Our Critic Wants You to Try These Supermarket Wines.

[elleng]

They sell millions of bottles every year. How do these mass-produced bottles differ from small-production wines, if at all?

'For years, I have emphasized the importance of small-production wines. They are often the most interesting, most distinctive wines available.

This is not to demean larger producers who are conscientious about their work. I have made the case as well for big Champagne houses, Bordeaux producers, Burgundy négociants and others. But generally speaking, mass-produced wines are often another category, tailored to fit a preconceived notion in which flavor, texture and color have been carefully tested for popular appeal.

Some of these wines are like processed foods, laboratory creations in which the product is fabricated with enzymes, yeasts, tannins and other enhancers until the goal is met. Others are produced in simpler ways more recognizable to generations of winemakers. Either way, they have achieved popularity on a mass scale.

Love these wines or hate them, they are worth getting to know. So this month we will taste three American crowd-pleasers, reds from California that are among the most popular wines in the country.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/dining/drinks/wine-school-assignment-grocery-store-wine.html

[snowybirdie]

1. I suggest this

snooty critic try Black Box Wine in several varieties. Always do the trick

[FM123]

2. Thanks, I think I will!

Cheers!

[Adsos Letter]

3. The Apothic red is excellent!

I'm not much of a red wine guy (my taste runs more toward steel aged Chardonnay, and the sweeter whites) but the Apothic red is great. It's one of the very few reds that I can relax and enjoy.

[elleng]

4. Thanks. I drink little, wine or otherwise,

and am fussy about wine, like it smooth, that's the most important attribute for me. Is the Apothic smooth?

[Adsos Letter]

5. Compared to other reds? I think so.

I truly dislike the oak taste of so many reds, but the Apothic is quite drinkable to my palate.

Like you I prefer smoother wines, hence my preference for steel aged Chardonnays and the sweeter whites.

We live about 10 minutes from Napa (and the entrance to the Napa Valley). We went on a tasting drive a few days ago and sampled a red that was delicious, and without any hint of oak. I'll have to ask my wife what the name was, as I've forgotten.

Our favorite all around winery is V. Sattui, and I probably tasted it there.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. The only time I tried Apothic red I found it almost undrinkable.

I will never be willing to try it again.

[Dave in VA]

6. Love red wines

Thanks for the post.

Here's a little something to help you get in the mood...

[The empressof all]

8. We really enjoy Tavernello Brand

I can't get it anymore in Washington State and hording the last of our case. They make both bottle and box. Very drinkable and affordable enough to use liberally in cooking.