Is 19 Crimes wine good?
19 Crimes Red Blend is a fine, easy-drinking red for about $11: smooth, fruity and a little sweet-tasting, though it is more fun for the label than for what is in the glass.
19 Crimes Red Blend · Red blend · Australia · nearly everywhere
- Alcohol
- About 13.5%
- Sweetness
- Off-dry, around 12 g/L of sugar
- Grapes
- Mostly Shiraz, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache
- Made by
- Treasury Wine Estates
- From
- South Eastern Australia
- Price
- About $9 to $12
- Calories
- About 125 to 135 in a 5 oz glass
What it tastes like
Ripe blackberry, plum and vanilla, soft and rounded. There is not much grip or tartness, so it goes down easily on its own.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
- Gripsmooth → grippy
Is it worth $11?
It is fairly priced, not a bargain. You are partly paying for the convict-themed labels and the app that makes them talk. For the same money, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel has more personality.
Who it’s for
Good for parties, gifts for casual wine drinkers, and anyone who likes Apothic-style smooth reds. If you want a red with some edge to it, look elsewhere.
How to serve it
Slightly cool, about 15 minutes in the fridge. No decanting needed.
The backstory
19 Crimes was launched in 2012 by Treasury Wine Estates, the Australian company behind Penfolds. Every label shows a real convict shipped from Britain to Australia, and the brand's app makes them talk when you point your phone at the bottle. The wine itself is soft, oaky (aged in American oak) and a touch sweet, built for easy sipping rather than keeping, and the range has grown to include Snoop Dogg's Cali Red.
How it compares
- 19 Crimes vs Apothic Red
Apothic is sweeter and more chocolatey; pick 19 Crimes if you want something a little less sugary with more dark berry.
- 19 Crimes vs Yellow Tail Shiraz
Yellow Tail Shiraz is also Australian, lighter and cheaper; 19 Crimes is fuller and oakier for a couple more dollars.
- 19 Crimes vs Bogle Zinfandel
Bogle Zin is drier and spicier with more going on for about the same money; pick 19 Crimes if you want soft and smooth.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- Who owns 19 Crimes wine?
- Treasury Wine Estates, a big Australian wine company that also owns Penfolds. It created 19 Crimes in 2012.
- Does Snoop Dogg own 19 Crimes?
- No. Snoop Dogg partnered with the brand in 2020 on a California red called Snoop Cali Red, but Treasury Wine Estates owns 19 Crimes.
- What were the 19 crimes?
- They were offenses that could get you shipped from Britain to the Australian penal colonies between 1788 and 1868. The list ran from grand larceny to oddly small things like stealing fish from a pond, and each cork prints one of them.
- Is 19 Crimes Red Blend sweet?
- A little. Lab numbers put it around 12 grams of sugar per liter, so it is off-dry: noticeably softer and sweeter than a dry red, but not a dessert wine.
- Where is 19 Crimes wine made?
- The original Red Blend is from South Eastern Australia. Some newer bottles, like Cali Red, are made in California, so check the label.
- Is 19 Crimes wine vegan?
- Treasury doesn't clearly label the whole range as vegan, and it can change by bottling. If that matters to you, check the back label or the brand's site for the specific wine.
If you like this, try
- Apothic RedRed blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) · about $10Good buy
- Ménage à Trois RedRed blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) · about $11It's fine
- Yellow Tail ShirazShiraz (Syrah) · about $7It's fine
Where Moxie recommends it
Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with 19 Crimes; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Open Food Facts contributors (source, CC BY-SA 3.0).