Drink Better Wine, Without Breaking The Bank! - Tips From Laylo

Guest post by Laura Riches & Laura Rosenberger from luxury boxed wine brand, Laylo 🍷📦

It’s 7.30. The kids are in bed. You’ve stuffed the Sylvanian Families characters into a cupboard… and deep breath. It’s the perfect moment to pour a glass of wine. But with the cost of living skyrocketing (not to mention childcare costs!), quality wine might seem like an expense too far. 

Here are a few tricks we’ve learned from over a decade in the wine industry, to help you drink better without breaking the bank...

🍷 Buy in the ‘sweet spot’
Bear with us, this one starts with a quick lesson in the economics of wine…

In every bottle sold in the UK there are a number of fixed costs, which don’t scale significantly whether you’re buying a £5 Pinot Grigio or a £500 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. These include duty, the packaging and transportation - and amount to roughly £2.85. Then there’s VAT (20%) and the retailer margin, which is a reasonably consistent % for everyday drinking wines.

All this combined means that the actual amount spent on the juice in the bottle is roughly 25p in a £5 bottle, but £2.64 in a £10 bottle. By spending £5 more you’re getting wine of 10x higher quality. Put simply, it’s not linear. By spending a few extra pounds you can feel confident you’re drinking a significantly better wine.

🍷 Drink ‘off the beaten track’
In wine there are all sorts of ‘designer labels’... These might be famous regions or ‘protected designations’ which have become shorthand for quality. Think Champagne, Burgundy or Bordeaux.

But if you know where to look, it’s possible to choose incredible wines from lesser-known regions, which don’t carry the same cachet - and therefore don’t command premium prices.

Sometimes this can be a simple swap to a neighboring region. For example, rather than choosing a Côtes de Provence, there are fabulous pale, dry rosés being produced in the Languedoc. Same grape varietals, same winemaking techniques, similar climate… But without the prestigious label.

You might also look further afield to ‘up and coming’ regions. Recently we’ve discovered an amazing Pinot Blanc from Slovenia, which is building a reputation as a brilliant winemaking destination having focused on bulk produced, cheaper wines during its Socialist era. Other places on our radar include Georgia and Scandinavia.

🍷 Consider alternative formats
Ok here we’re totally biased… But by choosing alternative formats such as boxed wine, you’re able to reduce waste - and enjoy every single drop that you’ve paid for!

Boxed wine tastes delicious for 6 weeks once it’s been opened vs. a few days in a glass bottle. This means you can enjoy “the odd glass” without committing to finishing a whole bottle, or pouring away wine that’s turned to vinegar.

It also has the added benefit of being a far more sustainable choice, generating 90% less carbon than glass bottles.

Laylo’s range includes 7 wines, expertly selected by a Master of Wine. It includes our ‘off the beaten track’ Pinot Blanc and Luberon Rosé alongside crowd-pleasing Sauvignon Blanc and Tempranillo.

Each box sits beautifully on your countertop or in your fridge - and stays fresh for 6 weeks from opening. Perfect for that 7.30 moment of calm.

Use code MAMAMADE for £10 off your first order - www.drinklaylo.com