It's 5 o'clock somewhere.

You know the moment. Standing in the wine section, already holding a full basket of groceries, late for a dinner party. Or a friend’s drinks. Or you’ve just had a really long week, OKAY?

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The choices swirl around you. A robust red? A fruity white? Is earthy a good thing? How can a wine be buttery? Hints of pear? Hints of leather? Of GASOLINE?

The bank balance is looking questionable, but fresher days have long passed, and it’s no longer acceptable (or bearable) to drink something that costs less than a $2 scratchie.

Before you give up and defer to a box of Favourites, I present to you - Aldi’s Second Cheapest Bottle of Wine.

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South Point Estate, a South Australian operation, supplies Australia’s favourite (according to Canstar 2019) grocery retailer with a range of wines, including a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sparkling Chardonnay, Moscato, Pink Moscato, and a Rosé. And all for the flat price of $4.99.


Here’s the magic of South Point Estate: for champions of Aldi, it is known that their wines are surprisingly tasty, the Moscato, Pinot Grigio, and Rosé even having won awards in multiple competitions. Compared to the cheapest bottle of wine at Aldi (Precious Earth, at $2.99), South Point Estate is leagues apart.
For the Aldi illiterate, the discreet packaging, foil award medallions, and palatable taste profile, allow South Point Estate to slip past the realm of vinegary, goon-esque cheap wines, and blend in amongst other higher priced bottles at the dinner party.

Additionally, because you’ve saved money, you can mix your chardonnay with ice and soda water, or even use it in cocktails, and not feel as though you are committing a crime against grapes.
Our personal favourite, the Pinot Grigio, is a light, bright white that pairs perfectly with a cheeseboard and a catchup.

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In caveat to luxury brands, the approachable price of South Point Estate wines brings the benefit of a broader market. For groups who typically have tighter budgets (such as young adults), having alcohol options that aren’t inherently embarrassing to buy, and don’t require a grimace to choke down, are important when trying to assimilate into adult society.

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The packaging of the wines also creates an advantage. With label appearance outweighing all other factors by far (Wine.net 2016), South Point Estate’s design seeks to be classically refined. A white background and minimalistic patterns make the design inoffensive, without hinting at a bargain price.

In addition to this, the condition of being the Second Cheapest Bottle of Wine in itself holds merit. Endorsed by various sketch shows and television episodes, the Second Cheapest Bottle has become its own category: for people who don’t know much about wine, but still want to appear capable. Naturally, more expensive wine brands will never be included in this group.

The Second Cheapest mentality is related to risk-aversion; where shoppers don’t have means to buy a wine that is guaranteed to be good (in terms of money or knowledge), in order to lower anxieties, buying a bottle that is definitively not the worst allows for peace of mind (Desrochers & Outreville 2016). Even if the wine is not mind-blowing, the consumer can breathe easy knowing that they could have been worse off (by buying the cheapest bottle), and they have made the best of an uncertain situation.


Within the microcosm of Aldi supermarkets, a business model of constantly changing stockists means that very few products are permanent. South Point Estate Wines are one of the few constants in the liquor section.
Following the Second Cheapest principle, South Point Estate triumphs - consumers don’t necessarily have to recognise, or have experience with the brand. Even if a customer is shopping on behalf of someone else, requesting the “second cheapest Pinot Grigio” would likely lead to the eventual purchase of a South Point Estate product.

In this purchase decision, price is the defining factor. No matter how delicious a more expensive wine is, South Point Estate’s demographic are unlikely to change their (cost-driven) behaviour. Their products resonate with budget-consumed consumers who aspire to participate in earthly pleasures.

South Point Estate strikes a chord with enthusiasts as an unpretentious, easy to drink wine. Widely available through Aldi retailers, and easily recognisable either as a brand or under the theory of Second Cheapest. When you need a (responsibly consumed) drink, South Point Estate Winery provides a worthy alternative to the extremes of unsavoury “wine products”, and pompous overpriced bottles.

Cheers to that.

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References:

Canstar Blue 2019, Supermarket Satisfaction Ratings, viewed 19 March 2020, https://www.canstarblue.com.au/stores-services/supermarkets/

CollegeHumor 2012, Second Cheapest Wine, online video, viewed 18 March 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlg3H1StHpQ

Desrochers, J & Outreville, JF 2016, ‘Perceived risk: an experimental investigation of consumer behavior when buying wine’, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 549-559.

Pollack, H 2016, ‘Everyone Really Is Just Picking Their Wine Based on the Label’, Vice, web log post, viewed 18 March 2020, https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xymmnd/everyone-really-is-just-picking-their-wine-based-on-the-label

Wine.net 2016, Wine Bottle Talk: Does The Label Matter, viewed 18 March 2020, https://www.wine.net/wine-bottle-talk/ 

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