Category: Viral

Conservatives were bound to be upset about the Super Bowl musical performances. Unsolicited opinions are still volleying through the air, and that includes Donald Trump’s distaste for Rihanna’s halftime show. Likewise, Marjorie Taylor Greene complained about too much National Anthem “wokeness” while seemingly not realizing that country singer Chris Stapleton has expressed wholehearted support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

As well, the Super Bowl opened with the a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (regarded by the NAACP as the Black National Anthem) from Sheryl Lee Ralph along with an all-female pilot team doing Navy flyover duties. So, it’s no wonder that the right-wing didn’t love it, but White House physician and current Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) made clear that he wasn’t a fan of the halftime show in particular.

Jackson didn’t explain his reasons but simply tweeted, “Ted Nugent would’ve been a MUCH BETTER halftime performer!!”

Jackson’s lack of specificity didn’t help matters, but soon enough, his replies filled themselves with references to a CNN report about watchdog findings that Johnson had uttered “sexual and denigrating” remarks during the course of his White House duties. The report also detailed how Jackson had “violated the policy for drinking alcohol while on a presidential trip” among other offenses. In response, Twitter users wondered if, perhaps, alcohol was involved with Johnson’s wish for Ted Nugent on the Super Bowl field, but perhaps he would have tweeted the same sentiment, alcohol or not.

Also, Johnson probably wasn’t wild about this:

Usually, when you think of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts, you tend to think of rappers, singers, and other vocalists. Although it’s a live band music series, the focus is usually on the frontmen, women, and people, rather than on the musicians that make up the band or the producers who create the music.

However, that doesn’t mean there’s no place for producers at the forefront. Kenny Beats, who is best known for providing pounding hip-hop bangers to rappers like Denzel Curry, Rico Nasty, and Vince Staples (who he previously played a Tiny Desk with), sits on the backline for his Tiny Desk performance, but there’s no doubt that he and the soulful production from his debut solo album Louie are the stars of the show.

In a pretty cool flip of the usual dynamic, Kenny plays the backbeat on drums while his backup singers soulfully reproduce the samples that populate the album. Kenny also brings in a few guest performers, including Jpegmafia, who raps on “Still” and Remi Wolf, who sings on “Last Words.” Nami closes out the set with “Rotten.”

Kenny’s album is dedicated to his dad, and he addresses the complexity of making music for your family. “This is an album about family I made with my friends,” he explains. “Usually, music about familly is about how much you love them, how much you care about them… everybody knows family is a much more difficult thing to explain in 2-3 minutes.”

Watch Kenny’s Tiny Desk performance above.

Post Malone is a multifaceted entertainer. His multiplatinum music — most recently, Twelve Carat Toothache — can sometimes be an afterthought. That’s a credit to his personality, not a knock on his artistry.

Posty’s headlining Twelve Carat Toothache Tour involved an on-stage gender reveal and a wedding, and he brought his showmanship as a supporting act on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Australian stadium run that wrapped last night, February 12.

Post drank beer from a fan’s shoe while performing in Sydney, Australia’s Accor Stadium on February 5. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to enjoy a drink at QT Perth’s rooftop bar this weekend because of his signature facial ink.

“They turned me away for my tattoos. I’ve never really experienced anything like that,” Post told The West Australian, which also relayed the QT rooftop dress standards lists “face, neck and offensive tattoos” as “strictly not permitted.”

The QT issued an apology to the publication: “At QT, we aim to welcome everyone and celebrate the uniqueness of each individual. QT has recognized this for many years. However, on Saturday night, our third-party security did not exercise the appropriate discretion and we take full responsibility for this. We sincerely apologize to the individuals affected.”

Post added to his ink collection last October with a tattoo reportedly honoring his infant daughter on his forehead.

As a GQ cover star in 2020, the 27-year-old star bluntly described why he started getting so many tattoos in the first place, especially on his face.

“I’m a ugly-ass motherf*cker,” he said back then. “It does maybe come from a place of insecurity, to where I don’t like how I look, so I’m going to put something cool on there so I can look at myself and say, ‘You look cool, kid,’ and have a modicum of self-confidence, when it comes to my appearance.”

