Is Ménage à Trois red wine sweet?
Ménage à Trois Red is not a dessert wine, but it is soft, jammy and sweet-tasting for a red, sitting somewhere between a dry red and Apothic.
Ménage à Trois California Red Blend · Red blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) · California · nearly everywhere
- Alcohol
- About 13.5%
- Sweetness
- Off-dry, around 12 g/L of sugar
- Grapes
- Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Made by
- Trinchero Family Estates
- From
- California
- Price
- About $9 to $12
- Calories
- About 125 to 135 in a 5 oz glass
What it tastes like
Ripe strawberry, blackberry and a little vanilla. Very smooth with hardly any grip, and the fruit stays front and center the whole way through.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
- Gripsmooth → grippy
Is it worth $11?
It is fairly priced for what it is: an easy, fruity party red. For a dollar or two more, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel gives you a lot more flavor.
Who it’s for
Good for casual nights, big groups and people who prefer smooth over serious. If you like firmer, drier reds, it will feel a bit simple.
How to serve it
Chill for 20 minutes. It is more refreshing a little cold.
The backstory
Ménage à Trois was born in 1996 at Folie à Deux, a small St. Helena winery started by two psychiatric professionals, which explains the cheeky names. The idea was simple and new at the time: blend three grapes into one smooth red. The Trinchero family (the Sutter Home people) took it over in 2004 and grew it into a huge range, and the original red still leans on jammy Zinfandel with a little leftover sugar for that soft feel.
How it compares
- Ménage à Trois Red vs Apothic Red
Apothic is sweeter and more chocolatey; pick Ménage à Trois if you want fruity and smooth with a little less sugar.
- Ménage à Trois Red vs 19 Crimes
19 Crimes is a bit fuller and oakier with a fun label; Ménage à Trois is lighter and more strawberry-jam.
- Ménage à Trois Red vs Bogle Zinfandel
Bogle Zin is drier, spicier and has more flavor for a dollar or two more; the better pick if you are ready for less sweetness.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- What does Ménage à Trois mean?
- It is French for "household of three". The winery uses it as a wink: three grapes, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet, in one bottle.
- Who makes Ménage à Trois wine?
- Trinchero Family Estates, the Napa family company behind Sutter Home. It was created in 1996 at Folie à Deux winery and joined Trinchero in 2004.
- Is Ménage à Trois Silk sweet?
- Silk is the brand's softer red blend, and like the original it is smooth and fruity with a little sweetness, but not a dessert wine. If you want truly sweet, look for Ménage à Trois Dolce or Moscato.
- Which Ménage à Trois wine is sweet?
- Dolce and the Moscato are the properly sweet ones. The original red, Silk and Midnight are smooth and fruity but sold as dry-style reds.
- How much is a bottle of Ménage à Trois?
- About $9 to $12 for the red blend, and it is on sale often at grocery stores and drugstores.
If you like this, try
- Apothic RedRed blend (Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) · about $10Good buy
- 19 CrimesRed blend · about $11It's fine
- Bogle ZinfandelZinfandel · about $12Drink this one
Where Moxie recommends it
Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Ménage à Trois; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Ménage à Trois (Trinchero Family Estates).