It’s time once again for our annual top ten list of the most popular wines we offer here at Just Fine Wine. This is the first full calendar year that we have had since Winexpert’s complete and total wine portfolio overhaul in Spring of 2020. So now you, our clients, have had some time settle in with the new and improved wines and we’re curious to see if there has been any impact on our usually fairly stable top ten list. So without further delay, let’s have a look:
Wine | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Times In
Top 10 ** |
Winexpert Classic Chilean Diablo Rojo | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | – | – | 4 |
Winexpert Classic Chilean Merlot | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
Winexpert Reserve Italian Luna Rossa | T7 | 4 | 7 | 5 | – | 4 | 12 |
Winexpert Classic Chilean Sauvignon Blanc | T7 | 7 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
Winexpert Reserve Italian Pinot Grigio | 6 | 3 | T5 | T8 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
Winexpert Classic California Pinot Noir | 5 | 8 | 4 | 10 | – | – | 4 |
Winexpert Reserve Australian Traminer Riesling | 4 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 3 |
Winexpert Reserve Argentine Malbec | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | – | 5 |
Winexpert Private Reserve Napa Valley Stag’s Leap District Merlot | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
Winexpert Classic Italian Pinot Grigio | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
Wines are listed in descending order with the previous years’ rankings included.
**Total Number of Appearances in the Top Ten Since tracking was started in 2009 (the maximum number of appearances is 13)
“-” Not Ranked That Year
“T” Tied
Points of Interest:
- The ratio of of reds to white in the Top Ten remains to 6:4.
- Breakdown by brand: Five 4-week Winexpert Classic; Four 6-week Winexpert Reserve; and One 8-week Winexpert Private Reserve.
- Overall, even considering rebranding and reformulations, sales figures show the continued stability of the top fifteen to twenty wines that we offer at Just Fine Wine. Although the top sellers are remaining fairly consistent, we do have some interesting movement within this year’s list.
- With three years as our number one wine under its belt, Winexpert Classic Italian Pinot Grigio is really starting to pull away from the rest of the field.
- Winexpert Private Reserve Stag’s Leap Merlot remains our most crafted red wine. The other reds on the list are the same as last year with the exception of Winexpert Reserve Australian Cabernet Sauvignon which slipped down and missed being included by a single batch. Also missing this list by a single batch: Winexpert Classic Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.
- The wine that bumped out the aforementioned Australian Cab is the 4-week Chilean Merlot; making a return to the top ten after a 5 year absence. Always a strong seller, this wine has made the list four times and narrowly missed many other years.
- Climbing up a spot this year is Australian Traminer Riesling which returned to the top ten last year after a lengthy absence. Historically a very dependable performer, it seems to be making up for all those times it just whiffed on cracking the top ten and looks like it will be a stalwart on this list for the foreseeable future. In fact, this is the first year that the 4-week and 6-week Pinot Grigios have not comprised the two best selling white wines. If you’ve tried it you know why this one is making waves – it’s delicious!
- No first-timers on the list this year and our only newcomer last year, Winexpert Classic Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, holds firm at the 7 position.
- Winexpert Reserve Argentine Malbec reclaims the bronze medal position from 6-8 week Italian Pinot Grigio and is performing as consistently as any other wine over the past five years.
- Winexpert Reserve Italian Luna Rossa continues to yo-yo up and down the chart form year to year.
- Demand for off-dry (or slightly sweet) reds remains strong on the back of Winexpert Classic Chilean Diablo Rojo. It’s 6-8 week counterpart Winexpert Reserve California Enigma also continues to have its fair share of fans. If you enjoy the style of Apothic Red and Bodacious, these wines are for you.
- Private Reserve Reds continue to show strongly year after year. Outside of the Stag’s Leap Merlot, their popularity is split fairly evenly keeping most of them just on the outskirts of the most popular list. Winexpert Private Reserve French Bordeaux has only been around for a year and a half and has garnered quite a following in a very short time. As well, the annual “short run” Private Reserve wines are popular every year. Keep your eyes peeled for this coming Summer for information on this year’s limited release.
- For anyone wondering, almost every one of our annual LE series wines (white & red) would show up in the yearly top ten. We do not include them because the release of the LE series overlaps two calendar years and they are available by pre-order only. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend seeing what all the fuss is about. Ask us for details on this year’s LE21 vintages and any “overstock” availability.
Just Fine Wine aims to provide you with the very best craft winemaking experience each and every time you come through our doors. A major part of achieving that goal is to ensure you are crafting the very best wines available on the market. This is the reason we exclusively use Winexpert products and offer you a 100% satisfaction guarantee on every Winexpert wine kit made on-premise. Just Fine Wine has over eighty Winexpert varietals and styles to choose from, sourced from the finest vineyards around the globe.
With such a vast selection of top quality wines to make, it’s a sizeable task to try them all. Our facebook page is a great place to connect with fellow wine lovers who may want to swap a few bottles or even start a new winemaking partnership/group to share a batch of something new.