What do you get for R30 these days? A Big Mac meal? 25 units of electricity? 3 litres of petrol? Or a bottle of decent white wine. I thought I was setting myself quite a task when I set out to find 10 good value wines under R30 but in the event, I was pleasantly surprised at the choice available. So here’s my list of what to try this weekend. All wine sourced from Ultra Liquors and prices correct as of 15th April 2010.
Table Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – R29.99. This has been one of my favourite wines of summer – fresh, crisp, fruity. Word has it that this price cannot be held for much longer so go and stock up NOW!
Arabella Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – R29.99. Distinctive bottle in Veuve Clicquot yellow contains a decent, tasty, citrussy wine.
Alexanderfontein Chenin Blanc 2009 – R24.99. Without a shadow of a doubt, Chenin offers the best value in this price range. This comes from cool-climate Darling and is packed with crisp apples and pears.
Kleine Zalze Bushvines Chenin Blanc 2009 – R27.99. Sure there’s been a bit of scandal over KZ’s top wine recently, but you can’t deny that they make fab Chenin at extremely good prices. This over-delivers by a mile.
Perdeberg Chenin Blanc 2009 – R24.99. You just can’t go wrong at this price! All Perdeberg wines offer great value but this one is probably the pick of the bunch.
Slanghoek Private Selection Chardonnay 2010 – R27.99. The only Chardonnay I could find to recommend at this price level. Smart new label surrounds a lightly-wooded, well-balanced wine.
Van Loveren Neil’s Pick Colombar 2009 – R23.99. I am such a sucker for this wine! Off-dry but packing a huge pink grapefruit punch of acidity, this is a stonkingly good drink for the money.
Bon Courage Hillside White 2009 – R29.99. A fresh and fruity blend of Colombard and Chardonnay, this was one of my favourite sundowner tipples this year.
Rietvallei John B. Sauvignon/Colombar 2009 – R28.99. Nice-looking bottle houses a tangy, lipsmacking combination of light, fruity varietals.
Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2009 – R24.99. Classic Bordeaux blend well executed here. No oak and a pleasing low alcohol make it an easy-drinking sipper.
What do you think – any other bargains out there I need to discover? Let us all know below.