AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 13, 2017) – National Drink Wine Day is Feb. 18, and Whole Foods Market is celebrating by taking 20 percent off the price of all Criterion wines.

Criterion wines are created to be classic, benchmark examples of wine styles from important wine regions around the world, and are ideal for new wine enthusiasts and experts alike. For sommeliers-in-training, these wines come in handy when teaching the nose/palate characteristics to look for to identify these varieties.

Whole Foods Market’s wine experts Doug Bell, and Devon Broglie use their years of industry experience and acquired expertise to work closely with extremely talented winemakers across the globe, tasting countless wines from a multitude of classic wine areas to create Criterion wines that embody and highlight the distinctive characteristics of each wine from a particular region. 

Bottles include:

  • Malbec Reserva from Mendoza, Argentina – Rich, bold, and velvety with blackberry and licorice notes.
  • Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio from Italy – Peach and apple with crisp acidity.
  • Carménère from Valle de Colchagua, Chile – Blackberry and cassis fruit with spicy herbal notes.
  • Chianti Classico from Tuscany, Italy – Complex and balanced with tart cherry and graphite minerality.
  • Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra, Australia – Dense and smooth with red cherry, chocolate and mint.
  • Rioja Reserva from Rioja, Spain – Traditional with dried cherry fruit and vanilla oak complexity.
  • Pinot Noir from Central Otago, New Zealand – Elegant and silky with fresh crisp berry fruit and a textured finish.
  • Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California – Classic tropical and snappy grapefruit with crisp acidity and an herbal finish.
  • Chablis from Northern France – Green apple and lemon fruit with limestone minerality and a steely finish.
  • Barolo from Piedmont, Italy – Robust with dried cherries, rose petals and tobacco.

This year’s monthly offers, which will be announced a week before each date, build on Whole Foods Market’s past food holiday celebrations, including 25-cent coffee on National Coffee Day, discounted bakery pies and pizzas for National Pi Day and 25-cent cookies on National Cookie Day. In 2017, shoppers can expect a mix of old favorites and new celebrations.