
As we’ve noted in several recent columns, the grape made famous by the iconic and insanely expensive red wines of Burgundy, France is notoriously hard to grow well – typically requiring cooler growing regions like Burgundy’s. And it’s also more finicky once harvested and at the winery. That’s probably why good pinot generally costs noticeably more than most other wine varieties (though there are other wacky reasons related to the laws of supply and demand for the astronomical prices of wines from the prestigious estates of Burgundy). There are plenty of great wines of all types that can be had for $10 a bottle or less, but with a few notable exceptions (like this and this), good bottle of pinot will usually set you back a minimum of $12 to $14.