Aldi's Wine Advent Calendar Is Worth Buying ... If You Can Find It

Aldi's shelves are always the destination for deals and some unique discoveries ( ), but when the holidays roll around it becomes advent calendar central. Right now, Aldi has everything from cheese-themed advent calendars to a pet-focused calendar countdown. Advent calendars historically provide a jolly way to countdown to December 25th, with little surprise treats in every numbered nook.

However, where kids can look forward to a small chocolate or other reward for their patience, we adults have been blessed with the Aldi Wine Advent Calendar. This case of 24 mini bottles of wine includes everything from red blends to crisp whites to refreshing rosé. The entire case costs around $60, not including taxes, and has the added bonus of noting which types of cheese and chocolates pair best with each bottle.



Now, while advent calendars are usually about the surprises inside, it's helpful that this adult version notes what bottles are inside each day. Plus, if you're feeling like testing your sommelier abilities, you can double check the in-depth description of what goes into each wine to see how refined your palette really is. The Takeout got their hands on one already, so I'm here to give you my take on the contents.

Fair warning, I'm , as you will soon discover. If you plan on buying one for yourself, better act fast as stores are reportedly already running out of supplies. Day 1 - Point Taken Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Per the advent calendar's packaging, this Chilean wine would pair well with a smoked gouda cheese or dark cocoa.

On first sniff, the wine evokes memories of taking communion in a Catholic church. While that might not be a great compliment to the scent of a wine, the taste is surprisingly bright with a bit of tartness. Ignoring the smell of communion, this is a fine red wine.

Day 2 - Palloncini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Unsurprisingly, I had never tried a Trebbiano wine before this advent calendar came into my life. Unlike day 1, this wine smelled so neutral that it basically had no smell at all. A few sips gave a light but dry taste.

Overall, the wine was a vaguely fruity middle ground experience. You'll come to find my tastes lean more toward white wine varieties throughout this review, so being ranked as neutral is actually a positive point. Day 3 - Tru Reign California Cabernet Sauvignon Once again, a Cabernet Sauvignon brings about memories of a church wine.

This one just happens to be much stronger in taste and smell. One whiff left my nostrils feeling burnt and the taste is weirdly buttery with pepper, cherry, and vanilla notes all attacking the senses. This is closer to a hard liquor than a wine.

Day 4 - Seek & Escape Austrian Grüner Veltliner Opposite to the reds in this advent calendar, this Austrian wine has a clean scent. In fact, for a long moment my roommate couldn't put her finger on exactly what smell this wine reminded her of, but then it hit her. The undertone of this wine is like a lemon-scented lysol wipe but only in its smell.

The taste is citrusy, crisp, and open. Day 5 - Doodle Australian Shiraz Other than being from the land down under ( ), there's not a whole lot to take from this particular bottle. The taste is extremely dry with possibly some blueberry hints, but there's not much else to be said.

For someone who enjoys dry and neutral wine alongside a black pepper Gouda cheese, this could be the right way to go for you. Day 6 - Watch Tower California Chardonnay The vines in California are doing something right. This bottle pours out buttery with a fruity scent that has hints of vanilla and citrus.

That probably sounds like there's a lot going on with this wine but the Chardonnay's high acidity is an enjoyable sip. The recommended Black Truffle Cheddar pairing sounds like it would be a tasty counterbalance. Day 7 - Copper Swift Argentinian Malbec Hailing from Argentina, this Malbec wine has an oaky, smooth flavor with a spicy aftertaste.

Though that's not my cup of tea (or in this case glass of wine), I can see where a true lover of wine might enjoy this bottle. I may not be reaching for the Malbec anytime soon, but a spicy aftertaste apparently goes well with Mimolette cheese. Day 8 - Post & Paddock California Zinfandel This California Zinfandel wound up smelling closer to a white than a red wine with its light and crisp scent.

At first sip, the pour starts with a cherry taste that is subtle but then gets aggressive. This is definitely a full bodied glass with a long, lingering aftertaste. Day 9 - Story Begins California Sauvignon Blanc After a series of reds that truly pushed me out of my comfort zone, each bottle of white wine started to feel like a reprieve.

This California Sauvignon Blanc has a dry scent with a pear and green apple fruitiness that placed me right back where I usually enjoy my wine sips. Sweet and refreshing is my go-to, just like this bottle. Day 10 - Performer South African Pinotage Never having tasted a Pinotage in my life, I was intrigued by the cranberry scent that came along with a peppery and toasted plum taste.

At this point, 10 days into a wine countdown, you're bound to start truly trying to key into your tasting abilities. The Pinotage stands out among the other reds in a confusing but enjoyable way. Day 11 - Little Ditty German Riesling I was most looking forward to the German Riesling since I recently discovered how much I enjoy that type of wine.

