BeverageGrades

We’ve all been there – preparing to host a nice cocktail party with all of your friends, family and coworkers. The menu is set and you have all the groceries you’ll need to really “wow” your guests, all except for the accompanying wine. You arrive at the wine aisle at the grocery or liquor store, and stare aimlessly, overwhelmed by options and preoccupied by pricing. You’ve spent a fortune on all of the right appetizers and the main dish, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on alcohol.

Facing hundreds and hundreds of bottles in the store aisle, you start running through the questions in your head: 

“Which wine holds the best value?”

“What quality wine can I buy without breaking the bank?”

“Is that top-shelf brand really worth that much money?”

Copy Cat™ is here to help answer these questions.

Copy Cat™ can find beverages that are virtually identical in their chemistry composition, and therefore in taste. With this information you can be sure not to overspend on a bottle that has a lower-priced chemical twin! Simply select your favorite bottle of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or whatever your preference, and Copy Cat™ will find a handful of other bottles with near identical composition and flavor profile at a range of prices. You may find that your favorite bottle of wine has a taste match that is half the price!

This 4th of July, most of us will be out and about enjoying the long weekend. During these times, there is often nothing better than an icy cold brew. If you’re looking for something craftier than you’re traditional Bud or Miller beers, but are also trying to watch your waistline, then we have a selection of beers for you.

We have analyzed over 500 beers to date, and the lab tested range of calories for beers is anywhere between 52 and a whopping 473 calories. So, please visit our Website, or use our mobile-optimized site, and choose wisely.

For your convenience, below are 5 of the lowest calorie craft beers based on a standard 12 ounce serving size:

ZiegenBock Amber (113 calories)

Yuengling Light (114 calories)

Left Hand Stanger American Pale Ale (115 calories)

Abita Purple Haze (116 calories)

Sam Adams Light (116 calories)

Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Want to know what’s in your beer? Want to know how one beer correlates to another—AKA Copy Cat Clones?

We've lab tested 90%+ of the beer market for such things as calories, carbs, pesticides, heavy metals, and most taste and aroma compounds too. Now, you can quickly search or browse for your favorite brew and know its nutritional content and flavor profile. Click to view its Copy Cat Clones, and identify beers which are a chemical fingerprint matches, and save money doing so.

We’d love to hear what you have to say, so please follow us @BeverageGrades or like us on Facebook. Soon, we’ll add your favorite whiskeys, vodkas and scotches, among many other distilled spirits. And, we’re always adding more wines and beers, so check back often.

On Tuesday, June 20th, we will release free Copy Cat and Health & Nutrition data on about 500+ beers on our Website. I’ve seen much of the data, and it’s very interesting to say the least.

Like wines, you will be able to type in your favorite beer and find information like calories, carbs, pesticides, sulfites, gluten and heavy metals, as well as flavor intensities on such taste and aroma compounds as malt, hops, toffee, fruit, nutty, bitter, etc. I will be writing a couple of beer specific blogs next week too, once the data is up, because there are some real differences that will likely surprise, and in some cases scientifically confirm, what beer drinkers think about craft and big beers.

BeverageGrades is a scientific company for sure. However, as those of you who’ve followed us since we went live in January know, we are also a company which strives to provide value to our users. True to form, you will be able to find Copy Cat clones of your favorite beers so you can save money. Our TRuPrice will also tell you if the beer you’re buying is worth the price based on scientifically validated data across our beer database. Furthermore, coming soon will be a feature to help you make smarter purchasing decisions in a restaurant – our “Fair Restaurant Price.” This price will be featured on every beverage we display so that you can make sure the price of a bottle of beer or wine is fair based on what restaurants should be charging you.

We’re excited to release the beer data this Tuesday and help you buy the right beer for you based on what you like. Whether that’s nutrition, taste, or price, we’ve got it all for you for free here on BeverageGrades.com. And, very soon, we’ll have mobile apps for Android and iPhone. Also, try our Website out on your browser, as we’ve optimized the site for mobile too.

