How Much is a Good Bottle of Wine in NZ?

Higher-priced wine isn’t ‘better’, especially if you’re just looking for an enjoyable drink. It’s more expensive because it usually comes with a unique flavour profile or a particular characteristic, and can be bought as an investment to age. Lower-priced wine still tastes great, and is more common for everyday drinking.

Wine price is made up of a combination of factors, including the type of grape, where it comes from, the reputation of the winemaker, any unique flavour characteristics, and any boutique winemaking techniques. An expensive wine will usually present unique or desirable characteristics, come from a prestigious winemaker, and may have been hand-made in small batches.

Red wine is typically more expensive than white because it often costs more to make. But, this is mainly apparent in the mid-market or luxury range. Everyday reds and whites are priced similarly.

No, screw caps on wine bottles are not indicative of the quality of the wine. There used to be a reputation that corked wines were of higher quality, but it certainly isn’t true anymore.Learn more: Corks or caps?

$30 is not necessarily ‘expensive’ in the grand scheme of things. Most people will be more than satisfied with a bottle around the $25 mark. As you get higher in price expect more distinctive flavours. Also, expect to pay more for wine from premium regions like Burgundy or Napa.

Technically, a premium wine has been rated 90 or higher on the 100-point system (find out more about how we judge wines here). Premium wines are typically in the higher price brackets (although you can buy premium quality wines for $25 an under).  There are a range of factors that could contribute to the higher price:

• The grapes are often of a higher quality grown in premium regions
• Potentially a more exacting winemaking process
• The process is usually more labour intensive (e.g., grapes are hand-picked)
• Premium wine is left to age for longer.
• Premium wines are often sourced from a single winery which results in smaller batches and therefore scarcity (which often goes alongside higher prices).

Learn more: Premium wines

It’s important to know that ‘cheap’ wine doesn’t mean ‘bad’. Many winemakers deliberately choose to produce wines in a way that allows them to bring the price down, not because they’re producing low-quality but because they’re servicing a different part of the market.To put it simply: ‘Cheap wine’: Is usually highly drinkable but fairly simple. Flavours may not be as complex, and the wine probably isn’t meant for ageing. Great party wine. ‘Expensive wine’: Is often more complex or unique in flavour, probably comes from a more prestigious winemaker, and can often be aged to increase value.