Wines at local grocery store

[rebling32]

Can any good wine be had at the local grocery store or drug store i.e. Kroger, Marsh, CVS or is it pretty much all undrinkable? Some of the brands they carry are Turning Leaf, Fetzer, Bolla... Most of the bottles are under $20...and a lot are under $10.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Rebling, and welcome to the Wine Board. There is very little "bad" wine on the market these days. The brands you mention are all owned by conglomerates with financial managers focused on the bottom line, and put out several lines of wines at different price points. The operative word might be safe. Where there is no risk, the resulting product frequently is plain jane.

There are other brands at your super market that we prefer (all other things being equal). These in include B&G, Ecco Domani (from the folks that brought you Turning Leaf), and the various Vins de Pays coming in recently from Southern France.

You should first find out what kinds of wine your like, and then try those from various producers at the same price point. That's how we started our adventure forty years ago.

There are some things you won't find, or will have to look hard for. For example in you do not like your chardonnay laced with oak, you would be lucky to find one without it on a typical super market shelf.

[Blue]

Depends on where you live and what you call good. In Austin TX both HEB and Whole Foods carry some VERY nice wines. I remember the grocery store I went to in South Carolina had a selection that equaled some of the best wine stores I have been to. Now...where I live now, in Boston the few grocery stores that carry wine mostly carry wine that I don't particularly appreciate (turning leaf, Napa ridge etc.) In most cases though they do carry a few bottles of wines that I like: Grigich Hills or Cote du Rhone for example.

Good luck

- Blue

[This message has been edited by Blue (edited 02-20-2001).]

[rebling32]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I like Pinot and Merlot. Would the above mentioned brands work for those? Thanks. I'm interested in spending $10-$20 a bottle for most of my wine. I'd occassionally like to spend a little more mane $50-$60. Any suggestions there? Is there a cheap Internet source for wine say by the case?

[chittychattykathy]

rebling32 ,
Where do you live? Knowing this will really allow us to help you more!

[rebling32]

Indianapolis, IN.

[rebling32]

The Pinot I like by the way is Pinot Noir. I only drink red wine.

[Innkeeper]

Quality pinot is very hard to find in the super market brands. Hope to be able to do a post under our Pinot Thread on quality pinots between $10 & $20 in a week or so. In the meantime look for 1999 Beringer, Founders Estate, California, Pinot Noir. Vintage is very important. The '99 excels over the '98 not only in vintage but in process as well. Major changes were made at the winery.

IMHO you can't find a decent merlot in a super market. There is a whole family of them between $10 & $20 too. Keep on eye on our Italian Thread for current and future posts about Collio & Friuli Merlot from Northeast Italy. If you happen to see one of these in a regular wine store, grab it.

[winoweenie]

Hi there Riebling and welcome to the Board. There mite be a couple of them Pinots my illustrious collegues mite have forgotton; You mite still find some Beaulieu Vineyards 1997 Carneros Pinot or Sanford 1997 97 pinot. These lil' suckers be GOOD and in your price range. Take a look at the Blackstone " NAPA " Merlot at around 16 . It does a number on the the imports. winoweenie

[raggedy1]

Let us not forget that the 97 or 98 Gallo of Sonoma Merlot is a great QPR (for a merlot especially at $8 bucks).

[chittychattykathy]

<IMHO you can't find a decent merlot in a super market>
Man there must be some sucky supermarkets back east. What do they carry, KJ, Casarsa, and Meridian? We've even Albertson's (very low end of the "food chain") here in Washington state that get Silver Oak. The Fred Meyer's (Owned by Kroger) in Oregon and Washington all have great Pinots and Merlots, (go figure). I've seen many of the wines reported on this Board at lowly Safeway stores. This is not even touching the better food stores, many of which have easily over 2,000 wines to offer. (I've seen great wines for sale in Post Falls Idaho.) Guess I need to go out to some stores next time I am back east.
P.S. The Blackstone suggestion is a great one.

[Innkeeper]

WW & CCK. Not a one of them. We can get them in the wine store, but not the in the super. Despite having a full super size aisle of our favorite stuff.

[Thomas]

Boy, do I envy you guys. In NY wine can be had only in a liquor or (as in my shop) a wine store.

I would love to add food items in my store, but NY legislators are in a large bed with the wholesalers on that one.

In my dealings with wholesalers I am hating them more and more and more...but I digress.

[winoweenie]

Not only do Albertson, Frys( Kroger), Bashas', and all the independent supers carry a large selection of wine but A.J.s' fine food stores ( 9 outlets) carries the largest selection of boutique wines in the state and are the largest outlet for fine wines in Arizona.( Was told by their wine buyer they did 21 Mil last year in wine.) They have everthin' from 1st growths on down to Sutter Home. Foodie, I comisserate with you. The wholesale lobby here managed to get a felony bill passed last year tacked onto a school-funding measure. The &%$##@)**'s are insidious as all get-out. WW

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 02-21-2001).]

[AuntSheri]

For an under $10 Merlot, I like Michele Picard.

I can find it at HEB (in Houston) but have not however, been able to find it at Kroger. I shared the find with my sister when she was here for a visit and then (at her request) sent her 4 bottles for Christmas because she could not find it in Overland Park, KS.