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Girls night taste test: 6 “Girly” wines

There are myriad wines marketed toward women. Whether via peppy monikers or pale-pink labeling, they beckon to female consumers from store endcaps and print ad pages. Sure, we understand that the packaging is intended to lure ladies from a very specific demographic — manufacturers have gotta sell their wares somehow — but how do the products actually taste? We called our best wine-loving girlfriends and did a blind test of six bottles marketed toward women. (By the end of the night, we were all in a pretty festive mood!) How did they stack up against each other? Our findings might surprise you…

Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel

Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel

www.arbormist.com

  • Tagline: “Up for Anything”
  • Retail price: $4
  • Tasting notes: “Celebratory!” “Fruity Champagne” “Sweet and light” “Peachy, fruity, sugary”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 7.3
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 67 percent*

*Our favorite!

Skinnygirl California Rosé

Skinnygirl California Rosé

www.skinnygirlcocktails.com

  • Tagline: “Drink Like a Lady”
  • Retail price: $15
  • Tasting notes: “Smell was sort of icky” “Dry and very nice, actually!” “Like Communion wine, only less intense. Not the most pleasant.” “Flat, yucky”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 4.8
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 33 percent
Happy Bitch Rosé

Happy Bitch Rosé

www.happybitchwines.com

  • Tagline: “Designed by women for women. This is your time baby! Choose Happy!”
  • Retail price: $14
  • Tasting notes: “It tastes like college!” “It tastes like nothing” “Extremely subtle. Light, though not necessarily refreshing.”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 6.4
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 33 percent
Be. Flirty Pink Moscato

Be. Flirty Pink Moscato

www.bewinery.com

  • Tagline: “The Mood is Yours”
  • Retail price: $11
  • Tasting notes: “Sweet, a bit cloying” “Yummy” “Fruity, lovely” “Flat fruity beer”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 5.9
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 50 percent
Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

www.barefootwine.com

  • Tagline: “Heart and Sole”
  • Retail price: $8
  • Tasting notes: “A less tart Cherry 7-Up, in a good way” “Tingly!” “The sparkle is fun” “Too sweet”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 6
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 50 percent
Tisdale Chocolate Red Wine

Tisdale Chocolate Red Wine

www.tisdalewine.com

  • Tagline: “‘Tis a Rare Bargain”
  • Retail price: $4
  • Tasting notes: “It’s like chocolate-covered cherries in a glass!” “Sweet chocolate — oh, God, ewww” “Not sure I’d have this with dinner” “I’m drinking a chocolate fountain!”
  • Average rating (out of 10): 4.5
  • Percentage of testers who would absolutely drink this wine again: 33 percent

Our conclusion

Drink what you love, regardless of what the label looks like. But if you’re searching for a girls’ night crowd-pleaser that won’t break the bank, toss a few bottles of Arbor Mist into your grocery store shopping cart and use the leftover cash for a really nice cheese plate. Or cupcakes. Or better yet: both. Then peel out of the parking lot in your eco-friendly sedan and turn the dial to Hot 97: The strains of Kanye West’s latest album pulsate and fill the plush seats. You tap the volume button higher. Is the timing a coincidence? No. This, friends, is the good life. Treat yo’self.

Tell us

Did we leave any must-try wines off our list? Let us know in the comments!

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