The price of and on expectation

A good friend of mine who is a well-informed wine connoisseur has been preparing a list of wines from his favoured suppliers.

The first list was priced between £8 and £24.

The second was more expensive going up to £38.

I have yet to taste the second batch but I made the point to my friend that with greater cost comes greater expectation.

In the first set a Fleurie priced at £14 was divine with that ripe mellow fruitiness of the best Beaujolais and at that price I will re-order same.

There was also an Austrian wine produced by Heidi Schrock at £12 which had an unusual but pleasing taste.

Having – like most people – time on my hands, I looked up in my cellar book those wines which I have enjoyed and created a list by supplier.

At the higher end was a fine deuxime cru Bordeaux a Chateau Gruaud la Rose at £29 but this is a wine you can put down as an investment.

I listed the Greek winemaker Xinamavrou who produces wine around the £15 mark which is very good indeed.

It’s all a question of marketing.

With hot weather forecast we can be assured that the more fashionable roses like Whispering Angel or Miraval will be promoted but the Rosalie with its touch of vermentino is every bit as tasty at far less a price.

Of course compared to a restaurant, particularly a high end one, even the most expensive wine list from a merchant is considerably cheaper.

My point on price was starkly made when a friend gifted me a bottle of my favourite wine Meursault.

This had the golden colour – not unlike urine – of the finest Meursault but when I looked up the price I was staggered by my friend’s generosity.

Was it good ? Yes.

Was it worth it? No.