Harris Teeter wine options

JBoyette

JBoyette

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The wife and I are about over the drinking of beer. It's just boring at this point.

So we are going to try wine, I know wine is from grapes and it comes in different colors. I also know that Harris Teeter sells a lot of options.

So what are good wines from the grocery store that all of us have available to us?

Any pointers on a sweet red by chance?
 
Not Harris Teeter but, Aldi Winking Owl Sweet Red is a good sweet wine. Cheap, too.
 
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Lots to learn and play with.
Type in "what wine goes with _______________" and have fun.

winefolly.com

A Beginner's Wine and Food Pairing Chart | Wine Folly

Need a reference guide for your dinner plans? Download the Wine and Food Pairing Chart to pick the perfect wine for your red meat, fish, and vegetables.
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www.tasteofhome.com

15 Wine and Cheese Pairings Everyone Should Know

What cheese goes best with chardonnay? Should you always serve port with Stilton? Here's the ultimate guide to which wines go with which cheeses.
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Wine And Chinese Food: 7 Delicious Pairings | Wine Folly

Pairing wine and Chinese food might not seem the most obvious choice in the world. But the right choices can push your takeout above and beyond!
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rdinatal said:
Go to the closest Total Wine store. More selection, better prices, people who you can ask...
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Good suggestion and you can likely sample a wide variety of different ones. We did this on a Sunday morning and it was entertaining when the manager, who was engaged in the sampling process with us, started slurring her words.

Honestly, the answer to what's a good wine is very subjective in that the answer is, "one that you like". There are a lot of different characteristics that will affect the flavor, but a couple of big ones that you'll notice as a budding wine connoisseur are how sweet or "dry", how acidic, and effects of what it has been aged in; a classic example being Chardonnay aged in oak versus stainless steel. You will also find that there can be a wide difference between different brands of the same category of wine and you might like some and not others.

Price is also generally not an indicator as to whether you'll like something or not. There are some really cheap bottles that are drinkable and won't give you a headache and there are some really expensive ones that you'll want to spit out.

To be honest, a lot of times, I will pick a bottle based upon the name or the artwork on the label.
 
Walmart's house brand Oak Leaf Red Blend and Pino Grigio is surprisingly good for the price
 
There's more wine than there are craft IPAs to choose from now. Hard to recommend a particular label since everyone's taste buds are different. But, what's helped me the most is to use intensity and sweetness charts to help select a bottle. Don't go too cheap and don't waste money on expensive bottles yet, $15-$20 at Total Wine seems to be a sweet spot. Go to Total Wine and find what type suits you first! There are knowledgeable people there to help you, too!

As mentioned above, pairing wine can make a big difference in how you perceive a particular bottle. But, chasing the perfect pairing will have you jumping all over the scale.

My wife likes light and sweet but I like a medium body, not too dry. The chart and others like it have helped steer me in the right direction when in a store full of wine.

red-wine-boldness-chart-by-wine-folly.png
 
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For cheap at HT, I like the Yellow Tail Shiraz. For a little more, the 19 Crimes Cali Red is good too.
 
I edited my post about the Aldi wine, it's Winking Owl Sweet Red.
 
My borderline alcoholic sister seems to really like Apothecary.
 
The Coppola white label and the H3 are solid bang for the buck for a good cabernet.
 
I've always had issues storing and aging wines, the caps keep rusting off.

I've always liked bolder red wines, not sure why, like Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
I am not a wine drinker but my wife swears by 1000 stories. it goes on sale at HT every now and then. She also buys it by the case at 20% off + 5% senior discount.
Wine is aged in bourbon barrel.IMG_0416.jpeg
 
Wife and I have become wine snobs. We visit a "wine store" every month as an excuse to get out of the house. We usually pick up about a dozen bottles. We have become fond of Oregon and Washington state Pinot Noirs and some of the cheaper frog wines (French). And don't forget some of the Malbecs' from Argentina and Chili. California wines pretty much suck in our book. :D

Best way to have "fun with wine" is to read the label and see what the flavors are. Then sip and see if you can pick up the flavors. It's kind of cool as they may list cherries, plums, tannins, with a chocolate finish. And sure enough, you will taste those flavors in that order with a chocolate finish. Don't ask me how the hell they do it? And supposedly these flavors come from the blend of grapes, not any additives. We have wine with supper, and a bottle will usually contain about 4 glasses, so we have two glasses apiece with our food. And I hate to say it but it's amazing how food and wine pairs up.

If you really want to freak out your knuckle dragging window licking friends, the next time you pick up a bushel of oysters, pick up a few bottles of cheap Champagne. It's amazing how they pair up. Nothing like seeing a redneck slurping oysters while sipping from a champagne glass. :eek:🤪
 
noway2 said:
Price is also generally not an indicator as to whether you'll like something or not. There are some really cheap bottles that are drinkable and won't give you a headache and there are some really expensive ones that you'll want to spit out.
Click to expand...

