Witty Pairs Talks Affordable Wine

I am so excited to share an interview with our very first guests, Witty Pairs! Naomi and I have been friends for over a decade and her knowledge of wine, love of travel, and sense of adventure has never ceased to amaze me. She and her equally adventurous sister, Beth, started Witty Pairs to make wine enjoyable and affordable for their friends and followers in their 20s, 30s, and so on. Their goal is to provide approachable wine education in a non-intimidating manner by pairing wines with activities or occasions most of us encounter.

Catch the Witty Pairs duo on Instagram @wittypairs and on the web at wittypairs.com

So you're looking to build out a wine collection on a budget. Where do you start?

Start with wines you know you enjoy and build up from there. What does this mean? It’s pretty simple, really. If you know you enjoy Pinot Noir at a $15 price point, visit your local wine shop and ask for a recommended Pinot Noir (or comparable wine made with other grapes) around $20 or $30 if you’re feeling fiery. Start exploring from here and take notes. We like Vivino for tracking wines we’ve seen and enjoyed - you can rate your experience and view others’. It also makes it easy to remember what you’ve liked so next time, maybe you buy an extra bottle to keep on hand. 

Generally, wines around or under $30 are meant to be enjoyed within a few years or less, while wines at a higher price point can be aged longer as the higher quality associated with the price tag sets it up to mature and evolve with time. We like to keep a variety of wines that we can open without a second thought and often a smaller collection of others that we save for special occasions or sister visits (the most special of occasions!). 

I personally get overwhelmed in the wine aisle and choose bottles based on the look of the label, but I'm guessing this isn't the best approach. Are there certain things you look for when trying a new bottle of wine?

Whether you’re hitting the wine aisle on a mission, or popping into a wine shop just to browse, there are many things you can do to make it less overwhelming. Step 1 is get familiar with the layout of the wine section or store. Many wine shops are set up in a particular manner, and because of that we can’t recommend enough talking to the staff! If you’re in the wine aisle of a Trader Joe’s or Publix, there are usually clear signs that denote the layout (usually by region, sometimes by varietal). 

From here, you might want to choose something from a region you know you enjoy as your budget allows. Or, if you’re wanting to try a new wine, a good place to start is to think about varietals you like. If you know you love a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, why not try a Sauvingon Blanc from France. The shop will often include a small handwritten description of the wine that will help you determine if you may like this wine. For example, a Sauvignon Blanc may be described as “grassy.”. A Chardonnay description will usually state if it’s aged in oak, which tells you the Chardonnay will have a flavor profile of warm vanilla or butter. You’ll start to recognize these terms quickly! In Europe, wine is heavily regulated so you know what you’re getting based on the region it’s from. Pick up any Sancerre in the white wine (or French) aisle and you’ll know you’re getting a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Anyone else suddenly in the mood for some Sauvy B?

Also to be clear, we’ve definitely bought a bottle just because of a fun label before! You never know, maybe you’ll discover your next favorite wine.

You recently posted about a trip to Sonoma and Napa and mentioned that of the 10 wineries you visited, you only had to pay full price for one tasting. Can you tell us how you did that? 

Think of wine tastings the way a winery might: they are the entry point to club membership. The winery shares a few of their flagship wines for a low(er) price in hopes that it sparks enough enjoyment to inspire visitors to buy more or sign up for a club. The added incentive is that at least one tasting is usually waived with the purchase of a minimum number of bottles or a club membership. Yes, you add on a hefty sum for the new wine, but this builds up your collection and can be split up among your wine drinking friends and family! 

Traveling as a group helps too — you can split a car rental (and DD responsibilities) and also reap the benefits of your companion’s club sign up. During our trip last fall, our party of 4 split a wine club membership at one winery, arranging for them to divvy up the spoils between our mailing addresses. Naomi bought a few bottles at another location while Beth signed up for the club at another, waiving a few tasting fees for our group at both! It helps if you visit wineries that sell wine in your budget and make wine that is likely to align with your tastes. 

Don’t forget about your wine loving friends who stay home. If a friend or family member is a wine club member anywhere, ask them to hook you up! Our friends signed us up for a tasting (a free perk to them with their membership) that was a highlight of the trip!

Check out their post for more information here: Wine Club Perks and Winery Visits

You also launched a travel section on the blog, so exciting! Of all of the wine regions in the world, which do you think is the most cost-effective to visit?

This is a tough one, but definitely look for the road less traveled. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s a great sign that it’s lesser known, more off the beaten track, and likely less built up in the way that Napa Valley has become. We’ve had some great experiences in Paso Robles, the up-and-coming wine region in Central California, and are really looking forward to visiting Eastern Europe wineries in Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia. 

What's the best wine to pair with budgeting?

We recently did a pairing that called for a light and zippy wine - Naomi was moving apartments and wanted a wine to pair with the fun that is packing up your home. The wine needed to be crisp and refreshing, or at least not so big or heavy that it would halt productivity. 

While budgeting can certainly be made more enjoyable with a glass of wine, we recommend a lighter, almost effervescent wine that won’t cloud your judgment as you’re setting that monthly shopping budget. 

Try one of these lower ABV wines that are bright, delicious, and not detrimental to your mind or wallet.

• Ameztoi Txakolina (around $20)
• Weingut Stadt Krems Grüner Veltliner ($15) 
• Quinta de Chocapalha Arinto ($18)

Splurge time! If we were to spring for a nice bottle of wine, which would each of you recommend and why?

Beth – You honestly don’t need to splurge if you know what you like. We love Spanish wine and think CVNE Imperial Reserve is a delicious $50 bottle and a fantastic value wine for your money.  

Our family visited the region the year this winery’s ‘04 Imperial Reserva was named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year and we were lucky enough to snag a bottle at a restaurant near the winery (which had none left to offer). This still makes for a favorite travel memory and we’re happy to dig deeper into our wallets to recall a special moment in time. 

Naomi – and Champagne!! While there are plenty of budget friendly Champagnes and Sparkling Wines to choose from, it is fun to pick up a special bottle for a special occasion. A rare splurge would be a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut ($70).

About Witty Pairs

We are Beth and Naomi – sisters who have been traveling our entire lives and seeking out delicious food and wine along the way. We got into wine early on – tasting as many wines as possible, learning through books and courses (and friends!), and visiting wine regions from Napa Valley, California to Stellenbosch, South Africa. 

We love a good food and wine pairing, but sometimes we’re looking for wine that pairs with the moment. A lush, bright Albariño to enjoy on sunny days by the water. A bold Zinfandel while you’re swiping right on a dating app. A perfectly fruit-forward Pinot Noir while reading the day away. And so, Witty Pairs started to take shape.

We’ve been lucky enough to taste some incredible wines, but as we pave our own path in the wonderful world of wine, our focus is on the bottles that don’t break our bank. We aim to make wine enjoyable and affordable for our friends and followers in their 20s, 30s, and so on. Our goal is to provide approachable wine education in a non-intimidating manner by pairing wines with activities or occasions most of us encounter.