Walmart recently began selling its Winemaker's Selection in about 1,100 stores nationwide in an effort to deliver quality wine to customers at "every day low prices."
What Walmart has done with food is "what we're planning on doing with wine," Jack Pestello, senior vice president of private brands, said Wednesday at Walmart's Culinary and Innovation Center in Bentonville.
The retailer has selected 10 private-label wines for store shelves from vintners in California, France and Italy.
"Most retail for $11 and drink like a $30" bottle, said Al Dominguez, senior vice president of snack and beverages at Walmart. Styles range from chianti to grenache, rose to red blends.
After tasting the wines, Oscar Hansen, a sommelier of 15 years, said Walmart's private-label selections are "more complex than what I imagined."
-- Nathan Owens