The best Franzia wine comes in a big bag in a big box. It’s cheap (around 12 bucks for 34 glasses). And it has zero shame about any of it—kind of like me! I’m no wine snob. In fact, I frequently buy boxed wine to have around the house. Still, I didn’t go into this taste test expecting to become a Franzia Fan. Well, I didn’t even make it through the taste test without hopping on the Franzia website and buying my very own Franzia ball cap so I can advertise my newfound fandom to the world (was I drunk? maybe—get off my case). If you love a bargain and you love the idea of getting wasted on pink wine with a bunch of friends on a hot summer evening in a yard full of fireflies, I think you might find you’re a Franzia fan, too.
I tapped my colleague Justine Sterling to help me with this taste test since she’s a wine expert and someone who genuinely appreciates a tall, cold glass of Franzia Sunset Blush. See, instead of judging these Franzia wines on how closely they adhere to the intended qualities of their respective varietals, we decided it made more sense to judge the various flavors of Franzia box wine on how closely they adhere to the descriptions on their boxes (which I’ve included in each blurb) and how much we enjoyed drinking them. Drinking Franzia should be fun, dammit—don’t overthink it. From Franzia red wine to Franzia white wine to Franzia pink wine (two varieties!), here are ten boxes of Franzia ranked from worst to best.
- Franzia Crisp White
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Description on the box: Light to medium bodied; medium sweet; pairs well with fresh vegetables, hiking, pasta.
Okay, I love you Franzia, but this stuff is not medium-sweet—it’s sweet-sweet. It tastes like apple juice that you left out on the counter for a while. Please, whatever you do, don’t drink this on a hike!
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia White Zinfandel
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Description on the box: Light bodied; medium dry to medium sweet; pairs well with cheese, salad, the perfect playlist.
Franzia White Zin tastes like fruit. Not like grapes, but like a melted popsicle. I tasted strawberry. Justine tasted watermelon—fake watermelon, specifically. It tastes like pink. This is diner wine. You could serve this with chicken-fried chicken or a chop steak with lots of grilled onions to really complete the experience, but there’s a better Franzia pink wine on this list and I really think you should buy that one instead.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Merlot
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Description on the box: Medium bodied; dry to medium dry; pairs well with date night, pasta, pork.
The description isn’t totally off, but this Merlot lost a lot of points for being a bit bitter and astringent. And despite being medium bodied, it just doesn’t really taste like fruit. If you want a Franzi red wine with some body and rich fruity flavor, see #1 on this list.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Chillable Red
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Description on the box: Light bodied; medium sweet to sweet; pairs well with chicken, green salad, summer.
Okay, we’ve already made our way to Franzia wines we fully endorse. Does Franzia Chillable Red taste like watered down cranberry juice? Yes. Is it delicious? Also, yes. Justine’s face legitimately lit up when she took a sip. This stuff is sweet as hell, but the box warns you. Basically, if you like Moscato but want to give red wine a shot, this is the best Franzia to make room for in the fridge.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Pinot Grigio/Colombard
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Description on the box: Light bodied; dry to medium sweet; pairs well with crab salad, garlic shrimp, summer nights.
Quick, someone make me a crab salad! This Pinot Grigio is very tart and has a carbonic kind of nature to it. It’s definitely on the punchy side for a Pinot, but if you serve this ice cold at a BBQ, no one is going to bat an eyelash.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Cabernet Sauvignon
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Description on the box: Full bodied; dry to medium dry; pairs well with beef, chocolate, game night.
Okay, this isn’t quite as full bodied as the box claims, but it was so much better than the Merlot, that it ranks highly for emphasis. For a full bodied wine, it’s pretty light and there’s no oaky flavor whatsoever. Still, the flavor—which Justine thought had an almost minty quality—makes more of an impression than the Merlot, and it’s much less astringent, too.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Fruity Red Sangria
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Description on the box: Medium bodied; sweet; pairs well with BBQ, camping, citrus.
The box says Franzia Sangria is sweet and, goddamn, the box isn’t lying. But we love it. This is chain restaurant Sangria, and I mean that in the best possible way. You can definitely taste some clove and cinnamon, and a splish of very sweet brandy. Justine got fruit punch vibes—specifically “the kind of fruit punch with so much red no. 5 you can actually taste it.” Well, that may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but throw a few orange slices and some cubed up apple in a glass of this, and you’ll love it. I promise.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Chardonnay
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Description on the box: Medium bodied; mostly medium dry; pairs well with balcony swing, chicken, pasta.
This Chardonnay in this box isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking it came from an expensive bottle, but serve this to me with that chicken and pasta dinner, and I’m not complaining. It has actual oaky notes, and a nice lemony thing going on. This is right up there with other budget Chardonnays, but it’s even more budget. Love.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Sunset Blush
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Description on the box: Light bodied; medium dry to medium sweet; pairs well with fresh fruit, lazy rivers, pork.
I have developed an extreme affinity for this wine and everything it stands for. Toss me an innertube and a cold box of this, and I’m lazy river bound. This reminds me of renting a cabin with a bunch of old friends and just hanging out in the hot tub. Or having a Galentine’s Day night where you get sloshed and watch a bunch of reruns of Sex and the City. It’s very sweet, but it’s neutral, too. This is much better than the White Zin. This is another wine you could jazz up with some orange slices, halved strawberries, and honeycrisp apple cubes. This is the wine that turned me into a Franzia fan and taught me that cheap boxed wine can actually be … aspirational?
Credit: Merc / Franzia
- Franzia Dark Red Blend
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Description on the box: Full bodied; dry to medium dry; pairs well with beef, chocolate cake, star gazing.
Don’t yell at me if you disagree, but I think this wine is actually good. Do you like the rich, punchy Shiraz that comes in a box at Trader Joe’s? You’re gonna like this. It’s round and robust and has some notes of oak and vanilla. Yes, Franzia, I agree—this is the wine to drink with a fat slice of chocolate cake. I brought this home because it’s the perfect thing to have in the cabinet when I want a quick glass of wine at the end of the night but don’t want to get stuck with an open bottle. Me and this wine? Franz for life.
Credit: Merc / Franzia
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
Franz Forever!
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