How to Tell the Difference Between a $20 and $200 Bottle of Wine

Even for the most seasoned sommelier, masked tasting a wine can feel like a daunting task. But once you’ve identified the primary and secondary aromas and flavor notes, it’s difficult to avoid wondering how pricey (or not) the glass you’re sniffing and sipping away at actually is. 

“There is a certain concentration in very high-quality wines, which tend to be quite expensive, that less expensive wines typically don’t have,” explains Carlton McCoy, CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates in St. Helena, California. “It’s expensive to make wine that way, and to farm vineyards that way, so it translates to a higher price point. There are obviously some wines that just lean on marketing campaigns to charge higher prices, but this is the minority and is typically short lived.”

At the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, McCoy plans to walk guests through six very different wines, all of which sit at price points from budget bottles at $20 to splurge picks that retail around $200. While the experience will differ based on the taster’s own palate and predispositions (as well as their masked tasting backgrounds), McCoy says it’s important for everyone to take their time with the process. Doing so mitigates the risk jumping to conclusions too quickly, or letting your own biases cloud your judgment of the wine. “You really need to feel the wine,” he adds. “Each wine wants to tell its story, but you have to listen closely.”

When asked about which wines are consistently underpriced, McCoy says that Sancerre — Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, in France — is especially worth keeping an eye out for in terms of value. “They’re consumed all over the world, and are super mineral wines of great complexity,” he says.

If you’re interested in organizing a masked tasting with friends at home, McCoy has a few tried-and-true tips on how to determine price point and quality. “What I generally look for in a quality wine is a long finish. That’s how long you taste the wine after you swallow it,” he notes. “I also look for balance in the wine, so the acid and alcohol etc should all be a part of the wine and not be too high or too low.”