I am surprised, shocked, disappointed.

I have noticed for a time now that when I am eating in a restaurant half of my bill is wine, not because I take the luxury of ordering a couple bottles but because I can’t find a wine list in town with reasonable prices.

I have a hard time understanding how can “we”, Californian, be ok with the price of wine at our table when Napa and Sonoma are only 50 miles away. And, still I can find in restaurants French, Italian, Spanish or Australian wine that cost less than a California wines.

I had dinner in one of the best restaurant in Barcelona and the wine list offered local wine for $17, and that’s in a very fancy restaurant. Here if I ever get lucky to find a $20 bottle of wine on a wine list it because it’s a 1/2 bottle. Even when I buy wine buy the glass I now feel cheated, this is not a glass of wine but a taste. Two sips and I am done! A glass of wine now cost between $8 to $15 in San Francisco, that more than a cocktail.

Why is wine so expensive? And why are we ok with it?

Is it for the same reason that when I go up north wine tasting I have now to pay $15 to $25 for wine tasting!!! What’s wrong with that picture? What happen to the time when wine tasting was free and part of the whole deal. You taste the wines with the producer, you like them you buy a couple cases, you don’t you move on. Well, last time I went wine tasting not only I had to pay for the tasting but then if I wanted to buy a bottle it would cost me more than in a store. Going to Napa and Sonoma feels like going to a theme park nowadays, everywhere you turn you are spending money on something, it’s like going to the vegas of wine or worst the wine disneyland!

Like I say, I am very confused. Maybe it’s the French in me who can understand this?

This is the way I am use to: the wineries are happy to have you come by and they will not be shy in opening their bottles. First because they know you are here for that and not on a Spa trip with your girl friends just trying to get hammered on wine before you jump back in your limo. Second they take their craft so seriously that no matter what, they know with the quality they will offer you, it will be impossible for you to leave without buying a couple cases. And third the price of the bottle you pay at the winery is so ridiculously low, that you will end up buying four times more than you set you mind to in the first place. Then you’ll go home, set a few of those bottles aside for them to age nicely and the rest you’ll drink it as “everyday” wine because you won’t feel guilty about the price. 

Not long ago I opened a bottle of a little winery in Cote Du Rhone, it’s a Cote du Rhone AOC, just next to Chateauneuf-du-pape. This wine cost 3.29 Euro a litter, not a bottle a litter, it is so good that I am sure I can fool most connoisseur in thinking it’s a real Chateauneuf-du-pape. It is an amazing wine that can easily age for 10-15 years. 3.29 Euro a litter!!!!!! That’s how much it will cost you to go buy it at the vineyard.  And that’s just an example, you have thousands of little producers and winemakers like this all over Europe. Why can’t we find this here in California???

I love californian wine but there are too expensive!!!!

I know restaurant make a huge return on the wine and that’s part of the business, I understand. Trust me I am an active supporter of the restaurant industry. Even in this tough times, I still fit in my budget a few dinners out to support my community and the restaurant owners out there. But having to pay an extra $40-70 for wine, it’s getting harder and harder. I thought of bringing my own bottles but with the corkage fee being at $20 in most restaurants, it’s almost not worth it.

Come on Chefs, this is California, where you buy your produces! You won’t serve us an egg or a carrot for $50 so why serving such expensive wine? If we want to change this wine snobbism in California it will start with the restaurants! Why not including a free glass of wine in your pre-fix menu. Or start offering more house wines by the pitcher like in Parisian Bistros. When will I start seeing Wine happy hours on the menu? What about just simply carrying more 1/2 bottles, that would be a great start!!

Wine has never been a luxury product, though you can find some very expensive wine out there for the connoisseurs. Every foodies will tell you a meal without a glass of wine is like San Francisco without the Golden Gate. Wine should be affordable to everyone. Not that I want everyone to become drunks but hey! studies have proven, a glass of wine with dinner is beneficial for your heart, so let’s not make this glass cost us too much.

With your help I would like to start a list of wine that we can find out there that are reasonable for the wallet. Wine that you have found in a store, while traveling  or in a restaurant, give us a tip! What are the affordable bottles out there??

Note: I will make sure to update this page often to give you the names of affordable wines I have encountered!

Name                                                                Price in store            Price in restaurant

Owen Roe “Sharecroppers” Cabernet 2007         $17                         $28