Many of us have cut back on discretional expenditure which, as far as most of us are concerned, includes wine. My view on this? It does depend on how much less you wish to spend, but there’s no real reason to feel you’re slumming it. While many good to average wines are massively over-priced these days, there are grape varieties, makers and even regions whose wines are better than the prices they attract, so don’t despair. There are small makers whose wines massively over-deliver on their price and there are larger companies who simply don’t know how to market (and therefore attach a realistic price to) some very good but less expensive wine. You might need to compromise your brand loyalties, but taste around with an open mind and I’ll guarantee you’ll find many a wine you can both enjoy and afford. More than I’ve ever experienced, the relationship between wine quality and retail price is getting even flimsier.