We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
While Barbenheimer was capturing our hearts and headlines, Aldi was busy having a blockbuster summer of its own. In the past few weeks alone, the beloved discount grocer announced plans to buy 400 stores in the southern U.S., relaunched its website (which you can now shop from directly), and launched a new, premium wine collection — out today. And summer’s NOT even over (despite the pumpkin-themed everything, everywhere, seemingly all at once.)
Earlier this week, our friends at Aldi stopped by The Kitchn offices to give us a sneak peek (and taste) of these new wines, and — Spoiler alert! — they’re really really good.
What You Should Know About the Specially Selected Wine Collection?
The Specially Selected Wine Collection is a who’s who of wine regions: Napa Valley (California), Marlborough (New Zealand), Côtes de Provence (France), the full lineup contains 10 bottles from eight countries and includes reds, whites, rosés, and, yes, some are ✨sparkling✨. Half of the wines are “everyday” (aka available year round), the rest are seasonal and will be available through the end of the year (unless they sell out sooner). All are priced at less than $15; six are under $10, though they definitely don’t drink like it.
New Specially Selected Everyday Wines
New Specially Selected Seasonal Wines
My Honest Review of the Specially Selected Wine Collection
I enlisted the help of two co-workers in the tasting because they are low-key wine enthusiasts with high-key opinions. Plus, their photo skills are on point. We sampled five of the wines — three available year-round and two seasonal — and were in unanimous agreement: these bottles are the best Aldi wines we’ve ever had.
We tried the Specially Selected Sparkling Brut Rosé first: Can we talk about this bottle? It’s embossed using a custom mold that’s exclusive to Aldi. Very velvet rope, and we’d be very happy to have it be the answer to all those “What can I bring?” questions. Beyond the, let’s be honest, statement bottle, this rosé is a delight in its own right. As a Brut, it’s the driest of sparkling but that doesn’t mean it lacks balance — just the opposite actually. It was light and refreshing, and paired masterfully with a creamy burrata (Aldi is also launching seven Specially Selected cheeses, including said burrata, on September 8 — ALL are less than $5.)
Next we traveled to New Zealand (in spirit) to taste the Specially Selected Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The single-estate wine smells of citrus and is another light and refreshing sip, but with a bit more acidity — the word “crisp” was thrown around with abandon. Andrea, our Social Media Manager, liked its smoothness and how it cut the creaminess of the cheese we snacked on with it.
Naturally, we moved on to two reds: Specially Selected Uco Valley Malbec and Specially Selected Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes in the Malbec are handpicked and come from a single vineyard, according to Arlin Zajmi, Director of National Buying at Aldi. He called this bottle, “by far the biggest value we have.” It is the cheapest of the lot, but don’t discount its flavor. It was fruity — we could really taste the plum and black cherry — with a hint of spice.
While the Cabernet Sauvignon is on the opposite end of the price spectrum, I actually preferred it of the two and think it’s worth the extra coins. Aged 14 months in French oak barrels (which, according to Arlin, go for between $1,500 and $3,000 per barrel) this is a heavy hitter. It’s your new BFF for red meat or red sauce nights.
The tasting was supposed to end here, but we got to talking about this Specially Selected Icewine and one thing led to another … you know how it goes. Fun fact: As the name suggests, icewine is made from grapes that are frozen on the vine. Sold in a half-size bottle (357 mL), this dessert wine is rich (even velvety) and sweet. Serve it alongside chocolate cake (Andrea’s pick!) to end your evening, or do as our Recipe Production Coordinator, Justine and just “hold it and thank it for giving [you] an incredible experience.”
Find it in stores: Specially Selected Wine Collection, $7.99 – $14.99 for 375 and 750 mL bottles at Aldi
Which of these wines are you most excited to try? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Mara Weinraub
Source link
