching to recognize and appreciate the intricacies behind that bottle of wine on the shelf, understanding that value is not just about price, but the passion, innovation, and strategy poured into every glass.

Peter Douglas