A few notes before we dive into a review of the best and worst of the 2023 Super Bowl commercials:

• As always, I have separated the ads into three categories: Good, Bad, and Ugly
• I have not included every ad, just the ones that merited an official response, for any number of reasons
• I am an Eagles fan and I’m not doing great in the aftermath of that game, so please understand that as you scroll down
• The nostalgia and cameos were a little out of control but at least there were no crypto ads this year, which we have to consider progress

Baby steps. Here we go.

GOOD

This was…

• Fun
• A twist I did not see coming after years of various commercials about beers doing battle on football fields
• A weird reminder that Miller, Coors, and Blue Moon are all owned by the same company

Still. A good time.

I’m the guy who just pitched about a half-dozen movies where Ben Affleck plays a Dunkin employee or customer, and I’m writing this with a medium Dunkin coffee sitting about 18 inches to my left, so I could be biased. I don’t know. This commercial had every opportunity to be very stupid and it came off almost… charming (?) and I think we should acknowledge that. Good for Ben.

It’s always tricky to thrust a meme into the real world. Even trickier when it’s thrust into a full-on Super Bowl commercial, where lots of people who are less than internet savvy are tuning in and capable of getting really confused really fast. This was cute, though. I’m so thrilled for my dude here. Let him become the new full-time spokesman. Give him free food for life. Me, too. Give us both free food for life. I think we’ve earned it.

Three notes about these two commercials:

• I was predisposed to liking them because I love Will Ferrell and Danny McBride and you could honestly put them in an ad for anything, even a product designed to kick me — like, just me, specifically — in the kneecaps twice a day and I would still be like “those are some good dudes”
• It would’ve been funny if one of the Netflix shows they slipped Will Ferrell into was American Vandal and he was just spray painting dicks all over some electric cars
• More commercials should give Danny McBride a golf cart and some sort of weapon

Thank you.

This is cheating. This commercial for Wawa aired only in the Philadelphia area before the game. Not even during it. And yes, it’s tainted a little bit by the fact that my beloved Eagles lost in heartbreaking fashion. I do not care. I love hoagies very much. This one makes the cut.

Put

Jennifer

Coolidge

In

A

Super

Bowl

Commercial

Every

Year

I’m sorry. I am. But if you give me a sweet little commercial about a rascal dog who gets a surprise little buddy at the end, I’m going to put it in the GOOD category. These are the rules.

There is controversy here, sure. And maybe a commercial about cars demolishing children could bring the vibes of your Super Bowl party down a little. I get that. But I do love the idea of spending millions of dollars to roast your enemies in front of the whole world. This is what I would do if I had a billion dollars. I would buy up huge ad blocks just to bust on people who have wronged me. I have no choice but to respect this on principle.

BAD

There’s really nothing wrong with this. It’s fine. It’s lovely. I’m glad to see Alicia Silverstone doing things and getting checks for them. I’m just kind of upset that I’m now old enough that it’s my age group getting pandered to in these commercials. I do not enjoy that. More of a me thing. My apologies to Ms. Silverstone.

Lots of musicians doing various ads for various things. Rock stars and one-hit wonders and Diddy, all in there doing it. I did not expect to see Donna Lewis in a Super Bowl commercial, this year or almost any year, which is not so much a comment on Donna Lewis — a sweet woman, I’m sure — as it is on the nature of time and the way it marches on. My biggest problem with any of it is that I have all of these stuck in my head now. Gonna be a long week.

While I certainly appreciate that The Big Game is embracing its female viewers of a certain age, and there is something to be said for making these discussions more open and acceptable, I just, as a general matter, do not enjoy advertisements for medicine during the Super Bowl. Do not make me contemplate my mortality during a football game. It’s a simple request.

ON ONE HAND: I love these guys and am always happy to have them on my television together again.

ON THE OTHER HAND: It is also okay to just, like, let old things go and try to create new things. There’s an allure to nostalgia, especially when everyone is spending close to eight figures for a 60-second clip, but you could probably get the same lizard brain response from me — “OO OO LOOGIT THE TEEVEE” — by putting a cool dog on a skateboard and rolling him through an amusement park. Free idea for anyone who wants it. Probably a lot cheaper. Here to help.

Babies should not get married.

