The market demands lower-priced wines, as consumers are buying down, not less. She and her team embraced the challenge of seeking out great value wines, and spent four months tasting 500 wines, whilst the new online warehouse website was being built. Only fifty wines were chosen for stock, ranging from R25 – R59 per bottle. This range will be in stock for six months, after which a new selection will be made. Their mantra was as follows: all wines must retail at under R59. They had to over-deliver in terms of quality/value at the price. Each wine had to be typical of its cultivar, tasty, vibrant, juicy and balanced. What’s more, it had to be something of which the customer would be happy to have bought 6 bottles, as the wines are sold in unsplit cases of 6 x 750ml. There are also mixed dozens available. Tasting took place in groups of grape cultivars ( Sauvignon Blancs, Chenins, etc) and in price-bands of R20-R29; R30-R39; R40-R49; and R50-R59. No more than twenty wines were tasted per session, so that they could have a fresh palate all the way through to the last wine. They have made sure not to use any wines which the big supermarkets and bottle-store chains sell - rather going for their own picks from smaller farms and cellars in the Cape. Visit www.carolineswinewarehouse.co.za for value you cannot beat.