These are the 10 wines you should buy from the grocery store
While Pennsylvania grocery stores often offer big-name wine brands, many bottles are are well-made and delicious.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is ramping up capacity to fulfill online orders and has extended curbside pickup, now available at 48 stores in Philadelphia, up from the original 10. But many Philadelphians are continuing to shop for wine at their local grocery store because so many now offer beer and wine sales.
The wine selection maintained by grocers tends to reflect the most popular national brands and are almost always regular stock items that are also sold in Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores. However, they will typically cost a little more in grocery stores than they do at the state store, since their wine inventory must be purchased from the PLCB at only a 10% discount below the retail price.
While many mass market wines can be a disappointment for wine drinkers, there are plenty of big-name brands that are well-made and delicious. For convenience shoppers, here are some “best bets” in key categories from among those brands most likely to be stocked in grocery stores for under $20.
Sparkling Domaine Ste. Michelle “Brut” / Columbia Valley, Washington. This crisp lemony Washington bubbly is made by the Champagne method, drier than most proseccos and hard to beat on price.
Chardonnay Kendall-Jackson “Vintner’s Reserve” / Sonoma County, Calif. Snobs may sneer at this popular wine for being a touch sweeter than most, but its vanilla-nut flavors are pleasingly plump.
Sauvignon Blanc Starborough / Marlborough, New Zealand This unoaked dry white is a fragrant and citrusy delight, especially with salads and vegetable dishes.
Pinot Grigio Ecco Domani / Venezie, Italy Many Italian pinot grigios can be lackluster, but this lovely wine features delicate orchard-fresh flavors of fresh pears.
Riesling Clean Slate / Mosel, Germany The quality of this off-dry wine is remarkably high, featuring complex flavors of green apples and jasmine tea and a long finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon Josh Cellars / California Cabernet sauvignon doesn’t always perform well at value prices, but this one is loaded with pleasing blackberry pie flavors.
Merlot Concha y Toro “Casillero del Diablo” / Chile This winery’s “reserva” line offers excellent value, with this merlot with black cherry and plum flavors being one of the best wines.
Pinot Noir Angeline / California Few under-$20 pinot noirs actually taste of pinot noir, but this easy-drinking example with raspberry flavors reliably does the trick.
Malbec Alamos / Mendoza, Argentina One of the first malbecs to break into the U.S. market is still a great wine for the price, offering flavors of blueberry jam and violets.
Chianti Banfi / Tuscany, Italy This iconic vintner consistently produces excellent wines, including their modest entry level Chianti featuring dry sour cherry flavors.