Big Wines Come In Small Bottles
They sure do now, thanks to Sonoma County’s TastingRoom, a new online wine retailer that sells wine packaged in mini 50ml bottles.
The idea is that it allows you to replicate a winery tasting room in the comfort of your own home by letting you try a taste of top-notch wines before committing to buying full-sized 750ml bottles.
How ingenious is that?
Recently, I had a chance to sample a six-pack of mini bottles from Rutherford’s award-winning Grgich Hills Estate that included: 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay, 2008 Napa Valley Fume Blanc, 2007 Napa Valley Zinfandel, 2006 Napa Valley Merlot, 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2008 Violetta (a late-harvest, Botrytis-made wine that’s predominantly Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling with some Gewurztraminer).
The kit also included was a wine-tasting menu created by Grgich Hills’ winemaker that described each wine and gave a recommended tasting order.
The screw-top, 5 1/2-inch-tall bottles use TastingRoom’s “TASTE Technology,” which preserves the original flavor of the wine.
The kits are a fun idea for parties or gifts. They’re also a great way to expose yourself to new wines you might not easily find on neighborhood wine store shelves. For instance, you might discover that you adore the Violetta’s notes of peach, honey and baking spices as much as I do, and want to order a full-size 350ml bottle on the site for $72.99.
Kits start at $9.99 for a four-pack sampler.The Grgich Hills kit was $24. Choose from others, including Patz & Hall, DeLoach Vineyard, Swanson Vineyards, and Talley Vineyards.
At this point, TastingTable only ships to California residents. But it plans to add other states shortly.
The small bottles are way cuter. I love the vatiety pack.
I love californian wines! Great little bottles…
Cheers,
Rosa
I was just at Grgich Hills last Friday. I picked up two half bottles of their zinfandel (oh, splendid day!). Off to Sonoma this morning, lucky me!
Pingback: Tweets that mention Food Gal » Blog Archiv » Big Wines Come In Small Bottles -- Topsy.com
Carolyn, that has what I call the “duh” factor, what a great idea. The technology already exists. A great way to taste before you buy “the case” of your favorite. Probably a good margin play for the store, too.
Carrie: I share the feeling. I thought, “Man! Why couldn’t I have thought of this idea first?” LOL
Oh well…we’re late to the game, but at least we can enjoy the rewards of all this ingenuity. 😉
Oooh, the Violetta sounds amazing. I love the mini sampler idea for lightweights like me. 😉
It’s a fabulous idea..I hope we can get them here soon!
Yes, somebody should have thought of that long time ago. I can only get smaller bottles for lower quality wine here but it actually makes alot of sense to offer quality wine in smaller packages – freshness will be guaranteed and there will no wastage!
That’s a very cool idea. I can’t wait till they ship to NYC.
These look awesome! I rarely buy good wine because I don’t want it to go bad before I finish the bottle, but these are the perfect solution to that!
I am already excited lloking at all those wine comes in small bottles
Great article…This is one of my all time favorite wineries. In fact my Brother used to be the Facilities Manager there a few years back:)
I love, love, love this idea. First boxed wines got a makeover and now small bottles. Genius!
Pingback: Inner West LIVE
What a GREAT idea. I loved the tastings I did during my visit to Napa Valley a few months ago. If only they shipped outside California!!!
Pingback: Food Gal » Blog Archiv » Presenting Auberge du Soleil’s Torte au Chocolat
I would like to order empty mini wine bottles just like these. Does anyone know where I can buy these from?
Do you know are they in plastic or glass bottle?
Michele: If memory serves me, I believe they are glass.
How come this didn’t last? All the wineries in this article don’t seem to be doing this anymore and Tasting Room while doing an initial mini-bottle sampler has become a full-bottle subscription service. Was the demand just not there for people to buy these?
Bradley: A lot of these small-format wine companies have come and gone over the years. It’s hard to say why that is. But I imagine any new business is fraught with challenges. Definitely check out Maker wines, though, which I just blogged about. It features premium wines made by independent producers conveniently packed in cans. Good stuff! https://www.foodgal.com/2020/08/what-ive-been-drinking-of-late-part-1/