It didn't take too long. We've been here for about eight weeks now, but tonight I think I've angered the wine gods. They're up there now, red-faced and mean. For two months we've fostered our best viticultural intentions and we've drunk an awful lot of good wine. And we've remained faithful to New Zealand.
But New Zealand wines are so expensive! They're grown and bottled in the central Otago valley, a couple of hundred miles from here. The climate is perfect, the land is cheap, the expertise is right here: these facts should result in cheap wine.
So, how is it that I can buy a wine bottled in California for half the price of one grown and bottled right here? Or Australian wine, which is cheaper than mouthwash (and tastes like it sometimes too)? I'm not an economist, so I don't know. But I do know that I wanted a cheap drink tonight, and that I couldn't afford another $22 bottle of locally-produced wine.
Jacob's Creek Merlot: $8.99.
Australian. Cheaper than mouthwash. Very dependable. Sorry wine gods. (ck)
But New Zealand wines are so expensive! They're grown and bottled in the central Otago valley, a couple of hundred miles from here. The climate is perfect, the land is cheap, the expertise is right here: these facts should result in cheap wine.
So, how is it that I can buy a wine bottled in California for half the price of one grown and bottled right here? Or Australian wine, which is cheaper than mouthwash (and tastes like it sometimes too)? I'm not an economist, so I don't know. But I do know that I wanted a cheap drink tonight, and that I couldn't afford another $22 bottle of locally-produced wine.
Jacob's Creek Merlot: $8.99.
Australian. Cheaper than mouthwash. Very dependable. Sorry wine gods. (ck)
No comments:
Post a Comment