Let’s talk about the 2022 Callie Collection Pinot Noir from Sonoma, shall we? First impression: gorgeous label. Love those poppies—totally giving me springtime-in-a-bottle vibes. I had high hopes. I mean, poppies! Sonoma! Pinot! California dreams! What could go wrong? Then I checked the ABV—14.6%. For a Pinot Noir. That’s not a wine, that’s a warning label.
Price point was a seductive $7.99. I thought I’d scored a deal. Spoiler alert: I had not. The wine poured out looking all innocent, but the first sip was like getting hit with a spice rack and then chased down by a shot of cheap alcohol. It’s medium dry, which is usually my jam, but everything else got lost somewhere in that boozy haymaker. The fruit? MIA. The soft Pinot elegance? Crickets….
In a last-ditch effort to save the situation, I paired it with some homemade spicy tuna salad. I figured, hey, bold wine, bold fish—maybe they’ll cancel each other out and create something magical. Nope. The wine… was still angry. The tuna was working overtime, trying to distract my mouth from the wine’s aggressive “flavor”. I gave it a second and third sip, hoping it would soften up like a cranky relative after a few drinks. No such luck. Just got stronger, spicier, and weirder.
This one’s officially getting reassigned to culinary duty. Into the pot roast it goes, while I roast some pot—I don’t know, but I’m not drinking it again. It’s the kind of Pinot that shows up to a beach party in combat boots and then critiques your taste in music. No, thank you.
Types of Grapes: Pinot Noir & Regret
ABV % / Fun Juice Level: 14.6%
Origin: Sonoma, CA
Grocery Outlet Price: $7.99
