Sometimes grocery store wines can truly surprise me. It’s rare, but it does happen. Take the case of Cupcake Vineyards. In all honesty I’ve seen these wines lately displayed in large stacks at the grocery store. When I see wines displayed like this I typically pass them over, assuming they’re just some un-quaffable mass-produced grocery store concoction with cute marketing. But having tried them recently I admittedly have developed a different opinion. Yes, I, "Mary Cressler the stubborn", had a change of heart, and I’m so glad I did. I love these humbling moments, and thus sharing them with you.
Cupcake Vineyards is located in Monterey County, California, but they make wines from a variety of regions throughout the world. The three wines below represent fruit from two different states in the US and two different continents.
What I found pleasant is that it is not as overly pungent or harshly acidic as many Sauvignon Blancs from the same region. The acidity was strong, but not distracting. There was nothing really complex about this wine, but for the price point I have to admit, it is a zesty, bright and refreshing value. If you are looking for something easy and refreshing without ever regretting what you paid for it, you should check out this wine. It is a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at almost half the price of the popular Kim Crawford. I’m not gonna lie to you, this ain’t bad for a $7 bottle of wine!
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc Retail: between $7-$12 (currently on sale for $7.99 at Fred Meyer)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food Pairing: Fresh mixed green salad with goat cheese.
2009 Dry Riesling
To me this wine was Riesling on the nose, but Sauvignon Blanc on the palate.
The wine began with typical Riesling notes on the nose of sweet pears, peaches, apples, nectarine, with a little bit of pineapple, followed by a mouth full of tangy citrus, lemon, lime and green apple, and finishing dry.
This wine is missing the minerality that is beautiful in a great Riesling, but there was really no flaws in it. Admittedly, it’s a pretty nice little summer sipper. What you should expect, however, is sweet bright fruit on the nose turning into a dry citrus explosion in the mouth with strong acidity. You’ll also find this wine has a higher alcohol level (13%) than a traditional style Riesling (typically 9-11%), but if you can find it for under $10, then I’d say it is a decent choice for an easy drinking refreshing wine so long as you’re not expecting a mineraly German style Riesling.
Appellation: Colombia Valley, Washington
Grapes: Riesling
Retail: $7-$14
Alcohol: 13.2%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food pairing: I paired the wine with a roasted chicken and a tossed green salad. It was a pretty solid food pairing because the richness of the chicken softened the strong acidity on the wine.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast
Initially this wine was tight with closed and subtle earthy flavors, but after a quick dive through the *Vinturi (aerator), the wine showed its bright and rich big fruit flavors. What evolved was aromas of black berries, black cherry and plum fruit with some spice and pepper. The mouth was spicy, medium bodied, with more black berry, cherry, raspberry fruit, and more spice, along with some decent tannins (though not strong).
Overall, the wine is simple but certainly decent, and for under $10, you’re hard pressed to find another California Cab that could stand up to this one for the price. Definitely worth a shot if you see it at the store for $10 or under.
*If you don’t have a Vinturi just pour a few ounces into your glass and let it just sit in your glass for a few minutes, swirling ever so often. It allows for the wine to open up faster. Ahh yeah.
Appellation: Central Coast, California
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail: $7-$14
Alcohol %: 13.50%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Overall, I was impressed with the quality at the price point for these wines. These wines are all currently on sale at my local Fred Meyer grocery store for $7.99, and are certainly worth it for that price. Before receiving these samples it is unlikely I would have picked up a bottle, but now I know that in a whim, I would be confident knowing that they would be nice wines for an everyday no brainer go-to wine.
These wines were provided as media samples for review; but I did go buy the Chardonnay today as I saw it while shopping and looking forward to reporting about it.
Cupcake Vineyards is located in Monterey County, California, but they make wines from a variety of regions throughout the world. The three wines below represent fruit from two different states in the US and two different continents.
2009 Sauvignon Blanc
So, we all know how I feel about Sauvignon Blanc, yes? Well if you don’t you can check out here and here for some of my previous thoughts on the varietal. It’s typically not my cup of tea, outside of the Loire Valley, but I was pleasantly surprised by this little baby. If you are a Sauvignon Blanc fan, please read further. I think you'll be happy with what you find.
