Grocery Outlet Wino Wine Reviews – 3 Glass Rating
Welcome to the magical middle—where the wine is pretty darn good, but won’t make your wallet cry or your tongue write poetry. Our 3-glass wines are the heart and soul of this operation. They’re not swill (we have standards… mostly), and they’re not the precious unicorn bottles that require a second mortgage and a ceremonial sabering.
These wines are your reliable weeknight heroes. The ones you pop open after a long day, pour generously into your oversized glass (don’t lie, we all have one), and think, “Yep. That’ll do nicely.” They go great with pizza, leftovers, laundry folding, binge-watching bad TV, and deep philosophical thoughts like “Do I actually like this wine or am I just too lazy to open another one?” (Spoiler: you like it.)
Sure, they’re not going to win a blind tasting at a snobby wine gala hosted by someone who wears a cravat, but they will make Tuesday feel a little more like Friday. That’s a win in our book. Some have nice labels, some have none, and some are trying a little too hard—but they all land in that sweet spot: solid flavor, drinkable AF, and totally worth the $7.99 you probably paid.
So raise a glass (or three) to the wines that show up, do the job, and don’t make a scene. The 3-glass legends—they may not be top shelf, but they’re definitely not bottom-of-the-barrel either. They’re middle shelf…and proud of it.
Cheers to inexpensive wine that drinks like greatness.
Depending on my state of inebriation, check back for new reviews weekly!
Wine Review: 2022 Honey Drop Pinot Noir – All Buzz, No Backstory (But It Works)
The 2022 Honey Drop Pinot Noir shows up with a back label that basically says, “You’ll figure it out.” No tasting notes, no story, […]
Wine Review: 2022 Brendel Cabernet Sauvignon – Bring Your Reading Glasses
The 2022 Brendel Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa comes with a back label that’s refreshingly light on fluff and heavy on actual information… assuming you […]
Wine Review: 2020 True Oak Cabernet Sauvignon – Virtue Signaling in a Bottle
The 2020 True Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa arrives with a back label that basically gives itself a standing ovation. Apparently it “exemplifies the […]
Wine Review: 2022 Nine Points Cabernet Sauvignon – A Napa Cab for the People
The 2022 Nine Points Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa came with a back label so brief I thought maybe the rest of it fell off […]
Wine Review: 2022 Cellier de Monterail Côtes du Rhône – That Didn’t Lie to Me
The 2022 Cellier de Monterail Côtes du Rhône immediately earned points by having a back label that didn’t try to seduce me with poetry […]
Wine Review: 2022 Pampa Malbec – The Meaty, Toasty Wonder from Mendoza
The 2022 Pampa Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina came dressed to impress with a back label that read like a romance novel. “Fresh strawberry, plum, […]
Wine Review: 2015 Camino del Monte Rioja – The Oldie That Still Knows How to Party
Ah, the 2015 Camino del Monte Rioja, made from Tempranillo grapes and blessed with a back label that actually respects my time. No […]
Wine Review: 2023 Vieux Clocher Côtes du Rhone – The Dirt-Tasting Delight
Ah, the 2023 Vieux Clocher Côtes du Rhone — brought to us by the Arnoux family, who’ve apparently been “pampering” their vineyard since 1717. […]
Wine Review: 2023 Red Earth Petite Sirah – Jam Lite
Let me introduce you to the 2020 Red Earth Matchbook Petit Sirah from the exotic land of… Zamora, California. Never heard of it? Don’t […]
Wine Review: 2020 Napa Vista Red Blend: A Free Wine That Knew Its Place
Ah yes, the 2020 Napa Vista Red Blend, proudly brought to you by the Mondavi wine dynasty — because nothing says approachable table […]
Wine Review: 2019 Joseph Castan Côtes du Rhône – Vive la Biscuits!
So here we are with the 2019 Joseph Castan Côtes du Rhône—13.5% ABV, 91 points from Wine Enthusiast, and lions embossed on the […]
Wine Review: 2020 Aristotle Petit Sirah – “Excellence Is Never an Accident”… a Nice Buzz, possibly so.
