Nathan Does Vino!

French VDP Values

When most people are looking for value-driven wines around $10-15, they look to Chile, Argentina, Australia, and Spain. Now all of those areas produce some great values in those price ranges, but I’m here to tell you that if you want a real value you should actually be looking to France. Now I know that sounds counter-intuitive given that certain french wines (such as bordeaux, cote rotie, champagne, etc) are among some of highest priced and most sought after wines, but if you search for Vin de Pays (VDP) wines (instead of AC or AOC such as the aforementioned wines/regions), you have a chance to discover some stunning values.

In the spirit of searching for such values, I have here the The 2010 Domaine André Brunel Grenache and the 2010 Domaine du Tariquet Classic Ugni Blanc - Colombard. Both come in at around $10 and come from fairly respected areas, but have been classified as VDP wines instead of AOC, which allows them a fair bit more freedom in addition to a lower cost for certification. Check them out and don’t forget to leave comments below with your favorite VDP picks for other viewers. Cheers!