Stepping away from boxed wine is intimidating, as aisles of bottled liquid beauty glare at you with menacing prices and labels. Bite and Booze blogger Jay Ducote, who competed on Food Network Star, shared some tips on how to become a wine connoisseur on a college budget.
The Nomenclature:
Wine is named for the grapes used to produce it and the region where it was produced, Ducote said.
“There’s all sorts of different grape growing regions around the world that grow different types of grapes,” he said. “So most of what you hear in America, as far as different wines go, is actually specifically naming what grape is the primary grape in that wine.”
This applies to merlot, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. However, European wine is typically named for the region, rather than the variety of the grape, like Champagne. This includes Bordeaux, Burgundy and Chianti.
Affordable Wines:
By location: Every region offers higher and lower prices, but some are known for their costs, Ducote said. He distinguished Napa with the “Napa tag” because many wines from that area are more expensive, he said, but Sonoma, California’s central coast, Washington and Oregon generally produce more affordable wines.
By type: Look for blended wine, Ducote said. Winemakers blend flavors from different grapes to create “more flavorful, more full-bodied” wine, rather than using one specially produced grape. Blended wines can be expensive, but they are easier to find affordably, he said.
“It’s more about the winemaker’s blend of flavors than it is the grapes or the label on the wines,” Ducote said.
Table wine is a cheap option, too. He said winemakers create good wines for affordable prices and sell it in stores. When ordering at a restaurant, try the house wine. This is the “base-level” wine, Ducote said. Usually, the restaurant bought a large supply at a discount, which allows them to sell it economically.
By brand: “The big winemakers out there — the Robert Mondavis and Kendall Jacksons and those kind of brands — they have expensive wines, and they have affordable wines. And they kind of run the full gamut,” Ducote said.
Try the lower-end options by these brands.
“For a college student trying to find cheap wine, it makes sense because it’s kind of like saying, ‘Give me the Natty Light, or give me the Miller High Life or PBR,’” he said. “That’s kind of what drinking Robert Mondavi’s bottom-level stuff is — or like drinking boxed wine. There’s some wine that’s in boxes or bags, and that’s actually pretty good.”
Price Line:
Buy a bottle in the $12-$15 range for “something worth drinking,” he said.
If you’re a connoisseur wanting to treat yourself, spend about $18-$20, but there’s no reason to go above that price because the quality isn’t significantly better for the prices above that, Ducote said.
Wine Pairings:
There are cheeses for every type of wine.
“A modern cheese and charcuterie board typically lends itself to something in that softer red category, like a pinot noir or red blend,” Ducote said.
If you’re eating red meat, like beef or lamb, drink red wine. Specifically, cabernet should be paired with beef if you like the bold, earthy taste, he said. Cajun food, like jambalaya and gumbo pairs well with a soft, red wine. If you’re eating white meat, like poultry or seafood, drink white wine. Pork can be paired with red or white.
Serving:
Impress your guests at wine night with these serving tips from Wine Folly, a Seattle-based educational resource about wine.
Temperature: Red wine is best served slightly below room temperature, while white wine and sparkling wine should be served cooler than that, according to Wine Folly’s website. Wine served too warm will smell alcoholic because the heat increases ethanol evaporation. A well-chilled bottle will mask most odd aromas that emanate from cheaper wine, the website states.
Serveware: Decanted red wine tastes better. Allowing the liquid to aerate improves the flavors because any unsettling smells found in cheap reds are reduced by oxygen, according to Wine Folly’s website. Decanters look like vases and double as decorative pieces. Stemless wine glasses are practical because most wines can be properly served in them. You can rely on standard wine glasses to serve red or white, but there are variations of these glasses, specifically for red or white, too. Flutes and tulip glasses are used for sparkling wines, like champagne, the website states.
Etiquette: You should hold the glass at the base of the stem with your thumb and forefinger, according to Wine Folly’s website.
Storage: You can typically store your already opened wine bottle in the fridge for a few days, the website states. Try reinserting the cork, or buy bottle stoppers.

Gallery • 15 Photos

Zoe Geauthreaux

Tumblers are flat-bottomed wine glasses designed for drinking a variety of beverages.