This ‘cringeworthy’ 70s wine has had a makeover and actually tastes good now

The wine was popular in the 70s then fell out of fashion (Picture: Photo Media/ClassicStock/Getty Images) Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more Mention the 70s and my mind instantly goes to prawn cocktail and key parties. Swiftly followed by bell bottoms, grilled grapefruit, and water beds. Sorry, but there’s nostalgia, and there’s just plain ‘what were you thinking?’ Good taste seemed to take a sabbatical in the seventies. Maybe because it over-delivered in the sixties? Who knows. And why did everyone love entertaining at home back then? Faux-mahogany hostess trolleys were rife, stacked with Pyrex dishes containing boiled meat and Spotted Dick. Usually served beneath the kitsch glow of an orange, tasselled lampshade. Meanwhile, hirsute Euro-crooners like Demis Roussos and Julio Iglesias were seducing women (and men) over the record player. It was enough to make you choke on your Black Forest Gateau. But there was one thing that brought a touch of sophistication to this Crimplene-clad circus, and that was Black Tower. The bottles used to look very different (Picture: Black Tower) What is Black Tower? Nothing said 70s home entertaining like a bottle of Black Tower. You know, the off-dry German white wine in a tall, dimpled, earthenware bottle that looked like it had been excavated from a medieval burial site? You’d recognise it, all black and bobbly – the bottle, not the wine. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. They call it a ‘croc’ bottle, probably because it resembles crocodile skin, although the design was actually inspired by a Roman wine vessel. Then there was the iconic gothic lettering on the label, giving off-duty Nosferatu vibes. Perfect for Halloween, actually. Believe it or not, though, a bottle of Black Tower was the pinnacle of sophistication. It would have been proudly displayed on your Formica laminate Welsh dresser next to the spring-loaded cigarette caddy and an ashtray the size of a satellite dish. When Black Tower launched in 1967, it arrived at a time when Britain’s relationship with wine was changing. Until then, beer, spirits and the occasional sherry had dominated many a British household. Wine was seen as pretty exotic, associated with foreign holidays and fancy restaurants. Then along came Black Tower, Mateus Rosé and Blue Nun, which quickly became the toast of the seventies drinks cabinet. Black Tower has had a makeover (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven) What happened to it? What goes up must come down. The original wine was described brilliantly on Tom Cannovan’s Wine-Pages forum as, ‘breathtakingly inoffensive, almost tasteless with a slight yeasty twang, a little sweetness, almost no acidity and a hint of pétillance’. It’s hardly a description that will have you racing to your local Tesco. But that was perfectly acceptable in the 70s and 80s. Then our tastes began to change. As wine from Europe and Australia began hitting British shelves in the 90s, our palates became more sophisticated and adventurous. We were looking for drier styles, and poor old Black Tower and Blue Nun found themselves on the wrong side of fashion. They were the wine equivalent of a cheese and pineapple hedgehog, if you know, you know. Hence, sales dropped off significantly to the point of becoming naff and, frankly, a bit cringeworthy. But it never really went away. Black Tower is still described as Germany’s number one export wine brand, recognised and drunk in over 35 markets across the world. It doesn’t claim to be the number one German wine brand sold in Germany, which is interesting. Last year, producer Reh Kendermann gave Black Tower a much-needed glow-up. A redesign that made the logo bigger and bolder, with a more colourful background. But here’s the most important question: has the wine changed? What does it taste like now? It’s actually pretty good (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven) I tasted the Fruity White, £5.45 from Tesco. And here’s something I never expected to write: the new Black Tower is actually pretty good. There’s a gentle whiff of Golden Delicious apple and blossom on the nose, followed by green apple, kiwi and a judicious sprinkling of icing sugar on the palate, with a sugared Granny Smith finish. Crucially, there’s enough acidity to balance the sweetness, to stop it tasting syrupy. And the flavour hangs around considerably longer than you’d expect from a wine costing little more than a fiver. A decent option for someone who enjoys lightly off-dry and fruity white wines. There’s plenty to like here. Which retro wine is your favourite? Sign up to Metro's The Slice newsletter for your guide to what's on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways. Other tasty German wines for under £10 And if (re) discovering Black Tower has inspired you, don’t stop there. There’s a raft of tasty German wine hiding on our shelves, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to find them. Tesco Finest Steep Slopes Riesling, £8, Tesco As I keep saying, this is exceptional value for money. Green apple-flavoured, zesty lime, peachy richness and off-dry, sherbety loveliness. It’s only 11% ABV, which means it’s session-friendly. The grapes were grown on extremely steep slopes of the Mosel Valley, like the nose-bleed seats at Wembley Stadium. Hence its mouthgushingly lovely finish. Blueprint Dry German Riesling, £7.50, Waitrose From Waitrose’s ever-reliable Blueprint range comes a startlingly complex and mouth-hugging German white. Super textured, full of citrus-zinging flavour with a green apple-drizzled-in-honey finish. There’s also a light, blossomy note that gives you a lift. Oh, and this won a Silver Award at the IWSC 2026. Winemaker’s Choice Hock, £4.65, Asda Hock is just a slang term for low-end German wine, originally derived from the town of Hochheim am Main. It is the most comparable to Black Tower, in that Hock is also a seventies throw-back. This example is lemon-sherbet-zesty with a dusting of icing sugar. Really not bad for under a fiver. Blaumeister Hock, £4.65, Tesco Deals of the Day I've found the perfect partner to my prescription skincare and I'm hooked I've tested hundreds of beauty products and this Perricone MD cleanser stands out Get £297 worth of beauty products for £80 with PrettyLittleThing's advent calendar This Hoover vacuum is a game-changer for pet owners and muddy homes The wellbeing brand behind everyone's favourite candles has launched its biggest sale yet Someone described this as tasting like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc covered in sugar, and I have to agree. With comments from Tesco customers like, ‘the days of horribly sweet Hocks are in the past’, ‘light and fruity and desirably low alcohol, what’s not to like’, ‘it’s the loveliest wine ever I’ve been drinking it for years’, it’s well worth giving it a go. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Starbucks confirms iconic American Christmas drink is finally coming to the UK Arrow MORE: The new night out trend that has people saying ‘we’re in hell’ Arrow MORE: Martin Lewis’ MSE reveals UK supermarket with cheapest Baileys for Christmas 2026 The Slice Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.