Hi all - here’s a question we are struggling with, so I thought I’d mine the collective knowledge here: if you were asked to choose white wine (not including champagne), 2-3 options, limit of $30 per bottle, for an executive corporate box at a sporting arena, what would you pick? Must been widely appealing, made in quantity, and have name recognition. Note, this is real world task, so changing the question and offering reds instead is not an option.
Well sure, if it were us drinking it. The problem with chablis is that there is pretty much zero name recognition among non-wine drinkers. This has to impress with the name. That’s the first concern, and we just have to find something that doesn’t taste awful.
I don’t know enough about white still wines to be able to name one @$30/bottle with name recognition. In fact, I have lost touch with what non-wine geeks recognize. Huet? FWIW, I would think that chablis as a type has about as much name recognition as anything outside of cal chard and maybe pinot grigio. A Jermann maybe?
Sancerre? It seems to be the Pouilly-Fuisse of the new millenium and there are decent choices under $30. Unless you need producer name recognition, which does get tough.
OK, now, first, a disclaimer: you can’t hate me for my choices and I don’t necessarily like them, myself, per se, but going for perceived name recognition and keeping it white…
2016 Prisoner Wine Co. “The Snitch” Napa Valley Chardonnay, 30 dollars at K & L.
2015 Duckhorn Napa Valley Chardonnay, 30 dollars at K & L.
2016 Orin Swift “Mannequin” California Chardonnay, 30 dollars at K & L.
2015 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Karia” Napa Valley Chardonnay, 30 dollars at K & L.
2016 Gary Farrell “Russian River Selection” Russian River Valley Chardonnay, 30 dollars at K & L.
The sports box crowd will equate Chard with quality and mistakenly think Prisoner and Orin Swift wines are automatically good. Sneak the Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, or Gary Farrell onto the list for your own pleasure.
Ferrari Carano Tre Terre Chardonnay. Forget about any other Ferrari Carano Chardonnay you have had; this one is different and delicious. Available in my local market for $24. Also, the current release of Forman is available locally for $34.
Kendall Jackson (private reserve? or whatever it’s called) Chardonnay. Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. And a third that is trending right now in that kind of milieu. I’d say Santa Margareta (sp?) pinot grigio, but perhaps that trend has peaked, I don’t know. The key clues for me are “made in quantity, widely appealing, name recognition.” I assume that “dependable availability year-round” (or at least over the course of a several-month season) is a factor as well.
Of course, none of these would be my choice for “pick three $30 whites to make my own house pours,” but that wasn’t the assignment.
Thanks to all for suggestions above. There are some definite possibilities there, very useful! We won’t be attending any of the events, so we don’t have to like them! And yes available over an entire season is best.