Regarding the Sept. 9 Weekend Scene article, "Going crazy for vintage wines": Amid the global economic problems for the average person and the sad effects of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accidents, I am sorry to see an article about very high-priced wines that are out of the reach of most wine-lovers. It belongs in a wine collector's magazine/blog — not a newspaper.
Wine importers wonder why the average wine consumer in Japan spends only ¥700 to ¥1,000 a bottle. Is it not because that is what most people can afford in these times?
I would rather see articles on great, yet affordable, wine finds. Yes, plenty out there are made by wineries that don't spend most of their budget on marketing, flashy lifestyles or extra heavy bottles with artists' labels to create a great impression.
I have tasted fantastic, yet affordable, wines that importers could barely give away because the wines were from lesser known grapes and regions, or from smaller wineries with low PR budgets. I would love to read more stories behind those wines.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.