Many years ago, my wife Sophie and I had a row in a New York restaurant of such proportions that the sparks still glow to this very day.
The price of a bottle of Château Margaux 1982 had been misprinted on the wine list as $250 instead of the more likely $2,500.
I’d wanted to taste it all my life and double-checked with the sommelier that the price was correct, but Mrs Smith refused to let me order it, declaring $250 to be far too much for a bottle of wine.
The next day I spent the cash on a coat in Bloomingdales, which I still wear today. It’s known in the Smith household simply as ‘The Margaux Coat’.
So is it ever worth spending more than £100 on a bottle of wine? Or can you find some of the world’s best vino for £20 — the price of an Oxfam coat?
I remain convinced that there’s a wine out there for every palate and every pocket.
You can splash out on iconic bottles if you wish, but I’ve noticed a new surge in quality in Bordeaux wines under £20.
Names like Caronne-Ste-Gemme perform consistently year on year (the 2007, for example, is £13.99 in Majestic).
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Rosé from Bordeaux is often forgotten, but with top-quality wines coming from producers such as Château de Sours, it makes for rich summer pickings (see my recommendations).
Of course, there are prized sweet wines such as Sauternes as well, so stylistically there really is something to appeal to everyone’s tastes (Taste the Difference Sauternes in Sainsbury’s is £12.99 for 37.5cl).
If you want to sample the classics, regular performers that offer good value include Château D’Angludet from Margaux itself, which you can generally find for under £20 on release, or Clos Cantenac in St Emilion, usually between £20 and £30 a bottle on release from privatecellar.co.uk.
Another iconic bottle that punches above its price, Grand Puy Lacoste 2006, is from one of Médoc’s oldest estates. It is a bit of a stunner from bbr.com at £450 for a case of 12 bottles.
On the high street ready to drink right away, Waitrose has Château Tour Chapoux 2011 Bordeaux for £9.89 (13.3 per cent) or try Château Tour Guillotin 2011 (13 per cent), £9.99 from M&S.
If none of these sparks a row with your better half, console yourself with the thought that you can treat yourself to a pair of ‘Bordeaux socks’ and watch the sparks fly.
