The Popular Budget White Wine You Should Avoid Buying Every Time

Shopping for wine is no easy feat. While there are near-endless grape varieties to choose from, pinot grigio tends to be a safe option when selecting white wine. Fresh and light-bodied, it's approachable for the curious yet has a refined elegance capable of delighting aficionados. Not to mention that pinot grigio also lends itself wonderfully for pairing. That said, not every bottle of pinot grigio is a winner. To avoid buying lackluster wine, take our advice and avoid cute-but-kitsch Cupcake Vineyards' Pinot Grigio White Wine.

Ranking last in our round up of popular white wines, Cupcake pinot grigio misses the mark for a few reasons. Firstly, its profile is pretty basic. Although the grape isn't revered for yielding the most expressive of wines, exceptional bottles display a host of nuanced notes ranging from mineral to floral — this is not the case for Cupcake. Instead, the wine only boasts the expected traces of pear, apple, and citrus. However, these aromas and flavors are faint at best. In fact, even its finish is short, rendering the white wine bland and boring.

Cupcake pinot grigio also has its structural peculiarities. Living up to its namesake, it's sweeter than most renditions of pinot grigio from northeastern Italy. While potentially appealing to some, we found it to overpower the wine's delicate profile, detracting from its pleasantly crisp acidity and, ultimately, throwing the whole thing off balance. As a result, when given the choice, we recommend passing on this particular pinot grigio.

Since personal preference will impact your perception of Cupcake pinot grigio, you might want to give the wine a try anyway. If you enjoy it, then continue sipping. If not, you'll know for next time. The important thing is that you don't write off pinot grigio — after all, there's a vast world of wine beyond Cupcake's version. Simply take another trip to your local wine shop and start your search again. Not sure where to start? We've got you covered.

Despite the fact that the task can seem daunting, finding a complex and exciting bottle of pinot grigio could be a matter of trying wines from different producers. For example, pinot grigios from northeastern Italy (namely regions like Trentino-Alto Adige) can be wonderfully fresh and mineral-forward. Otherwise, explore the equally zippy options being made in Germany or Austria . Even the unique iterations hailing from Slovenia could be worth trying!

Alternatively, experiment with different styles of pinot grigio. For instance, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is revered for its spicy, skin-contact wine dubbed Ramato. Conversely, look for bottles labeled under the French pinot gris for fuller and fruitier wine that's also more fragrant with less pronounced acidity. Some deliciously ripe renditions of pinot gris come from the Alsace region of France. But places like Oregon or California also produce intensely nuanced pinot, much like New Zealand. Whichever you decide, know that better bottles of pinot grigio are out there, it's just up to you to find them!