But this bottle was a little disappointing in terms of what I had in mind. The flavor was light, fruity, and not dry at all. The bottle was just a bit too subtle in flavor than what I would like.

Day 12 - Luna Brillante Spanish Red Blend Once again I was met with a bit of a church wine smell and a very dry taste. There were some notes of vanilla or dark chocolate that were pleasant enough, but still not my favorite sip. I could understand why this might be enjoyed with a lamb dinner or other red meat.

Day 13 - Horizon De Lalonde French Bordeaux Red Blend The dark, heavy red hue of this wine immediately made me hesitant to try. I expected something extremely dry, but the French Bordeaux is actually smooth and berry-like with a strong aftertaste containing a sweet spice. This wine is just too complex for me, but that could be different for others.

Day 14 - Zille French Rosé The singular rosé included in this advent calendar stands out with its bright and dry flavor that leaves a lingering tingle of citrus on the tongue. The packaging recommends pairing this one with a pesto cheese. Despite this being part of a winter special, I'd probably enjoy this bottle with a salad.

I can picture greens and strawberries covered in balsamic vinaigrette alongside a glass of this rosé. Day 15 - Crūsh Italian Montepulciano Another new variety of wine has been introduced to my pallet thanks to Aldi. This Italian Montepulciano is not dry but hits the back of the throat with a mix of blackberries and spice.

The wine has some light tartness and is a bit earthy as well. The wine is intriguing and makes me curious about trying more. Day 16 - Stacks & Stones Portuguese White Blend This Portuguese White Blend might be one of my favorites of the entire collection, if not at the very least my favorite among the white wines.

The pour carries a strong, fruity apple scent and tastes like a mix of sweet peach and tropical fruits along with a hint of herb and lemon zest. For the person that's not so deeply versed in wine, I would recommend this. Day 17 - Vol Royal French Red Blend Day 17's French blend is fairly standard.

The wine is dry with some tartness to it, but nothing stands out about its flavor or smell. This red blend, like a few before it, is nothing special but not necessarily bad. It simply is what it is.

Day 18 - Shadow Dance Washington Syrah While I have heard of Syrah wines, I've never had the pleasure of sampling this type of wine, either. Right off the bat the Syrah is very bright and strong with a ruby red color. The flavor is almost like raspberry, but oddly that's not how the producer of the wine described it.

Per the wine description given, the Syrah actually has notes of smoked meat and savory spices. Maybe my palette is spent from all the wine, but I detected none of that. Day 19 - Trim Vine Hungarian White Blend The Hungarian White Blend smells a lot like a chardonnay.

As for taste, it is light with a bit of tropical or citrus notes. The wine is enjoyable but not among my top picks in the lineup of 24 bottles. Day 20 - Vin Twenty One Portuguese Red Blend The Portuguese Red Blend featured on day 20 immediately smelled like straight up grapes.

But despite that recognizable smell, the taste of the wine is neutral: neither dry nor light. The first sip had a little earthy, mineral sort of taste. Day 21 - Lady in Red Georgian Rkatsiteli Although this wine is called Lady in Red, this is in fact a white wine.

The color isn't completely clear, but the taste is. I hate to use the word basic, but this wine lives up to just that word and not much of its own description. The Rkatsiteli is meant to have notes of orange peel and nuttiness and spice, but I got none of that from my tasting.

Day 22 - Pastello Italian Merlot This Italian Merlot is softer than expected in both smell and taste. The mild flavor brings on thoughts of pure grapes and is not as dry as I would expect the average merlot to be. So, I would say if you don't normally like merlot, this is an easier sip to take.

Day 23 - Soulful Smile Portuguese Red Blend While I'm surprised another Portugese red blend made its way into the 24-bottle lineup, I can't say it did much to stand out. There's a lightness and high acidity to the wine, but it once again just sort of feels like drinking straight-up grapes. The deep color of the wine is almost misleading considering how smooth and light it is.

Day 24 - Venteux 22 French Cabernet Sauvignon The final wine rounding out the advent calendar is a French Cabernet Sauvignon which lingers like it's not ready to make its exit. The smell is mild and I couldn't find much to detect from it, but the taste of the Cabernet is clear. This bottle has a deep flavor that leaves your whole body feeling warm.

In the winter months, that's probably a welcome feeling. But, personally, I'd rather enjoy hard liquor for that. Is the Aldi wine calendar worth it? Overall, the Aldi Wine Calendar is definitely worth its $60 price tag for a number of reasons.

Even if you don't like 10 out of 24 bottles that are included, the sheer volume of wine you get to try is enough to make this a fun buy. Plus, conducting your own at-home wine tasting whether alone or with friends is a cozy activity to enjoy this time of year. I've been trying to broaden my horizons in the wine world for years, and trying wines from around the globe as a lead up to the holidays is the most creative way for me to get back into it.

Sure, I didn't love every single bottle of wine, but I learned plenty along the way. Recommended.