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It may be Monday, but we're talking wine so get on board! Everyone loves the person who shows up to the party with a great bottle of wine, so today I'm sharing my favorite affordable picks that are perfect to bring to any functions you have coming up this holiday season - or any time. All of these are available at the grocery store (at least where I'm located in Virginia), and most of them are under $20 (and I'm fairly certain they're all under $25).
1. La Marca Prosecco: This is a great prosecco that you can always find at the grocery store. Besides the bottle being beautiful, it has pleasing notes of green apple, peach, and lemon. I can't get through the holiday season without a couple of bottles of this!
2. Zardetto Prosecco: This has taken the prize for my favorite prosecco! It's very refreshing, light, and smooth, with a hint of citrus but no overwhelming fruitiness.
3. Twin Vines Vinho Verde: I don't drink a lot of white wine, but this one is a favorite of mine! It's very light and fresh, not sweet, and has the tiniest effervescence that elevates it above a standard pinot grigio or similar varietal.
4. Francis Ford Coppola Rosé: I'm a bit picky with rosés, I like them on the dry side and I usually prefer those blended from pinot noir like this one. The notes include florals, raspberry, and currant.
5. Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon: Pound for pound, this is my favorite grocery store wine. It's from the same winemaker as Caymus Vineyards, which produces some of the most popular (and expensive) red wine out there. "Toast" is one of the flavor notes, which I think is part of what makes it unique yet easy to drink. My mom prefers white wines and we typically have differing opinions on wines when we drink them together, but I brought a bottle of this over for her birthday and we both loved it.
6. Francis Ford Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a newer favorite of mine. It's around $15 and has great body and complexity - the description states that this is due to the combination of grapes grown in different regions and climates. It has notes of baking spices, caramel, and red fruits. The red wine lovers at your party will love this one!
7. Kirkland Malbec: This wine is excellent for the price (only $7!) - I always have a couple bottles on hand! It's perfectly bold yet smooth. I did a little reading on this one and wine enthusiasts seem to prefer the 2020 vintage of this even more than previous years, which is great news!
8. Bogle Merlot: This is my go-to weeknight wine. I can usually find it on sale under $10 (even less at Costco), and tastes so much more expensive. Bogle won Wine Enthusiast's American Winery of the Year in 2019, and they'd have my vote! It's intense and full bodied, and more on the dry side which balances out the fruit notes. I also enjoy the cab from this brand.
9. Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: WOW, that one's a mouthful, huh? In my opinion, this one tastes the most expensive compared to any others on this list, and looks it, too! The bottle is beautiful with the strand of raffia wrapped around the neck, displaying a short cut of grapevine. The bottle says "dry red wine" so I think it's a blend, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure what it is. It's made in Italy, complex yet perfectly balanced, and SO smooth. It's under $20 when I see it at the grocery store, but only $11 at Costco, so get it there if you can. It's an impressive wine to gift because the bottle presents so well; I always keep a few bottles around in case of celebration.
10. Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon: The Estancia cabernet is a solid pick from the grocery store, it has notes of tobacco and leather which make it such a great wine for colder weather. I enjoy their merlot as well, which is very balanced with dark fruit, berry, and vanilla notes.
11. 14 Hands Hot to Trot red blend: This is a good red blend if you're looking for something to serve to a group. It has prominent fruit notes and it's not quite as dry as my previous picks, so it's a pretty safe choice to please a wide range of people. This winery has a bold red blend that's also good if you're looking for something more robust.
I can't talk wine without mentioning my favorite glassware - Riedel is my favorite of all time, but I've also been loving Schott Zwiesel lately.
I hope you're having a fabulous December full of festive happenings - if you have a party planned, I'll be waiting for my invite. You know I've got the wine covered!
xoxx, Laura
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