Ignore the Second-Cheapest Wine on the Menu — Here’s Why You Should Drink the Cheapest Instead

You may have heard that old adage about skipping the cheapest bottle on the wine list for fear of choosing a bottle of inferior quality, or simply being viewed as a tightwad. Instead, many people believe it’s safer to opt for the second-cheapest option to save face and select a better bottle while still pocketing a few extra bucks. 

However, the lowest-priced option is often a menu’s best-kept secret, an intentional addition used to showcase a bottle that overdelivers for its price point. 

“At a restaurant with a wine program the team is proud of, every bottle on the list deserves its place,” says Kelsey Glasser, owner and sommelier of Arden in Portland, Oregon. “A good sommelier isn’t going to put a wine on the list that they don’t generally believe in.”

Still, if you’re dining at a new-to-you restaurant or you’re just not sure about the list, how can you tell when the cheapest wine is worth ordering or when you should take a pass?

Why are we still skipping the cheapest bottle?

News flash: The most wallet-friendly option isn’t necessarily lowest in quality, just as the second-cheapest isn’t automatically a huge step up. So where did this misconception come about? 

According to Gabrielle Wojcik, director of food and beverage at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, California, that advice started when restaurants began padding margins on entry-level wines, knowing that budget-minded diners would linger in the lower-priced section. However, things have changed. 

“Today, competitive wine programs recognize that a guest’s first glass shapes their entire impression,” says Wojcik. “A thoughtful operator uses the bottom of the list to earn trust, not exploit it.”

Russ Jackson, director of outlets at The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, believes that the most well-constructed wine lists seamlessly balance cost and value to provide lots of quality options that could easily slide into that lowest-priced slot. Eschewing them just because of their dollar value is misguided and short-sighted. Besides, he adds, “if you don’t feel good about the most affordable wine, the second and third options will usually be just as disappointing.”

When is the cheapest bottle worth ordering?

Often, whether or not to take a chance on the wine with the smallest price tag comes down to trust in the establishment and the wine buyer who put it on the list. Put succinctly, a restaurant or bar should be proud of its cheapest bottle, since it’s reflective of the ethos of their entire wine program. After all, it’s incongruous to list lauded grand cru Burgundy or vintage Champagne if the offerings at lower price points aren’t equally thoughtful and delicious, says Jaryd M. Spann, sommelier at Fiola in Washington, D.C. 

“Every bottle should belong, and no guest should feel like they didn’t get a great experience, no matter how much money they spent,” says Spann.

If you still need some convincing, though, there are some other clues that’ll tip you off.

“If there’s a robust by-the-glass list, wine pairings or an actual titled sommelier, chances are they’ve put in just as much care into the least expensive bottle as the trophy wines.” says Glasser.

Wojcik suggests looking for regional diversity of grapes and regions at every price tier, producer credibility that includes smaller or estate-focused producers, and a stylistic fit with the menu.

Certain regions such as Spain, Portugal, South America, and California’s Central Coast, and grapes like Grüner Veltliner, Gamay, and Pinot Gris often offer exceptional value, with aromas and flavors that belie their modest price tags.

When should you skip the cheapest bottle after all?

Savvy wine lovers should learn the red flags that’ll stir them to say “thanks, but no thanks” to the menu’s least spendy wine. One is a large jump in price between the least and second-least expensive bottles. According to Jackson, that often signals the former was added merely to check off a pricing box — it shouldn’t be that much of an outlier.

Wojcik also points to vague, generic listings like “house white,” a grape or region listed without a producer or vintage, extreme markups on mass-market brands, and older vintages on wines meant to be consumed when they’re young and fresh, such as many crisp whites, non-vintage sparkling wines, rosés, and lighter-bodied reds, as reasons why you might want to opt for another selection. 

But barring any warning signs, don’t spend more simply because you think you should. The only difference at the end of the night might be a bigger bill.