How to optimize your purchases during wine fairs, and avoid scams, while consuming in moderation? The details of Fanny Guinochet.
franceinfo: What are your tips or tricks Fanny?
Fanny Guinochet: Wine fairs are often synonymous with attractive prices on carefully selected vintages. The first tip, however, is to define the budget you want to spend in advance and stick to it. Also define the products you want to buy: rather red red, Bordeaux, rosé, white, wines to drink immediately, or to keep and build up your cellar, and in what quantity.
Then, it’s good to inform yourself beforehand, try to read the comments of the experts – wine guides etc. – it will avoid getting lost in the shelves. And for prices, it is important to compare offers from one store to another, to look at catalogs. To make this comparison, you can also go through applications that classify and rate wines such as Vivino.com, wineadvisor.com, or the Hachette wine guide application.
Also pay attention to the availability of stocks?
Yes, because sometimes, at wine fairs, these stocks are very low, and the best references generally sell out very quickly, it’s like for the sales: it’s better to be among the first buyers, to come the first days of the wine fair to seize the best opportunities, for that, watch the calendar according to the brands.
And beware of batch sales: the 2+1 bottles offered, sales by box of 12 or 24 are not always guarantees of good deals, they are sometimes wines from merchants who have stocks to sell.
And during these wine fairs, there are pitfalls to avoid ?
Yes, look carefully at the labels, pay attention to the mentions such as “Coup de coeur des sommeliers”, “Label de…”, “Medals”, which are rarely a guarantee of quality. Also be careful about prices that are too low, or too spectacular, you risk being disappointed.
In the same way, prices that are too high are not always worth it. Avoid too old vintages; in mass distribution, even during wine fairs, it is not clear how they were preserved. Finally, we cannot finish this chronicle without reminding that alcohol abuse is dangerous for health and that it is therefore necessary to consume in moderation.