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for the Oct.15, 2009 issue

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500 Great Buys

A global surplus of delicious wines means it’s prime time to drink well for less

Kim Marcus, Tim Fish
Issue: October 15, 2009

More and more high quality wines are being made around the world, at lower prices. It’s a formula that provides wine lovers with exciting wine-buying opportunities. There’s a glut of fine wine flowing onto the market. To get those wines moving from warehouses to wine shops and restaurants, vintners have been dropping prices; under pressure from the current economy, wine consumers are cutting back on the amount they are willing to spend, yet they are not drinking less, according to many surveys. Here is our largest assemblage of bargains ever: 500 wines priced from $4 to $20 (for 750ml bottles or the equivalent). The wines are divided into the following categories: $16–$20, 90 points and higher; $13–$15, 85 points and higher; $10–$12, 83 points and higher; and less than $10, 80 points and higher.

For the full article, check out the new issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands September 22, 2009.