There are only two ways wine can be sold 'cheap' - it has been heavily discounted, or it is produced on an industrial scale to keep the price down. To satisfy the volume demands of big retailers, warehouses and supermarkets, most bargain wines must be produced in huge quantities and as cheaply as possible. This typically means artificial enhancements, chemicals and processes which help maintain consistency.
For example, 'oaked' wines often get their taste from flavoured wood chips added during production, a practice not allowed in France where the same result must be achieved by maturing the pure wine in oak barrels.
The discerning wine buyer recognises the difference between mass produced and traditionally made wines. But even hand-made quality can be had at a realistic price if you avoid the middle men and retail overheads and buy direct from the grower. Our vineyards list award winning AOC wines from just €3 a bottle.
The wines from winedrive.com vineyards are hand-made in the traditional way, using methods which have been handed down across generations. Plus, about half our vineyards apply bio-dynamics or organic methods. As one of our larger growers told a journalist: 'Some of our wines are on sale in UK, but they are not the same as the wine you will buy from our vineyard'.
When it comes to value for money, wine is no different from any other product - you get exactly what you pay for. If a mail order or discount warehouse offer looks to good to be true, it probably is.