When you’re picking a cheap wine these days, it can be all too easy to get lost in just how cheap versus how much you’re willing to sacrifice. Wine selection can be a formula when you’re shopping on a budget, because we usually have a set amount we won’t mind paying, and an acceptance for how mediocre that budget wine is going to be.
Boxed wine? Not great, but acceptable when you’re cooking and don’t need a decent drink.
Budget wine? That’s hit and miss, though often you drink it for the effect and not necessarily the flavour.
And clean skins? Well, they’re typically surprising in Australia, thanks in part to how much wine our country produces, and how much of it can go on sale without its official label.
But some of what our country makes is also perfectly great and inexpensive with the original label still attached, as Tyrrell’s is showcasing in its Old Winery range. This week, we sipped a young but delightful 2021 Verdelho, which surprised because:
- It’s cheap, and
- It actually tastes great.
It’s always nice to be surprised. This Verdelho surprised us greatly.
Made from grapes from Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley vineyards, the 2021 Old Winery Verdelho doesn’t come with a whole heap of complex flavours like you might expect from the maker, but it has something else going for it: this wine tastes great, either by itself or with a meal.
Tyrrell’s talks up a tropical fruit and honey flavour, and we definitely picked up on the latter, there as you swirl it around your mouth, less the glass. No tears in this wine because of its young age, but it’s still a pleasant drink that has the ability to surprise.
And that surprise doesn’t just come from its easy drinking style, but also its price, found for around the $10 mark in Australia. Look around, and you’ll see the Tyrrell’s Verdelho range from $10 to $16, but you can typically pick it up for $11 max, making it a great, inexpensive drop ideal for any time, mostly when you want decent want for decent dollar bucks.
