This all started with an oxtail.
But let me back up to Saturday.
I was going through my emails a week ago and noticed that I had a gift card for a massage, from my mother-in-law that I got for my birthday in March. Truth be told, I have been juggling working on building BkTek Apparel and YaadWine.com for the last seven months, and so there is little time for anything.
This came right in time, as I was getting what 9-to-5ers call the typing shoulders. So I welcomed the massage.
I was gonna do it on Saturday because that is my only day off, and I was gonna make a little self-care day out of it. I cleared my Saturday evening, booked the massage, and started the countdown. The plan for the day was to get a bottle of wine on my way back, make myself a nice dinner, and relax.
I was craving a tuna sandwich: fresh tuna, purple kale from our garden, fresh tomatoes, and a little bit of cheddar on a fresh baguette. And by God, that's what I was gonna eat.
As Saturday came around, I had to move the massage up by two hours. Okay, that would give me some time to walk the neighborhood afterward, take in the Saturday scenery, see how the weekenders live, and grab a bottle of wine.
After the massage, I got a little lazy and decided not to cook but to get the tuna sandwich from this new spot in the 'hood. But then two things happened on my way to the wine store: I completely forgot the name of the tuna place, and I couldn't Google it. And I didn't feel like walking much further away from the direction of my apartment. I wanted to get home quickly, away from the New York dog poop and the grossness of what has become the streets of the city.
I was also feeling too relaxed and too clean for all a dat.
I decided to stop by this "popular" wine store. And I use that word loosely. Also, I used to sell wines, so it's been years since I went into a wine store to buy and not to sell.
Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before.
Boy, oh boy, to my surprise, the cheapest bottle of wine was $20 plus tax. A regular bottle of Malbec from Cahors, nothing to see here. I am usually not a big fan of Malbec in general, but I was back on the road again and felt like living a little.
A little backstory about me: I have been in the wine business for a while now, over ten years. In the beginning, when you first get into wine, you tend to gravitate toward the first wines you tasted that were great, and also the more expensive bottles. So before, $20 would have seemed low to me and my little wine knowledge.
But over the years, I have come to know that you can find some of the best bottles in unexpected places and for unexpected prices when you know what to look for. Also, I am currently operating on an opening-two-businesses budget, and I haven't bought a bottle of wine in over two years. I usually have samples on me. Before that, if I found a bottle I hadn't seen in a while, I would get it at whatever price.
Oh, the budget-free days!
So, because I was already there, I was not leaving without something.
It was pretty quiet in there, and this was 2 p.m. on a Saturday, so it was just me and the wine lady.
She offered to help, which was nice, but I had a one-track mind: grab a bottle and go. I noticed a bottle of wine that didn't readily say the grape, so I asked.
She knew the wines in the store. I will give her that. But even though I was in the $30-and-under section, not by choice, but by inflation, I noticed everything she was recommending was not in the section I was asking about.
I won't knock her for trying to upsell. As someone who has worked in the wine industry in many different sectors, I have always observed that if you meet customers where they are at, you will gain trust and get them to purchase more than if you try to upsell them on one bottle.
I swear I should teach a class.
But that is neither here nor there.
Needless to say, I grabbed the bottle of Malbec and bounced.
After walking through an impromptu farmers market on Myrtle, I grabbed a few things at Billy's and went home.
Funny how a free $150 massage ended up costing me $100 within two hours.
ON A BUDGET OVER HERE!
Fast forward to Sunday.
While we were grocery shopping, I picked up a pack of oxtail and thought we should have a nice little date-night dinner sometime that week. It's been a while since I made a meal that took more than an hour.
I prepped and marinated, and on Thursday I started what would be one of the best oxtails I have ever made to date, according to my husband, of course.
He was a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant, but I am the better cook. I like to remind myself.
Now, all day Thursday, I was going back and forth about whether we should get a bottle of wine for dinner and, if we did, which one.
The back and forth is partly because we are not big drinkers.
Shocker, right?
