Wines you think suck, but actually don’t
Give these another chance. Trust me.
Like everything in life—music, clothes, technology—wine also goes through trend-setting seasons. Orange wine is certainly booming; global sales were $410 million in 2024, and they are forecasted to hit $1.05 billion by 2033. Chilled reds are also gaining serious traction. Have you heard of Aldi’s “chill to reveal” red wine yet? It may be hard to believe, but these types of wines will eventually become “mommy juice” and easily be made fun of by younger generations. Light, quaffable, juicy wines are popular now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the pendulum swing back to bolder and bigger styles. I mean, younger generations in Europe are currently into fortified wines and vermouth. You better warn grandpa—the kids are after his port!
Needless to say, the wine that you hate may also be a result of passing trends from the generation (or two) before you. Big, bold, oaky reds and buttery whites became popular styles thanks to Napa’s success from the Judgement of Paris and wine critic Robert Parker’s influence on the market. Provence-style rosé saw a serious boom in the early 2000’s thanks to Whispering Angel. We drank so much of these styles that eventually we grew sick of them. Commercialized and made cheaply, possibly drunk in college dorms at not-so-delightful temperatures, it’s easy to get sick of one thing and desire to move on to the next.
However, I do think because of these more commercialized products, many people will write off certain styles of wine because of it. “Anything but Chardonnay,” or ABC, became a global phenomenon that disgraced all Chardonnay for many. Wine with any traces of sweetness were seen as bad or cheaply made.
And yet, these styles originally became popular for a reason. They stem from some of the loveliest and most complex wines made around the world. So today, I thought I would change your mind on a few of them.
Riesling
When you think Riesling, what do you think of? Does it sit in the category of sweet wines that give you a headache? You can thank the popularization of commercialized sweet Rieslings for that, such as Blue Nun in the 1970s and 1980s. Any time I heard someone mention Riesling in my early 20s, I associated as such. A syrupy sweet white wine that makes my teeth hurt. That was until my trip to Germany in 2014 when I tried elegant dry (Trocken) Riesling from Baden, and subsequently the beautiful dry Rieslings from the Finger Lakes after my first trip there in 2022.
While dry Riesling is the exact thing I want in the summertime, it’s actually the sweet Rieslings that I think are worth paying attention to. Funny enough, sommeliers love sweet Riesling. It is the ideal wine to pair with spicy food, and with age these wines gain a serious complex, cool flavor.
What to look for: Look for a semi-sweet Riesling. If it’s German, you’ll see labels such as Kabinett and Spatlese. If you can get your hands on any Late Harvest Riesling from the Finger Lakes, it’s absolutely worth it. Pair with spicy food or a cheese plate.
Moscato
Another sweet wine that is seen as cheap or, worse, associated with “not serious” wine drinkers, Moscato has certainly earned a bad rep. It’s easy to find sweet Moscato on the market, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many would define it as “granny’s juice.”
But, there is so much that Moscato can offer—especially if you’re looking for the right kind. Well-made Moscato has a lower ABV, is slightly spritzy from the finished fermentation in the bottle, and has notes of tart peaches and sweet cream. I personally enjoy a glass of Moscato on a hot day, especially when I wasn’t something a little sweet but not as boozy as a frozen cocktail.
What to look for: Find a wine with the Moscato d’Asti DOCG appellation, which ensures that you’re getting the best-of-the-best from the area that popularized the style in the first place. Be sure to look for the DOCG tags on the neck of the bottle (this marks quality!) and look for top producers like G.D. Vajra, Tintero, and Vietti.
Chardonnay
Don’t worry, I was ABC until I discovered that A) not all Chardonnay is buttery, and B) not all buttery Chardonnay sucks. I discovered delightful unoaked Chardonnay in the Finger Lakes, which means the wine ferments in stainless steel and is meant to be served fresh and young. It became an obsession of mine to find unoaked Chardonnay and dry Riesling after those trips. Then my disdain for the buttery Chard quickly changed a few weeks in to studying wine in London. In the classroom, I discovered what truly elegant Chardonnay tastes like from Burgundy, and absolutely fell in love with styles from Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais. The “buttery” aspect of these wines is coming from the aging in oak, and since French oak tends to be a little more neutral in flavor and more toasty rather than buttery, these wines tend to be really elegant and well-balanced in flavor.
What to look for: Travel to France! The “buttery” aspect won’t be as intense as what you might assume, and you’ll pick up on other notes that make this Chardonnay some of the most revered around the world. If you’re willing to shell out a little money, look for labels such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Saint-Roman. For other interesting styles, you could snag a Chablis or Petit Chablis (the non Cru wines tend to be unoaked, but have a slightly smoky quality to them), or a Pouilly-Fuissé for something fruitier and rounder. (My favorite!)
Lambrusco
When Riesling was seeing a boom in popularity in the 70s and 80s, Lambrusco was starting to see its decline. The sickly sweet, soda-pop like wine that was produced in masses in Emilia-Romagna and exported to the USA. But, with the surging popularity of chilled red wines, “Nonnamaxxing,” and all things Italian culture, experts speculate that Lambrusco will have a comeback. Lambrusco is making serious appearances in the natural wine market (it’s been the red wine of choice at our local bar for over a year!) and it was marked the third best-selling Italian red wine exported to the USA in 2013. While I still think Lambrusco has a lot of room to grow, these frizzante red wines are already gaining that cool factor that put it right back on the map. I would say it’s likely because it’s in the right place at the right time.
What to look for: Again, appellation-specific wine helps to ensure quality, especially if you’re looking to avoid the cheap stuff that made the style unpopular to begin with. Look for labels like Lambrusco Salamino (moderate tannins, violet and red berries, juicy), Lambrusco di Sorbara (lighter, strawberry-like, seems like a rosé), and Lambrusco Grasparossa (fuller bodied, black fruits, good tannins).
Remember, where you shop matters!
While it’s easy to snatch a bottle at the grocery store, if you want to avoid the sweet wines that are made from value rather than a concentration on quality, I would skip the store and find a wine shop instead. Even a larger shop like Total Wine will have better options! I prefer a smaller shop with curated selections, because I know the shop employees will have a better understanding of what’s on the shelves—and likely tasted a majority of it.
Riesling is such an amazing wine to pair with food! It’s my go-to for so many cuisines, especially spicy Asian foods like Thai and Szechuan.
I JUST published something adjacent... dangerous wines!!