We are throwing a large dual bday party at an event location. We are going to have about 85 people. Most of them are not wine connoisseurs. I would like to have on the tables a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot, and a Cab. I would like to ask for recommendations for wine that will please the majority of drinkers, but at the same time won’t offend a small minority who understand wine. I would like to keep the price under $30. ( This May be a tall order for the cab). For Pinot I am already considering Au Bon Climat SB and Goodfellow Pinot Willamette. For Chard, Au bon Climat SB.
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Chard: Goodfellow WV
SB: DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc
Pinot: Franny Beck WV or Vincent Tardive
Cab (Bordeaux Blend): Cadence Coda or JB Neufeld Yakima Valley
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Costco.
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I think your selections for PN and Chard are great.
I often buy Brander (under $20 and very good) and Grassini (Happy Canyon, under $30) for sauv blanc daily drinkers.
The Paring (Jonata second label) makes a nice cab blend for under $30. “The Paring Red”, and Westerly (Crown Point fruit, bigger, rich wines) cab and cab blends can be found for around $30.
Chard: Goodfellow WV (I agree with Josh)
SB: 94578 from Rutherford or denis dubourdieu
Pinot: Failla (may be hard to get at 30), Tongue dancer, Morgan twelve clones
Cab: Noah River Cab (best 20-25 dollar cab ive ever had)
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For the Cab, I wonder if there’s a great Bordeaux candidate that folks could suggest. I don’t know this segment enough to name one myself.
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I agree.
I recently picked up some 2020 Carneros Ranch - Carneros Pinot for less than $25. I loathe candy/cough drop cherry in pinot, and this has none. There’s some oak and is overall well-balanced.
If you’re willing to branch out, Bedrock’s Old Vine Zinfandel is extremely reliable, and I think it would please both the masses and the geeks. It can be had for under $25.
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I threw a party for about 75 non wine people over the summer and my threshold was “what wine will I be fine to bring home to my basement as leftovers.”
Ended up with:
Very cheap HB picpoul de pinet for the white (~$9, delicious)
Dry Creek Vineyards Zinfandel ($20)
Some french rose that escapes me.
But to the questions you ask, I almost bit on a Groth SB that I’m sure would have been more than fine for about $20. Also tons of De Negoce stuff in the Cab category. I’m not an expert on what “number” is good, but have had the No. 25 a few times and it’s quite good and available.
If you have a good local wine guy or gal, he/she probably answers this question all day long for weddings and what not.
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I have many big events for a non-wine geek crowd.
2020 Tensley Santa Barbara Syrah is a huge hit. The average wine drinker loves Syrah so add that.
What shop is in your town as I can see what else would work.
Off the cuff suggestions:
Grangeon Chardonnay Coteaux de l’Ardeche.
Malandes or Goisot Saint-Bris (SBlanc).
Goodfellow Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. Also Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection.
Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley.
Have fun! Cheers,
Doug
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Januik for sure would be a crowd pleaser. One of the better crowd pleaser wineries that makes good wine out there.
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Last Bottle has been offering a 2019 Waterfall Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County. It’s made by Helen Keplinger and is quite nice for $29. I wouldn’t be surprised if they still have some available. If you’re interested, reach out to them and they’ll let you know.
Large bottles are always great for a large party!
Costco has large formats this time of year for the holidays.
You local retailers may also have some large formats gathering dust that you can “take off their hands” and then buy matching 750s as needed to fill gaps.
If you’re willing to deviate from Pinot, something like Raisins Gallois (lapierre) or clos de Roillette both come in 3L at a price below $30 per 750.
Last, but most importantly, not everyone will want wine. I find many folks also do beer/liquor in an event so I would plan on less than all (maybe 2/3 at most) to be wine drinkers. Another option is many retailers will let you return unused bottles if you prefer to buy over but recoup cost instead of coming home with cases of cellar protectors.
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John,
Yes I would agree, Januik and Novelty Hill are consistently good buys.
Cheers.
Doug
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Doug one of the better domestic Malbec’s I have tasted was the 2018 Novelty Hill Winery Malbec Stillwater Creek Vineyard. My niece when working there would get 50% on all wines.
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John just looked that one up - 27 bucks and well-received per CT. Another fine candidate for the large party event as a possible substitute for CS.
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Woodland Hills Wine Co
K&L
Total Wine
Costco
Your suggestions are very appreciated. Thank you
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What about Daou or Justin Cabs?
Those are popular restaurant BTG wines. Justin will be big on the vanilla notes, lower acidity and tannin. Daou will be similar but I believe to a lesser degree. Both often get “smooth” and “chocolaty” descriptors.