If you are wondering what happened to Wine 2-sday, well it’s been a rather busy week to say the least. We are vigorously lab testing beers and hope to have 1,500 to 2,000 on our site on Tuesday, June 24th. The data on beers is very interesting, so be sure to check back soon. Also, we are busily developing our mobile app for iPhone and Android. This will be available in the next 2 – 3 weeks. We will be sure to keep you posted.

In this mayhem, Wine 2-sday has moved to Wine Wednesday…for this week only. As a quick refresher, Wine 2-sday features our Copy Cat TasteMatch tool which finds identical or nearly identical tasting beverages (i.e. twins) based on objective lab data.

Today, let’s look at La Crema Chardonnay. This Sonoma Coast wine is about $16 retail and its lab tested taste and aroma profile is shown below:

It’s top Copy Cat TasteMatches are as follows:

Geyser Peak Chardonnay ($9) | 98.3% TasteMatch Save $7 on this near match as it has been evaluated as having “Insignificant Differences Detected”, i.e. the average sommelier would find this to be the same wine.

Matanzas Creek Chardonnnay ($22) | 96.6% TasteMatch As a more expensive chardonnay, you should stick with La Crema.

Arrowood Chardonnay ($12) | 96.1% TasteMatch Save $5 on this bottle of Sonoma County chardonnay. With a 96.1% correlation, it has been evaluated as having “Tiny Differences Detected”, i.e. the average sommelier would only taste very tiny differences.

Let’s start something new and fun…wine 2-sday. Every Tuesday throughout the summer, we will profile wines that taste nearly identical or very similar. Thus, wine 2-sday is all about finding a wine’s clone.

Before we begin, it’s important to understand how Copy Cat works. This patent-pending TasteMatch system uses sophisticated science and technology to determine how similar in taste a wine is to others. The wines are scored from 1 – 99+%. The higher the score, the more similar the wines are in chemical composition.

To better understand how similar one wine is to another, it’s important to understand what the percentages mean:

- 97.5% - 99%+ matches (Insignificant Differences Detected): These wines are a statistical guessing game for our expert panel (i.e. they thought one wine was the same as the other).

- 95% - 97.4% matches (Tiny Differences Detected): These wines are very similar tasting, of which, our experts found them to have just tiny taste differences.

- 93% - 95% matches (Minor Differences Detected): These wines are similar in taste, but our experts can point to small but distinct differences.

- Less than 93% matches (Subtle Differences Detected): These wines are similar in taste with some noticeable differences, and thus, our experts describe these wines as “discovery” wines.

For this Copy Cat Wine 2-sday, I’ve selected the most popular chardonnay based on total dollar sales from a grocery store database. This happens to be none other than Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay ($12). As you can see from its lab-tested taste and aroma profile, this wine is a buttery, nutty, oaky chardonnay with fruit and caramel aromas.

To find its Copy Cat TasteMatches on our Website (soon our phone app) is very easy. Type the brand name in the search bar at the top of any webpage. Or, use our Browse Guide and search for Buttery, White, California, Chardonnays in the Copy Cat section of the site. Either way, you will then click on the orange-colored “Show Copy Cat” button at the bottom of the brand. And, voila…its TasteMatches are revealed:

Camelot Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Avant Chardonnay and Murphy-Goode Chardonnay

All of these wines were tested as having “tiny differences detected”. Camelot Chardonnay is the wine to buy as it is 50% less than Kendall-Jackson and a 95.5% TasteMatch. The other wines are about the same price, so you could just stick with Kendall-Jackson. Or, if you’re wanting to try a different brand, then either of the other two are safe bet since they have been verified by our lab as very similar in taste to Kendall-Jackson.

Enjoy your 2-sday and poke around for great deals on identically tasting or nearly identically tasting wines and save money doing it. Cheers to finding wines that “you” like, as opposed to wines that so-called “experts” like.

It’s halfway to the weekend, but that doesn’t mean that tonight can’t be a happy hour. In fact, for me, when it comes to wine, every night can be a happy hour.