This refreshing wine is screaming for some summertime weather! The nose was spot on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, very grassy with tropical pineapple scents along with citrus notes of grapefruit, lemon and lime. The mouth, a bit tart but still refreshing, continued with grassy notes and flavors of grapefruit, more lemon and lemon peel.What I found pleasant is that it is not as overly pungent or harshly acidic as many Sauvignon Blancs from the same region. The acidity was strong, but not distracting. There was nothing really complex about this wine, but for the price point I have to admit, it is a zesty, bright and refreshing value. If you are looking for something easy and refreshing without ever regretting what you paid for it, you should check out this wine. It is a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at almost half the price of the popular Kim Crawford. I’m not gonna lie to you, this ain’t bad for a $7 bottle of wine!
Appellation: Marlborough, New Zealand Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc Retail: between $7-$12 (currently on sale for $7.99 at Fred Meyer)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food Pairing: Fresh mixed green salad with goat cheese.
2009 Dry Riesling
To me this wine was Riesling on the nose, but Sauvignon Blanc on the palate.
The wine began with typical Riesling notes on the nose of sweet pears, peaches, apples, nectarine, with a little bit of pineapple, followed by a mouth full of tangy citrus, lemon, lime and green apple, and finishing dry.
This wine is missing the minerality that is beautiful in a great Riesling, but there was really no flaws in it. Admittedly, it’s a pretty nice little summer sipper. What you should expect, however, is sweet bright fruit on the nose turning into a dry citrus explosion in the mouth with strong acidity. You’ll also find this wine has a higher alcohol level (13%) than a traditional style Riesling (typically 9-11%), but if you can find it for under $10, then I’d say it is a decent choice for an easy drinking refreshing wine so long as you’re not expecting a mineraly German style Riesling.
Appellation: Colombia Valley, Washington
Grapes: Riesling
Retail: $7-$14
Alcohol: 13.2%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
Food pairing: I paired the wine with a roasted chicken and a tossed green salad. It was a pretty solid food pairing because the richness of the chicken softened the strong acidity on the wine.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast
Initially this wine was tight with closed and subtle earthy flavors, but after a quick dive through the *Vinturi (aerator), the wine showed its bright and rich big fruit flavors. What evolved was aromas of black berries, black cherry and plum fruit with some spice and pepper. The mouth was spicy, medium bodied, with more black berry, cherry, raspberry fruit, and more spice, along with some decent tannins (though not strong).
Overall, the wine is simple but certainly decent, and for under $10, you’re hard pressed to find another California Cab that could stand up to this one for the price. Definitely worth a shot if you see it at the store for $10 or under.
*If you don’t have a Vinturi just pour a few ounces into your glass and let it just sit in your glass for a few minutes, swirling ever so often. It allows for the wine to open up faster. Ahh yeah.
Appellation: Central Coast, California
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Retail: $7-$14
Alcohol %: 13.50%
Where to find: Widely available, you’ll likely find it at your local grocery store.
These wines were provided as media samples for review; but I did go buy the Chardonnay today as I saw it while shopping and looking forward to reporting about it.
Hilarious. Actually, I purchase some of our everyday wines from the grocery story, and I looked at this one long and hard before passing it off as another "cupcake" wine. Guess I'll have to give it more serious consideration, thanks!!
Posted by: Sip with Me! | April 08, 2010 at 09:55 PM
I have to admit. I did buy the Chardonnay yesterday and tried it last night. I didn't love it. But I'm also a bit more particular about my Chardonnays... I'd say my favorite of the three in the post was probably the Sauv Blanc. Check it out on a nice warm day (they will be here soon!). For $7, there's really no risk.
Posted by: Mary Cressler | April 09, 2010 at 08:34 AM
I picked up a 2008 Cupcake Petite Sirah from a Kroger supermarket in NC for $8.79. Typically dark and rich Petite Sirah, without all of the spices, muscle, and tannins....so a bit soft, but who's complaining at that price? A stunning value in my opinion.
Posted by: Ken Perkins | May 17, 2011 at 03:22 AM