Welcome to my blog.

It’s dedicated to finding decent wine under $20 a bottle.

In other wine producing countries that wouldn’t seem like such a challenge – 8 Euros will get you something very reasonable in Spain, Italy or France – but in Australia it is becoming increasingly hard to fine a decent, interesting wine south of twenty bucks.

Any search is inevitably also about the searcher, so that’s the life over 50 bit.

I worked in the wine industry for five years, in retail and wholesale. I even had the good fortune to do a vintage at Mount Mary in the Yarra Valley (heaven). I think I have a diploma somewhere and I’ve never stopped drinking it.

Apologies if you can’t find the wines mentioned – vintages change and retailers are constantly updating stock.

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay Villages, 2012, $17, Vintage Cellars

If I was drinking this blind* I’d say it was French – an average Chablis, or a decent chardonnay from somewhere like the Ardeche.

It’s mineraly, restrained, only 12.5% alcohol and relatively light oak, more honest than elegant, but undeniably chardonnay.

And unusually, it’s from 2012. That means there’s no raw sappiness to contend with.

I’d happily drink this daily. If you’re a chardonnay hater it may just get you back on track.

*blind refers to not knowing what you are drinking, rather than being inebriated and not knowing anything about anything.

Logan Appletree Merlot 2011, $13, Vintage Cellars

Sales of merlot plummeted in the US after the movie ‘Sideways’ as the lead character was not a fan of the variety.

I have to say I am. I’ve never had Petrus, but I’ve sampled enough Pommerols to appreciate how good a merlot can be.

Sadly they are few and far between in these parts. Evans & Tate (paint makers before they switched to wine) made a great one back in the 80s from Margaret River fruit – rich, generous, velvety, plums and toasty vanilla (and a lot more than $20 today I’d imagine).

The Logan isn’t that good, but guests will drink it quite happily without any thoughts to your parsimony.

This is what the official site says:

The rich aroma shows characters of blueberry, cherry, dark chocolate and oregano with flavours of mulberry, blackberry, dark chocolate and black olive on the smooth palate.

I got blueberry and cherry, some chocolate. Gladly i couldn’t detect any olive or oregano – that should be in the food.

LoTengo Malbec 2013, $11.70

It’s red.

It’s wine.

And it’s only $11.70 so my expectations are low.

Like the Pumas, the Argentinian rugby team, it’s good up front, but its backs lack finesse and I suspect the half backs drop the ball from time to time.

The Argentines love their Malbec and i can see why – it’s a generous type – but I’m beginning to feel concussed.

A good wine to have later on when you’ve drunk all the good stuff but there’s still some cheese left.

Cave de Lugny Macon Villages, $12.21 ($10.99 in six) 2014

If I had a restaurant, a good, friendly restaurant that served simple classic dishes, this would be my house white. It’s a simple, classic, French chardonnay that no one would object to (even people who are Chardonnay deniers) that can go with pretty much anything (I just had some with goat cheese). The more people drank, the more I’d make, because I reckon I could charge $30 a bottle and it retails for a little over $10.

I drank a lot of the 2012 for the same reasons. This one is a bit fresh still – a little stalky – but there’s a touch of honeysuckle on the nose and the balance is there.

La Jolie Chardonnay, $11 (in six). Castlecrag Cellars

I started singing an old Stranglers number when I opened this the other day – “Oui, c’est la folie”. Golden hues. Apricots, damp paper (in a good way) on the nose. A hint of something fizzy, maybe just lively acid, and a fair attempt at a finish. All this for under $11. In truth, it should have been a bit cooler, which would have hidden its faults like low light in a nightclub. It claims to have oak and be buttery! At that price is must be oak chips, but I can just about believe the buttery. I’d go this over the Macon Villages – but the restaurant would still get the MV as appearances count.

Fantini Sangiovese, $? don’t actually remember, but it was under 20 because that’s why i got it.

This blog business is harder than I thought. Could have sworn I took a shot of the label. Oh well, I do remember it comes from Castlecrag Cellars and that it struck me it was a decent understudy to a Brunello Di Montalcino. Same grape, different side of the Appenines. If Brunello is a Ferrari then this is the Alfa 4c – a fraction of the price but looks good and is fun to be with. Like many Italian reds it tastes as if some of the soil ended up in the vat during fermentation, along with a pair of stout leather boots. Be good with pasta with a wild boar ragu. Yum.

Lajolie Sauvignon Blanc 2012

I discovered this by accident – thought it was the chardonnay. Not that I’m disappointed, it’s an honest crisp, fresh French white, 12% alcohol for under $12. There’s just enough varietal character to recognize it is a sauvignon – or at least to agree that they put the right label on the bottle. A hint of gooseberry, no cat piss (why would anyone want it in the first place?) definitely not from NZ. A good aperitif, probably improved as a Kir with some crème de cassis.