Millions of Americans have enjoyed Forest Glen wines over the past decade. The brand first appeared on the market in 1995 and has been a mainstay of wines in the economical price range of $10-12 ever since.

Their Cabernet Sauvignon was oak-barrel fermented, had lots of spice and fruit flavor and a satisfying finish. The Chardonnay also was oak-barrel fermented, buttery with hints of tropical fruit. And the Merlot, one of their best known, had cherry and blueberry notes, a minty aroma and finished with a touch of sweetness. With this kind of record and continuing popularity, why would anyone want to change things?

The man behind it all is Fred Franzia, owner of Bronco Wines and the producer of millions of cases of wine every year under dozens of name labels, including that of the very popular Charles Shaw brand better known as “Two-Buck Chuck.”

When asked about changes to Forest Glen, Fred responded by saying, “Trade suggested it ... We’re very sensitive about change, yet we want to be responsive to the wine market, which recognizes what our buyers want.”

So they designed a new label with a bigger white background, which provides better shelf visibility and larger print, more recognizable on sight. The previous label was two-piece, split with a little round top part with deer depicted and a lower section with the name and wine variety that was much harder to read than the new label.

But the changes didn’t stop there. Winemaker Ed Moody had long been trying to upgrade the quality of the Forest Glen wines but wanted to keep it in the same price range — a difficult task with ever-increasing production costs. But, by working with growers to improve their vines and provide better consistency in the grapes, he has done just that. The new Forest Glen wines are still in the $10-12 range but, Moody feels, are better tuned to today’s market, which is demanding wines that are somewhat less assertive but more elegant and with greater finesse.

The new Forest Glen Cabernet Sauvignon is indeed more elegant than its predecessors, has greater depth while still retaining the cedar, cherry, currant, plum and berry flavors. The new Merlot has lost none of its spice, mint and cherry notes but seems to be a bit firmer with greater finesse. The new Chardonnay has less barrel fermentation, which allows for more fruit flavor and a creamier consistency.

Overly-oaked Chardonnays have lately been losing sales to these newer styles, and Forest Glen will be right on target with this change. As for their other wines, the Forest Glen Shiraz has been refined to be less overtly spicy and is now more rounded out with plum and berry flavors and is rated by many as one of the best buys in Shiraz. The Pinot Noir is considerably better than previous with more raspberry and cherry flavors, and is less austere.

The Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are still crisp aperitif wines but now show greater apricot, peach and citric flavors. The entire line-up shows that a great deal of thought and planning went into the changes at Forest Glen.

So, look for the new white label with the distinctive Forest Glen lettering. If you can find a bottle or two of the old label still on retailer’s shelves, pick those up too; you can run your own taste comparisons to see if you like the new Forest Glen. I’ll be doing so, and I’d like to hear your reactions to the changes at Forest Glen.

Dave Ethridge is a nationally known wine writer, certified wine judge, and the Director of the Lapeer Chapter of Tasters Guild International.

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