Photo courtesy of roarksfork

During the summer the banks of the Seine provide popular grounds for a picnic. Cheese and bread are easy to handle, but wine—the most important part—isn’t always as easy to choose. Here are two simple guidelines for picking a good cheap bottle of wine, red or white, from a sea of options.

1. The Golden Rule is to never pay under €3. Yes, there are some bottles out there for €1.50, but we really, really wouldn’t recommend drinking them. And truthfully, shelling out €4 will result in a huge quality boost. Less than €3 and you’re just paying too much for a bottle of vinegar.

2. Make sure you pick a bottle with a year on the label. The inclusion of the year on the label means that all the grapes used were from the same season, and indicates the contents have been controlled rigorously for quality. An additional tip: If you can find a label that states “mis en bouteille à la propriété” (bottled on the same property where the grapes were grown) that’s another good sign.

Cheers, but proceed with caution! In France, you must look everyone in the eyes when you clink glasses or you’ll be cursed with seven years of bad luck in love.

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