Popular Cheap Wine From the 70s

For most people in the 1970s, boxed wines and sweet dessert wines were all the craze. People substituted wine glasses for cups. The wine had a very casual image. Vineyards tended to produce wine in vast quantities. 

In the 1970s, France was leading the world in fine wine production. This was until the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976, where several Californian wines beat France’s top wines in an expert taste test. 

This paved the way for a new chapter in global wine drinking, where everyone felt they too could produce and enjoy fine wine. 

What Was a Popular Cheap Wine in the 70s?

In the 1970s, a white wine named Blue Nun swept the world. This German wine was mass-produced and, thanks to great marketing, became one of the world’s most popular wine brands. 

In the United States, fizzy sweet wine made from Concord grapes was becoming popular among the growing numbers of wine drinkers. In France and Italy, quality took a backseat to quantity. 

The famous Chianti region in Italy was sadly producing large quantities of basic quaffing wine.

 

Was 1970 a Good Year for Cheap Wine?

1970 was the golden age of cheap wine. Countries in Europe, like Germany and France, were selling vast quantities of cheap wine. 

In France, most of this wine was coming from the sun-soaked southern coast, where a long growing season meant ‌grapes could become ripe and sweet.

 

Which Popular Cheap Wines From the 70s Are Still on the Market?

Fortunately for us, many of the top wine brands of the 1970s are no longer being produced. Nevertheless, wines like Blue Nun and the Californian brand Franzia continued to evolve. 

After the 1980s, many grape varieties associated with cheap wines went out of style. As a result, grapes like Muscat, Vinho Verde, and Lambrusco lost their popularity abroad and went somewhat dormant. 

Luckily, winemakers are now taking advantage of these quality grapes and showing the world that they can make excellent wines from them. 

 

Which Cheap Wines From the 70s Are The Worst?

According to many wine drinkers, the title of the worst wines from the 1970s goes to Cold Duck. This brand combined sweet red wine juice with cheap sparkling wine. Sweet, sour, fizzy, and popular, this wine was, by all standards, a poor-tasting wine. 

Contrary to popular opinion, Europe was hardly producing anything better. Mass-produced wines from the south of France and Germany were cheap and low in quality. The wine was for the masses, and its quality and taste suffered. 

 

What is a Good Occasion for Drinking Popular Cheap Wines from the 70s?

Many people bring back the traditions and cultures of past decades at themed parties. 70s parties wouldn’t be complete without a bottle of Blue Nun or cheap Franzia. 

Another popular thing to do is set up ‌blind tastings with the cheapest wines popular in the 70s. 

By comparing these cheap brands side by side with newer brands of better quality, you and your guests can pick apart what makes a wine taste bad and why some wines taste so good. 

Final Thoughts on Popular Cheap Wine From the 70s

In the 1970s, the wine had a very casual image and was cheap and mass-produced. France was leading the world in fine wine production until the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976, where a few Californian wines bested France’s top wines in a blind tasting. 

The most popular cheap wine from the 70s was Blue nun’s German wine. This wine and several others like Franzia are still on the market. The worst cheap wines from the 70s were Cold Duck and wines from the south of France. 

Comparing some of these cheap wines to popular wines today shows the difference in quality and taste.