As I was browsing the shelves of one of my local wine stores, the counter cyclical Prosperity Red caught my eye.
It comes to us courtesy of Prosperity Wines in Santa Barbara County.
The story goes that the marquee was the brainchild of Brooks Firestone who “established
Prosperity Wines as a positive response to the recession of
the early 1990s”.
The varietal used for this red wine seems to have fluctuated over the years
I found the Wine Lovers Page describing it (2003 ??) as a Malbec imported in bulk from Argentina (label below) then bottled in California.
A bit confusing isn’t it?
I was wondering if there would be or was any Recession wine and yes there is.
It is stated on their site that Brooks Firestone actually started Prosperity partly “as an antidote to a neighboring winery’s
pessimistic interpretation of the times: Recession Red”.
Right now Recession Red is experiencing a renaissance with no less than 3 labels competing for the title as the Bevlog from Lehrman Beverage Law highlights (October 14).
One of the 3 is showed below.
Joanna Goddard picked another of the three wineries in that battle of the wines on A Cup of Jo (November 11).
The $3.99 Cabernet from the so-called Recession Wine Company was recently Gotham Wines top selling California wine.
Which are your Recession Wine Picks?
Feel free to share
A Consumed to Thrifty story.
My own Recession Red pick: Syrah for Thanksgiving? Rayun from Chile, Great Price to Boot
Related: San Francisco Chronicle ‘Calling all Wine Cheapskates’…Any Suggestions?