CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
The numbers
Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
Corkonomics
LearnGrapesRegionsWinesNews
Wine basicsThe five types of wineHow to taste wineHow to read a wine labelWine with foodWine words
Learn the economicsThe economics of wine productionThe economics of wine collectingCourses
Regions
BordeauxBurgundyChampagneRhôneNapa ValleyTuscanyPiedmontMoselOregonRiojaCalifornia sparklingValais and LavauxEnglandDouroEtnaMendozaMarlboroughStellenboschBarossa ValleyTasmaniaBeaujolaisJuraAlsaceLoireProvenceRibera del DueroSonoma
What land costsGood years and badAppellationsFamous vineyards
Wines
Famous winesWho makes themFind a vintageCompare wines
PricesWhat a bottle costs to makeWhat vineyard land costsWhat grapes fetchWhat the border addsWhy wine costs what it doesRelease pricesAuction resultsTariffsMarket overviewWine in official statisticsVineyard economicsResearch
MoreAsk the DataAI agentsSavedAPIAbout usMethodologyContact
Dark mode
Language
Currency
Settings
Dark mode
Language
Currency

New to wine? Start with the short lessons, then look up any word you do not know.

Learn · Wine words · Your saved pages

How to choose a bottle you will actually like

In a shop or a restaurant, three questions do most of the work: what do you like, what are you eating, and what do you want to spend?

4 min read · For beginners

How to choose a bottle you will actually like

Start from what you already enjoy

Think about a wine you liked and remember two things: the grape and the place. If you enjoyed a Pinot Noir from Oregon, a Pinot Noir from Burgundy is a natural next step. Our grape pages suggest what to try next.

Ask. It is what they are there for

Tell the person in the shop, or the sommelier, what you usually drink and how much you want to spend. Something like: a soft red, not too heavy, around this price. Good staff love that question and never mind a modest budget.

A shopkeeper in an apron pointing out a bottle to a customer

On price

More expensive does not always mean you will enjoy it more. Very cheap bottles leave little money for the wine itself once the glass, shipping and tax are paid for. Moving a few steps up from the cheapest shelf is usually where quality improves fastest. After that you are paying more and more for rarity and reputation.

A hand taking a bottle from a shop shelf

In a restaurant

Wine by the glass is a low-risk way to try something new. If you order a bottle, the small taste you are offered is only to check the wine is not faulty. A sniff is enough.

A waiter pouring a small taste of red wine at a restaurant table

Keep a note

Take a photo of any label you enjoy. In a month you will not remember the name, and the photo is all a shop needs to find you something similar.

A hand photographing a bottle of wine on a restaurant table with a phone

Curious where the money goes? See what a bottle really costs to make.

← All lessons

More short lessons

All lessons