For this week’s wine-down Wednesday, let’s look at the top three, lowest sulfite cabernets. I don’t want to get into a long dissertation about sulfites and headaches. I am constantly asked about this very question. The truth is, if you think that the sulfites in wines are causing you headaches, then I suggest that you buy dried apricot fruits. These have loads of sulfites; likely 100 times more than what you’ll find in wines. If you eat these dried fruits and get a headache, well then, the sulfites are causing them.

Sulfites are a preservative which may cause respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma. In fact, in extreme situations, sulfites can trigger asthmatics to go into anaphylactic shock. So, for people with asthma or other respiratory problems (and for those convinced they cause headaches), below are the cabernets which have been lab tested to have the lowest concentration of sulfites:

Joseph Phelps Cabernet ($54)

This Napa Valley cabernet has 162 calories and carries a hefty price tag. I suggest that you check out its Copy Cat TasteMatches to find very similar tasting wines at a much lower price. Consider a bottle of Sequoia Grove Cabernet and save about $20.

Starmont Cabernet ($20)

This is a much more reasonably priced wine from Napa Valley. It’s TRuPrice tells you all you need to know. This is a great bargain as most wines with its chemistry profile will cost you $32.

Silverado Cabernet ($37)

This is also a Napa Valley cabernet; and, at $37 per bottle, you will also want to look into its Copy Cat TasteMatches.

It’s interesting to note that the three lowest sulfite cabernets originate from Napa Valley. They are also quite pricey. So, be sure to visit our site and hunt around for the lowest sulfite wine in the price range you’re interested in.

It’s summertime for most people, which means shorts on the golf course and swimsuits at the pool. If you’re like me, then you need SPF 100 to protect your fair skin from the sun. And also, if you’re like me, you may be counting calories to fit into your snug shorts from last summer.

When people think about counting calories, most focus on foods, diet sodas, etc. But, you may be surprised to know that there is a huge variation in the amount of calories in wine. For example, the variability for red wines is anywhere between 126 and 331 calories per glass (6.4 oz serving). Just as a reference point, there are 140 calories in a 12 oz can of Coca Cola®. This can have a lot to do with wineries adding sugar or juice concentrate to their brand. But, whatever the reason, it’s important to understand that wine has lots of calories, and as such, you need to select the right brand.

Luckily, here at BeverageGrades, you can find the lowest calorie wines by region, varietal, etc. with a few simple clicks of the mouse (or touch points on your smartphone). This weekend, I’ve selected the three lowest calorie chardonnay, cabernet and pinot noir:

Lowest Calorie Chardonnay (range: 125 – 171 calories per glass)

Peter Vella Family Reserve Chardonnay ($2.21 per 750 mL bottle)

This box wine is surprisingly low in calories with only 125 per glass. And since it’s a box wine, you can expect to pay a whole lot less.

Lowest Calorie Cabernet Sauvignon (range: 126 – 192 per glass)

Peter Vella Family Reserve Cabernet ($2.11 per 750 mL bottle)

Again, this box wine has the fewest calories at 126 per glass, and, if you drink wine on a regular basis, then this box wine may be a great choice for you.

Lowest Calorie Pinot Noir (range: 127 – 184 per glass)     

Firesteed Pinot Noir ($13.04 per 750 mL bottle)

The only bottle in the bunch, this 127 calorie wine is bit more expensive. But, not to worry. Check out its Copy Cat TasteMatches to find a nearly identical tasting wine for less money.

Well, that’s it for this weekend’s wine list. Enjoy your weekend, and remember to visit us often to find the right beverage for you at the right price.

Ah, summertime. An excuse to think and feel like a kid again. Even though most of us are still heading into the office every day, with warmer temperatures and brighter sunlight, we inevitably find ourselves out on the deck or patio grilling, hanging out with friends and family and indulging in some of our favorite things.

