The Best Price Point for Wine, According to Someone Who Buys Wine for a Living

How much should youspend on wineto get a good bottle at a reasonable price point? How much is too much, and, crucially, what is too little? Whether you're buyingwhite,red, orrosé, it's an age-old dilemma for anyone looking for a good value when buying a bottle of wine. At a seminar onall things rosé(for which the panelists cheekily dawned pink wigs) at this year'sFood & Wine Classic in Aspen, Master Sommelier and Whole Foods wine buyer Devon Broglie answered the question:

For the best value, spend between $15 and $25 a bottle when you're buying wine.

"The $12 retail is about the cutoff for really being able to find something that's being made with purpose," Broglie told the audience of wine enthusiasts, who were tasting a flight of rosés bright and early at 10 a.m. mountain time. (See here for 20 excellent wines that are all $12 or less.)

"Your real wheelhouse for value happens at about $15 to $25. That's where you can really find great value from people that really want to make a good wine, that are thinking about value," he said.

"That's pretty awesome," Jordan Salcito—sommelierJordan Salcito, director of wine special projects atMomofukuand creator ofRamonawine—who was leading the panel, chimed in, "because that is higher... would you agree that that's higher than 10 years ago?"

"There's no question," Broglie confirmed. What people are paying for wine these days is "well over what it was even three years ago. It's great."

And that's a good thing, because it means that "the newest generation of drinkers is interested in authenticity and quality and purpose. It's great."

So, whether you're buying red, white or pink, stretch a few dollars more than that $10-$12 minimum, and you'll land in a reasonable price range that delivers a great value.