Unearthed 2017 Pinot Noir as Britney Spears

One of the joys of wine is that just as you’re settling into your patterns of likes and dislikes, a wine comes along and ruins your progress. I often profess that I am someone who prefers cool-climate Pinot Noirs a la Burgundy and Oregon (annoying, I know). And what did this wine do? Make me look like a fool.

This Pinot Noir is so stupidly drinkable that it really shines on it’s own. It has all the benefits of a jammy wine – cooked fruits, bright beautiful strawberries and fresh red fruits, and none of the downside of being overdone or bitter. This is a fruit-forward wine, and doesn’t quite exhibit depth that would bring out earthy flavors like mushroom. It’s got a relatively short finish, so it’s not going to linger on your palate for a long time.

I typically like to drink white wine when I’m having a glass without food and red with food, but this one breaks that preference too – it’s a lovely after work drink on its own. This is also (and please keep this a secret) my favorite wine to turn into a wine spritzer. A spritzer? Let me say here and now that I am going to advocate for the return of the spritzer. You pour a half glass of wine, and top if off with sparkling water and frozen berries. It’s INCREDIBLE. And you can have twice as many so there’s really no downside.

That’s why this wine as a celeb is Britney Spears. I’m even surprising myself with this one, because she really does seem like a Zinfandel, doesn’t she? But hear me out… it has a sweetness from the berries without actually being sweet. Like a good pop star, it shines in all the right places and is a little lacking in depth. It doesn’t feel like something is missing because it’s still giving you everything you need. Is she my favorite singer? No. Is one of her songs on almost every playlist in my Spotify library? Yes.

Much like her albums, at a $15 price point, this is great value for an every-day wine. It is best served chilled, and would pair with just about anything. And at almost 14% ABV, halfway through the bottle you might think you’re sounding a lot like Britney as you’re singing along. And you know what? You do.