Reverse Wine Snob®

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good

  • About
    • What is a Reverse Wine Snob?
    • The Rating System
    • Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • Best of Lists by Category
  • Aldi®
  • Costco®
  • Trader Joe’s®
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
  • Contact
    • Submit Samples
    • Contact Info

The Best Box Wines – The Original House Wine Riesling

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: March 31, 2015

House-Wine-Riesling
Everything you want in a box wine, despite what you might suspect from the label.

Riesling from the Pacific Northwest.
SRP of $22 and available for as low as $14. Sample submitted for review.

From the box:

“My House is Your House.

A beautiful aromatic nose filled with pineapple, honeysuckle and peach notes. The juicy palate marries pear and clover honey with ripe banana on the crisp finish.

11% Alcohol”

While it’s hard to draw any conclusions about a wine from its label, there are a few things that raise questions for us. One is a non-vintage status. Not necessarily bad in and of itself, it can mean (especially in inexpensive wine) that the sourcing of the wine can vary quite a bit year to year. Basically the winery is giving itself the leeway to blend wine from different vintages together if necessary. Like I said, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make it awfully hard to judge if the wine you tasted a year ago is going to taste anything like the wine you buy today because you have no idea if it is from the same supply (like you would if it were labeled with a vintage).

Another rule of thumb we follow when buying wine we haven’t tried before is to look for wines that list a specific region, and the smaller the better. The larger the region, the more wines that were likely blended together — again not necessarily a bad thing but it makes it hard to know what you are getting year to year. Based on these two things we were a little worried about the ​Original House Wine Riesling before tasting it based on the non-vintage status and the extremely large “American Wine” region on the box, but have no fear this is quite a good wine.

A nose with light aromas of pear, honeysuckle and a little pineapple turns into a very flavorful and refreshing wine when tasting. Not too sweet and not too dry, this box has a lot of great Riesling character. Juicy pear, apple, some lemon/lime and a bit of tropical fruit are lightly soaked in honey and a touch of nutmeg. On the finish the juicy fruit turns tart and leaves you with lingering pineapple and continuing nutmeg notes. Refreshing and really easy to drink with lots of flavor, this has everything you want in a box wine despite what you might suspect by looking at the label.

Recommended selections in our series on The Best Box Wines:

  • Vinchio-Vaglio Serra Piemonte Barbera
  • Big House White Blend
  • Alain Jaume & Fils Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve
  • Black Box Platinum Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Esporao Alandra White
  • Vina Borgia Garnacha
  • The Original House Wine Riesling
  • Esporao Alandra Red
  • La Petite Frog Picpoul De Pinet
  • Pepperwood Grove The Big Green Box Pinot Noir
  • Target Wine Cube Sauvignon Blanc
  • La Vieille Ferme Vin Rouge
  • Duca Del Frassino Garganega/Pinot Grigio
  • Wineberry Domaine de Garrigon Cotes du Rhone
  • Lieb Cellars Bridge Lane White Blend
  • Fuori Strada Off Road Sangiovese
  • Jack Tone Vineyards White Blend
  • See the full list of all 75 boxes considered here.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.


Taste Rating: 7              Cost Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 7.8

Recommended Buy


1 Rating – Add Yours!

 
 
 
 
 

 

i
 

Don’t Miss A Recommended Buy! Subscribe to our daily email to get The Reverse Wine Snob in your inbox. You can now also PRE-ORDER my book an Amazon: Reverse Wine Snob: How to Buy and Drink Great Wine without Breaking the Bank!

Published: October 24, 2014 Filed Under: Box Wine, Highly Recommended, Idaho, Riesling, Washington

<< The Best Box Wines – Vina Borgia Garnacha
Chateau Rollan De By Cru Bourgeois Medoc Bordeaux – Marvelous >>

About Jon Thorsen

Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great grape without breaking the bank. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest and join my Facebook Group to chat about wine.

Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals
Limited Time Offers. Amazing Discounts. Don't Miss Out!
Twitter 225,080Followers
Facebook 84,459Fans
Instagram 19,350Followers

Best Of Lists!

The Best Washington Wine - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Washington Wines Under $20

The Best Malbec Under $20

The Best Malbec Under $20

The Best French Wine Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best French Wines Under $20

The Best Zinfandel Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Zinfandel Under $20

The Best Box Wine - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Box Wines

The Best White and Rosé Wines Under $20

The 2020 Best White and Rosé Wines Under $20

Read All Of Our Best Of Lists Here!

Featured Articles

Silkbush Viognier and Lime Chicken with Avocado Caprese Salad - Summer Lovin'

Silkbush Viognier Plus Lime Chicken with Avocado Caprese Salad – Summer Lovin’

What's The Right Way To Cellar Wines? Ask The Expert!

What’s The Right Way To Cellar Wines? Ask The Expert!

The Best Wines at Trader Joe's - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks

The Best Wines at Trader Joe’s

The Best Merlot - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Merlot Under $20

The Best Tempranillo Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Tempranillo Under $20

Do Old Vines Make Better Wine? Ask The Expert!

Do Old Vines Make Better Wine? Ask The Expert!

Order The Book on Amazon!

.

How To Drink Great Wine…Without Breaking The Bank

Tired of wasting money on crappy wine? Sign up for our free guide!

About Me

Maximizing your wine dollars since 2011! Independent wine consumer helping millions of people (2.7 million visitors in 2020 alone) find great wines without breaking the bank including through our exclusive Insider Deals. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob don't forget to sign up for our free guide! Want to chat about wine? Join our Facebook Group!

Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

Copyright © 2011–2021 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy