Saving money on wine

Thanks to Calera Wine for providing the information for this post!

Wine isn't exactly the most frugal item in the world. Sure, there are cheap places to purchase wine of a half-decent quality, but the best quality wines aren't cheap.

Here are some ideas to save money while still enjoying high-quality wine!

When buying wine at a restaurant, definitely avoid purchasing by the glass. The markup is huge. Instead, if you're dining with more than one person, purchasing a bottle of wine will be much more economical.

Keep your eyes peeled for good deals on wine, no matter where they might be. Publix often has several kinds of wine on sale each week. Watch for newspaper ads for wine stores - the food section will often have several advertisements. Get on the email list for local stores to be informed about good deals.

Imported wines will often be more expensive than domestic wines, and being imported is no guarantee of a better-tasting wine! Definitely check out domestic brands.

If you have a winery near you, stop by for a tour. You may find some favorites there that will be cheaper to purchase directly at a winery instead of at your local store.

But if you don't live anywhere near a winery - as I do - try purchasing it online. That way, you'll avoid the markup that the wine would get at a local store. You can order in quantity, which can save you quite a bit. You might be able to get free shipping on your order as well.

I recently learned about a great place to order wine online, Calera Wine.

Calera's founder, Josh Jensen, made Calera's first batch of wine in 1975 from purchased grapes. In 1977, he selected a site of an old limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of California for his winery in an effort to reproduce the limestone soil where great French Burgundy wine grapes are grown. He made it his goal to create wines unique to the world but in the style of the greatest wines of France. Today Calera wines still express that pioneer spirit and are revered the world over.

Calera is well known for their Pinot Noir wines. They have a very large selection of them, including Calera Jensen, Reed, Vin Gris, Ryan, De Villiers, and many more. Leading wine critic Robert Parker said of Calera's Pinot Noir wines: "Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth."

Hope these tips help you get good-quality wine and save some money as well!