Polish President serves a EUR 12 wine to the Belgian royal couple

[Martinus]

http://www.lesoir.be/1021293/article/vins/actu-vins/2015-10-20/president-polonais-sert-un-vin-12-euros-au-couple-royal

Sorry, the article is in French, but the best part (if you can read it) is how well researched it is, with numerous sommeliers being asked to comment.

My reaction was Valmy-approved - it would not have been a scandal if Belgium took a hint from France - thanks to whom noone bothers any more with what kind of wine should be served to French monarchs.

Aux armes, citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Marchons, marchons,
Qu'un vin impur
abreuve nos sillons.

[Valmy]

The Belgians went to prison during the Revolution rather than swear to reject monarchy. It obviously means alot to them 

[Solmyr]

Also, the price of wine has absolutely no relation to its quality.

[DGuller]

Also, the price of wine has absolutely no relation to its quality.

Depends on whether you know what the price is.

[The Minsky Moment]

It's a perfectly good wine.  And the price point is quite appropriate for a public function using public money.

Even France is coming around to this - the mayor of Dijon recently sold off a bunch of expensive 1er and grand cru wines.

[Martinus]

It's a perfectly good wine.  And the price point is quite appropriate for a public function using public money.

Even France is coming around to this - the mayor of Dijon recently sold off a bunch of expensive 1er and grand cru wines.

I quoted you in response to someone on Facebook. You have been described as an upper class NYC wine connoisseur - I hope this is accurate.

[Eddie Teach]

He might tell you that he can't be upper class because he works for a living. That's what other upper class lawyers on this board say, anyway.

[The Minsky Moment]

America doesn't have an upper class.  We all are middle class.  That way everyone gets their taxes cut.

[Archy]

Small remark. Our royal family is German,  with Spanish and Italian smitterlings. The Swedish royals are more French than ours. Our current queen is from Polish descent,  so our next Monarch will have also some Polack blood

[Monoriu]

What's wrong with EUR 12 wine?  We are talking about using public money.  It is very inappropriate if the wine is a lot more expensive than that.  Official dinners should never be extravagant. 

[Brazen]

Well quite. Lidl wine is always beating far more expensive brands in blind taste test.

[Syt]

I had a quick look at Austrian shop Wein & Co. and what they have for under €13, and it shows plenty red and whites that have 91 Falstaff points or better which for me translates to "good enough."

[Brazen]

So what do you pay for wine? For home drinking I go for "whatever French or Australian red is on offer at around £7". In a restaurant I fall into the "second cheapest" trap, which is apparently where they price their bin ends and bad purchases.

[Syt]

I usually go with Austrian Whites for ~€5.-

If I feel fancy, I might pay 10.-

[celedhring]

There's a bunch of very decent wines to be had around the €6-€7 price mark around here.

This, one, for example, is my favorite affordable Ribera del Duero:

https://www.vinissimus.com/es/vinos/tinto/detalle_vino.html?id_vino=prorb13

And yes, the first time I sampled it, it was because of Starcraft