There, I said it.

I watched this again this morning and I cannot for the life of me figure out why it happened. I bet you didn’t even remember what the ad was for until you looked at the little words on the YouTube link just now. Why are JD and Turk from Scrubs singing Grease songs with John Travolta? How did we get here? It’s like someone just tossed some ideas in a blender and hit Purée. I don’t know. Maybe next year just let Donald Faison do his “Poison” dance for 60 seconds. I would enjoy that.

UGLY

Okay, bullet points:

• This was a sweet commercial and I love these dogs very much
• I do not want to feel this many emotions during the freaking Super Bowl
• DO NOT MAKE ME CRY

COME ON.

Here’s the problem: We’ve only had like four Super Bowls in the last 20 years that didn’t feature either the Patriots and/or Tom Brady. We went through an era there where everything was Boston. Scorsese made a movie set there. The Town happened. It got to be kind of a lot. I’m still sick of it. Enough. Gimme a break. Moratorium on all Boston-related things until 2030. I say all of this while knowing three things:

• I just put the Affleck Dunkin ad in the GOOD section even though it is the most Boston thing ever created
• People are starting to get sick of Philadelphia things happening everywhere, even if I’m a little blind to it because Philadelphia things are MY things (see above, re: Wawa)
• This is all just extremely petty of me

I feel okay about it.

I was so mad when I realized what was happening here. I’m still mad. You can’t do this to people. It’s not right.

There should be a law. I’m serious. Like, I’m really very serious. I’m going to write a letter and put it in the mail.

The Mr. Peanut business is out of control. One year he died. Then he was a baby and a teen. Now, he’s getting “roasted.” Get it? Do you get it? Because it has two meanings. Very deep stuff here.

Maybe I’m still on edge after the Tommy Lee thing from last week. I probably am. I might never get over that. This is not how I intended to close out my review of the 2023 Super Bowl commercials, with a reference to the thing where Tommy Lee from Motley Crue tweeted a picture of his testicles to the official verified Mr. Peanut account, but a lot of things didn’t work out how I intended in the last 24 hours.

It’s fine. I’m fine. I told you things could get weird.

When it comes down to it, who would really win in a fight? A bunch of dragons or a teenager with an attitude problem and a pet severed hand? The answer might surprise you!

Netflix’s hit teen mystery Wednesday has beaten out the dragon drama, House of the Dragon, as the most-watched premiere from the second half of 2022, according to a new report from Samba TV.

The series, led by Jenna Ortega, also had the most extended “shelf-life” of the most popular shows, meaning that new people were still tuning in after the prime two-week mark. Samba credits this to Gen Z and their ever-impressive TikTok trends that dominate the app, causing new viewers to tune in much after the fact, and then re-watch a million times so that they can get the moves just right. It’s hard work being an internet star, but someone’s gotta do it.

In contrast, House of the Dragon managed to be the top premiere in the first 15 days of its release, but Wednesday managed to blow past that after its 40-day window, with almost twice as many new views per day as Dragon. Wednesday also managed to attract a wider audience than other popular shows from June-December, thanks to its diverse cast that appealed to multiple age groups and demographics. According to the report, Wednesday was more popular among Black and Hispanic households, in addition to more female viewers.

Maybe if HBO can get genius Matt Smith to do a whimsical little dance then they might beat some more records. Just an idea.

(Via Deadline)

WARNING: Spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 5 below.

After some table-setting in Episode 4 that stranded Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in Kansas City, The Last of Us once again delivered an absolute gut punch of an episode. In “Endure and Survive,” game characters Sam and Henry, played by Keivon Woodard and Lamar Johnson respectively, take center stage as they help Joel and Ellie escape from Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) and her hunters that have overthrown FEDRA forces. Kathleen is also aggressively hunting for Henry, who caused the death of her brother by ratting him out to FEDRA to get medicine for Sam.

As fans of the game know, Sam and Henry’s tale has a tragically dark ending, and the HBO series did not shy away from those final moments. It was some heavy stuff, but thankfully Woodard and Johnson quickly formed a brotherly bond as soon as they met, which helped with the grueling shoot.

