Fast Facts: 2022 Cabernet Franc, Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve, Paso Robles, California ($7.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) …and let’s be frank: you just don’t see many bottlings of straight up Cabernet Franc – unless you are standing in a Winery Tasting Room. Cab Sauv? Sure. Cab Franc. Not so much… So that is what … Read moreTrader Joe’s Sez: “Let’s Be Franc”
Fast Facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California ($12.99 @Costco in California – Item #789895) In her encyclopedic The Oxford Companion to Wine, author Jancis Robinson refers to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley as a “high quality California wine region and AVA west of Healdsburg along that portion of river that meanders through … Read moreKirkland Signature RRV Chardonnay – Bingo!
Fast Facts: 2021 Pinot Noir, Trader Joe’s Reserve Lot #241, Santa Barbara County, California ($9.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) Pinot Noir has a problem. It’s being loved to death. Its precise rank varies by which list you consult, but it remains securely in the top 5 of all wine grapes, and second only to … Read moreThink You Can’t Find High QPR Pinot Noir Under $10? Think again…
Fast Facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Prosecco Rosé, Veneto, Italy ($7.99 @Costco in California – Item #1521870) We spill no small amount of “ink” talking about the “old world” rules and regs when it comes to wine and how they are generally more restrictive than in the US and the new world. Think of it as … Read moreRosé + Prosecco = Summer Genius!
Fast Facts: 2021 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel, Contra Costa County, California ($13.99 @Trader Joe’s in California) Today’s online edition of Decanter reported that veraison (that celebrated harbinger of harvest when wine grapes begin to blush and change color) has begun in the vineyards of northern California. They talked with winemakers from Napa, from Sonoma – … Read moreIf You Love BBQ, Get to Know this Grape, and this Wine
Fast facts: 2021 Trader Joe’s Petit Reserve Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia ($7.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) While we felt compelled to give a nod to the Aussie origin of this wine in this subject line, perhaps we should have said “fire up the barbee, Barbie” given all the hype the latter is creating in … Read moreFire Up the Barbee, Pour this Wine
Fast facts: 2021 Altosur Malbec, Uco Valley, Argentina ($8.89 @ Costco, California – Item #1448051) 97 points and less than $10? Yep, we can quarrel about whether the 97 points is warranted, but suffice it to say that the 2021 Altosur Malbec is certainly worthy of great praise. Awarded Best in Show for Value … Read more97 Point Malbec for Under $10? What is this Sorcery Costco?!
Fast facts: 2021 Kirkland Signature Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa Valley, California ($9.99 @ Costco, California – Item #505074) Costco is nothing if not consistent when it comes to their schedule of releases. We reviewed the prior vintage of this Carneros Pinot Noir at the same time last year. Good news, the price has not … Read moreThis May Just Be the Best Pinot Noir for Under $10 in the United States
Fast facts: 2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Meritage, Lot #239, Paso Robles, CA ($9.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) So this red caught my eye at Trader Joe’s recently. There were two things that first attracted me to this wine: the magical word Meritage (rhymes with “heritage” but is also pronounced “mehr-it-taj”) which promises good things … Read moreFire Up the BBQ and Pull the Cork on this TJ’s Red Wine
Fast facts: 2021 Vignobles Lacheteau Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, Loire Valley, France ($7.99 @ Trader Joe’s, California) European wine producers have a long standing tradition of using labels that are, in a word, confusing. At least to the average wine consumer. This is such a label. But we are here with some “French Lessons” to help … Read moreFrench Lessons from Trader Joe’s