1/2
Ah, the 2020 Aristotle Petit Sirah from Monterey County—because nothing screams “deep philosophical contemplation” like slapping a quote from a dead Greek guy on […]
Wine Review: 2018 Señorio de Prayla Reserva – Bold Spanish Red Meets Leftover Buffet
Let’s talk about the back label first. Or rather, let’s not—because unless you have a jeweler’s loupe or the eyes of a teenage elf, […]
Wine Review: 2017 Agramont Reserva – Aging Gracefully (Unlike Me)
So I pulled this dusty little number off the shelf—2017 Agramont Reserva from Murchante, Spain—gave it a suspicious side-eye and thought, “Hmm, 2017… is […]
Wine Review: 2020 Valdepalacios Rioja – 92 Points of…
So I grabbed this 2020 Valdepalacios Rioja from Spain because it had a label callout boasting a 92-point score. Naturally, I was […]
Wine Review: 2019 Impuls Red Blend – Drunken Calligraphy, Mellow Redemption
Let’s start with the label. Impuls—I think? Hard to tell, because whoever designed the font clearly handed the job to a medieval scribe halfway […]
Wine Review: 2019 Losada Mencía – The Mystery Grape That Didn’t Suck
So there I was, loitering in front of the wall of wine like a confused raccoon, and I spot this 2019 […]
Wine Review: 2020 Les Capistelles Côtes du Rhône – Wabbit Season, Wine Season
So, I decided to get fancy for the day after Easter and go full French with the wine pairing—because nothing says “celebrating resurrection” […]
Wine Review: 2021 Fonte Regia Chianti Reserva – Chianti That Went to the Gym
So, I cracked open the 2021 Fonte Regia Chianti Reserva thinking, “Ah, yes, a nice mellow Chianti—perfect for a random Tuesday evening and […]
Wine Review: 2022 Sonoma Revere Cabernet Sauvignon – One If By Meat
So, I picked up this bottle of 2022 Sonoma Revere Cabernet Sauvignon, thinking, “Hey, maybe this will be one […]
Wine Review: 2020 Vanderpump Cabernet Sauvignon – Now with 20% Less Regret
Oh Sonoma, you fiesty girl!
Let’s start with the name. Vanderpump. Or as my eyes kept reading it after the second glass: Vanderpimp. Seriously, […]
Wine Review: 2022 Massif D’uchaux Côtes du Rhône Villages – Dry as a British Comedy
Viva La France!
Ah, Côtes du Rhône—the underrated workhorse of the wine world. I was first introduced to these delightful bottles by a Scandinavian seaman […]
Wine Review: 2017 Titan Cabernet Sauvignon — Old But Not Dead
Uh oh, another 2017 on the label…I had immediate concerns. Eight years old? That’s practically ancient in grocery store wine years. And $9.99? […]
Wine Review: 2022 Cline Old Vine Red Blend — Not Just for the Fancy People
Okay, I’ll admit it — the words “Old Vine” scare me a little. Like, how old are we talking? Jurassic grapes? Fossilized vines? […]
Wine Review: 2021 Post House Road Cabernet Sauvignon — The Little Cab That Almost Could
Ah, Livermore Valley — the Napa of people who don’t want to spend Napa money. I snagged this 2021 Post House Road Cabernet […]
Wine Review: Rick Boyer 2021 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara – The Steal
(Because I’m feeling generous, and also a little tipsy)
Let’s start with the obvious: It’s red. $7.99?? From $29?? This is the kind of price […]
Wine Review: 2022 Amayan Malbec – The One-Night Stand of Wines
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. The 2022 Amayan Malbec from Mendoza is a smooth operator. Not too dry, not too sweet […]
Wine Review: 2020 Poggio Manfredi Toscana Rosso – Mamma Mia
(Would I fight someone for the last bottle? Probably not. But I’d think about it.)
Ah, Italian wine. The stuff of romantic dinners, scenic […]