I get this a lot: how do you sell wines but not drink as much?
My answer:
Because one is a job.
The other is a lifestyle.
And also, chile, I drank enough in my younger years to last me for two decades.
I mean, I do drink on vacations, outings, and special occasions. And sometimes those special occasions are on a Thursday when I am having oxtail for dinner.
So the fun part for me was going to the wine store, a little store that many would look down on, and searching through all the racks to find the most precious gems for around $12–$20.
Which I did.
And for context, I live in the fourth-coolest neighborhood in the world according to Time Out magazine a few years ago, so things haven't been exactly cheap around here. I will take the win and the wine.
Budget queen, please and thanks.
I got two organic wines for $28.
I didn't even know I needed them,
But, the one we opened with the oxtail was the perfect pairing.
A Spanish Garnacha from Pago del Vicario.
Boy, let me tell you, one of my favorite things to do now is to go to wine stores that are mostly liquor stores, you know the ones I am talking about, take my sweet time, and go through the racks.
I always find wines that either the owner didn't know they had, or they got for a great price and hence priced for a steal. I usually let them know too.
If you are ever in the mood, try it.
A little budget-friendly tip for you.
And this brings me to my question:
How do you navigate buying wine in a time of inflation?
This is something I have been noticing more and more.
Blame it on the economy,
Blame it on the tariffs,
Blame it on the a, a, alcohol.
Businesses are being sold or shutting down. Wines that some shops or restaurants would never have carried before are now their best sellers. People are learning about or seeking out wine regions they wouldn't normally be interested in.
And wine clubs are the new Orange, sorry, skin contact.
It's no secret that people across the country are feeling a lot of financial pressure. Hell, across the world. And it's showing in the way people shop and the way they look for things.
In this city, going to restaurants used to be everyone's favorite thing to do, and now I notice dinner parties have taken over. This could be a remnant of the pandemic, or it could just be cheaper for people to pick up a bottle or two and hang out.
Or it's just more fulfilling, whether emotionally or financially.
Buyers are now giving "regular" reps the time of day. If the wine has something to say, they are willing to take a chance on it for the price rather than for the scores.
Popular wines are now popping up everywhere. Wine stores and wine lists are all starting to carry the same wines. And when I find an unusual list, it's more of a birthday or anniversary spend.
I remember a time, not too long ago, when buyers would give you the third degree if they knew you were selling the same wines to their competition. Now people are asking for them. I know this one buyer who won't even give you a chance unless you can tell him what restaurants you sell to in his neighborhood and how customers are liking the wine.
And now that has become my job?
Welcome to capitalism.
And either way, buying wine has changed.
From what I observed in the field, small farmers have more of a say now. They give you better wines at competitive prices while keeping your wine knowledge updated. Buyers love asking for small farmers and low-intervention wines when what they really want are "closed-out" wines with a great story to tell.
I mean, if you are on a budget and you like wine, you still want quality at the lowest price. No questions asked.
Here are a few tips, or a little "you heard it here first."
Don't be afraid of wine and wine terms. Let your palate be your guide. Nobody knows what you want more than you do. And ask a lot of questions, even if you are just looking for a $15 bottle.
People are there to help, and if they judge, move to the next place.
You have options.
Snobbery in wine is so last season. Or last economic boom, I should say. Research what you want at home and how much you want to spend. The internet can help you lock in a few selections before you go.
And if you're like me, go to the places less traveled and spend a few minutes to an hour looking for the wines and the prices you want. You will find what you need.
At restaurants, the staff are there to help. Inflation has a way of making people learn their tools and come prepared.
Search the wine list online and get familiar with it if you are the shy type. After all, everyone needs a little wine knowledge in their life.
And as always,
when in doubt, check out the wines by the glass. Contrary to what you've heard, a good wine bar or restaurant will have some amazing wines by the glass, because that is usually their entry and they want to win you over.
Be patient.
And if you are curious,
sometimes you get a little bit more than what you pay for.
