A visit to a friend in New York City in the early 2000s provided an introduction to oversized liter bottles of Austrian white wine.
The liter bottle actually is a nod to the European practice of bringing whatever large vessel you had on hand to the local winery to fill up. While we’ve generally accepted the 750-milliliter bottle as the standard format for wine in the U.S., a liter, or 1,000-milliliters, makes more sense, especially with more restaurants adopting a shareable, family-style approach to dining.
It also is perfect for dinner parties at home. A standard glass of wine is 5 ounces, giving you about five glasses of wine in the 750-milliliter bottle. A liter gets you nearly two more glasses.
There is an abundance of well-made everyday wine being sold in liter bottles. Here are a few that we’re keeping in heavy rotation right now.
La Boutanche. Wine importer Selection Massale was at the forefront of the natural wine liter craze, with the creation of its La Boutanche label in 2012. They partner with multiple winemakers from many regions to create affordably priced wines in the liter format. Our current La Boutanche pick is a velvety Corsican blend of grenache and nielluccio, made by Domaine Santamaria.
Lingenfelder Fish Label riesling 2021. This charming German producer, located in the Pfalz region, has been making wine since 1520! They have several offerings in the liter format that are incredible values, from a deeply colored but juicy dornfelder red, to a lightly sweet riesling. This white blend of riesling and sylvaner grapes is dry, but electric, with tones of mineral and citrus. It’s a great partner for everything from fried chicken to sushi.
Heidi Schröck & Söhne More Is More welschriesling 2021. A trailblazer of sustainable winemaking in the Austrian village of Rust, Schröck makes a brilliant kaleidoscope of wines, including rich whites, earthy reds, sweet wines and pet-nats, focusing on the classic grapes from the region. This new liter of welschriesling is a super refreshing dry white, a great partner to a spread of smoked meats and fish.
Tenuta il Nespolo Vino da Sete rosso. “Vino da sete” means “wine to drink when you are thirsty,” and this offering from Tenuta il Nespolo winery is a chillable red that drinks like grown-up fruit punch and is dangerously thirst-quenching. It is made from barbera, freisa and a touch of sangiovese in the Piedmont region of Italy. A great match for pizza night.
Il Mio Rosso Toscano 2021. Italy is a plentiful source for quality, affordable liters of wine. Il Mio is made on a fourth-generation estate in Tuscany for Origen Selections, a new Atlanta-based importer from family-owned wineries throughout Italy. Made from 100% sangiovese, it has the ideal balance of juicy acidity and tannic grip from this grape. It’s hard not to crave pasta with this wine; go with a sauce of tomato and garlic, or with a meaty ragu.
The Slaters are beverage industry veterans and the proprietors of the Expat, Slater’s Steakhouse and the Lark Winespace in Athens.
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