Target isn’t typically associated with wine, but the superstore is now offering an array of $5 bottles cleverly named California Roots. The selection is relatively broad, and includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a red blend, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay.
To drum up even more excitement, Target offers a profile and food pairing for each wine (presumably with food also purchased at Target). For example, Target suggests pairing its Chardonnay with artisanal cheese, and recommends sipping on the Cab with a tender, juicy steak. These pairings certainly make sense and are pretty standard for the type of wine. Target’s California Roots selection just wants to help your bank account out during your next dinner party.
Quality wine can be expensive (and for good reason), but it doesn’t have to be. There are a lot of factors that determine the price of a bottle of wine. There’s the number of bottles produced, the winery’s reputation, and the weather during the growing season. Then there are all the costs that have nothing to do with the actual production of the wine like the cork, bottle, label, and costs to sell and market the wine. Target can make wine for a lower production cost and sell at lower price margins because they produce at a larger scale (just think of the success of Two Buck Chuck).
Cheap wines are definitely a trend right now, particularly among millennials who can’t regularly afford a $30 bottle of Bordeaux. Since wine is becoming more popular with younger demographics, superstores like Target are meeting the demand. Target isn’t the only store offering good table wine. In fact, the grocery store Aldi won the International Wine Challenge’s Great Value Award with their $8 rosé. And most everyone is familiar with the Chuck from TJ.
In a press release, Target announced that it’ll sell the wine in all of the stores that currently sell alcohol. According to Money, Target sells alcohol in 1,400 out of 1,800 of its stores and is planning to expand alcohol sales to 300 more stores soon. The California Roots selection will become available September 3rd, 2017.