Same with whiskey/bourbon, tequila, rum...

Back in the mid-2000s I dated a gal who was a sommelier, she taught me how to buy 'lesser labels' from major wineries at a fraction of the cost. Same wine at 10%. She was a huge fan of the '3 buck Chuck' at Trader Joe's; she told me what winery it came from but I forget, it is the same wine as another that was $20/bottle.
 
JBoyette said:
The wife and I are about over the drinking of beer. It's just boring at this point.

So we are going to try wine, I know wine is from grapes and it comes in different colors. I also know that Harris Teeter sells a lot of options.

So what are good wines from the grocery store that all of us have available to us?

Any pointers on a sweet red by chance?
Click to expand...
Best thing to do is go out to a couple of vineyards and try different ones. That will establish a taste you have for wines. Most start out sweet to semi sweet. And some will actually tell you what the pair well with. Some places have where you can pay for a tasting with foods.
 
JBoyette said:
The wife and I are about over the drinking of beer. It's just boring at this point.

So we are going to try wine, I know wine is from grapes and it comes in different colors. I also know that Harris Teeter sells a lot of options.

So what are good wines from the grocery store that all of us have available to us?

Any pointers on a sweet red by chance?
Click to expand...
These are not super sweet but have some sweetness to them and they are my go-to’s: Apothic Red Blend, all of the 19 Crimes Red Blends are good but I do like the Cali-Red best. These should all be at Harris Teeter. Ruta 22 is a good Malbec (used to have this at Total Wine).
 
Timfoilhat said:
The only wine that I like and know the name of is this one. Sold just about everywhere.
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Apothic red is pretty good. Some of their darker ones get a little too strong, aka full bodied, for my tastes. Another decent red is Rex Goliath Free Range Red. It’s mildly sweet, with a fruity flavor but isn’t overpowering.

falconew said:
Best thing to do is go out to a couple of vineyards and try different ones.
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Lots of good ones up towards Wilksboro and Yanceyville (421). The soil used to grow tobacco is also really good for growing grapes and is similar to the wine regions in France.
 
I'm a fan of old vine Zinfandels and Malbecs.

Some favorites...

Zins:

1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel aged
The Federalist Bourbon Barrel aged
Gnarlyhead
Carnivore

Malbecs:

Alamos
Trapiche
 
Advantage to Malbec, less red wine headache the next day. Seriously the tannins on most reds will make you hate life the next morning if you overdo it.

And I've overdone it a lot.

A bourbon hangover has nothing on a red wine hangover.
 
RR said:
A bourbon hangover has nothing on a red wine hangover.
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My mother tells a story from before my time. She had a toothache on a Saturday and couldn’t get to a dentist till Monday. She got a bottle of Cutty Sark scotch and drank till the pain stopped, and then puked in the bushes outside. She can’t stand the smell of Cutty Sark to this day.

That’s up there with my drunk story of jumping into lake Norman in the first week of April.
 
noway2 said:
Apothic red is pretty good. Some of their darker ones get a little too strong, aka full bodied, for my tastes. Another decent red is Rex Goliath Free Range Red. It’s mildly sweet, with a fruity flavor but isn’t overpowering.


Lots of good ones up towards Wilksboro and Yanceyville (421). The soil used to grow tobacco is also really good for growing grapes and is similar to the wine regions in France.
Click to expand...

I drank multiple bottles of Apothic Dark one evening at a work event about a decade ago.

Bad thing was I was drinking with the newly minted Deputy Secretary of DHHS at the time.

I was the President of the organization hosting the conference and he was our keynote speaker. His speech was planned for 9am the morning after I got him horribly drunk.

We both had massive hangovers and he called me out in his keynote for almost making it not happen 😂
 
You likely won’t find this at Harris teeter but total wine has it, and it’s inexpensive

A good starter red sweet wine IMO is Lambrusco. It’s sweet & slightly bubbly, goes great with pizza. Drink chilled.

www.totalwine.com

Botticello Dolce Rosso Lambrusco

Emilia Romagna, Italy- A soft, fruit driven red with a light sparkle that carries aromas of fresh red fruits and flowers that lead into a palate of ripe berries and cherries. An ideal wine to pair with light pasta dishes and fresh fruit.
www.totalwine.com www.totalwine.com

total wine also has a lot of guides on decent rated wine and reasonably priced. Lots of folks roaming there to ask. Trader joes also usually has good help in their wine section if you’ve got questions.