Where kids will chase the ice cream man down the street and do just about anything for a piece of candy, we tend to treat ourselves with wine, beer and other delicious beverages. But as we’ve seen through our BeverageGrades testing process, some of our favorite beverages can pack the same nutritional punch, or should we say lack thereof, as some of our favorite sweet treats. For example:

- One glass of Cabernet Sauvignon has the same amount of calories as one and a half Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

- 4 glasses of Moscato includes the same amount of carbs as a pint of Ben & Jerry’s

Of course, balance is the key to life and we think it’s important to always keep things in perspective. Perhaps the next time you’re digging around your pantry and find some peanut butter cups, ask yourself if you’d rather enjoy a rich glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. If it were up to us, we’d probably pair the two – Cabernet and chocolate tend to be a great combination. But if you are more calorie-conscious, then just think, all it takes is 15 minutes of running at a ten-minute mile pace to burn off that glass of Malbec, if that is your wine of choice.

That’s right. It’s hump day again. But don’t fret, that means it is wine Wednesday too. It’s the middle of the week, so everyone’s gearing up to get home and enjoy a nice glass of wine on the patio (or somewhere outdoors with these warm nights upon us).

For this segment, let’s explore the three most popular chardonnays on our Website as it relates to Health & Nutrition. These are not necessarily the healthiest wines, simply the most popular. Not surprisingly, with popularity, comes household brands.

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay ($11.22)

With a TRuPrice of $11.55, it is a “Fair Value.”

Please note: For those of you unfamiliar with our TRuPrice, this is the price of the wine after you strip away marketing, advertising, fancy labels, etc. The TRuPrice is all about what’s inside the bottle…the true value of the wine itself.

At 153 calories per glass and with a health rating of 3.2 (out of 5 stars), it’s not necessarily the best choice out there. I’d suggest you check out its Copy Cat TasteMatches to discover a similar tasting wine, which may be a bit healthier for you.

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($16.55)

With a TRuPrice of $15.66, it too is a “Fair Value.”

At 150 calories per glass and with a health rating of 4.7, this seems like an excellent choice for those interested in a healthier option. Please note: our health algorithm includes calories, pesticides and antioxidants to name a few compounds. So, this wine is heavy on the good stuff and light on the bad.

Cupcake Chardonnay ($9.01)

This is the least expensive one of the bunch. And, with a TRuPrice of $9.28, it is a slightly better value than its retail price, so it is still a “Fair Price.”

Please note: To find the highest TRuPrice wines, simply go to our browse guide, click on the Copy Cat section, and select “Top Value” from the Copy Cat Criteria drop-down menu.

Cupcake has a few more calories per glass at 158. And, with a 3.7 health rating, it is quite similar in health components as the Kendall-Jackson.

All in all, if you have the money to spend, from a health standpoint, La Crema is the way to go. But, again, check out our Copy Cat section and find great deals.

Resveratrol has been all the rage over the last decade as researchers had touted that it reduced inflammation in arteries which could lead to better heart health. Not just that, but other scientists had claimed that resveratrol could lead to lower incidences of certain cancers and increased longevity.

However, an Italian study has rebuffed these claims. Based on their results from a sample of 783 Italians, it appears that resveratrol does not have these health benefits from wine.

When we first started BeverageGrades, we lab tested wines for the quantities of resveratrol present in all wine brands. We anticipated including this compound in our health algorithm. However, we now have a second reason to exclude resveratrol. Initially, our health advisory panel excluded it from the algorithm because one would need to drink about 1,350 bottles per day to benefit from it. Now, since there is no added benefit from resveratrol based on this study, this is reason number 2 to not lab test for it.

Please note: This study was confined to smaller doses of resveratrol. So, if you are taking supplements, please consult your doctor about its health benefits.

Our lab tests all sorts of other compounds to provide you with the healthiest wines to drink. To find the healthiest wines for you, please go to our homepage at www.beveragegrades.com and use our browse guide.

To find the healthiest wines using our browse guide, follow these three simple steps.

Click on the Health & Nutrition tab just next to the Copy Cat tab.

In the first drop down menu (titled Health & Nutrition), select “Top Health Rating”

Click the bright yellow Search button

Then, all lab tested wines will be ranked from most healthy to least healthy based on a 5-star system.

Welcome to the new and improved BeverageGrades®! We have worked hard to redesign our site to give you the most helpful information when it comes to selecting and enjoying wine, beer and spirits.

