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Good Alternatives to America’s Most Popular Restaurant Wines
By John ~ April 10th, 2009.
A few months ago, I saw a list of America’s most popular restaurant wines that was published in a post on the popular wine blog, Vinography:
- Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay
- Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel
- Cavit Pinot Grigio Italy
- Sutter Home White Zinfandel
- Inglenook Chablis
- Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio Italy
- Yellow Tail Chardonnay Australia
- Copperidge Chardonnay
- Yellow Tail Shiraz Australia
- Franzia Winetaps Vintner Select White Zinfandel
Are you as shocked as I was when you read this list? Three White Zins. Only one red wine. I have a hard time envisioning any of our readers rushing out to buy these and especially not at restaurant prices. While the average retail price of these wines is only $6.50, restaurant customers buying these wines are paying two to three times that amount and buying these wines by the truckload. Unbelievable!
If you have been buying these wines, I won’t tell anyone; but let me make a couple of suggestions:
- If you have to buy them, don’t buy them at a restaurant.
- Broaden your horizons. Try more different varietals, both red and white.
- Try some of the wines I’ve listed below. They are excellent wines that retail for $10 or less:
| YEAR | WINERY | LOCATION | VARIETAL/TYPE | PRICE | QUALITY | QPR |
| 2005 | Concannon Central Coast | California | Cab Sauv | $9.00 | 4 | 5 |
| 2005 | Columbia Crest Gr Est | Washington | Merlot | $9.00 | 4 | 5 |
| 2004 | Penfolds Koonunga Hill | AUSTRALIA | Shiraz-Cab | $7.99 | 4 | 5 |
| 2003 | Columbia Crest Two Vines | Washington | Shiraz | $6.67 | 4 | 5 |
| 2006 | Atlas Cumbres | ARGENTINA | Malbec | $9.99 | 4 | 5 |
| 2007 | Columbia Winery | Washington | Gewurztraminer | $8.00 | 4 | 5 |
| 2006 | Yalumba Unwooded | AUSTRALIA | Chardonnay | $10.16 | 4 | 5 |
| 2007 | Nobilo Reg Collection Marlborough | NEW ZEALAND | Sauv Blanc | $8.75 | 4 | 5 |
| 2007 | Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese | Washington | Rose | $10.00 | 4 | 5 |
| 2005 | Michele Chiarlo Nivole | ITALY | Moscato d’Asti | $9.95 | 4 | 5 |
In these tough economic times, more and more of us are buying less and less wine at restaurants, and instead buying a bottle at a wine shop and taking it home to drink with our meal and/or sip by a fire. But if you still plan to have wine when dining out, you might want to refer back to our Ordering wine at a restaurant post for some helpful tips.
Filed under: American Wine, Argentine Wine, Australian Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wine, Chardonnay, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Gewurztraminer, Italian Wine, Malbec, Merlot, Moscato/Muscat, New Zealand Wine, Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
Sadly, I am not shocked by this. When Franzia is the number one wine in America (volume-wise) you gotta know that restaurant wines will follow.
I do agree that your best bet is to bring your own wine, even if you have to pay up to $15 dollars, you still save $$.
Thanks for your recommendations.
Shana,
Thanks for your comment, and for the good info on your blog.
As you said, paying a corkage fee is often a smart move.
John
Your list of recommended wines as alternatives read like a Southern Wines and Spirits quota sheet. Objective blog…I think not. Though I will agree with you that 3 white zins on that list is a crying shame.
Ryan,
I appreciate everyone who takes the time to comment; but I have to tell you that your conclusions are way off base. You are obviously not a regular reader of Wine Peeps by the fact that you are commenting over 2 1/2 yrs after the post was written. If you were a regular reader you would know that we are very objective in our wine reviews through the use of blind tastings. Each of the wines we recommended in this post was a wine we had tasted and reviewed per our standard procedures[http://winepeeps.com/how-we-taste/]. We have no affiliation with any wine distributor, and I’ve never even heard of a quota sheet nor have ever used one.
John
Ok John, nice to see you managing your blog. I suppose it’s merely a coincidence and I stand corrected. Carry on, cheers.