With wine production on the decrease, the average price for a bottle of wine is going up.
But there are at least six ways you can save money on wine if you’re willing to change your wine-buying habits.
RELATED: Best and worst days of the week to buy alcohol
How to save money on wine
After poor weather in Italy, France and Spain, global wine production is down to a 60-year low, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
That decreased supply is driving the cost of wine up, particularly if you favor imported wine.
While the obvious solution would be to drink U.S. vintages — Napa Valley production hasn’t declined nearly as much as that of its international competitors — there are a few other ways you can save a buck on a bottle and still get your glass on!
1. Don’t be afraid to try wine from discount grocers like Aldi or Lidl
You probably know about Two Buck Chuck and how much customers of Trader Joe’s love it.
But did you know that an $8 bottle of win from Aldi was recently named as one of the best bottles in the world?
Speaking of Aldi, we’re partial to the discount grocer’s Winking Owl label for $2.89. That low price is especially great if you like to use real wine, not cooking wine, liberally when you’re cooking your meals to enhance the flavor!
Other people rave about the wine at Lidl, a German discounter grocery similar to the more widely known Aldi.
“We buy a sweet red wine at Lidl for $2.59 a bottle,” Clark.com poster Robin Howard writes. “It is as good or better than some higher priced wines we have tried.”
2. Walmart is making big moves in cheap wine
In May 2018, Walmart officially rolled out Winemakers Selection, a lineup of 10 store-brand wines sourced from California, France and Italy.
There’s a red blend, grenache, Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Chianti Riserva, Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, Grenache rosé, Syrah and a Sparkling rosé.
Each bottle is priced around $11, but reportedly drinks "like a $30 to $40 bottle of wine," says Nichole Simpson, Walmart's senior wine buyer.
Sales of the private labels have begun in some 1,100 stores across the country.
Meanwhile, on the international stage, Walmart's La Moneda Reserva Malbec recently won Platinum Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards for a $6 bottle of merlot!
3. Shop the dollar stores for wine
Yep, you read that right!
While we can’t vouch for the quality of this vintage, rumor has it that Dollar General has its own house brand of wine called Spring Creek. Though we’ve never seen it at our local Dollar General, it may be lurking on the shelves of yours.
At around $3.50 a bottle, it’s worth a shot!
One reviewer called the Spring Creek brand "highly drinkable" and noted the light texture of the wine in her review. We've heard anecdotally that Spring Creek is pressed by E. & J. Gallo Winery for Dollar General, but we can't substantiate that.
Meanwhile, another reviewer had this to say about the Dollar General bottle:
"Even my wine snob friends who have been to Napa were shocked. My family tasted wine across Italy and thought it was very good. My faves are the Merlot and Riesling. The Pink Moscato is sweet, but very nice." – <a href="http://hip2save.com/2013/12/29/reader-tip-good-wine-at-dollar-general/" target="_self">Mary</a>
4. Buying wine on this day of the week will save you money
Being strategic about when you buy is another great way to save on wine! According to the popular mobile shopping app Ibotta, try picking up your wine on a Tuesday for an average savings of 6%.
5. Buy in bulk
It's easy to get a case discount either online or at a variety of retailers. For example, during a recent trip to Cost Plus World Market we spotted the following deal:
You only needed to buy six bottles to take advantage of the 30% half case sale. That lowered the price per bottle from nearly $12 to $8.29.
6. Shop at a warehouse club like Costco
Like everything else in the store, wine only gets a small markup of between 10% to 13% at Costco Wholesale.
No surprise then that alcohol is a big seller at the warehouse club.
And the neat thing about buying alcohol at Costco is that you may not even need a membership to do it!
That’s because some states prohibit the sale of alcohol through any club or membership. Check with your state laws if you’re not a member, but want access to great prices.
Clark.com