Highly Rated Wine under $15 | Total Wine & More

Shop for the best Highly Rated Wine under $15 at the lowest prices at Total Wine & More. Explore our wide selection of more than 8,000 wines. Order online for curbside pickup, in-store pickup, delivery, or shipping in select states.
www.totalwine.com www.totalwine.com

My favorite place to buy wine is Costco. My good friend is in the wine business (he’s a sommelier and works for a wine distributor) says if he were spending his own money in wine, he would buy there. Best prices and well researched options from cheap to expensive.
 
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Geezer said:
Not Harris Teeter but, Aldi Winking Owl Sweet Red is a good sweet wine. Cheap, too.
Click to expand...


Aldi Winking Owl is the same thing as Wal-Mart’s Oak Leaf. Both are pretty good for the price. We buy the boxes of Oak Leaf Merlot. Like getting four bottles for the price of three.

Wine can be a huge, but fun, rabbit hole. We like drier reds, but your mileage may vary. Start with a Merlot if you want to try dry.
 
RR said:
I'm a fan of old vine Zinfandels and Malbecs.

Some favorites...

Zins:

1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel aged
The Federalist Bourbon Barrel aged
Gnarlyhead
Carnivore

Malbecs:

Alamos
Trapiche
Click to expand...
The Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin is a favorite at our house. I grabbed a bottle of their cab by accident one time, and it was really good as well.

We just had the Trapiche Malbec for the first time last weekend, and really enjoyed it.

I have to admit, the first time I bought Gnarly Head it was because I thought the label was cool.
 
Stobie said:
The Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin is a favorite at our house. I grabbed a bottle of their cab by accident one time, and it was really good as well.

We just had the Trapiche Malbec for the first time last weekend, and really enjoyed it.

I have to admit, the first time I bought Gnarly Head it was because I thought the label was cool.
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Their cab sav is excellent and the same thing happened with us. My wife was shopping without me and bought a bottle not realizing it wasn't the zin. I'm not a huge fan of cab sav but will drink it on occasion. We've bought the Gnarly Head cab sav several times since. There's a bottle in the rack now in fact and it may get opened tonight.
 
We live in southern Alamance but often shop at Wegmans in Chapel Hill. Between Wegmans, Trader Joes, and Total Wine just over the Durham line we get our wine needs met quite nicely.
 
I am not a wine drinker at all but...wife and I were at Aldis and I saw some bottles of the winking owl. I got a bottle if the sweet red. It is a little too sweet, I will finish up this bottle and try one not so sweet. Or maybe pair it with the food it recommends and see if I like it any better. Price is right though since I am just trying it out.
 
Check out the Vivino app. Let’s you take a pic of the bottle, searches the interwebs for info, then tells you average prices, people’s reviews, taste notes, etc. you can make an account and tell it whether you liked a specific wine or not, then it’ll start to trailer recommendations for you based on your likes/dislikes.
 
We drink red wines 99.987% of the time. And never sweet wine..
Our daily go-to wine is Mark West Pinot Noir from Total Wine and More for about $8.00 a bottle.
We keep a couple bottles of Mark West ready for consumption In this wine rack. Can’t take the chance of running out.

BTW - the other 3 wine racks have a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufrankisch, Cabernet Franc, ChiantI, red blends, etc.

IMG_0876.jpeg
 
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muskrat said:
There's more wine than there are craft IPAs to choose from now. Hard to recommend a particular label since everyone's taste buds are different. But, what's helped me the most is to use intensity and sweetness charts to help select a bottle. Don't go too cheap and don't waste money on expensive bottles yet, $15-$20 at Total Wine seems to be a sweet spot. Go to Total Wine and find what type suits you first! There are knowledgeable people there to help you, too!

As mentioned above, pairing wine can make a big difference in how you perceive a particular bottle. But, chasing the perfect pairing will have you jumping all over the scale.

My wife likes light and sweet but I like a medium body, not too dry. The chart and others like it have helped steer me in the right direction when in a store full of wine.

View attachment 683955
Click to expand...
I like everything from the rare to well done, so they are all game for me. Nice chart though. Haven't seen that before.
 
JBoyette said:
The wife and I are about over the drinking of beer. It's just boring at this point.

So we are going to try wine, I know wine is from grapes and it comes in different colors. I also know that Harris Teeter sells a lot of options.

So what are good wines from the grocery store that all of us have available to us?

Any pointers on a sweet red by chance?
Click to expand...
Brother I wish you luck. There are so many out there and a lot of them are good. I no longer have any taste or money, so I just buy the boxed wine from the Harry Teeter. It is wet, red, and provides the necessary mood modification. I still enjoy a glass of rot gut with @Chuckman when I can, but that doesn't happen often enough. Let me know what you like. Maybe I will try it.
 
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