Barefoot Sweet Red Wine
Barefoot Sweet Red wine comes from Barefoot Cellars in Modesto, California.
In this review of Barefoot Sweet Red wine we’ll go over the price, alcohol content, taste and more of this very sweet red wine.
The wine I tasted did not have a vintage on the bottle. It was labeled as a Red Wine Blend. Additionally, “Red Table Wine” was stated on the label.
Per Barefoot Cellars, Jennifer Well is the winemaker and she joined Barefoot Cellars in 1995.
I was unable to locate any “official” listings of which grapes make up the blend for Barefoot Sweet Red wine. I did see some anecdotal reports of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Barbera on other web sites.
Although Barefoot Cellars recommends chilling this wine, I chose to taste it at room temperature. I did chill it later and re-tasted it. I found that the only difference was some muting of the tannins and finish. And also a slightly crisper taste. It did not change my overall opinion of this wine.
Speaking of serving it chilled, the bottle says you should refrigerate this wine after opening.
Barefoot Sweet Red Wine Review
In the glass, this wine is light garnet in color. A pretty good amount of light shines through, leaving dancing red lights under the glass.
The wine appears quite thin with no apparent legs at the outset. However, it became more leggy with air and time.
Very little alcohol was noted in the aroma. I would describe the aroma as raspberry candy with cherry mixed in.
Barefoot Sweet Red Wine alcohol content 10.5% per the bottle.
As the name suggests, this wine is sweet in flavor. It’s actually extremely sweet. Similar to Beringer White Zinfandel in terms of sweetness.
The flavor is a combination of raspberry, strawberry and pomegranate. Truthfully it’s a sugar bomb and you’ll find no dryness in this wine at all.
The wine has a delicate syrupy mouthfeel. Very slight tannins noted on the palate.
Barefoot Sweet Red’s finish was medium to long. Shorter when chilled. Given the abundance of sweetness, I was surprised the finish wasn’t longer.
Overall, I didn’t like this wine. For a sweet red I’d prefer something with at least a little dryness like Cupcake Red Velvet.
I found Barefoot Sweet Red to be too sweet for my tastes. It certainly delivers on its promise as a sweet red wine. And, it might be good for someone who really really likes their wine sweet. But, to me this was comparable to a fruit wine, given its juicy pomegranate flavors.
I also wasn’t pleased there was no way to tell what the varietals were.
Barefoot Sweet Red wine price $10.99.
I really want to try the Barefoot Cellars Red Blend Red Wine, because I heard it taste more like juice and less like alcohol. Is that true? And what is another flavor of barefoot that taste like juice and not like alcohol I really do not like alcohol tasting drinks.
Thanks for commenting, Shelby.
I haven’t tried their Red Blend yet, so can’t really say how it tastes. With that said, Sweet Red is certainly juicy and the alcohol doesn’t overpower the flavor.
While not a Barefoot brand wine, you might try Stella Rosa Black. Its taste is similar to grape juice and very low in alcohol.
Cheers and hope that helps!
Jon
I’m an old lady into my 80’s now and have never drank alcohol..in any form. No specific reason why, just never got started on it I suppose. But being as I myself, am seasoned and tenderized now, I’m considering doing just that. Oh at my age you’ve inherited enough experience and troubles in life anyway, so now with all the kids gone..retired..housebound..lol, why not give it a shot? Question being however is where do I start? Definitely a red wine and a really sweet one too..and inexpensive. Can you recommend one that grocery stores carry? I’d appreciate that!
Thank you Kindly, too! “Miss Sis”
Thanks for commenting Miss Sis!
My suggestion for you is McManis Petite Sirah. It’s a red wine that has flavors of mocha and black fruits with a little bit of smoky caramel too. Rated highly by Wine Spectator and under $10, as well.
Cheers!
Jon
I do not find this wine too sweet at all. It has a beautiful balance to it. I taste no tannins at all, and I really have a big issue with tannins. The first thing I notice as I hold the wine in my mouth for a moment is how creamy it is. It feels luxurious in my mouth. There is almost no after taste so it is a clean wine in my opinion. The aroma is less on the fruity side and more on the earthy side to me. I really like this wine a lot.
Thanks for commenting and for sharing your review, DeLaine!
