What with the terrible economic climate and those cold winds blowing down from Siberia, it makes sense to weather out this winter snuggled up in a warm blanket with a nice bottle of red wine and a good novel. In this spirit, we've made the rounds of the stores searching for bargain reds that will raise your spirits but won't ruin your finances. So dust off your copy of "War and Peace" and hunker down with our guide to reasonably priced reds.
First something for the claret fans who must be feeling the pinch: Despite a poor vintage in 2007, prices for the wines of top chateaux continue to rise to dizzying heights. Wines from the legendary balmy summer of 2005, which produced some stupendous reds, must seem impossibly far out of reach for many right now, especially those from sought-after regions such as St. Emilion and Margaux. This is all the more reason to seek out new producers in the Bordeaux area, for example, Chateau Fongrave in the less popular (for reds) Entre-Deux- Mers region. Now in its sixth vintage, this relatively unknown chateau is producing some very elegant wines. The 2005 can be bought for a mere ¥1,350 at Cave de Relax (1-6-11 Nishi-Shinbashi, Tokyo; [03] 3595-3697; www.cavederelax.com ) and is a lovely deep wine with chewy tannins and flavors of raspberry and cherry.
Alternatively, a little further south from the borders of Bordeaux lies Chateau Bouscasse in Madiran. The fabulous 2005 vintage is excellent value for money at ¥2,520 and is available from Wine Market Party in Yebisu Garden Palace (4-20-7 Ebisu, Tokyo; [03] 5424-2582; www.partywine.com ). Scents of cherries and violets are followed up by a dark berry taste and meaty tannins.