If you're looking for a decent, inexpensive wine, give Fish Eye Wine a try. The red and white wines from Fish Eye come in bottles or boxes, and they're always quite affordable, easy to find, and of consistent quality.
About Fish Eye Wine
You've probably walked past a bottle of Fish Eye wine at your local wine merchant or grocery store a hundred times. It's the bottle with the bright colors and the fish on the front. You really can't miss it. It's the kind of label that jumps out at you when it is lined up with the other wine labels with more subdued colors. However, the bottles won't be lined up together, as Fish Eye offers six different varietals of wine priced between $4 and $10 per bottle.
Fish Eye's Wines Are Not Vegan
Because they may use animal-based fining agents in some of their wines, Fish Eye wines are likely not vegan-friendly. However, they do offer an array of popular varietals.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Fish Eye's Cabernet Sauvignon costs around $5 for a bottle or $15 for a 3 L box. Users on wine-searcher give it 3 out of 5 stars, and it receives an aggregate critics' rating of 85 points across critics and vintages. Expect flavors of cherry with aromas of black pepper.
Merlot
The Merlot from Fish Eye costs around $4 for a 750 mL bottle. It's a jammy, plummy simple Merlot. More than 300 consumer reviewers at Vivino rate the wine as a solid 3 out of 5 stars.
Shiraz
Fish Eye Shiraz is a simple, Australian style Shiraz that costs around $5 per bottle or $15 for 3 liters. Expect flavors of dark berries and black pepper. Reviewers on wine-searcher give it a fair 2.5 out of 5 stars, and it receives an aggregate critics' score of 85 points.
Pinot Noir
The Pinot Noir from Fish Eye costs $13 for a 3 liter box or about $6 per bottle. More than 350 consumer reviews on Vivino rate it as fair, giving it an aggregate rating of 2.8 out of 3 stars. Expect flavors of raspberries and aromas of cinnamon and spice in a simple but drinkable Pinot Noir.
Chardonnay
The Chardonnay from Fish Eye costs around $5 per bottle. Reviewers at Total Wine & More rate the wine as 3.8 out of 5 stars. You'll find hints of tree fruits (apple and pear) with a good dose of vanilla from the oak.
Sauvignon Blanc
Fish Eye's Sauvignon Blanc is refreshing and acidic with flavors of melons. Expect to pay around $5 for a 750 mL bottle or about $15 for a 3 L box. Wine Enthusiast has rated this wine in the past and awarded it 84 points, calling it a "best buy."
Pinot Grigio
The Pinot Grigio costs around $5 per bottle. Consumer reviewers at Total Wine & More rate the wine 3.5 out of 5 stars. Look for fruit forward flavors such as peaches and tropical fruits.
Moscato
The Moscato costs around $5 for a 750 mL bottle or $15 for a 3 L box. More than 150 consumer reviewers at Vivino like this wine, giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars. The wine is fruity and honeyed with hints of peaches and pineapple.
What Consumers Are Saying About Fish Eye Wines
Yes, the wine is inexpensive, but is it any good? Here's what people are saying about Fish Eye Wines at the websites Cheap Wine Reviews and Tastings.
- Cabernet - Simple, fruity front-of-mouth flavors with a little hint of spice.
- Merlot - Slight cherry and cola flavors with a plum nose. Two reviewers stated that the wine started off a little hot and metallic, but then those characteristics faded as time went on. It should be mentioned here that one of the reviewers served his Fish Eye Merlot at about 70° Fahrenheit. Even the best merlot would taste hot at that temperature!
- Shiraz - Plum and blackberry flavor characteristics with soft tannins.
- Chardonnay - Simple flavor characteristic with citrus and earthy aromas. Medium-bodied with a clean finish.
- Sauvignon Blanc - Tart citrus beginnings, finishing with honeydew and melon flavors. This review was given by W. Blake Gray from the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Pinot Grigio - Medium bodied, well balanced and clean acid structure.
Fish Eye's Wine in a Box
Fish Eye launched a multi-million dollar advertising campaign for their boxed wine products in the beginning of 2007. The company offers 3-liter boxes of wine at a cost of around $16 a box and claim that the wine will stay fresh for up to six weeks after opening. To test this claim, Wall Street Journal columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher conducted a six-week long experiment that included the Fish Eye Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Pinot Grigio. At the end of the six-week period, the two concluded that none of the wines tasted off or oxidized and proved that Fish Eye boxed wines stayed true to the company's claim of staying fresh for a month and a half.
Fish Eye Wines Are All About Fun
In the end, Fish Eye wines may not be a top choice for wine connoisseurs and most likely won't be on the wine lists at fine dining establishments. They are not tuxedo-and-designer-dress wines, but they aren't meant to be. They are jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of wines, excellent for use in cooking, food friendly, and great for sipping. The wines are meant to be enjoyed every day at the beach and around the barbeque surrounded by good friends and great conversation.
