A French Sommelier's Wine Crash Course (Stop Overpaying)

At your Costco, a bottle of Champagne costs around $60. Two shelves down, a Spanish Cava made with the same second fermentation costs $11. Nobody in the wine aisle will tell you this, so I will. I am Henri. Twenty-five years I chose the wine for restaurants in Bordeaux and Paris. In this crash course for beginners, you learn what the vintage on the label really tells you, why a warm or cool climate decides how a wine tastes, and the nine wine styles that cover almost every bottle in the store. For each style, I give you the famous name everyone pays for and a cheaper bottle doing the same job: Côtes du Rhône, Petite Sirah, Beaujolais, Cava, Picpoul de Pinet, Riesling, Torrontés, Port and Sherry. At the end, I tell you the one bottle I put on my own table. Prices vary by state and by store. Drink less. Drink better.