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Drink
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Between the Clorox and the Kitty LitterCan you find drinkable wine at the local convenience store? |
While your corner store is not the ideal place to pick up a bottle of wine, sometimes the need strikes at an inopportune moment. The wine store is not always open when you need it to be, but the packy is there, round the clock. You may not find the ideal bottle, but you can certainly find a drinkable bottle. Here are some tips.
Go for the horizontal. Unless it’s sealed with one of those synthetic corks or the increasingly popular screw cap (called a Stelvin closure), the bottle should not be standing. Real cork needs to stay in contact with the wine in the bottle in order to keep from drying out. Try to buy wines that are in bottles lying flat, and hope they’ve been that way since they arrived at the store.
Go for what’s cool. If wines aren’t stored in a cool, dark place (60°F or so), they age more quickly, if not spoil altogether. If the local shop is 72°F all year, pay close attention to the vintage printed on the label, and buy the youngest. At least then you’ll know you’ve got one of the more recent arrivals.
Go ahead and punt. This one is less reliable, but it’s worth a shot: Check the punt. Come again? Pick up the bottle and turn it over. If there’s an indentation, or punt, in the bottom (the name is derived from the wooden stick, or pontil, once used to hold the bottom of a bottle while a glassblower blew the neck), you’re probably in good shape. Sometimes, though not always, the deeper the punt, the more expensive the production of the bottle and, by extension, the better its contents. (Reislings are the exception; they always have a nearly flat bottom.)
Look for these names. Finally, when in doubt, consult this list, courtesy of Joshua Wesson, founder of Best Cellars wine stores. Not only will these bottles not offend, but they’ll go with just about anything.
- Mionetto Il Prosecco, Italy—Lighthearted, shamelessly mouth-watering fizz ($12).
- Roederer Brut Premier, France—Rich champy for the not-so-rich ($35).
- Hugel Pinot Blanc Les Amours, France—A round, pear-scented alternative to Chardonnay ($13).
- Hogue Fumé Blanc, Washington State—A clean, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc ($9).
- King Estate Pinot Gris, Oregon—Melons, pears, and apples mingle in the glass ($15).
- Guigal Côtes du Rhône, France—A spicy, consistently satisfying Rhône red ($12).
- Antinori Santa Cristina, Italy—This Sangiovese pairs well with pizza and pasta ($11).
- Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir, California—A suave, silky, cherry-kissed take on this insanely popular grape ($16).
- Blackstone Merlot, California—A medium-bodied Merlot chock-full of plump, plummy flavors ($9).
- Rosemount Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia—A delicious fruit bomb ($8).
Be happy if you even have the option to buy wine at the local corner store (or even BEER for that matter!). Here in Pennsylvania, we have the most draconian liquor laws this side of Utah.
Great advice to store away for when an impromptu celebration requires a corner-store kick-off.
the us is getting tesco? and since when is tesco upscale?
Packy? Check meaning #4 on the Urban Dictionary listing that you linked to. Ouch. It might be better to drop the slang on this one.
you should add Hawk Crest 12-13 (a second-level bottle from Stag's Leap) and Kris, an Italian for 12
I would be hard pressed to find any of these wines at a convenient store, much less wines at all. (as mentioned above)
Really? In a pinch I'm comforted to know I can always find Rosemount at the 7-11. They even display most of their wines horizontally, which sadly does nothing for their hot dog display...
I dont know about buying wine thats in the grocery store already, but you can ask your grocer if he/she would be inerested in purchasing decent wine to sell at the store. Because as mentioned above the liqour laws are a little crazy and purchasing wine that is not readily available becaomes well almost imposible. Give them ideas of what a good wine should be explain the proper storage procedures the basics will not take long and the pay-off might be fairly beneficial. The owner maked the cash and you save time and maybe a couple of buck with assurance that the wine you love is just around the corner.
Yeah, I think the 'packy' has got to go. Too regional. I immediately thought of the derogatory racial slur. Also, what heaven on earth is this that has wine in convenience stores and supermarkets?
EH, NO
Try moving to rural NH and finding wine period
There is a State controlled wine store. Most little stores just stock the cheap stuff. What State has nice wines in the corner store ,maybe I should move there
Yea, but I don't remember what the wine is. True story, I was at Carolines in Time Square with another couple. After the show, we randomly decided to drive to AC. The daunting realization of a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us brought us into a deli to pick up some beers (don't worry, the driver was not drinking.) Beers = too many bathroom stops, so we opted for some wine. All i remember, is about half way down the NJ Parkway, I mentioned to the car, "this merlot isnt bad, its actually very good." To my surprise, my friend (a bartender) agreed.
I think the deli was on 44th or 45th, but since i'm rarely in time square, i've never been back. I keep telling myself I'm going to make the trip from SoHo just to find that wine...
Time to move to Oregon. Our convenience stores generally have an entire isle devoted to wine. And a section in the cooler for whites.
Think Maine is too remote for good wine selections? Think again. The local Hannaford grocery stores have very large aisles stocked with domestic & foreign beers, wines and distilled goodies. And, imagine our surprise when we visited the local Whole Foods in Portland recently and found an enormous wine selection, with displays carefully designed so walking past them is your next move after passing the produce section and before moving into the grocery area proper. Who knew? I am starting to really like Maine...
Just a little shout-out for any Asti Spumante product - works every time.
WE are lucky in Florida- Publix has a great wine selection- I go for the Rex Gigante Cab any time. Even the 7-11' s now have a bit of range in their wines.
WE are lucky in Florida- Publix has a great wine selection- I go for the Rex Gigante Cab any time. Even the 7-11' s now have a bit of range in their wines.