“Day One, the first day that we met, we were in the production offices running around and playing tag. We connect a lot over video games, things like that,” Johnson told IndieWire. “So it really was not hard. He’s such an enthusiastic kid and energetic and just very talented. It was really easy to build that relationship with him.”

That bond helped when it came time to shoot the episode’s bleak ending:

As Henry and Joel have their deep conversations about what families owe to each other and the importance of protecting another person, there’s Sam and Ellie taking their precious chances to goof around and be kids. Woodard and Ramsey were essentially getting to do the same thing.

“We’d be working all day and all night, and I would make jokes and talk with people. I really enjoyed my experience and I think there was a good balance there,” Woodard said.

Despite having his character die off after committing a horrifying act, Johnson has no problem revisiting the episode. He’s extremely proud of the work he and Woodard put in.

“You get everything. You get the emotions, but you also get the action and the character building,” he said.

(Via IndieWire)

While it seems that plenty of fans are divided about Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show performance (some loved it, some were disappointed, and many were distracted by her baby bump reveal), one group of viewers is having a field day with PhotoShop thanks to her high-wire act.

Rihanna began and ended her set standing on a platform that was suspended high over the field. Her dancers flanked her on similar platforms. And for a certain kind of fan, the whole setup wound up looking vaguely familiar…

That’s right: Rihanna’s a Super Smash Bro. now (give us the DLC, Nintendo!).

For those who don’t know Super Smash Bros. is a Nintendo fighting game that brings together characters from the company’s most popular properties (Super Mario Bros., The Legend Of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Starfox, to name a few) to beat the hell out of each other on… suspended platforms hovering over a bottomless pit. The goal of the game, unlike many fighting games, is for fighters to throw their opponents off the stage — the last man (or Pokémon or anthropomorphic animal or whatever-the-hell-Kirby-is) standing wins.

So many fans had a ball making the same Nintendo-related jokes and adding graphics from the game, but there’s one, clear winner here:

Check out more fans enjoying Rihanna’s high-flying Super Bowl performance below.

After ESPN’s Andraya Carter broke word of trade talks, Diamond DeShields appeared imminent for a trade out of Phoenix this weekend. Those talks eventually progressed into a significant four-team deal with abundant ramifications across the board, seeing DeShields head to Dallas, Marina Mabrey head to Chicago, and this year’s most active team, the New York Liberty, get involved.

It’s difficult to not get overwhelmed when contemplating this trade, what it means for each team, and how it may play out on the court. Here, we’ll try to do exactly that and look at how yet another offseason blockbuster shook up a quarter of the league.

Dallas Wings

The Dallas Wings remain an absolute anomaly to me.

I was pretty certain we were unlikely to see Mabrey, a restricted free agent, back in a Wings uniform in 2023 based on some posts from her agency as well as overall trends and verbiage from the organization surrounding the team during pressers.

Snagging DeShields, a former All-Star and extremely talented wing who has grown as a defender over the past year, is intriguing. Adding Chicago’s 5th overall pick in the coming draft, while maintaining the 3rd overall pick they received from Atlanta in the Allisha Gray trade (is your head spinning yet?), and adding another pick from Chicago in their 2024 first is incredible value no matter how you slice it and or feel about the on-court fit of the current roster.

Considering that Mabrey was likely on her way out regardless, getting back a player with similar value makes sense and is a good idea, but the fit is certainly odd. Every move Dallas makes furthers my urge to pack my things, move to Arlington, Texas, and volunteer to rebound just so I can see what’s going to happen at practice. The talent has never been the question during this recent era of the Wings, but how it meshes has been. As I’ve written previously with respect to the acquisition of Natasha Howard in the Jonquel Jones trade, I just need to see it in action.

New head coach Latricia Trammell is well known for her defensive aptitude and mind, and there’s the makings of one of the better defensive units in the league, as they’re long at every position and have a wealth of versatility. Offense is where things get muddled, though, as they have players with a variety of skillsets, but lack a clear table-setter to help organize their action.

Especially with their best playmaker in Mabrey gone, this is a huge vote of confidence in second year player Veronica Burton’s growth. Crystal Dangerfield will need to have an important impact as well, but Trammell has mentioned in media availabilities that she’s already met with Burton multiple times to watch film and pick each other’s brains. It can’t be understated how key she might be to organizing this offense.