I love this wine….its the perfect blend for me…It is my go to for everything…its perfect..and I commend your choice for a sweet red……I am not a dry wine drinker …others may make a different choice…but many of us love this wine…
My go to wine has always been skinny girl california red. This is a close second. It is very sweet, was not expecting the juiciness of it but I fell in love.
I think you have to understand the expertise and experience ot the wine reviewer to be able to know if this wine is for you. I understand how he might not like this wine, from someone who has a special taste for wine, however, I really like this wine. It is sweet and smooth as the label says. It will not be for a lot of people who want a more dry “sophisticated” wine, but those who like this wine, hey_just enjoy it. It’s like art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Well put John… I’ll always be honest in my opinion. But, that doesn’t mean a wine I don’t love won’t be loved by others.
Thanks for commenting!
Absolutely true, Jon. My wife and I always appreciate your reviews and take them at that value of it’s your opinion, with your palate and experience. We were “late bloomers”, when it comes to wine. Just really started enjoying “tastings” over the last 19 years or so, after repeated trips to the Napa Valley area and our racing at Sonoma. We are trying this one tonight. Thanks again Jon, for your reviews and suggestions. Cheers!!!
Ken and Debi,
You’re very welcome and thanks to you both for your comments and kind words!
Jon
I tasted this wine, as I do try to taste wine periodically in the hopes I will find one I like.
Blech was the word that came to mind; some sort of buttery sweat sock flavor that made me wish for some vinegar instead. Maybe my palate is off.
Thanks for sharing your experience Angie.
May your next selection treat you better!
Cheers!
I am not sure how you can favor this wine with such high praise. I tasted it last Monday. OMG. The wine is not expensive, so there are no great expectations. However, it tasted and felt like an extremely cheap mixture of fruit juice and some sort of additive, without any aging benefit. Tastes bad, very bad to me.
I’m not a wine person but I really love sweet wine. This is one of my favorites. Japanese Plum being my #1 favorite. Do you have any recommendations for other sweet wines like this one other than the Beringer White Zinfandel? I’ll try that next. Thanks in advance!
Hi Deva, thanks for commenting!
Have you ever tried an ice wine? With those you get the sweetness similar to a plum wine.
Here’s one I’ve reviewed: Peller Estates Ice Wine
That may be hard to find, so I’d suggest going to your local wine store and ask if they have any ice wines.
Another alternative would be a “late harvest” dessert wine. That’s another one where you can ask your local store for a recommendation, based on what they carry.
Hope that helps… Cheers!
Thank you so much for those suggestions! I’ll start looking right away.
I love Barefoot Sweet Red Blend
I’ll have to try Japanese Plum sounds
I have never been much of a wine person at all however I found this wine to taste very good & enjyed it a lot.
Great! Always good to find something you like. Cheers!
(From) Luis and Minerva
We are having problem getting the sweet red, many stores have pulled it from stock, what’s the reason why? My wife and I love this wine and can’t find it anywhere.
Hi Luis, thanks for commenting.
Not sure why stores might be pulling it from stock.
You might want to check with your local store and ask them what’s going on. Sometimes wine can be unavailable due to a local distributer issue.
If you’re near a Total Wine store, you might want to give them a try. They always seem to have a lot in stock.
This is actually my second favorite wine. It’s excellent, especially for the price which is only $5.25 locally. It’s sweet and light and fruity with no tannin shock. I noticed no syrupiness. It’s quite refreshing. This is my favorite “unwind in a bubble bath via candle light with a good book” wine. Sometimes when the day’s gone rough, you just want your wine to go smooth.
Well said Victoria!
Cheers and thanks for commenting…
Jon
I have struggled also to buy this wine in leading supermarkets in Wales, U.K., I bought a bottle of this wine in tescos, then another in home bargains, then this wine dissapeared of the shelves! I currently drink barefoot pink moscatto , but found the red sweet wine nicer.
I love this wine.. I found it had the perfect balance.. my new favorite!
Thanks for the comment Jennifer!
I actually found this wine not so sweet as you have described. There is no dry taste but certainly no overwhelming sweetness. The wine was actually quite enjoyable.
Thanks for commenting Brittani… Always good to find a wine you like!
This has quickly become my new favorite wine. It is somewhat sweet but by no means to sweet for me. I enjoy this wine paired with steak and veggies or anything that is grilled.