U.S. consumers are buying more wine in the $9 to $12 price bracket — with sales in this range up more than 12% from last year, according to Nielsen.

Noting that trend, the Chicago Tribune recently offered tips for selecting good but inexpensive wines. 

“With the economy nose-diving and costs rising, what we all really need is a good, cheap, drink,” Bill Daley, the Tribune’s food and wine critic, wrote Wednesday.