From a bigger picture perspective, the Wings have too many draft picks to actually use themselves, meaning they’re likely not done dealing. Dallas has nine combined picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts, including five first rounders, three of which are in the coming draft. The Wings can open up roster spots by waiving some of their current rookie-scale players, but it’s worth noting that they only have two open roster spots after signing Kalani Brown to a training camp contract.

Will Dallas package together draft capital and players they don’t view as part of their future to make a home run swing? Or will they simply kick the can and move some picks this year for future picks? Either way, they can’t bring in as many young players as they have picks to, and more moves have to be on the horizon.

Adding picks in 2024 and the chance to move around in 2025 is huge, as those drafts are ripe with talent and are deeper than the recent few. The new talent infusion coming into and impacting the league is hard not to dream about fondly. Team president Greg Bibb openly stated that this year they’re looking to take another step forward as a competitive playoff team; how those timelines coalesce the next few seasons will be a sneaky important storyline throughout the league.

Dallas made the biggest splash in this trade with respect to value, but how they work to make that value play out on the hardwood is the hardest to figure out.

Chicago Sky

As for the Sky, trading out of this draft doesn’t surprise me when looking at the player added. Mabrey will come in, be an immediate starter, and perhaps in a new setting she pops into even more than what she already has been (a very solid WNBA player).

Kahleah Copper has the helm in Chicago, and James Wade and company are rebuilding on the fly around her to remain competitive. Some may look at this and scoff at trading out of the draft when they could add young talent, but I’d take this differently.

For one, this is a pretty good indicator of how the Sky feel about the depth of this draft. If there isn’t a player they believe they can develop into a star with the 5th pick, or develop into a steady starter during the next few seasons, it makes sense to move. Secondly, this is a significant bet on Chicago’s ability to re-sign Copper prior to 2024 and also to sign another star or multiple.

Punting on the 2024 Draft and opening up the possibility to slide down in 2025 is a large risk, but players like Kahleah Copper don’t just drop onto your roster in the square of their prime. On paper, the value proposition is tough to feel great about, but if the Sky end up retooling better than expected, and Copper ends up re-signing, I get it.

This team is frisky. James Wade is a hell of a coach. They’re not going to be a title contender, but I’d bank on this team making the playoffs and starting an enticing new era.

New York Liberty

This is fairly cut and dry from the Liberty’s perspective as they’re clearing up cap space and a roster spot. Onyenwere struggled to find her footing as a second year player and hopefully will be able to in a new environment, where she’ll surely build fans quickly inside Phoenix’s building.

With Marine Johannes likely coming over late, and Han Xu not yet re-signed (she has a reserved player qualifying offer from the Liberty), I’m very interested to see what happens with Nyara Sabally. Sabally, New York’s 2022 5th overall pick, missed her rookie season after having surgery to fix a previous condition with her knee. However, Liberty brass have repeatedly expressed their excitement for Sabally and drafted her knowing this could be the case.

How they look to round out their contending core will be fascinating to watch.

Phoenix Mercury

It’s hard to know what to take from this last year in Phoenix. It cannot be overstated how difficult Brittney Griner’s wrongful detainment was on the league at large, but specifically for the Mercury. Within that strained environment there appeared to be a lot of things going on behind the scenes that we still don’t have a full understanding of publicly, but it seems likely Diamond DeShields is happy to be in a new situation.

DeShields tweeted this the night the Mercury were ousted by the Aces in the first round of the playoffs.

Hopefully she is now a good place and in good spirits as she heads to a new team, while the Mercury can begin resetting after a tumultuous 2022.

Phoenix has nine players under contract for the coming season after signing Moriah Jefferson, although both Griner and Diana Taurasi have indicated that they will be re-signing. Skylar Diggins-Smith’s return date from her pregnancy is uncertain, but her return to Phoenix at large is as well, as she and Taurasi quite visibly did not mesh last season on-court with some notably heated spats. No one knows what to expect on the court from Griner, and that is all a secondary consideration as it’s just great to have the former All-Star back.

