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The Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 is a $7.99 ALDI wine with 85 calories, zero fat, and no sugar every 5 oz. serving. Eighty-five calories are 30% less than a typical California Pinot Noir, and the alcohol content of similar wines is 13% to 14.5%. Most wines have some sugar content.
We recently reviewed the Don’t Mind If I Do Sauvignon Blanc 2020, another wine with a similar profile. Don’t Mind Wines, listed as the producer, has its location shown as Greenfield, California. Greenfield is the headquarters for the Scheid Family Vineyards. Scheid makes excellent wine under their own label and is active in producing other brands and contract store brands.
Scheid has a wine brand named Sunny With a Chance of Flowers with the same basic details as the Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 from ALDI. The method used to reduce the alcohol content is a proprietary process exclusive to Scheid Family Vineyards. The two wines are related in that they seem to be produced with the same techniques.
The Sunny With A Chance Of Flowers Pinot Noir achieves the lower alcohol content by using a two-stage filtering process. That wine is also certified to have Benn sustainably produced, while the Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 does not make that claim. The two wines may have different sourcing for grapes. If you do not live near an ALDI, you can seek Sunny With a Chance of Flowers to sample a very similar wine.
The Don’t Mind Sauv Blanc was a very drinkable and enjoyable wine, that it was a reduced sugar and alcohol wasn’t noticeable. It tasted like a California Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot Noir is a much harder wine to get right. Inexpensive Pinot needs everything it’s got; I do not know how reducing certain elements will fare. So let us head to the tasting portion.
Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 Tasting Notes
The color is see-thru cranberry red. The nose is light and delicate but very Pinot Noir-like; there is ripe cherry, herbs, crushed autumn leaves, soft spice, and sweet vanilla. The Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 medium to light-bodied wine with smooth fruit flavors and funky Pinot Noir elements.
It starts with a mix of black cherry, herbs, and black pepper, followed by spikes of spice and raspberry. The mid-palate mirrors this Pinot’s main body but adds a salty sensation, sleek chocolate, and tart cranberry. The acidity is well-balanced, the tannins are sweet, this is a well-made value-priced Pinot Noir.
The Summary
- The Don’t Mind If I Do Pinot Noir 2019 is a low-calory, low alcohol wine without much of a trade-off.
- I am much more particular in my taste for Pinot Noir than for Sauvignon Blanc, so I did prefer the Don’t Mind If I Do Sauvignon Blanc. But that is personal preference and nothing to do with the wine production process.
- The Don’t Mind If I Do wines are well worth seeking out and trying.
- Inexpensive wines that are extremely interesting for unique reasons.