Here’s a quick sample of how we have changed the site:

Easy to Navigate – whether you want to learn about the difference in sulfites in red versus white wine (spoiler alert – you might be surprised) or find less expensive beverages with the same flavor profiles as some of your favorites, easy-to-navigate drop down menus make finding the information as satisfying as an ice cold beer on a summer day.

Flavor Profiles – Our unique Copy Cat® TasteMatch™ tool allows you to enter your favorite wine and find other wines that have a similar flavor, aroma and taste profiles at a variety of price points. By using Copy Cat®, you just might find that your favorite bottle of wine has a twin at half the price.

Top Categories – we have analyzed thousands of wines, so finding what you are looking for can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. We’ve grouped together wines in popular categories, such as “Top Value Wines”, “Top Healthy Wines”, “Low Calories Wines” and more so you can find the information when you need it.

TRuPrice – If you are a believer that it’s what’s inside the bottle that matters, than look out for the TRuPrice. This is the price of the wine once you strip away its pretty label, brand name and advertising budget. The higher the TRuPrice is in relation to the retail price, the higher the value for that wine.

Detailed Information – now when you view one particular wine, you can review all relevant information in our database, including its nutritional profile, average price and Copy Cat® flavor profile

Spring has sprung and summer is upon us. With that in mind, we thought it would be fitting to select a few nice, light sauvignon blancs. The entire category is low in sugar and calories, so we are providing the top 3 healthiest rated sauvignon blancs.

To get a top health rating, a wine must be low in sugar, calories and carbs, which as I just mentioned, this entire varietal fits that bill. But, the rating also requires that a wine be low in sulfites, heavy metals and sodium among other compounds. We also look at the good stuff too. So, healthy wines will also have the highest quantities of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to name a few other important compounds.

So, when you’re out and about tonight, or maybe relaxing at home with your spouse (that would be me), consider the following, light and healthy, 5 star, sauvignon blancs below.

Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc / Sauvignon Blanc ($14) This Napa Valley appellate is moderately priced for the region. Specs per glass (6.4oz serving): 144 Calories | 1.6 g sugar  

BV Coastal Estates Sauvignon Blanc ($7) If you’re looking to save money but still get health benefits, look no further than this California Sauvignon Blanc. Specs per glass: 140 Calories | 1.5g sugar

Frei Brothers Reserve Sauvignon Blanc ($14) From Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, it’s hard to go wrong with this particular wine. Specs per glass: 152 calories | 1.2g sugar

Remember to check out their Copy Cat wines to either a) find better bargains (certainly at $14, there are bargains to be had) or, b) to discover other enjoyable sauvignon blancs that taste identical or nearly identical.

Wine-on-tap is becoming all the rage. And, two young entrepreneurs are part of the reason for this innovation. Jordan Kivelstadt and Dan Donahoe are the cofounders of Free Flow Wines. They’re company packages quality wine into kegs and sells it nationwide. From small wine bars to the likes of The Ritz Carlton and PF Chang’s, they hope to revolutionize the wine industry.

As us winos know, a little change to the wine industry is tantamount to radical mutiny. Think about screw caps on wine bottles. 10 years ago it was for low brow wines; but now, Chateau Margaux, home to some of the most expensive wines in the world, is considering using them as they reduce oxidation.

From a business standpoint, wine kegs make real sense. Restaurants can make an even higher profit (as hard as that is to swallow) selling wines by the glass. Also, if you put a nice looking set of wine taps behind the bar, then aesthetically, I think consumers will not have a problem with this concept at all.

If it’s all about what’s inside the bottle, or in this case, the keg, than why not wines-on-tap? Unless the wine spoils, then who cares. Whether I’m served a glass of wine from a tap, or a waiter or waitress fills my glass using a bottle, is of no consequence to me. I simply want the actual wine to taste good.

If you are in this same camp, and it’s all about the wine and not about the packaging, then I invite you to try our Copy Cat TasteMatch tool. Copy Cat enables you to find wines that are identical or nearly identical in taste based on science and technology. We strip away the fancy labels and the brand names and assess just the wine. In the process, you can find great deals, many which may be identical twins at half the cost.