This team was competitive in the Finals in 2021, and Griner was an MVP candidate then. This is a very different team, in a very different situation headed into the year, and it’s difficult to grade this deal in terms of what it does on the court. That said, adding a player who can bring some versatility, but also be an injection of positivity on and off the court, something Onyenwere has been lauded for by New York’s front office and media, is noteworthy as the Mercury look to finally move forward.

Great wine and high price tags don’t need to go hand in hand. Most serious wine professionals will agree that there are plenty of delicious bottles to be found below the $20 price point, with the sweet spot being between $15 and $20 (once you go below $15, the chances that the wine was made with good-quality fruit is extremely rare).

However, knowing where to look is key. When searching out quality, value-driven wines, we recommend considering the quality of the fruit first—meaning that seeking out organic, biodynamic, or other responsibly-focused producers is a great place to start. To go a step further, look for the name of the distributor of the wine, which is generally found on the back label. Check out their portfolio and values to see if they align with yours, and if so, carry on.

Sounds like work, I know. But believe it or not, you’ll quickly build up a Rolodex of go-to names that you know and trust.

While we love supporting small retailers, we understand that it’s sometimes easier to grab wine online. We took to Wine.com to find the ten best red wines under the $20 mark. The results are in!

10. CVNE Organic Rioja 2020

ABV: 14%
Region: Rioja, Spain
Price: $15.99

The Wine:

For full-bodied reds that won’t break the bank, Rioja is a great place to start. CVNE’s rich history dates back to 1879, when the company (Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España) was founded by two brothers; today, the property is run by the same family. This organic Rioja is crafted from 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, and 10% Graciano. The wine’s aromatic complexity and long-lasting palate promise to please fans of bold reds everywhere—and best of all, you could actually age this wine for a few years, should you care to do so.

Tasting Notes:

On the palate, expect flavors of red fruits, blackberries, and black cherry, with ample undertones of vanilla and sweet spice, thanks to the use of new oak. Fans of luscious, California Cabs, this budget-friendly alternative is a seriously delicious alternative.

Bottom Line:

This budget-friendly, full-bodied red is a perfect alternative for those who tend to reach for California Cabs and other big-boned wines—which often cost a lot more than this affordable Spanish gem. Feel free to lay this one down and age it for a bit, too.

9. Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2020

ABV: 13.5%
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $17.99

The Wine:

Although New Zealand is better known for their Sauvignon Blanc, we’ve got one solid piece of advice—do not sleep on the country’s savory, earth-driven reds. Villa Maria was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich, who at the time, had just one acre of vines in Auckland. Today, the company produces wines all over the profile spectrum, from easy-drinking entry levels to heavier-hitting single vineyards.

Tasting Notes:

If you love light to medium-bodied expressions of Pinot Noir, we can’t recommend this bottle enough. Flavors of tart cherry, strawberry, clove, cocoa, and hints of earth lead to a refreshing-yet-palate-coating finish. Think of it like Old World style meets New World fruit in the best way possible.

Bottom Line:

Rule of thumb with Pinot Noir: If it’s under $15, we generally recommend steering clear altogether. As much as we love Burgundy, you won’t find it for this price point—and if you do, run for the hills. Look to other cool-climate, off-the-beaten-path regions for great alternatives.

8. Yalumba Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

ABV: 14.5%
Region: South Australia, Australia
Price: $15.99

The Wine:

Although Cabernet from California generally gets all of the love, looking to the Land Down Under offers a slew of budget-friendly alternatives. Fruit for Yalumba’s Y Series expression comes from the subregion of Wrattonbully and is fermented with native yeasts prior to being aged with a restrained oak regimen. On the palate, the wine’s got all of the juicy dark fruit flavors and oak undertones that Napa lovers seek, yet offers a unique and refreshing hint of eucalyptus synonymous with Aussie Cabs.

Tasting Notes:

Yalumba’s Y Series Cabernet boasts all of the opulent blackcurrant, plum, raspberry, and tobacco flavors that fans of bold New World reds know and love, though a touch of pepper and hints of eucalyptus—the latter of which is synonymous with wines from South Australia—offer a cooling breath of fresh air on the finish.

Bottom Line:

Although Cabernet Sauvignon gets a reputation for being expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Similar to Pinot Noir, look for off-the-beaten-path regions for budget-friendly (and equally interesting) alternatives beyond Napa to find the diamonds in the rough.

7. Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro 2021

ABV: 13%
Region: Naoussa, Greece
Price: $17.99

The Wine:

Love fresh, easy-drinking reds that are perfect for enjoying with a chill? Look no further than this Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro. Crafted from organically farmed Xinomavro (zee-no-mahv-ro), this tasty red ages for eight months in concrete, so as to allow the fruit’s character to stay fresh and intact.

Tasting Notes:

If you love Cru Beaujolais or Loire Valley reds, give this one a go. On the palate, notes of cherry, red jolly rancher, leather, and hints of savory herbs lead to a poppy, high-toned finish. Serve this wine with a slight chill to truly allow it to show its best side.

Bottom Line:

Remember the whole off-the-beaten-path thing we already mentioned twice? The proof is in the bottle, here. Wines from lesser-known areas will almost always be less expensive than their more popular counterparts. This year, dive into picks from Greece, Portugal, South Africa, and beyond.

6. Scarpetta Toscana Frico Sangiovese 2020

ABV: 13%
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Price: $13.99

The Wine:

Scarpetta is the brainchild of renowned sommelier Bobby Stuckey, whose love for drinking standard Italian table wines—and pairing them with equally delicious food—knows no limits. Inspired by the great wines of Chianti, Scarpetta’s Frico Rosso is made mostly from Sangiovese, rounded out with a handful of indigenous grapes, including Canialolo, Ciliegiolo, and Colorino.

Tasting Notes:

Contrary to the often over-extracted expressions of Chianti that flood the market today, this well-balanced Sangiovese is a breath of fresh air. Sour cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, smoke, and dried herbs (oregano, thyme) lead to a savory finish. For a bottle to bring you back to your study abroad days (or last jaunt throughout Italy), this is the wine for you.

Bottom Line:

While this isn’t technically a Chianti, the wine uses essentially the same grapes, and also comes from the same region. If you can’t get enough of Tuscany’s more popular red, this budget-friendly alternative will do the trick.

5. Domaine de la Pepiere La Pepie Cabernet Franc 2021

ABV: 12% (approx.)
Region: Loire Valley, France
Price: $19.99

The Wine:

Domaine de la Pépière has been pioneering natural wines since its founding days in 1984. Today, the brand remains at the forefront of the movement, yet their tasty bottles of wine have somehow managed to remain at approachable price points. La Pepie is a varietal Cabernet Franc sourced from the granite-based hills of the village of La Pépière. If you’re looking for a peppery, medium-bodied red to pair with savory meats or roasted veggies, serve this bottle with a chill and thank us later.

Tasting Notes:

La Pepie Cab Franc is everything we look for in Loire Valley reds: it’s medium-bodied, it’s savory, and it’s seriously food friendly. Flavors of raspberry, blackberry, graphite, and the region’s signature green bell pepper undertones promise to pair well with a variety of foods. Seriously, this is bistro wine in one of its finest forms.

Bottom Line:

Somms, retailers, and other wine professionals alike will all agree—when it comes to budget-friendly wines that overdeliver for the price, the Loire Valley is a mecca. Dive in.

4. Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Perricone 2020

ABV: 13.5%
Region: Sicily, Italy
Price: $19.99

The Wine:

You may not have heard of the Perricone grape variety before, but if you love Italian reds, this pick is definitely for you. Juicy, medium-bodied, and most definitely unique, this indigenous Sicilian variety promises a wealth of solid food pairings—think everything from margherita pizza to eggplant parmigiana, ratatouille, and beyond.

Tasting Notes:

Minini’s Perricone brings so much of what we love about Sicilian red wines to the table. Up front, flavors of wild berries, red cherries, and licorice dominate, followed by slight undertones of savory cooking spices. We also recommend serving this wine with a slight chill to truly bring it to life.

Bottom Line:

Similar to off-the-beaten-path regions, lesser-known grape varieties often offer budget-friendly alternatives to their more popular counterparts. If you love the wines of Sicily—think Etna Rosso or Nero d’Avola-based reds—Perricone promises a great time.

3. Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2020

ABV: 14.5%
Region: California, USA
Price: $15.99

The Wine:

Zin tends to get a bad reputation due to the White Zinfandel craze of the late 20th century. However, when vinified into luscious red blends, these savory, medium to full-bodied wines are simply irresistible, especially if BBQ favorites or Thanksgiving Day picks are on the table. Fruit for this meticulously vinified wine comes from vines averaging 50 years in age and is destemmed, lightly crushed, and aged for 12 months in French oak. The resulting wine? Well, we’ll just let you find out for yourself.

Tasting Notes:

Unlike the many overly opulent Zin expressions from California, the Cline family seriously knows what they’re doing. While medium to full-bodied, the wine’s flavors of ripe strawberries, morello cherry, cedar, prune, and sweet spice remain pleasantly balanced. For those with preconceived notions about Zinfandel, this is the bottle that promises to change your mind.

Bottom Line:

When vinified as a red wine—and at the hands of great producers, such as Cline—these juicy, fruit-driven bottles are simply delightful (and come to life when paired with a variety of foods, too).

2. Pratsch Zweigelt (1 Liter) 2020

ABV: 13%
Region: Niederösterreich, Austria
Price: $17.99

The Wine:

If light-bodied, high-acid reds are your jam, then this liter-sized bottle of Zweigelt will definitely do the trick. Produced from a long-standing organic estate in Austria, this easy-drinking wine is produced from organically-farmed fruit in the heart of Niederösterreich—and the only thing better than its taste (and price tag) is the size of the bottle. Sign us up!

Tasting Notes:

Think of this wine like Old World Pinot Noir meets Gamay with Austrian swag in the best way possible. Flavors of wild strawberries, hard red candies, moss, and cracked pepper lead to a refreshing, high-acid finish. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, serve this wine chilled to up the refreshment factor.

Bottom Line:

Organic, super easy-drinking red wine for under $20—AND it comes in a liter-sized bottle? Sign us up. (This was a close runner-up for the top spot!)

1. Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon 2020

ABV: 13%
Region: Beaujolais, France
Price: $15.99

The Wine:

Beloved by sommeliers, professionals, and wine novices alike, it’s no surprise that a bottle of Beaujolais found itself in our number one spot. Crafted from one of the region’s most renowned estates, fruit for this wine comes from some of the highest-planted vines in the region, cultivated at up to 2,000 feet above sea level. Vines average from 40 to 60 years in age and are rooted in the Beaujolais’ signature granite-based soils. In the cellar, the wine is vinified with native yeasts and aged in temperature-controlled tanks, so as to maintain freshness in the final wine. The result? Zesty, high-acid, and unbelievably easy to drink Gamay.

Tasting Notes:

Domaine de la Madone’s Beaujolais-Villages is everything you expect from entry-level Gamay. Notes of raspberry, stewed cherries, cranberry, red flowers, violets, and hints of forest floor are balanced by ample amounts of zesty acidity and well-integrated tannins. Fair warning, this may be your next go-to “house red.”

Bottom Line:

As cru-designated Beaujolais continues to climb in price, look to regionally-designated bottles, like this one, for delicious deals. Serve this wine chilled and get the party started.

Unless you entered a “darkness retreat” like Aaron Rodgers, you know that Rihanna was the headliner of the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last night, February 12. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, but Rihanna (and everything in her orbit) remain undefeated.

Rih ripped through 12 songs — the final of 39 setlist versions she filtered through in recent months — and she even revealed she’s pregnant with her and ASAP Rocky’s second child (as confirmed by her reps to The Hollywood Reporter).

Rihanna had teased to Nate Burleson ahead of the game that she was “thinking about bringing someone” out as a special guest. Nobody expected the special guest would be an unborn child.

A different special guest that became the internet’s darling: American Sign Language (ASL) performer Justina Miles.

Miles was technically initially introduced during Apple Music’s halftime show presser last Thursday, February 9, where she shared her excitement for signing Sheryl Lee Ralph’s pre-game performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem. She called it “important” to be able to “bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who have never really seen that before.”

Miles separately touched on signing Rihanna’s halftime show to CNBC’s Make It: “I value the opportunity to make it possible for all deaf people to enjoy these songs and not have them miss out on the full Super Bowl experience.”