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Her Campus Manhattan College Taste Tests Cheap Wines (So You Don’t Have To!)

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Manhattan chapter.

Have you ever had one of those nights where you want to drink, but chugging beers or pounding down shots is just too hardcore? That’s where wine comes in, but we’re not our parents. Buying a $50 wine that is going to sit in your mini-fridge is not the wisest decision. So, where does that leave us? Staring at that one wall of the liquor store where the cheap wine is. So many options–so little knowledge. That’s where we come in! We picked SIX of the most campus-friendly bottled wines, and here’s how it works.

Participants rated each wine on four main qualities: Appearance/Color, Aroma, Body and Aftertaste. Each category was scored out of 5 for a total score of 20 points. 

1. Menage a Trois Moscato

The jury says…

“So basically, this is a grown-up Capri-Sun.”

“Totally a starter wine…and what I first expected when I was learning to drink wine.”

“Definitely going to give me a stomach ache and a bad hangover.”

“So, just high-fructose corn syrup here?”

The verdict is in…

Total Score: 10.5/20

2. Sweet B*tch Moscato Rose Bubbly

The jury says…

“Definitely smells like burning plastic.”

“Tastes like syrup.”

“So a Shirley Temple with a little bit of alcohol?”

The verdict is in…

Score: 6/20

3. Yellow Tail Merlot

The jury says…

“Would definitely bring this to a dinner party.”

“Absolutely loved it”

“Packaging does not appeal to college-aged crowd, but you will be pleasantly surprised.”

The verdict is…

Score: 18.5/20

4. Simonetti Pinot Grigio 

The jury says…

“So… Olive Garden wine?”

“Tastes just a little bit like nail polish remover.”

“The smell is kind of sour.”

“$5 wine?”

The verdict is in…

Score: 5.5/20

5. Barefoot Refresh Summer Red 

The jury says…

“We had to play a drinking game to get it down…”

“I still can’t finish it.”

“Literally so atrocious.”

The verdict is in…

Score: 5/20

6. Sutter Home White Zinfandel 

The jury says…

“I had high hopes, and it’s pulling through.”

“Could see myself drinking this on a random weekday night.”

“Totally and completely drinkable.”

The verdict is in…

Score: 14/20

And the final rankings are…

Left to Right, 1st Place to 6th Place