If wine snobs are to be believed, it’s worth forking out a small fortune when buying a bottle. Anything less than a fiver and the liquid is basically vinegar. But this isn’t always the case – as this £5.98 bottle of Malbec proves. Sold by Asda, La Moneda Reserva Malbec beat 16,000 rivals in a blind taste test last year to win the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards competition. Decanter gave it 95 points (out of 100 – a huge feat, especially for a cheap wine) when it won the best ‘single-variety red costing under £15’ category. And such was the demand for the wallet-friendly wine, that Walmart had to start selling it over in the states for $6.96. So, how did one of the world’s best-rated wines end up on the shelves of Asda and Walmart – rather than somewhere like Harrods? Well, the answer lies in its not-so-romantic production. According to The Washington Post, the Malbec is produced by Chile’s largest wine exporter Ranco Wines, which ships more than 80 million litres of wine a year to over 25 countries.

That works out at about 107 million bottles. Far from being a product of rustic barrels, it’s mass produced in large stainless steel ‘tank farms’ which can hold umpteen gallons – and that scale means that it’s cheap to produce in bulk. And in the case of La Moneda, it’s shipped to the UK where it’s then bottled. best wine kits to buyThe fact it’s packaged in Britain dramatically reduces the overall cost.name of wine company in india The fact that it’s only available here at Asda also means that there is none of those usual marketing cost ‘s required when building a brand and pitching to various businesses.best wine for a party 2013 State-side, Walmart claims to have bought all the La Moneda that hasn’t been snapped up by Asda – meaning that although other American companies can ask to be a distributor, there isn’t any available to them.buy french wine london

But whatever the reason, the point stands there’s world-class wine being sold at Asda for under a fiver. And it’s not going anywhere. See you at Asda, people. MORE: This sneaky wine-loving mum has just won Twitter with her genius hackbest wine trips france MORE: Experts are now adding salt to their wine to improve the flavourbest wine of turkey MORE: Celebrate Wet February with these medal-winning winesbest red wine to pair with pasta There's more to wine than two-dollar Night Train. best red wines that are not dryIn the mid-'80s, billionaire Malcolm Forbes paid approximately $155,000 at auction for a bottle of wine. is wine and beer shop open today

The bottle, which was believed to have come from Thomas Jefferson's own collection and dated back to 1787, was then put on display under strong lights and at the wrong angle. These conditions eventually made the cork fall into the bottle, and the wine lost its value and was thrown away. Yes, it's true that you don't have to pay a fortune for a bottle of wine, but keep in mind that you usually get what you pay for. If you really want to impress that special lady, show her your cellar of fine wines — or at least display your knowledge of them. Read on to discover the ten most expensive wines available on the market. Note that all prices are in US dollars and were evaluated on the basis of a 750 ml bottle from a retailer. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. In the mid-18th century, a French politician was about to be shipped off overseas, but not before visiting a physician. The doctor prescribed him some Lafite wine as a tonic. This politician enjoyed it so much that he offered some bottles to King Louis XV, and before long this wine became the star of Versailles and was dubbed "the King's wine."

Remarkably dark, it sports mineral aromas of mint and black currant. Flavorful, its texture is silky and lingers in the mouth. Its color is almost black, yet it couldn't taste farther from ink. Containing passionate fragrances of blackberry and cassis, this smooth and racy vintage is powerful but still manages to be compact in its fruit structure. This vineyard goes back a thousand years and it has definitely mastered the art. The 1995 vintage recalls the 1986 for its complexity but it's also a good reminder of the 1990 for its elegance. The 1994 version is also quite expensive. What distinguishes Haut Brion is the fact that it produced the oldest Bordeaux in the world. Founded in 1550, Jean de Pontac built everything from the ground up for the sole purpose of winemaking. Soon after, he opened a tavern in London to serve his wine exclusively. It was an undeniable success. This red 1982 vintage is still youthful and quite spectacular, holding its own against the best wines in the world.

It has matured well with time but isn't expected to improve in years to come. So drink it soon! Remember the Lafite Rothschild? The Chteau Mouton originated from the English branch of the same family in the mid-19th century. They were the first to launch special labels designed by famous artists such as Chagall, Picasso and Warhol after World War II. Selected as one of the top ten wines of 1986 by Wine Spectator magazine, this Chteau Mouton will recall memories of chocolate, raspberries and spices. This palatable vintage leaves an incredibly elongated aftertaste. La Mondotte was purchased by the Neipperg family at the same time that they bought Chteau Canon-La-Gaffelire and Clos de l'Oratoire. Therefore, this tiny vineyard of little more than 11 acres was condemned to play second fiddle for a number of years. But in 1996, La Mondotte reached maturity and exploded on the wine scene. Fairly fruity and exotic, this vintage is lavish and has a lengthy finish. It is often compared to Le Pin.