Let us know what you think in our comments section below.

Doctors at the University of Colorado-Denver analyzed the wine consumption habits of 5,832 participants using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (2003 – 2006). They found a correlation between moderate wine consumption and lower rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Participants who drank less than one glass of wine a day had healthier kidneys than non-drinkers. Moreover, participants who already had CKD and who drank less than a glass of wine per day had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease as compared to non-drinkers.

This does not mean that people who do not already drink should start now. This is also not a conclusive study. It simply shows that a correlation exists between moderate wine consumption and CKD, and thus, more research needs to be done to prove the hypothesis.

About 26 million Americans have CKD, often caused by high blood pressure and diabetes according to the National Kidney Foundation. With the increased incidence of diabetes, this number has been growing and is expected to grow significantly over the next 10 years.

According to one of the lead scientists, Dr. Tapan Mehta, “The polyphenols found in wine have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may help explain the protective heart effects.” And, since heart disease is linked to kidney disease, there may be an association.

  Most people assume that a drink is just a drink. But, when you factor in the varying alcohol contents and pour sizes, this could not be further from the truth. With April being alcohol awareness month, we would like to educate our users about responsible drinking, which I must say, is no easy task.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines one standard drink based on a variety of factors including beverage type (e.g. beer, wine and spirit), pour size and alcohol by volume (ABV). So, a beer = a glass of wine = a distilled spirit at the following levels noted below:

Beer: 12 oz glass at 5% ABV

Wine: 5 oz glass at 12% ABV

Distilled spirit (e.g. whiskey, vodka): 1.5 oz shot at 40% ABV

Okay, so besides the math headache required to determine the number of drinks one consumes, let’s delve a bit deeper.

Fact: About 85% of the wines BeverageGrades has lab tested exceed 12% alcohol, with many wines having 15% and 16% alcohol levels.

Fact: Beers can be sold at up to 16% ABV. That’s more than 3 times the ABV drink equivalent.

Fact: Craft beers are springing up everywhere and the average ABV is usually more like 8% or 10%.

Fact: Most restaurant portion sizes are greater than the CDC standard. Wines are usually served at 6.4 oz and beers on tap at 16 oz. And, don’t get me started on whiskeys, vodkas and other distilled spirits. The fact that an average martini glass holds 7 ounces says it all.

All these facts lead to one major problem: people are drinking much more alcohol than they realize. And, the repercussions are devastating.

Alcohol is the #1 cause of death nationwide and worldwide. Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death. The key is to understand the trend towards higher alcohol drinks and larger serving sizes. Check our Website (and soon our phone app) to know the amount of alcohol in a given brand. Again, they vary widely, and, always factor in the size of the drinks.

Enjoy a nice glass of wine or beer tonight. But, remember the trend.

The TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) has approved a powered alcohol product called Palcohol. Is this a good idea or not? Forget about the irresponsible nature of the product, and the numerous reporters and bloggers out there, afraid that youngsters will snort this stuff or sprinkle it on their food. Yes, bad idea of course. Let’s instead focus on the business concept and what problem it intends to solve.

If you visit their Website, their pitch is simple, “Wouldn’t it be great to have alcohol in powder form so all one had to do is add water? Since it’s light and compact, it wouldn’t be a burden to carry.” Okay, so their key selling point is convenience. Well, boda bags and other liquid receptacles are fairly convenient too.

Then, there’s the Kool-Aid-like powder selling point. “Just add water.” Clearly, their demographic is young drinkers, probably in college. I cannot see 35+ year old adults sneaking this powdered substance into an event. It just seems too juvenile to me. Their Website does not include pricing, but I’d figure a packet to be between $5 or $10 – for powder. It just seems silly. It screams of fad. And, yes it’s irresponsible.

Lastly, the spirits business is highly competitive to say the least. So, beyond the niche market they are targeting, this company needs to find distributors and retailers to carry it. Distributors will be especially cautious since they also sell products like Smirnoff and Captain Morgan’s that will have a "small (uh hum)" say in their future. Good luck with that Palcohol!