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If you’re looking to buy the cheapest bottle of wine without sacrificing quality, look no further than Portugal.
The European country is the least expensive place to buy a bottle of quality wine. According to CompareMyJet’s “World’s Wine Habit Index,” the average 750ml glass of wine in Portugal costs £3.49, or about $4.17.
For comparison, the average price of a bottle of wine in the United States is more than three times the price you’d pay in Portugal. Regardless of size or origin, the average price in the US is about $13.36 as of January 2023, according to Federal Reserve data.
CompareMyJet compiled the average prices of alcohol in 38 countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). CNBC Make It converted all prices from Pounds to the US Dollar equivalent as of February 23, 2023.
Here are the 10 least expensive countries to buy a bottle of wine.
Whether it’s high or low, “price has nothing to do with the quality or taste of the wine,” John Thorson, author of “Reverse Wine Snob,” told CNBC Make It in 2019.
However, some experts recommend staying away from the cheapest options. The wine, priced at less than $20, is mass-produced and farmed with synthetic pesticides and fungicides, Mark Osborne, head sommelier at SomeSelect, told CNBC Make It earlier this month.
Osborne has tasted more than 15,000 bottles of wine and says a good bottle usually costs between $30 and $60.
To find a good deal, look for wine from a place off the beaten path. Because name recognition can drive up value, areas that aren’t as well-known tend to cost less than more popular areas, Osborne says.
Instead of reaching for an expensive bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, try getting one from somewhere nearby like Paso Robles, California, Ray Isle, executive wine editor for “Food & Wine,” told CNBC Make It in 2019. told.
“I always suggest looking to lesser known regions and less familiar grapes—that’s where some of the great deals are,” says Isle.
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