Is Sutter Home White Zinfandel sweet?
Yes, Sutter Home White Zinfandel is a sweet, fruity pink wine, and at about $6 it's fine if sweet is what you're after.
Sutter Home White Zinfandel · Zinfandel · California · nearly every grocery store, gas station and drugstore
- Alcohol
- About 9.5%
- Sweetness
- Sweet
- Grapes
- Zinfandel
- Made by
- Sutter Home, owned by Trinchero Family Estates
- From
- California
- Price
- About $5 to $7
- Calories
- About 100 to 120 in a 5 oz glass (estimate)
What it tastes like
Strawberry, watermelon and cotton candy, soft and sweet with very little tang. Light and simple.
- Bodylight → big
- Sweetnessdry → sweet
- Zingsoft → zippy
Is it worth $6?
For the price, it does its job. If you want to try something a bit drier but still fruity, La Vieille Ferme Rosé is a good next step.
Who it’s for
Sweet-wine fans and anyone who wants a cheap, easy pink. If you think you hate rosé because of this one, try a dry Provence bottle; it's a different drink.
How to serve it
Very cold, or over ice.
The backstory
Sutter Home basically invented White Zinfandel by accident. In 1975 a batch of Zinfandel juice stopped fermenting before all the sugar turned into alcohol, and Bob Trinchero found he liked the sweet, pink result. By 1987 it was the best-selling premium wine in America, and the Trinchero family still owns the winery in Napa Valley. It's made from red Zinfandel grapes, but the juice spends very little time on the dark skins, so it stays pink and soft instead of turning into a big red.
How it compares
- Sutter Home White Zin vs Barefoot Moscato
Barefoot Moscato is sweeter and more peachy and floral; Sutter Home is a little lighter and berry-flavored, so it comes down to peach or strawberry.
- Sutter Home White Zin vs La Vieille Ferme
La Vieille Ferme is a dry French rosé for a few dollars more; try it when you want pink wine that's crisp instead of sweet.
- Sutter Home White Zin vs Stella Rosa Moscato
Stella Rosa is sweet and lightly fizzy at about twice the price; Sutter Home is still (no bubbles) and the cheapest sweet pink on the shelf.
What to eat with it
Questions people ask
- Is Sutter Home White Zinfandel sweet?
- Yes, it's a sweet wine. It has noticeable sugar left in it, which is why it tastes like strawberry and cotton candy.
- How many calories are in Sutter Home White Zinfandel?
- Expect roughly 100 to 120 calories in a 5 oz glass. The low alcohol balances out the extra sugar, so it lands close to most wines. Sutter Home doesn't publish an official number.
- How much alcohol is in Sutter Home White Zinfandel?
- About 9.5%, which is lower than most wines (they're usually 12 to 14%). That makes it a lighter pour.
- How much is a bottle of Sutter Home White Zinfandel?
- About $5 to $7 for a 750 ml bottle. It also comes in 4-packs of mini 187 ml bottles and big 1.5 liter bottles.
- How long does Sutter Home White Zinfandel last?
- It's made to drink young, so enjoy an unopened bottle within a year or so of buying it. Once opened, recork it and keep it in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
- Who invented White Zinfandel?
- Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home, after a stuck fermentation (when the yeast quits early and leaves sugar behind) in 1975 turned a batch of Zinfandel sweet and pink.
If you like this, try
- Barefoot MoscatoMoscato · about $7Good buy
- RiuniteLambrusco · about $7It's fine
- La Vieille FermeGrenache, Cinsault and Syrah · about $9Drink this one
Where Moxie recommends it
Last checked 2026-10-04. Moxie Vino isn’t affiliated with Sutter Home; this is our honest take. Bottle photo: Sutter Home.